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RodHatter's avatar
RodHatter
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014

FYI Generators

Just an FYI for some with problems with there Genny.
In the last month Ive bought a new to me RV a 30ft 1999 Sea Breeze with 60000 miles on it.
Everything worked the previous owners had everything checked out all service work everything tested all oils changed Perfect !!
A week after getting the RV wife cleaning up inside so she was running the genny and the air. She worked both saturday and sunday cleaning all the little things that women can find to clean. Both days she ran the air and the genny. Monday she goes out and starts the genny. Genny start right up but is putting out nothing. I test as little as I know.
Trip breakers replace the 1 fuse. Nothing helps.
I come on RV.net.LOTS and lots of people trying to walk me through what to do.
All is either above my working knowledge or I dont have the equipment.
(Thanks Everyone!)
Everyone one warns me DONT go to a RV dealer to get repaired most say they will RAPE up.
I went to Paul Evert in Fresno Ca. No choice couldnt find anyone else that would work on RV Gens...
Evert wants 125.00 to tell me whats wrong with the gen and then repairs. I agree with the 125.00 they keep the RV a week because they are sooo backed up.
A week later they call me and tell me they need to remove the gen to bench test and its an additional 350.00. Plus whatever repairs.
I asked what the original 125.00 was for if they where going to the price to an additional 350.00 so now it would be 425.00 to diagnose whats wrong. The sales man told me with a gen this old and with this few hours (184) he would suggest I buy a new gen instead. He said when they are this old and this low hrs they usually 86 them for new.
I told Paul Evert to wrap it up and Id take it home with me.
I had a guy I work with tell me of a place that works on gens and that he really liked the guy. Said at his previous job they had used this guy on several of there gens and he always came through!
The place is Bishop Equipment the guys name is Randy Bishop he is the owner. Called him on monday took the RV in on thursday. He called me and told me it was ready on thursday afternoon at 330. Bad regulator. 245.00 When I got home I called Paul Evert. Let the know it was a regulator and that the mechanic didnt have to pull the gen out to bench test it he did it from the ground and had it ready for me in less that 3 hrs at 245.00 That I would spread the word what a worthless bunch of mechanics they have..
By the way Bishops garage only works on Gens he is certified in all makes and models. So if your gen needs work and your in this area I highly recommend Bishop Equipment for ALL your Gen needs.

Just thought someone here would like to know..
  • TEXAS's avatar
    TEXAS
    Explorer
    Oct 21, 2014
    Some of you know me. But for those that don't.

    I am a retired generator mechanic. I work out of one bay in the storage building at the local feed store. I work by these rules

    Never lie to a customer
    Never cheat a customer
    Always call the customer and tell them what is my best guess at what the repairs will cost.
    Don't work fast. Take my time and do the job right.
    Nothing leaves my shop until I am sure it will do it's job.
    If it doesn't work return it and I will find out why and repair for free.
    Let the customer know if it is worth fixing.

    Number one rule. If I can't fix it. You don't pay
  • PatrickA51's avatar
    PatrickA51
    Explorer
    Oct 17, 2014
    RLS7201 wrote:
    MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
    I mean some "repair" shops have to cover the extra time needed while the "mechanic" has to keep guessing, and replaces part after part after part until somehow he stumbles across what is actually broken.

    Red Hot technicians are loners. They do not want anyone around them especially not supervisors trying to tell them what's wrong. When I passed a few months in college working for an auto dealership as a line mechanic (electrical) I threw a fit because the service order writers had the guts to write repair functions on the repair order. I marched out to the service island, chewed their ass out and yelled YOU WRITE DOWN THE SYMPTOMS NOT SOME HALF (baked) DIAGNOSIS on the work order. This lead to a confrontation with an idiot service manager "The International Harvester Travelall with the A-727 Mopar transmission has the neutral safety switch on the steering column and not on the rear end of the manual selector rod in the transmission".

    I flipped 5 100 dollar bills on the service writer's desk and said "Put your money where your mouth is". He didn't like the idea of having a half dozen other mechanics witness this. Needless to say this greatly assisted my later decision not to work in a "corporate" environment. "Teamwork" many times is translated to "Subservient To Stupid Management".

    Kudos to the OP's intelligence and willingness to go the extra mile and find competent technical ability. Good technicians are efficient and do not need to cheat.


