repairs

[bob717]

Anyone have trouble getting part these days, My View has been in the shop since the middle of October, waiting parts. They say, Camping World, they have over 150 waiting on parts. Frustrated

 

[Heli_av8tor]

Probably just depends on what you need.

I would try sourcing the parts myself.

 

[decaturbob]

often takes months for repairs, especially with dealerships even when the times are "normal"

 

[Rob&Deryl]

I needed a microwave and no one had one, except Amazon. 5 days, and we replaced it ourselves.

 

[PJ Stough]

Too often, "waiting for parts" is actually saying we havent been able to get to your RV yet.

 

[JudyJB]

Yesterday, Camping World told me I needed a new TV splitter box, but it would cost $150 and take 3-4 weeks to arrive. I got the part number and found it on Amazon for $99. It is due to arrive at an Amazon box on Monday, and I can just plug it in myself.

I have also in the past, called the Fleetwood/REV parts place in Decatur to get a part that an RV service place says they cannot get. I will have it shipped to me at a pickup point and take it with me to the service place. I did that a few years ago when a repair place said they had to look at a part before they ordered it, and it would take a week to get it. I called the REV/Fleetwood parts place, and they sent it to me directly. (They knew my vehicle because they had records of parts for it, so no need to look at it before ordering!)

 

[JudyJB]

Also, I have never "waited for months" to get repairs. My personal belief is that if they think they can, they will park your rig in the far corner of the parking lot and get to it at their leisure. In the meantime, they will work on repairs for more important customers.

When I call around to make an appointment, I tell them clearly that I live in my motorhome and will have to wait at their facility while it is being fixed. That means they have to fix it while I wait, or I will go somewhere I can get it fixed while I wait. I also tell them if it is an emergency, that I am a full-timer and need something fixed immediately. I am more than happy to do what I can to make the fix work with their schedule and be as flexible as I can be, but I cannot simply wait around for weeks or months. I have also called around to get a part if needed.

Also, if you are on the road, mobile repairmen can usually get your fix done a lot faster. The only problem is parts, so you might have to pay one to look at the situation, and take a few days to get the part or have you order it for their installation.

 

[SpencerPJ]

What I have found with parts for RV or other, a shop has a source A. They get a discount from that source A. That source might be out of a part, but shop does not look further because they might not get a discount from source B, and we all know that shops make a good part of their money off parts.

 

[jymbee]

Yesterday, Camping World told me I needed a new TV splitter box, but it would cost $150 and take 3-4 weeks to arrive. I got the part number and found it on Amazon for $99.

I'm SHOCKED [not].

Not unlike the time last year at a dealer when were told it would take 2 weeks to get a new toilet pump which they said we needed and the cost of the pump & labor would be over $4,000.

Found a repair shop that diagnosed the problem, said it was the bladder not the pump and did the repair for under six hundred bucks-- parts and labor.

 

[jymbee]

Also, if you are on the road, mobile repairmen can usually get your fix done a lot faster. The only problem is parts, so you might have to pay one to look at the situation, and take a few days to get the part or have you order it for their installation.

That's exactly the situation we've been facing this trip. Repair determined we needed a new sensor for our levelers. Not a common part. I managed to find one online and have it sent to our next stop, but despite their assurances it would arrive in 3-5 days, nope. Arrived two days after we left. Now having it sent to our current location.

Next week repair is coming to our current site to look at a problem with steps not working (and a few other issues) but there again, my "fear" is that the diagnosis will require a new part and we'll start the merry-go-round all over again.

 

[Heli_av8tor]

As a Private pilot we used to say: Time to spare? Go by air.
Guess you could replace “air” with RV.

 

[Larry N.]

As a Private pilot we used to say: Time to spare? Go by air.
Guess you could replace “air” with RV.

Amen!

 

[JayArr]

In the meantime, they will work on repairs for more important customers.

It's not necessarily "more important" it's likely "more profitable". Having one of your shop techs spending a half hour installing a $99 TV splitter isn't the most efficient use of that resource. There are other jobs where he can spend that half hour and generate much more income.

