When I was younger we traveled all over the lower 48 and never gave breakdowns a thought, just fixed them and kept going. Now that I am an old geezer and can't do the stuff I used to do, we are somewhat hesitant to just take off and go where ever. And, mo-ho's are so much more complex now, that finding a competent repair person in The Middle Of No-where is hard to do. So, we stick to traveling fairly close to home and in areas where we know of good RV shops. This has become a bit boring as we would still like to strike out for "parts unknown"What do others do to overcome the fear of break-downs where there is no help available.

Well, I'm only 65 so I'm not eligible for geezerhood yet but I don't worry about it. Rarely are you totally out of touch, what with cell phones and such. And if you do find yourself in such a state, well that's life. You do what you can and prepare, but sometimes stuff just happens. Worry won't stop it so it's best to just get on with life.

there is nothing on your motor home that is not on any other vehicle on the road. Only thing different on a MO HO is access to components. Just maintain it like any other vehicle. Before you head out check brakes tires fan belts etc. Any time you are out of town it is roll of the dice on quality and honesty of service you are going to find. A big fancy sign or a corporate chain on a garage only means that the owner can afford the franchise fees,nothing more. Get going and enjoy yourself.

I'm 71, and motorhome breakdowns are just something I deal with when they occur. They're not something I worry about in advance beyond having a good emergency road service plan. Over the years with various RV's, I've had a blown engine, a blown transmission, and a blown rear end assembly, all of which required major repairs when we were nowhere near anyplace where we knew anyone or any repair shops. Our road service has always found quality shops for us that were able to make the repairs as quickly and cost effectively as practical. Sure, we lost as much as two weeks of our trip, but since we're seldom on a planned schedule anyway, that didn't matter much. Of course, we've had other more minor issues along the way, but again, we just dealt with them as needed, either on the spot or when we were settled in for a bit somewhere, depending on the issue.As I see it, worrying about what might happen is a waste of energy, since there's no way to plan for all contingencies anyway. Do your preventative maintenance on schedule and enjoy your RV as it was meant to be enjoyed!

I can sit at home and worry OR I can go enjoy and deal with the 'what ifs'....IF/when it happens.In the mean time I'm enjoying not worrying

WTD44 wrote:What do others do to overcome the fear of break-downs where there is no help available.Coach-Net roadside assistance.

"Show stopper" road probems | Good Sam Community

noe-place
Explorer
Oct 26, 2014
I use Coach Net for such situations. Fortunately I've only needed them once and they came through with flying colors.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Oct 26, 2014
Jim Shoe wrote:
I had Coachnet since their main office is about 5 miles from my home. Until I had a flat tire on my toad. I was already parked in American Heritage RV park in Williamsburg, VA. One hardly ever sees an RV in Williamsburg. Yeah, right. Multiple phone calls and someone finally showed up the next day (Monday). I don't suppose that Sunday being Father's Day had anything to do with it.

Coach-Net's main office was in Lake Havasu, AZ until a couple of years ago when they moved to Texas. They've taken good care of us even when our toad broke down on Christmas day.
Moderator
Moderator
Oct 26, 2014
Moved from ATC
bluwtr49
Explorer II
Oct 26, 2014
Since there are very few things that would prevent us from driving to a facility, I simply don't worry about it. If the engine runs, drive trains moves it, and the tires are round every thing else is minor. No different from a car or truck.

Than there is coach-net, a cell phone, and credit cards for the unpleasant things. Plus we have an extra set of wheels following behind just in case.
DSDP_Don
Explorer
Oct 26, 2014
I do all of my own maintenance and know that my coach is ready, every time it leaves the driveway. If I do become apprehensive about a break down, I just look at some of the pieces of junk that pass by smoking, awning flapping and more rust than paint go by and then know.....if they can make it, I can make it.
Ductape
Explorer
Oct 29, 2014
Help is always available, as long as you can find them and have the coin. So a good phone, a good credit card, and a good roadside assistance membership if you're so inclined should ease your concerns. Keep the fridge stocked and you can always wait in comfort while the cavalry is coming, should it come to that.
GHOST1750
Explorer
Oct 29, 2014
I know the feeling, I am 81 and even though I don't feel it and they say I don't look it I still have those travel reservations. In the 14 years I have been RVing I've not had any real problems but I do understand how you feel.
mmiille
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
All I know is that I worry a lot too. But I'm glad that everything I worry about hasn't happened. It would be a very large list. I just do my best and take deep breathes and go. If something happens, we deal with it and move on. There hasn't been a problem that we couldn't solve, and we love going.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Oct 30, 2014
IN many years of RV travel we have only had one problem that stopped us and caused a week long delay. As it turned out, this happened to be right outside of Dutch John, UT. We had passed through the little town when we broke down. There is ONE small garage in Dutch John and CoachNet sent the mechanic out to us in about 20 minutes. He was able to do a temporary repair that got us back to the RV Park in Dutch John, right next to his garage. He determined what the problem was and we ordered the parts. We ended up spending a week in a fantastic area of Utah that we would have driven right past. This incident changed our "schedule" but it did not hurt our trip. As it turned out, had it not been for the problem we would have missed a great destination. He completed the repairs, gave us a bill that was way less than I expected, and we continued on our way with a note on our map to return to Dutch John the next time we are in the area.
One of the advantages of having an RV and a toad is that a problem does not mean that your trip has to come to a halt. There are usually alternatives that will allow you to just switch gears and enjoy the circumstances that you are in.
John_Joey
Explorer
Oct 30, 2014
WTD44 wrote:
When I was younger we traveled all over the lower 48 and never gave breakdowns a thought, just fixed them and kept going. Now that I am an old geezer and can't do the stuff I used to do, we are somewhat hesitant to just take off and go where ever.

And, mo-ho's are so much more complex now, that finding a competent repair person in The Middle Of No-where is hard to do....

X2 on everything you said.

The hardest part of MH'ing for me was turning the key. Once I was on the road no problems. I think the more you know the harder it is when you age. You understand what things can go wrong, but you no longer have the physical ability to do your own repairs.

For short trips we now use a very reliable Toyota and hotel it. Anything under 2-3 weeks.

For longer trips I jumped shipped from the Class A to a Chev truck and 5'th wheel. Now if I can't find someone to fix a Chev then I just went too far :B