Maintenance, you vs. the dealership..

I ask this question because my dang eyesight makes it more difficult and after a full day of crawling all over the car Im quite sore. My travel trailer is ready to go for our big winter trip down the coast. The suburban is ready to go as well but, it was a lot of work. I did a front end alignment in my driveway, changed the transmission filter and fluid, oil and filter, lube job, etc, etc.. The reason I did my transmission was that the shop wanted dang near $700 bucks just for that. I also did the SumoSupersprings. Easy job. Nevertheless, I do feel sore when Im done.

We have been RVing since 1987. One time I took a motorhome to a shop to have it serviced. Mainly I thought I needed a pro to do the generator. Found out I already knew a lot about the thing and threw my money away on that deal. Over the years I have paid for shoddy repairs that I should have done myself.

I do everything on the F350 but mounting tires on rims.

Just completed the EGR/Oil Cooler R&R a few weeks back. Good for another quarter million miles.

Truck has only seen the dealer for E-testing.

My other vehicles and the RV the same.

There will be time for resting when I'm dead ;) and DW leaves me be when I got my head buried into something mechanical! :B

I used to most of my maintenance on trailer and cars but now I'm almost 78 and honestly -----I just don't want to anymore:B

At 73 most of my TV maintenance is farmed out to the Ford dealer. It is expensive but done right.

I cannot say the same for the TT dealers I have dealt with. Twice I had the bearings packed and the brakes checked only to find both dealers simply looked at the brakes and greased the axle zerks.

One even put the lug nuts on one side on backwards!! :(

I doubt some of these repair guys are old enough to remember drum brakes and some of the magnets were worn through and not working.

So the TT maintenance is left to me. It is not really hard or heavy work. But at least I know it was done the way I like. :)

Take heart Camper G. I'm dern near 72, had both knees replaced a couple or 3 years ago and was back doing my own maintenance 3 months after. Used to be a building contractor and worked in a few gas stations (back when we pumped the gas and washed the windshields)

In the past 5 years I've rebuilt the entire rear bathroom floor in a 85 Wilderness, resealed underside and rebuilt front wall of a '04 Tahoe, currently removing silicone caulking and re-caulking a 05 Trail Cruiser with Sikaflex 221, and up and down ladders. I do go up on the roof, very carefully. Plan to install a lot of insulation in the Cruiser, it has lots of wasted area under the bathroom area that lets a lot of cold in. I love the challenge of a difficult repair.

Replaced a fridge, furnace etc. etc. Maintain own brakes and bearings, fix every little thing on my "honey do" list, come up with novel new ways to do things and fix poor work and design by the manufacturer. I figure I'm going to fix it a lot better than any repair store cause its mine and I have to live with it.

As for the TV, I used to tow with a 1965 Chevy van into which I installed a 292 inline 6. After a friend removed the old 230 and dropped in the 292 with his cherry picker (which I don't have) done everything myself. Now tow with 94 Suburban 4wd. Never had a 4wd so had to have drive line specialist replace bearings and seals in both pumpkins and replace both front hubs. for tires & alignment just drop it off at the local Les Schwab. Do my own fluid changes except transmission.

Because I can't really kneel on my knees yet, to get on the creeper I have lean down and get my hands on the ground, then flip over onto the creeper. To get off I have to roll off the creeper and then do a push up to get back up. I will always figure out a way to do things when it seems impossible.

I think the only thing I had my local dealer do is replace the awning on the Tahoe. Too heavy for one guy and dealing with that stiff rewind spring scared me a bit, I'm also musician (cello, bass) and I am always worried about hurting my fingers.

As someone else said, trying to see things under the TT with bifocals is a pain, having to move head around to the right angle to see what I'm looking at.

BC Powder is my best friend. I do my own mechanics if it is cost effective (oil changes are not for me). Never had the camper worked on by anybody else. In a previous life, I was a Professional Contractor/Master Carpenter. Another life saw me as a science teacher. Now retired, I like to piddle around with my big toys and play with wood with my smaller toys when not traveling.
I have always been kinda proud that there’s not too much I can’t build or repair, though some friends and family members look at me like I’m nuts.
Ah, well, each to their own.
Gotta go smoke a turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Ralph Cramden wrote:


And it's sometimes done without having the right tools LOL. I can mount or dismount a tire with a vehicle, concrete curb, two bricks, and a couple of tire irons......balancing I have yet to figure out.

You can balance a tire, wheel and drum assembly without any fancy tools and get it better than balancing at a tire store.

When doing wheel bearing service, COMPLETELY clean the bearings and use a bit of light oil like gun oil. Install the drum without a seal on a spindle with the brakes backed off, or removed, so that there is NO drag. The heavy spot of the drum will rotate to the bottom and mark it. Add a small clamp or other weight to temporarily balance the drum. Install the wheel/tire and the heavy spot will rotate to the bottom and mark it. Re-install the wheel with the heavy spots opposite each other and remove the temporary weight. Mark a stud and stud hole. Add balance weights as necessary, since the unbalanced drum is more to the inside, place most of the weights on the inside of the tire. Clean, grease and re-assemble with the marked stud in the correct location.

If you can get an old axle from a trailer place, you could strip the brakes from it and have a balancing arbor, eliminating a lot of extra work.

Now lets have a show of hands from those that have done, or will do this. :R

I'm 47 and the wife is 40. We built our home in 2004, took 18 months and yes even the roof, I like heights. We take care of all our maintainence on everything and now I'm about to let our 18 year old son off into the world with a good knowledge on how to repair stuff. He just rebuilt the front suspension on my wife's car.

My philosophy has been since its already broken what do I have to lose in trying to repair it. Worst thing that can happen I'll have to have someone repair it of I can't and it's fun also.

im mid sixties, I do it all, house, truck, trailer, everything almost

I didn't do our house roof, but did help the contractor
I don't do oil changes

trailer brakes, truck brakes, plugs and filters, done em all for decades

its funny actually, the millennial couple across the street don't do anything. he watched me do the truck brakes and was baffled why I would, even more so when I changed the sparkplugs, shocks and lower ball joints

Camper G wrote:
I have to tell you guys, I'm dang impressed with y'all! It's my sincerest wish that when I'm in my 60s and 70s like y'all, I'll still be physically capable of doing my own work.

I do as much as I can now also. I'm not a great carpenter but do what i can. I enjoy plumbing and electrical. I'm a former meduim/heavy truck tech and do all my own vehicle and equipment repairs. I simply don't trust others working on my stuff. Seen way too many mistakes over the years.

Y'all have inspired me today. I'm in my 40s now and can tell now I'm slower than i was in my 20s. One of my biggest fears is getting older and not being able to turn wrenches and take care of my equipment anymore, so thanks for all these posts from you older guys. I really appreciate them.

Another 60-something here, hoping to inspire you. So far the body is holding its own, pretty much. The one thing that is difficult, when it comes to doing maintenance work, is my eyesight. I had 20-20 vision until my mid-forties. Then I started needing reading glasses. Now it's bifocals. It's a b**ch trying to crane my neck to see screws and bolts and such that are in tight places. You'd be surprised how much of a difficulty this can pose. But I guess the key to being able to keep doing stuff during your 60's and 70's is to take good care of yourself and just keep doing it. Ignore the joint pain, suck it up, and just keep going. As long as you can. Fear not.

-Speak