Love Hate relationship

wny_pat wrote:

J-Rooster wrote:
Yea I feel for you! We just had to spend $2,500.00 to get squirrels out of our attic on our stick built house! They were storing cones and other food, pooping and urinating up there built tunnels thru all the insulation etc. We had everything sucked out including them then had it sanitized and new insulation blown back in! Then you get to the RV and have problems sometimes it can get overwhelming to say the least.

I do too!!! Just replaced the original 1970s fiberglass "stone panels" on the front on my stick house - looked like fiberglass and very yucky. Now I have real stone all the way across the front of the house to the garage, from the ground all the way to the bottom of the windows. Also put Deck Over on the back porch, along with new railings all the way around. You can imagine what all that cost. And then there was the 200 mile furniture trip to Ikea that the wife just had to make. Gotta keep peace in the family.

Keeping peace in the family Pat means 1 of 2 things! Do we want to be right or do we want to be happy? Pat, You didn't mention about getting the snow blower in working order? It won't be long now since football season started!

Most people don't like exercise either.

xctraveler wrote:

soren wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Did some of you actually read the OP's post. The $1000.00 fee was not solely for diagnosis! There was a tow involved,etc.
Furthermore how many of you actually own a shop or are at least familiar with over head and service rates for a large medium duty vehicle.
Unfortunately you are not going to tow the vehicle to the shop and replace the starter for a couple hundred bucks.
While I'm not trying to justify the shops charges. I do know having a Class A RV towed is expensive.

WOW! Simply amazing that you were the first poster to notice this, and had a rational response!

If anybody has the urge, call your local big rig towing and recovery service, and ask how much it costs to tow your motorhome from your driveway to the local dealer? If you get a quote of less than a grand, you are doing real well.

As a contractor I have paid some of these nasty bills. My local recovery service gets $3500 to rescue a stranded concrete truck. You get this information from the dispatcher, and you pay with a CC before they start the rig. Might sound steep, but how much would you charge to send a new $800K piece of equipment out to spend four hours wallowing in the mud? My son just had a horrible accident on a major interstate and destroyed a new one ton truck and a 10,000 lb equipment trailer. The trailer was moved two miles on a flatbed ($1500) and it took two HD wreckers to recover the truck from down an enbankment(Over $5K). If you haven't had the misfortune watching your MH "riding the hook" as it gets towed away, it can be difficult to really appreciate how horrifically expensive it can be.

Bottom line is that a final bill including towing a MH, diagnostics, and a new starter, all done by a dealer, is far from a "rip-off" at $1400. There are lots of us than can change a starter in a few minutes, big deal. There are lots of parts stores than can sell you a Chinese POS rebuilt starter for under a hundred bucks. It may last indefinitely, or it may take three of them until you find a good one. All of this has nothing to do with the OP's experience, and being fairly billed for a heavy tow, and a dealer doing the work properly.

I believe if you read further down op said his insurance paid for the tow and the $1400 did NOT include the tow. Just setting the record straight.

I think you should reread the post if you are going to set things straight. The cost DID include tow. No one said how much of the bill the tow was however. Could have been $100.00 or $900.00.

GrandmaLee wrote:


After diagnosing the starter...and a call to us to tell us what the price would be. We had no choice but to get her fixed. They also provided an itemized bill for this service which included the tow. Thank goodness our insurance company reimbursed us for the tow...any way...the itemized list said what everything cost step by step. It is not hard to end up with a $1,400.00 dollar bill.

Okay not sure what the various itemized costs were. We only know that the starter was billed out at $300. How much was tow, reimbursed, and how much labor for diagnosis and replacement?

hipower wrote:
As always, the devil is in the details.

I'm always amazed by the reading comprehension and replies based on what some of us think we read. Aren't humans great?

Yeah, but "Towing" was not mentioned in post #1 of this thread :S

C350amg wrote:
The invoice could be correct and also too high, we are missing all the small details.
What was the duration and distance of the tow. I got mine towed from Grand Canyon village to Flagstaff on a huge trailer with a big rig pulling. 6 hours at 185$ an hour eats a lot in the budget yet in my case I was wise or lucky enough of having an RV CAA card and my cost was zero.
Diagnostic is another story but unless he had some electrical problems the diagnostic portion should be 30 minutes or less, let’s be serious here: check if there is current on the mains of the starter, check solenoid activation (electrical). If there is current and the solenoid gets powered then change the starter..end!
Time for all of this, 2 hours tops.
Price for the starter well this could be high but no more than 600$ for a new one.
So 2 hours at 125$ and hour + 600 + “tow” could equal 1400$, I said could ;-)

As always, the devil is in the details.

I'm always amazed by the reading comprehension and replies based on what some of us think we read. Aren't humans great?

