Mechanically Challenged RVer

Voltmeter and learn how to use it.....even if you can not FIX the problem you can help to ID the issue.

Service Manuals for the specific Brand/Model of appliance will help 'understand' how things work.

It really is just doing a little research and reading up on a subject.

DIY RV mechanics are broken into 2 groups - those that do it to save money and those that simply enjoy doing it.

I am a fairly handy guy and have tackled many things on our various RV's. That said, there is a LOT I leave to the professionals.

If you are in the camp of having others do the work, 2 critical pieces - find a shop you can trust and does good work, and be prepared to pay - sometimes a LOT. Pretty simple, but I would agree, don't let RV's be intimidating. Technically you don't need to tackle anything yourself, but having someone else do it costs money.

If you have deep pockets, you can certainly farm everything out but it will cost a pretty penny.

I suspect the vast majority do the simple stuff themselves and learn enough to be knowledgeable when farming out tasks.

Also make this be part of the thought process when buying a unit. The more complicated it is, the more will need fixed, and the more the repairs will cost. Also, learn how to manually do things like open the slide so that if you have an issue, you can still finish your trip and enjoy yourself.

Jayco-noslide wrote:
Whatever goes wrong, there's always someone who can fix it.

Maybe.. depends on how close you are to that someone. I would never, and have never, trusted any mechanic or shop to do any electrical work. They simply don't know what they're doing. Turning wrenches..that's different.

The key IMO is to know when not to do it yourself.

I do some things myself. Others I have a friend do while I watch and learn. Others I take in.

If I take it in, I have learned several things that pretty much guarantee good service and customer satisfaction:

1. I look for a possible diagnosis first. If I have a reasonable idea walking in of what is wrong, I find I am less likely to be told a bunch of hogwash (this may be a woman customer thing).

2. When I find a good honest shop, I stick with them.

3. I'm reasonable in my expectations. I don't expect immediate service - there are other customers ahead of me and there may be one right after with an emergency. If I know I don't need the RV for three weeks, I tell the shop that. Tha allows them to take care of the fulltimer who just broke down on the way through town as quickly as possible. And that results in the shop not seeing me as a problem customer. They are more likely to round down on costs, give me options, and work around my needs, etc.

4. No matter what goes wrong, I don't take it out on the shop staff. They always comment that no matter what goes wrong, I walk in there happy and smiling - that makes a difference. If they cross a problem that's not easily solvable, they put more effort into finding the solution when I'm not harrassing them.

There is very little on this RV that I can't fix.. but there is much I do not care to fix.

Had one shop charge me for like 4 hours labor on a job I could have done in 30 minutes.. If I'd have had a place to do it.

I have no idea what took the idiot so long to remove a bolt but I could have done it in minutes.. Oh well. I;ve done it in the past.

The moral.. If you know how long a job should take. You know when you are getting ripped off.

The older I get, the less I do myself.