Full timing and repairs

I've had to stay in a motel or with friends a few times. I consider it a normal RV expense.

Over the years, we've had an engine replaced, a transmission replaced, and a complete rear axle assembly replaced in various motorhomes while traveling. The rear axle assembly took the longest at 2 weeks, mostly due to delays in finding a suitable donor unit and getting it shipped in. The engine took just 10 days, and the transmission 5 days, both including shipping time. We were able to continue staying in the RV in all cases, other then while it was actually being worked on. For the transmission R&R, the shop towed us to a nearby RV Park while we waited for it to ship in. The replacement itself only took one day. We just "roll with the flow" in those situations and make the best of it.

We for the first time in all our years of RVing, 8 as full timers, were stopped on the road due to a repair. We were stopped for eleven days trying to hunt down the correct part, have it shipped, and then have it replaced. We were in a campground originally in for just an overnight stop but they were able to let us stay on the same site and fortunately near a RV dealer/repair facility located right next to the campground. The repair person came to our campsite to check out the problem and then came back to install the part. We have had times where we had to stay at a hotel because the unit could not be released for us to stay in but this really was not for repairs but for the installation of a generator. Usually, we are able to stay in our 5th wheel at the service facility.

Do all you can to keep your rig in road-worthy condition. Don't run tires until they blow, don't wring every last volt out of your batteries, and do your scheduled maintenance.

The hardest part of being laid up is the realization that you yourself could have prevented it.

MAwolcott wrote:
Have a quick question for the full timers. If something happens to your rig; ie blow a tire and take out the skirting, or whatever. How long do are you expected to wait for repairs? Do you have the parts ordered and still live in the rig (provided its still safe to do so), then when the parts come in take it down and have it repaired? We're not full timing yet, but we have been waiting over a month for the parts to come in on a rig that is still in production. My wife is really nervous now in case this happens to us when we do hit the road full time. Thanks!

RV Mobile Repair.

I full time. I have all my repairs AND maintenance done right at a CG site. I use RV mobile Repair. The CG manager will usually have a list of those that they use and recommend.

7 years on the road and from small to big repairs it has NEVER taken more than one day to get parts. They call it in and they pick it up or it is shipped to them the next day and then come out and do the repair. Actually these RV mobile guys have 99% of any part you might need right on their trucks. Since 99% of all parts of an RV are universal.

You don't have to be at a CG for them to come out. You can be right at your house. Call a local CG near you and ask who they use for RV Mobile Repair and get the phone number. Or just go to that local CG and make a nice weekend of it. That sure would be a change for repairs eh? Sit back in a lawn chair with a cold one and watch your RV being repaired.:C

Better qualified service tech AND at half the price AND you don't have to drive anywhere and leave your RV for weeks on end.

There is NO part that can't be shipped or picked up the next day. That's dealership bs. :C

I have seen many answers in the past motel , extended stay hotel , use the time to fly out and visit relatives.... etc or any combination. Which is why it's important to have a $$ fund to cover such "Opportunities" with the proper attitude lemonade can be made :-)

In two years of full timing, we had two problems with our diesel pusher, a fluid leak, and a blown turbo. Our leak fix in Texas was a day job. The same spot leaked a second time. We got it fixed in Denver and had to stay overnight in a motel. Our turbo blew just outside NYC. This was also a one night motel stay.

I agree with the other posts that routine maintenance will prevent lots of problems. Sometimes though, stuff breaks.

Our diesel pusher had a caterpillar engine. We had all our work performed by Freightliner Truck service centers. There was simply no way to camp out at the shops, or have them come to us at a campground.

You just need to plan and budget for the occasional repair job.

Howdy!

We have dealt with numerous repair over our nine plus years of fulltiming. There are plenty of RV repair places that will work with you so you can remain in the RV. You will be out of it during the day while the work on it but stay in it over night. We have only been displaced once when we had a tire tread damage a large slide. We could not stay in our RV as the large slide had to be removed to repair it. We stayed in a hotel nearby. Such thing could happen to you while living in sticks & bricks so you just deal with life. One thing you must plan for when having any repair work done is remove anything you don't want to lose, theft is a ongoing problem so don't think it want happen to you.

"Happy Trails.
Chiefneon

If anything should ever happen with our rig, our insurance coverage provides a hotel expenditure.

2oldman wrote:
Do all you can to keep your rig in road-worthy condition. Don't run tires until they blow, don't wring every last volt out of your batteries, and do your scheduled maintenance.

The hardest part of being laid up is the realization that you yourself could have prevented it.

X2

I will also add that sometimes things do happen. Knock on wood, we have been lucky to not have that problem. On the other hand, when you buy a sticks and bricks house, you don't worry about what if there is a fire and I can't live in my house? What if the roof is ripped off in a storm?

Try to keep your level of worry just high enough to take care of those preventive maintenance items that need attention but not so high as to have a negative impact on your new lifestyle.