Entering the RV World
- Thread starter BT212
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Ohiosnowbird
Well-known member
If you’re buying new, get it inspected.
So far we’ve found being handy and having experience with electrical systems, plumbing and mechanical things has been a huge plus.
We’ve had a lot of problems with a brand new rig and so far fixed everything ourselves. If we did not have the experience in these areas that we did, ours would have been in the repair shop more than on the road. Right now we’re back on the road again after fixing a catastrophe fail in our leveling system. Could have been an expensive fix and we would have lost out on the trip we planned.
Hope that helps.
So far we’ve found being handy and having experience with electrical systems, plumbing and mechanical things has been a huge plus.
We’ve had a lot of problems with a brand new rig and so far fixed everything ourselves. If we did not have the experience in these areas that we did, ours would have been in the repair shop more than on the road. Right now we’re back on the road again after fixing a catastrophe fail in our leveling system. Could have been an expensive fix and we would have lost out on the trip we planned.
Hope that helps.
BT,
Unfortunately, I agree with Snow. Our situation may be profoundly different as our coach is way old. The best part of that is that it does not have anything I can't fix myself (within reason).
A B-van is good this way in that the vehicle is a standard van. But, there is still all the RV parts that you had better have the books and tools to deal with. Good mobile mechanics are both expensive and rare.
Matt_C
Unfortunately, I agree with Snow. Our situation may be profoundly different as our coach is way old. The best part of that is that it does not have anything I can't fix myself (within reason).
A B-van is good this way in that the vehicle is a standard van. But, there is still all the RV parts that you had better have the books and tools to deal with. Good mobile mechanics are both expensive and rare.
Matt_C
DutchmenSport
Well-known member
1. Would you recommend getting an inspection for a new camper van?
This depends upon your own knowledge and experience with RV's. I do not put much value in "inspectors". Two different people will give you two different reports. You are best to do your own due diligence and follow your head .... NOT your heart, and be willing to walk away if the unit you find appealing has flaws that concern you. An inspector is not perfect, and he is not a fortune teller either. Any RV that looks sound at this moment, can have serious problems 10 miles down the road when things get shook up bouncing down the road.
2. Is being a Mr. Fix-it a prerequisite for owning a Class B?
It is not a "prerequisite". But it helps if you are not afraid to tackle a new unknown project with confidence that you can figure "it" out and if not, you have the funds to recruit an expert. Because, if you are an RV owner, you will learn to fix things yourself, or you will simply go broke hiring people all the time to fix stuff. Some projects are simply too big, requiring space and tools to do the job. One might be repacking bearing on the wheels. You need the tools to life the trailer and to pull the bearings. You need the space to do the job, and of course, the time to do it. If you don't have all of this, then you take it to a shop that can.
On the other hand, a missing screw on a cabinet door hinge IS something you can do yourself with a new screw and a simple screw driver.
In the end, it's all about how comfortable you are and how willing you are to "try" to do it yourself first.
This depends upon your own knowledge and experience with RV's. I do not put much value in "inspectors". Two different people will give you two different reports. You are best to do your own due diligence and follow your head .... NOT your heart, and be willing to walk away if the unit you find appealing has flaws that concern you. An inspector is not perfect, and he is not a fortune teller either. Any RV that looks sound at this moment, can have serious problems 10 miles down the road when things get shook up bouncing down the road.
2. Is being a Mr. Fix-it a prerequisite for owning a Class B?
It is not a "prerequisite". But it helps if you are not afraid to tackle a new unknown project with confidence that you can figure "it" out and if not, you have the funds to recruit an expert. Because, if you are an RV owner, you will learn to fix things yourself, or you will simply go broke hiring people all the time to fix stuff. Some projects are simply too big, requiring space and tools to do the job. One might be repacking bearing on the wheels. You need the tools to life the trailer and to pull the bearings. You need the space to do the job, and of course, the time to do it. If you don't have all of this, then you take it to a shop that can.
On the other hand, a missing screw on a cabinet door hinge IS something you can do yourself with a new screw and a simple screw driver.
In the end, it's all about how comfortable you are and how willing you are to "try" to do it yourself first.
Martian
Well-known member
As with any hobby, the more familiar you are with the bits and pieces you are working with, the better off you are.