    Mex, your rant explains exactly why I worked in an independent garage.
    I greeted the customer, listened to his/her complaint, made the diagnostic and repair, wrote the bill and talked to the customer up on return.
    Like you, I'm not sure what qualifies a "service writer" to determine what corrective action needs to be taken.
    Flack jacket on.

    Richard


    Richard;

    Very well put!
  • RLS7201's avatar
    RLS7201
    Explorer II
    Oct 17, 2014
    MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
    I mean some "repair" shops have to cover the extra time needed while the "mechanic" has to keep guessing, and replaces part after part after part until somehow he stumbles across what is actually broken.

    Red Hot technicians are loners. They do not want anyone around them especially not supervisors trying to tell them what's wrong. When I passed a few months in college working for an auto dealership as a line mechanic (electrical) I threw a fit because the service order writers had the guts to write repair functions on the repair order. I marched out to the service island, chewed their ass out and yelled YOU WRITE DOWN THE SYMPTOMS NOT SOME HALF (baked) DIAGNOSIS on the work order. This lead to a confrontation with an idiot service manager "The International Harvester Travelall with the A-727 Mopar transmission has the neutral safety switch on the steering column and not on the rear end of the manual selector rod in the transmission".

    I flipped 5 100 dollar bills on the service writer's desk and said "Put your money where your mouth is". He didn't like the idea of having a half dozen other mechanics witness this. Needless to say this greatly assisted my later decision not to work in a "corporate" environment. "Teamwork" many times is translated to "Subservient To Stupid Management".

    Kudos to the OP's intelligence and willingness to go the extra mile and find competent technical ability. Good technicians are efficient and do not need to cheat.


    Mex, your rant explains exactly why I worked in an independent garage.
    I greeted the customer, listened to his/her complaint, made the diagnostic and repair, wrote the bill and talked to the customer up on return.
    Like you, I'm not sure what qualifies a "service writer" to determine what corrective action needs to be taken.
    Flack jacket on.

    Richard
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Oct 17, 2014
    I mean some "repair" shops have to cover the extra time needed while the "mechanic" has to keep guessing, and replaces part after part after part until somehow he stumbles across what is actually broken.

    Red Hot technicians are loners. They do not want anyone around them especially not supervisors trying to tell them what's wrong. When I passed a few months in college working for an auto dealership as a line mechanic (electrical) I threw a fit because the service order writers had the guts to write repair functions on the repair order. I marched out to the service island, chewed their ass out and yelled YOU WRITE DOWN THE SYMPTOMS NOT SOME HALF (baked) DIAGNOSIS on the work order. This lead to a confrontation with an idiot service manager "The International Harvester Travelall with the A-727 Mopar transmission has the neutral safety switch on the steering column and not on the rear end of the manual selector rod in the transmission".

    I flipped 5 100 dollar bills on the service writer's desk and said "Put your money where your mouth is". He didn't like the idea of having a half dozen other mechanics witness this. Needless to say this greatly assisted my later decision not to work in a "corporate" environment. "Teamwork" many times is translated to "Subservient To Stupid Management".

    Kudos to the OP's intelligence and willingness to go the extra mile and find competent technical ability. Good technicians are efficient and do not need to cheat.
  • darsben's avatar
    darsben
    Explorer II
    Oct 17, 2014
    Please go to RVSERVICEREVIEWS.COM and post a review for others to see who might need the same work
  • naturist's avatar
    naturist
    Nomad
    Oct 17, 2014
    Glad that worked out for you. It is indeed always nice to find a repair person who knows what they are doing and will do an honest days work for an honest fee. Thanks for spreading the word (although it's unlikely _I_ will ever have need of that guy, being on the other coast and all.)
  • 64thunderbolt's avatar
    64thunderbolt
    Explorer II
    Oct 17, 2014
    If I can't fix a gen I take it to a mfg dealer like Onan go to cummins etc. Nice to have an honest knowledgable guy to go to. You hit a home run. I R&R them myself and toss them in the truck. The labor for R&R is totally ridiculous. Only takes a few min to get one out.
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    Oct 17, 2014
    It's always a pleasure to find someone that knows what they're doing. Rare indeed. Nice find and spread the word!

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