DIY vs. "professional" maintenance

iwannagetgoin wrote:
I'll have to plead foolishness if not downright stupidity on my part for not hounding the mechanic every step of the process and not asking when I paid the bill if new seals were used but not itemized on the work order. But I am enjoying all the replies, even though they lead to additional questions and further embarrassment. I've shied away from the RV shops due to typical long wait time and prior bad experiences. Maybe with a few more of life's lessons I'll avoid making the same or similar mistakes again.

Thanks for not "hounding the mechanic". I've worked in a few shops, everything from Lamborghini to lawn mowers and there is hardly anything worse than a customer standing over your shoulder, in most cases. About the only thing worse is a customer advising how to accomplish the task.

For all of the mechanic bashers out there, the shop calls most of the shots, not the guy with wrench in hand. If you have an issue with how the work is performed, it's best to relate this to the service writer or management. The word will be passed downhill.

Without knowing the condition of the trailer axles, the process guidelines of the shop, or the customer's input for the task, it's difficult to pass judgement on the maintenance performed. If the seals weren't leaking before the work was started, a decision might have been made to reuse the existing seals. If inspection shows that the inner bearing is good, new grease can be forced into the bearing, ala--ship-in-a-bottle. This saves money for the customer and time for the shop. Since most of the force on the bearings rides on the outer bearing, I've done this many times myself. I've never had an inner bearing fail from this process.

I'd suggest that the OP have the work done, next time, by a different shop or DIY.