You surely do not have to be handy at all. There are many out there that will not do repairs themselves. Great for them but the downside to that is the briefcase of cash needed to get things fixed right and the inevitable months of not having the unit while it is getting worked on and waiting for parts.
Rv's are not rocket science and nothing is really very complicated. Forums like this one will give you a great resource for answers. Use it and learn.
HAPPY CAMPING!
You surely do not have to be handy at all. There are many out there that will not do repairs themselves. Great for them but the downside to that is the briefcase of cash needed to get things fixed right and the inevitable months of not having the unit while it is getting worked on and waiting for parts.
Rv's are not rocket science and nothing is really very complicated. Forums like this one will give you a great resource for answers. Use it and learn.
HAPPY CAMPING!
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
I would add that the cost of outsourcing repairs is a big factor, but as Ohiosnowbird mentions there's a missed opportunity aspect as well. You might be OK with schlepping the thing to service provider A, B and C for various repairs and service but there's lost use and inconvenience associated with that. You will find stories on the RV forums of folks waiting weeks and sometimes months for simple jobs, and it should be mentioned, plenty of stories of botched work and added time and expense with that. The more you know about the equipment the better off you are both in terms of the RV being available to use, and just as importantly, knowing how to deal with an issue in the middle of a trip so you're not stuck somewhere or having to scramble to find a repair place. These things are basically a crappy house on a delivery truck but as such, most maintenance and repairs are first order - identify the offending problem, replace broken parts, done. Lather, rinse, repeat. Yeah, it can get tedious sometimes because the to-do list can be daunting but for the most part the thing will be mostly or completely functional and down the road you go.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Since you are a newcomer, it is highly recommended you get assistance from an experienced RVer or a pro like an inspector.
It's a huge plus if you can do a lot of maintenance & repairs yourself. Any RV is a complex piece of equipment, a truck, a furnished house and a water/electric/sewer utility rolled into one. There are a lot of things in an RV that can (and often will) go wrong or need routine care. Having an RV shop do those things for you is both extremely expensive and dreadfully time-consuming. It's not unusual to wait months for a service appointment and then weeks or months more for parts. Anything you can do to avoid or reduce that is worthwhile.
Thank you. Very helpful.
Thank you, Matt.
Thanks Dutch. Very helpful.
That makes sense, Gary. Thanks.
DutchmenSport
Well-known member
Here's a true story. I have a Montana High Country Fifth Wheel. It's now 5 years old and I've done almost all the repairs on it myself. There are some things I cannot do myself because of limited space, the proper tools, and the time. I've had an awning replaced. That's a 2 man job, or 1 man and a bunch of boy scouts. But too much for 1 person alone.
About 2 years after we purchased the 5er, one of the front electric jacks failed. A gear broke. The other leg, although it struggled, it did lift the camper. It took some figuring and some searching, but narrowed the problem to a broken gear.
We were at a campground about 15 miles from where we purchased the camper when this happened. I was able to go to the parts department where we purchased the camper and after a couple trips back and forth, installed a new front leg myself (passenger side front) and everything was good. The total cost was just at $300. I did the work. All was well, and eventually I could hook up the camper to leave the state park.
Fast forward. We are currently in Louisiana, at a state historic site, 850 miles from our Indiana home. I finally realized I had another serious issue with my electric jacks (again), and the problem was just simply too much for me. I couldn't figure it out why my system was constantly erroring out, not working.
I was able to call an RV mobile tech. He did come out, he did get me working again. It was another broken gear in the other front leg, (drivers side). But, this time, the error codes were weird, the entire system was weird and I could NOT figure it out. That was the difference.... PLUS ... he came out twice. Once to diagnose the problem and figure it out, the second time, after ordering the new jack and waiting for it to come in. The difference, this was an issue I could not solve myself. However, IF I would have known my electrical error codes were being thrown because of another broken gear on the other leg, I could have ordered another leg myself, or found another RV dealership that had one in stock.
I turned out, by recruiting assistance for a problem I could solve myself, the total bill for both trips out and the parts was $1300. But, I was over the barrel .... stumped and had little choice.
So again, to answer your question about having knowledge about RV repair. No, you do not need to be a certified RV mechanic in order to own an RV. You do need to be willing to explore the problem yourself when it happens, and make an attempt to fix it yourself first. When all is impossible, then you recruit help and pay the price.
