I took my new-to-me motor home in for service after owning it for a year. A small leak had developed in the black water slide valve. I figured I would have them replace both black and gray valves since they are right there in front of you with 4 bolts holding them on. Parts are about 30 dollars. He quoted me 360 dollars to do it with 3 hours of work time! Am I missing something? It looks like an easy job to me. BTW he also is charging me 220 dollars to "service" the roof which I think means washing it with a pressure washer and spraying some preservative on it. I would appreciate your thoughts!
360 dollars for what???
- Thread starter motoxbob
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34footer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2009
- Posts
- 982
I change my own. Wash my own roof.
J
J
So 34footer you are saying it is a pretty straight forward job? It sure looks like it to me.
The reason I bit on the roof service was because of the "protector" or "sealer" or something that they were going to apply. My parents had a roof go bad on their trailer and it cost a fortune to fix and I don't want that to happen to me! But a simple fix like the slide valve seems like a no brainer.
The reason I bit on the roof service was because of the "protector" or "sealer" or something that they were going to apply. My parents had a roof go bad on their trailer and it cost a fortune to fix and I don't want that to happen to me! But a simple fix like the slide valve seems like a no brainer.
motoxbob said:
I just had some work done on a motorhome. On the wall behind the service counter was a sign that read "Service tech time is billed at $110 per hour" which I thought was pretty much a bargain (dealers are around $130-$150). Whether you think that is a fair price or not, it sounds competitive.
Wizard46
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2009
- Posts
- 2,146
The roof work don't sound too unreasonable but the valves I would do myself. Really is a simple job if you can get to them easily. Changed mine before and only too about an hour, most of that cleaning up as I am somewhat of a clean freak.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
360.00 may actually be reasonable.. In many RV's the black and gray lines are joined (Post valve) and to replace one valve you have to dissassemble both or run the risk of breaking the pipes and having to replace them as well.
This means you need to drain (Dump) flush and SANATIZE both tanks, That's no small job, epically the last step, else you have a haz-mat situtation.
And that's why the high cost.
Still.. I do agree it seems excessive, which is why you should learn to do it yourself.
There is quite a bit of difference between what I am willing to do on MY RV, and what I'd be willing to do on YOUR RV (or anyone else's) and the way the Shop is required by assorted federal and state regulations to do the job.
And this, Is one of the biggest "Different" jobs.
This means you need to drain (Dump) flush and SANATIZE both tanks, That's no small job, epically the last step, else you have a haz-mat situtation.
And that's why the high cost.
Still.. I do agree it seems excessive, which is why you should learn to do it yourself.
There is quite a bit of difference between what I am willing to do on MY RV, and what I'd be willing to do on YOUR RV (or anyone else's) and the way the Shop is required by assorted federal and state regulations to do the job.
And this, Is one of the biggest "Different" jobs.
So that is basically three hours work to clean your poop tank out and replace a valve. Personally I would charge you double for that choir. First off your black tank is one nasty place. There are all sorts of things a person can contract when they come in contact with human waste. Proper precautions are mandatory or the worker could end up owning the dealership. Those precautions cost money and time.
garyb1st
Well-known member
Have you checked with another shop? If you do and they give you a similar price, it could mean, the task is a bit more complicated than it appears to be. Keep us posted on the resolution.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The three hours labor sounds reasonable to me, and most shops charge around $100/hour these days. But if you can do it yourself, why not pay yourself instead of them?
As for the roof work, there is no special stuff to apply to preserve it. You just inspect the caulking at all the seams and roof openings and touch up as needed. You can do that yourself too, and should learn to do so.
As for the roof work, there is no special stuff to apply to preserve it. You just inspect the caulking at all the seams and roof openings and touch up as needed. You can do that yourself too, and should learn to do so.
Yea Gary they called it a "roof service" and they clean the whole thing, check for cracks and apply something to help "preserve and protect fro uv rays" Sounded reasonable to me but I'm sure no expert! When it comes back I'll take a real close look at the valves again. Some people say it's easy and others say it is a real chore. I think the plumbing setup has a lot to do with it and if I remember on my rig it looked very straight forward.
vlady daddy
Well-known member
Go to YouTube and search ?Reseal RV Roof?, plenty of instructional video to decipher and assist you in the task at hand for newbies like me...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzAjZbCEbLU . Once you get the general knowledge how to do-it-yourself, you can ask the experts on this forum for the proper procedure if your in doubt on certain procedures.
For your ?RV Waste Valve? I search ?repair black water valve on RV? in YouTube........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toD1epBKjnc&playnext=1&list=PLA441397A93ADAA0E&feature=results_video .
