My experience has been that every dealer is like this...I'm pretty handy and if I can do it myself, I will before I make a trip to the dealer. I can understand why folks who aren't handy or own basic tools get very frustrated with RV ownership, because going back to the dealer for everything that breaks is a real PITA.
Glad you got the a/c situation fixed and looking forward to a great season of camping!
I would suggest installing a trans temp gauge in the van so you can keep an eye on transmission temps instead of relying on the idiot light to tell you when it's already overheated. It's the wind resistance that is the killer pulling a hard-sided RV, not the weight per se. FWIW 10 mpg isn't bad when towing, budgeting for fuel expense is part of towing an RV.
