What do you do while your RV is in the shop? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Boxrkisses · RV-Dreams Community Member

What do you do while your RV is in the shop?

lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

A lot of the RV repair locations will do their best to ensure that your unit can be towed/driven outside each night so that you'll still have use of it even supplying water and elect hook-ups.

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

Back when I bought the DP down in Orlando, Florida I had it booked into Cummins/Onan dealer for a quick service (oil, filters, grease) before our 2800+ mile treck back home. It was after hours, about 9:00pm when we got to the dealer. I knew we would be late arriving so the service manager previously gave me the code for the electric gate opener so I could get in. He said there are some "Full hook-up" sites behind the building. We pulled in there and that was pretty cool. I think there was five sites with power, water, sewer..............and all paved. We walked out for a bite to eat then went back to sleep. Got up in the morning, cleaned up and was all ready for service dept. We were done by noon so I don't know what it would be like staying again. I'm sure no big deal, likely depends on what kind of repairs need to be done.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Like Lindy said: Most repair Centers try to make it easy on you and will allow you to use the unit in the evening.......if not Motel 8 has a real good practice of leaving the light on for you!!

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here's a link I wrote on "How to Survive Repairs" for our blog.

Barb

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

...................And yes, It's not the end of the world if had to lodge in a Hotel for the short term. Just the same as driving your car far away from home on a holiday and have a problem. You want to sleep in the car?? No............. get a room.

Boxrkisses · RV-Dreams Community Member

Wow...I had no clue on some dealerships allowing you to stay on their lot...Thanks for the info....one more "oh no what do we do" marked off my list...
Thanks!

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know up around here there is nothing like that available. I think it makes a difference when they specialize and cater to a lot more larger and "High End" RV's. Especially year round warm weather climate. Not our 6' of snow and -40's.

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've had three occasions to stay in a dealer's lot while repairs were ongoing. Twice, we even had electric hookups. The other time, we ran our generator as needed. Nobody minded the noise, it was a heavy duty truck shop.

We've always found the service folks to be more than helpful and accommodating. Worst case scenario, maybe someday we might have to hotel it for a day or two. Nothing to lose sleep over. :c)

Best Regards!

Talensnana · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had some work done at a camping world. They allow overnight boondocking. A few have hookups available also.

igotjam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Have stayed at a few repair places too. We have done the hotel thing and its not fun. Lately we have tried to get most things done by mobile service techs. You pay for service calls but you don't have to move or leave your home.

Boxrkisses · RV-Dreams Community Member

Are the mobile service techs covered under warranty contracts?

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we needed our engine rebuilt last summer, the shop let us stay onsite for the entire 7 weeks it took. It was fun (well, as fun as it could be given the circumstances), we became like family to the crew there.

But not all shops can be that accommodating, and there is a possibility you'll need to find alternate accommodations.

- Cherie

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

It depends if it's your tow vehicle or are you in a MH. In our case, with our tow truck having difficulty & needing repairs, we stayed in a nearby RV park in our 5th wheel. On the other hand, having warranty work done on our 5th wheel we've been in two different RV repair facilities where we had either full hookups or water/electric at no extra charge.

Sherry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Boxrkisses wrote:
Are the mobile service techs covered under warranty contracts?

This question could be an "iffy." If you are speaking of extended warranties, it may depend on two considerations. Some mobile techs may not want to deal with warranty companies and some warranty companies may require more certified service places. You would likely need to start with talking with the warranty company to see if they have restrictions. If they don't, then it's a matter of asking the mobile techs.

Terry

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our first major repair was while we still had the house, however, this was definitely something I wondered about as the fridge was unusable for 2 weeks and there was a delay in getting parts shipped. Now that we're on the road, we're figuring this out with each incident.

Our extended warranty indicates that the repairs have to be done by an RVIA certified shop / tech. We've used a mobile tech twice, great experience in that we didn't have to move our rig. I did "lock" myself and the kitty in the bedroom while the tech and his assistant were replacing the cooling unit. In advance they told us it was a one day job so we figured I could deal with that for one day.

On the other hand, we're going to have solar installed by AM Solar this spring, it's a 2.5 day job so we're getting a hotel with a kitchenette for that time, 2.5 days would be too disruptive to my normal work and would probably end in a really scared kitty so we think it will be easier to move to a hotel. If we were retired and didn't have pets we might elect to sleep in the RV each evening and explore during the days, but I don't want to use vacation time and our kitty gets freaked out when we're on the roof so I can just imagine 2.5 days of hearing the solar guys tromp around on the roof would not have a good result.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Over 10 years of fulltiming and we have only been out of the motorhome for one repair, when Newmar did the residing. (They removed the outside walls, replaced them with different material and then repainted it all. This was because of "paint checking", which is actually a fiberglass issue.) Otherwise we have slept in it every night.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 6th of March 2014 07:42:33 PM

D and M · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're sitting at the RV's For Less dealership now getting our 1 year warranty issues fixed. They work on the rig during the day and we stay in it at night. We expect to be here for a week and it sounds like some items will have to be ordered from the factory which means we will have to come back for those repairs. So far we haven't run into anything that puts us out of the rig overnight.

FT Dreamin · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have been fortunate to find a Mobile diesel mechanic in our area ( south Texas) - he only charges - $65/hour plus a trip charge of about $150 that includes the first hr - I know!!! It is a husband wife team and he is a very knowledgeable full service mechanic. He comes fully equipped with every tool he needs and is a fast worker. He did an R&R of our radiator plus serviced both the engine & genny. Believe you me I was a bit nervous at first but when I watch him start to work he was quick & purposeful - no hesitation - it was apparent he knew what he was doing.

He also works on the RV systems as well although he is not RVIA certified - but neither am I and I've fixed plenty in our bus.

We are way beyond any warranty so it's all on us.