On another subject, I search YouTube even for cooking recipe....if the video makes me hunger....it must a GOOD !...LOL !
For your ?RV Waste Valve? I search ?repair black water valve on RV? in YouTube........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toD1epBKjnc&playnext=1&list=PLA441397A93ADAA0E&feature=results_video .
On another subject, I search YouTube even for cooking recipe....if the video makes me hunger....it must a GOOD !...LOL !
John From Detroit
Well-known member
THREAD DRIFT ALERT:
On another forum I follow there was a link to a You Tube video,, The Ventures playing, I believe a DSO show. For this event they brought their original drummer back to play Walk Don't Run, (Their first hint).
Little Georgie has a new job now... Yup You'll have to look it up (Less I find it in history)
Luck is with me found it in history
The opening of the video explanes all.
What's' more.. I've been a ventures fan for .. Well,, a long time.
On another forum I follow there was a link to a You Tube video,, The Ventures playing, I believe a DSO show. For this event they brought their original drummer back to play Walk Don't Run, (Their first hint).
Little Georgie has a new job now... Yup You'll have to look it up (Less I find it in history)
Luck is with me found it in history
The opening of the video explanes all.
What's' more.. I've been a ventures fan for .. Well,, a long time.
The way we quote at our shop is high...not super high but worst case scenario and let the customer know it. The valve job can take a half hour or a lot more most of the time is incrued sanitizing the system and testing the new connections. Old plumbing etc. can add a lot of time. This being said at a labor rate of $125 per hour most dual tank jobs end up between $200 and $300. They also lead to an unhappy technician
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Yeah, many shops love to do that. It's good money maker! They wipe on one of the rubber roof "treatments", which gives it a bit of shine and leaves a layer of wax that reduces dirt and streaking for a couple months. Probably has a UV-inhibitor in it to help justify the claim that it "protects" the roof somehow. You could do the same thing yourself in 30 minutes with a product that costs under $20. Protect-all Rubber Roof Treatment is one common one. But it's 99% cosmetic and will not preserve or extend the life of the roof an iota.
Protect-all has an excellent tutorial on caring for rubber roofs. Promotes their own products, of course, but in a very honest manner.
http://www.protectall.com/artrrct.aspx
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Pricing high is a good practice.. Though you may scare a few folks off, the ones who come in and say "OK" walk away happy cause you brought the job in under projection.
On the other hand, when Stuff Happens (And in this case Stuff IS MOST Assuredly Going to happen, after all it's the "Stuff" tank) Well. you still bring it in for the quoted price.
My mother once had to bid a job for the company she worked for.. She did klnow how to do 'Cost Accounting" though her job title was General Accounting. (Head of accounting, over everyone in the accounting and data processing depts EXCEPT the cost accountant).
He, however was on vacation and they had to have the bid RIGHT NOW.
She gave them a bid.
They considered it and said "If you can guarantee that price in six months we will take two" (or however many) She'd bit about 3x what it would have been had the real cost accountant done the job.. NO PROBLEM was the response to the six month request. They got the job.
It might have helped that this company's tanks (The bid was for Liquid Oxygen tanks) are tested by the military by the "Drop" method.
IN this test they fill the tanks with an inert gas, take 'em up in a bomber and drop 'em on a concrete pad.. If they don't leak they try again, from a higher altitude,
When they get down to one tank.. It's an R&K (Made in Marshall Michigan) Where my Mother was the accountant back in the late 60's.
On the other hand, when Stuff Happens (And in this case Stuff IS MOST Assuredly Going to happen, after all it's the "Stuff" tank) Well. you still bring it in for the quoted price.
My mother once had to bid a job for the company she worked for.. She did klnow how to do 'Cost Accounting" though her job title was General Accounting. (Head of accounting, over everyone in the accounting and data processing depts EXCEPT the cost accountant).
He, however was on vacation and they had to have the bid RIGHT NOW.
She gave them a bid.
They considered it and said "If you can guarantee that price in six months we will take two" (or however many) She'd bit about 3x what it would have been had the real cost accountant done the job.. NO PROBLEM was the response to the six month request. They got the job.
It might have helped that this company's tanks (The bid was for Liquid Oxygen tanks) are tested by the military by the "Drop" method.
IN this test they fill the tanks with an inert gas, take 'em up in a bomber and drop 'em on a concrete pad.. If they don't leak they try again, from a higher altitude,
When they get down to one tank.. It's an R&K (Made in Marshall Michigan) Where my Mother was the accountant back in the late 60's.
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