$300 when I fixed it myself vs $1300 for someone else and increased prices over 3 years for the same part ... yikes! That's awful when I really think about it!
And just for an FYI.... that final repair was just this morning!
About 2 years after we purchased the 5er, one of the front electric jacks failed. A gear broke. The other leg, although it struggled, it did lift the camper. It took some figuring and some searching, but narrowed the problem to a broken gear.
We were at a campground about 15 miles from where we purchased the camper when this happened. I was able to go to the parts department where we purchased the camper and after a couple trips back and forth, installed a new front leg myself (passenger side front) and everything was good. The total cost was just at $300. I did the work. All was well, and eventually I could hook up the camper to leave the state park.
Fast forward. We are currently in Louisiana, at a state historic site, 850 miles from our Indiana home. I finally realized I had another serious issue with my electric jacks (again), and the problem was just simply too much for me. I couldn't figure it out why my system was constantly erroring out, not working.
I was able to call an RV mobile tech. He did come out, he did get me working again. It was another broken gear in the other front leg, (drivers side). But, this time, the error codes were weird, the entire system was weird and I could NOT figure it out. That was the difference.... PLUS ... he came out twice. Once to diagnose the problem and figure it out, the second time, after ordering the new jack and waiting for it to come in. The difference, this was an issue I could not solve myself. However, IF I would have known my electrical error codes were being thrown because of another broken gear on the other leg, I could have ordered another leg myself, or found another RV dealership that had one in stock.
I turned out, by recruiting assistance for a problem I could solve myself, the total bill for both trips out and the parts was $1300. But, I was over the barrel .... stumped and had little choice.
So again, to answer your question about having knowledge about RV repair. No, you do not need to be a certified RV mechanic in order to own an RV. You do need to be willing to explore the problem yourself when it happens, and make an attempt to fix it yourself first. When all is impossible, then you recruit help and pay the price.
$300 when I fixed it myself vs $1300 for someone else and increased prices over 3 years for the same part ... yikes! That's awful when I really think about it!
And just for an FYI.... that final repair was just this morning!
Willing to explore and have some abilities, but I hope I don't have a story like yours to tell in the future! Thanks for the info. I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you!
Thank you, Mark. I've read those stories about rigs being kept way too long in the shop. I know a little and am willing to learn. And it's good to have YouTube available!
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Admittedly my coach is older, even back when I bought it in 2016 it was already 14 years old. Having said that it really does help to be handy, in the roughly 27, 000 miles and probably 6-9 months of total time spent in it since then, it really does seem to be rare that some type of repair is not needed on a longer trip, though thankfully they are often minor things, though even minor things can ruin a trip if you can't fix them yourself, only one time did one of these issues make the coach undrivable, that was when the started went out a couple of years ago as we were leaving an RV park in Galveston, TX. The next day after fixing that one, while crossing on the ferry, someone walking by snagged the plastic door retaining post and broke it off.
A few other on the road issues I have dealt with included a wire breaking under the passenger seat for the power seat control at the Grand Canyon (control would only move seat forward, not back), leaking front helper airbag that I replaced in the rain at an RV park in Branson, Missouri, bad wire connection in the trailer wiring socket on the back of the motorhome last year while boondock camping at the two towers by Badlands, National Park (turn signal light on TOAD car was not lighting). There have also been numerous things that broke on trips that I was then able to get home before fixing right, ranging from a dripping T&P safety valve on the water heater, to replacing the starter on the generator (damaged bendix). At the moment I am doing this years spring service, working on it for 2-3 hours per day in the afternoons when weather permits the last week or two, with luck I will be done in another couple of days.
The current project includes replacing the brake master cylinder, hydrobooster, maybe a power steering line (I am hoping it was just the o-ring that was leaking) if not I will need a new power steering pump too, as well as new exhaust donuts at the collectors on both sides, one clearly had an exhaust leak, the other I suspected had a minor leak, as well as installing a new flow through TPMS system as I am tired of dealing with those screw off caps, oh and somewhere in there I need to shampoo the carpets.
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
Depending on what you are shopping for or looking at, there should be discussion forums or groups devoted to either a specific brand or model. Some groups may be on Facebook (which I do not do) or will have their own web sites, some paid membership, some free.