The invoice could be correct and also too high, we are missing all the small details.
What was the duration and distance of the tow. I got mine towed from Grand Canyon village to Flagstaff on a huge trailer with a big rig pulling. 6 hours at 185$ an hour eats a lot in the budget yet in my case I was wise or lucky enough of having an RV CAA card and my cost was zero.
Diagnostic is another story but unless he had some electrical problems the diagnostic portion should be 30 minutes or less, let’s be serious here: check if there is current on the mains of the starter, check solenoid activation (electrical). If there is current and the solenoid gets powered then change the starter..end!
Time for all of this, 2 hours tops.
Price for the starter well this could be high but no more than 600$ for a new one.
So 2 hours at 125$ and hour + 600 + “tow” could equal 1400$, I said could ;-)

xctraveler wrote:

soren wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Did some of you actually read the OP's post. The $1000.00 fee was not solely for diagnosis! There was a tow involved,etc.
Furthermore how many of you actually own a shop or are at least familiar with over head and service rates for a large medium duty vehicle.
Unfortunately you are not going to tow the vehicle to the shop and replace the starter for a couple hundred bucks.
While I'm not trying to justify the shops charges. I do know having a Class A RV towed is expensive.

WOW! Simply amazing that you were the first poster to notice this, and had a rational response!

If anybody has the urge, call your local big rig towing and recovery service, and ask how much it costs to tow your motorhome from your driveway to the local dealer? If you get a quote of less than a grand, you are doing real well.

As a contractor I have paid some of these nasty bills. My local recovery service gets $3500 to rescue a stranded concrete truck. You get this information from the dispatcher, and you pay with a CC before they start the rig. Might sound steep, but how much would you charge to send a new $800K piece of equipment out to spend four hours wallowing in the mud? My son just had a horrible accident on a major interstate and destroyed a new one ton truck and a 10,000 lb equipment trailer. The trailer was moved two miles on a flatbed ($1500) and it took two HD wreckers to recover the truck from down an enbankment(Over $5K). If you haven't had the misfortune watching your MH "riding the hook" as it gets towed away, it can be difficult to really appreciate how horrifically expensive it can be.

Bottom line is that a final bill including towing a MH, diagnostics, and a new starter, all done by a dealer, is far from a "rip-off" at $1400. There are lots of us than can change a starter in a few minutes, big deal. There are lots of parts stores than can sell you a Chinese POS rebuilt starter for under a hundred bucks. It may last indefinitely, or it may take three of them until you find a good one. All of this has nothing to do with the OP's experience, and being fairly billed for a heavy tow, and a dealer doing the work properly.

I believe if you read further down op said his insurance paid for the tow and the $1400 did NOT include the tow. Just setting the record straight.

WHAT? The OP CLEARLY states, and I quote......

"After diagnosing the starter...and a call to us to tell us what the price would be. We had no choice but to get her fixed. They also provided an itemized bill for this service which included the tow"

ClassAGeek wrote:
After 5 years and $75000, I think this will be our last year. Upkeep is an issue. Gas, insurance and depreciation make our MH a very expensive luxury. Some people say the memories are priceless. I say they are $60000.

The DW wants a cottage on a lake. I am inclined to agree. I know it will be cheaper.

I make a very nice living building those "cottages on the lake". As for you "knowing" it will be cheaper than owning a motorhome, I can only offer the sage advice of Bob Seager, in his song, Against the Wind. "Wish I didn't know now, what I didn't know then".

If you are inclined to believe that second home ownership is easier, cheaper, or less stressful than RVing, you REALLY need to continue to thoroughly research the topic before you take the leap. Things are starting to heat up again in my market, and it will be the same old story. Folks with money, crossing this one off the bucket list, and getting hit with the reality of the whole experience over the next few years. Typically they will end up at the realtor's office in less than five years, and the cycle repeats with the next dreamer. I will build them as long as I still enjoy it, and the demand continues. As for owning one, sorry but I'll pass.

soren wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Did some of you actually read the OP's post. The $1000.00 fee was not solely for diagnosis! There was a tow involved,etc.
Furthermore how many of you actually own a shop or are at least familiar with over head and service rates for a large medium duty vehicle.
Unfortunately you are not going to tow the vehicle to the shop and replace the starter for a couple hundred bucks.
While I'm not trying to justify the shops charges. I do know having a Class A RV towed is expensive.

WOW! Simply amazing that you were the first poster to notice this, and had a rational response!

If anybody has the urge, call your local big rig towing and recovery service, and ask how much it costs to tow your motorhome from your driveway to the local dealer? If you get a quote of less than a grand, you are doing real well.

As a contractor I have paid some of these nasty bills. My local recovery service gets $3500 to rescue a stranded concrete truck. You get this information from the dispatcher, and you pay with a CC before they start the rig. Might sound steep, but how much would you charge to send a new $800K piece of equipment out to spend four hours wallowing in the mud? My son just had a horrible accident on a major interstate and destroyed a new one ton truck and a 10,000 lb equipment trailer. The trailer was moved two miles on a flatbed ($1500) and it took two HD wreckers to recover the truck from down an enbankment(Over $5K). If you haven't had the misfortune watching your MH "riding the hook" as it gets towed away, it can be difficult to really appreciate how horrifically expensive it can be.

Bottom line is that a final bill including towing a MH, diagnostics, and a new starter, all done by a dealer, is far from a "rip-off" at $1400. There are lots of us than can change a starter in a few minutes, big deal. There are lots of parts stores than can sell you a Chinese POS rebuilt starter for under a hundred bucks. It may last indefinitely, or it may take three of them until you find a good one. All of this has nothing to do with the OP's experience, and being fairly billed for a heavy tow, and a dealer doing the work properly.

I believe if you read further down op said his insurance paid for the tow and the $1400 did NOT include the tow. Just setting the record straight.