Floridastorm wrote:
Most of the replies have been informative. However, nobody has provided actual answers to my questions with real life scenarios. The replies seem to indicate cons against purchasing a motor home if I am not a handyman. It's a given fact that I am not a handy man and have no desire to be one. However, I still wish to purchase a motor home. I'm quite sure there are thousands of RV people out there that are also not handymen/handywomen and still have motor homes. I would simply like to know their experiences with repair/maintenance with:
A manufacturer's warranty on their MH
An extended service agreement on their MH
Self paying with their MH
Mobile repair/maintenance at home for their MH.
Roadside Assistance for their MH.
I should mention that my preference in motor Homes is a Class C or B and not a Class A or any type of 5th wheel or travel trailer. My understanding is, that a Class C or B is like doing maintenance on a truck and should be more readily available and, as such, more cost effective.
Warranty work is very manufacturer dependent. Unlike automobile dealers, RV dealers are not required to handle warranty repairs and your local dealer may very well decide not to repair your rig should you buy it from another dealer. That being said, while traveling I have never had any issues getting warranty repairs. I have found the best warranty repairs are done by either authorized mobile repair people (for RV related repairs), or by a chassis authorized center (Cummings and Allison in my case).
Extended warranties are actually service contracts and results vary widely. They will be frustrating, expensive but may save your bacon should you have an unlikely major failure.
Roadside assistance is for towing, not repairs. Most tow to the nearest repair facility. That may or may not work for you.
As for mobile repair people, I have found most to be reasonably priced and relatively competent for small to medium repairs. I wouldn't want them to rebuild the transmission or engine, but they are great for repairing a water pump.
You don't need to be an engineer to own and operate a RV. As long as you don't stress over each and every glitch and don't freak out if you have pay a $100 bill now and again, go for it.