After buying, search around and find a forum or group that pertains to what you bought, Pleasure Way, Winnebago (certain models), Airstream, Sportsmobile, Roadtrek, all come to mind, there are several others. Also seek out chassis forums, for Sprinters, the Sprinter Source Forum is the place to go, as people from all over the world participate, and the forum is properly divided up by the different generations of Sprinters. I'm sure there are Ford Transit and Ram Promaster forums also.
As far as mechanical aptitude and whether you need to be able to work on your RV, I'd say, it will be very expensive and nerve wracking if you have to pay someone to do virtually everything to it. I am an aircraft mechanic by trade and if I were not, I would never have been able to own and fly my airplane. My vehicles, I don't allow anyone to work on them except for a few basic things I am not equipped to do, such as front end alignments and mounting and balancing tires. (even then I usually pull the wheels at home and throw them in the truck and take them to my local family owned tire shop, who also has a real good alignment guy. Again, once you buy something you intend to keep, locate a set of factory shop manuals for that chassis (sprinters after 2006 you won't get) but everything else is no real problem to find.
I just finished pressure bleeding the brakes on my RAM 2500 the other day. The fluid was old, probably original, and very discolored. This is stop gap until I replace the calipers and pads in a month or two, at which time I will again bleed the system completely with fresh fluid for the second time. I've never had a pressure bleeder before, so I used the new equipment to do my car first, it was much easier, and then the truck. Like everything, parts are expensive now, and that can put a crimp on things if you are retired like me and trying to control the monthly spending.
Good luck
Charles
After buying, search around and find a forum or group that pertains to what you bought, Pleasure Way, Winnebago (certain models), Airstream, Sportsmobile, Roadtrek, all come to mind, there are several others. Also seek out chassis forums, for Sprinters, the Sprinter Source Forum is the place to go, as people from all over the world participate, and the forum is properly divided up by the different generations of Sprinters. I'm sure there are Ford Transit and Ram Promaster forums also.
As far as mechanical aptitude and whether you need to be able to work on your RV, I'd say, it will be very expensive and nerve wracking if you have to pay someone to do virtually everything to it. I am an aircraft mechanic by trade and if I were not, I would never have been able to own and fly my airplane. My vehicles, I don't allow anyone to work on them except for a few basic things I am not equipped to do, such as front end alignments and mounting and balancing tires. (even then I usually pull the wheels at home and throw them in the truck and take them to my local family owned tire shop, who also has a real good alignment guy. Again, once you buy something you intend to keep, locate a set of factory shop manuals for that chassis (sprinters after 2006 you won't get) but everything else is no real problem to find.
I just finished pressure bleeding the brakes on my RAM 2500 the other day. The fluid was old, probably original, and very discolored. This is stop gap until I replace the calipers and pads in a month or two, at which time I will again bleed the system completely with fresh fluid for the second time. I've never had a pressure bleeder before, so I used the new equipment to do my car first, it was much easier, and then the truck. Like everything, parts are expensive now, and that can put a crimp on things if you are retired like me and trying to control the monthly spending.
Good luck
Charles
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Laura & Charles
Well-known member
Lots of sound advice above. I suggest you consider a used rig. There’s plenty of horror stories about brand new rigs being bought and issues discovered on maiden outing… ending up weeks or months out of commission waiting to be repaired. Dealerships’ service departments are financially incentivized to deprioritize warranty work. If buying a used unit, you can expect (hopefully) that the issues with the rig when it was new have been dealt with.
Whether buying new or used, a professional inspection is a really good idea.
Whether buying new or used, a professional inspection is a really good idea.
Locate - NRVIA
Use our RV Inspector Locator to search for a trained, certified RV inspector in your area! NRVIA Certified RV Inspectors are located all over the USA!
nrvia.org
These guys are by all accounts the best.
Welcome to the forum and good luck with your purchase.
Kirk
Well-known member
For a new RV with a warranty, I would not recommend paying for a professional inspection, but it would be very helpful to you if you can find an experienced RV owner to help you. You would also be wise to video record the walk-through where they show you how to use it. And ask many questions when they do so.
I would not consider it a prerequisite as many people own RVs that are not able to fix much themselves, but it does help a lot and becomes of more importance as the RV ages. RVs do have normal maintenance and care issues that many of us do ourselves.