There is a disconnect between customer and repair depot. The customer thinks the job should be priced on how hard it is and how much the parts can be purchased for but this doesn't always add up to what the repair shop needs to stay profitable.

The repair shop prices jobs based on the amount of $$ it needs from that hour of work to pay all it's overhead, wages and turn a profit. This will be very high for a large dealership with a lot of overhead.

Eg: I get phone calls from people that want the HDMI port repaired on their XBox because someone tripped on the wire. I can do this, it's easy, but I don't want to give up repairing a large expensive piece of industrial gear to do it. My solution is to bill the same hourly rate for both. Unfortunately the XBox owner usually declines my estimate.

They think my price is too high but really the problem is they tried to hire someone way overqualified for their job.

If you think the repair estimate is way to high then you may be trying to hire an overqualified person to do the repair. Try calling a handyman, a plumber or an electrician or a welder instead of an RV dealership.

 

[Ex-Calif]

As a Private pilot we used to say: Time to spare? Go by air.
Guess you could replace “air” with RV.

If your time is free, travel by RV...

 

[Isaac-1]

JayArr, the problem with that analogy is that it implies the RV dealer employes highly paid experts, instead of people asking if you want fries with that 3 months ago.

 

[Ex-Calif]

My brother was a radio tech in the late 70's. Tubes, board level repairs etc. When the new generation of radios came out that said, "If fault A, replace I/C board B" he saw the writing on the wall and got out of the business.

Then we spent 40 years telling our kids to go to college with many of them getting degrees in underwater basket weaving and left handed puppetry.

Now the boomer retirement is in full swing - some would say almost concluding. There is a skilled blue collar labor shortage everywhere.

And, of course, people begrudge mechanics making a living wage.

Bottom line is they can train people to change modules. The labor rate they have to charge precludes doing any more than minimal and quick repairs. Forget training someone to develop the troubleshooting and critical thinking skills necessary to fix stuff.

And small electronics and TVs? Forget it. This are disposable items with a 3-5 year life expectancy. People who would repair an Xbox plug for any reasonable cost are as rare as hen's teeth.

 

[JudyJB]

I don't begrudge someone a fair wage, but I dislike CWs policy of a minimum fee for each item. I once had them change a tail light bulb and also do something else (can't remember what) that also would take 5 minutes. They charged me for a half hour for each item, when they actually spent less than 10 minutes doing both tasks. I don't know if every CW does this, but I now change as many tail light bulbs myself as I can.

Also, I noticed a notice in the Tampa CW a couple of days ago that CW is now offering mobile repair technicians. Guess they are seeing that these guys are big competition.

I also agree that there is a skilled blue collar shortage and has been for the past 20 years. The feeling among young people is that these are poorly paid and "dirty" jobs, when the opposite is true! And these jobs are also open to women these days! Teens should check out the many union and community colleges that offer excellent training in skilled trades.

 

[JayArr]

JayArr, the problem with that analogy is that it implies the RV dealer employes highly paid experts, instead of people asking if you want fries with that 3 months ago.

It's not the quality of the employees that make it expensive it's the overall business model of the dealership. They are paying rent or mortgage on acres of hwy land, big huge buildings, tens of millions of dollars in stock plus all the staff.

It doesn't matter if the techs are chimpanzees, the overhead is the same, the wages are still real and the dealership still has to cover, vacation, sick days, pension, unemployment insurance, statutory holidays, medical insurance, bonuses and severance pay.

I've had shitty emplyees before but I still had to pay them and my landlord didn't lower the rent so I couldn't lower my hourly rate. I fired them before they ruined me but that's a different debate.

 

[John From Detroit]

If they say "Waiting for parts" Ask what parts.
Then as implied by many above Google for the parts.

This I will say.. One company I deal with claims "order by xPM and it will be on the truck the same day" (Well they are a division of a speed shop).

I needed a part.. They said "Ship by march" on their web page.. Said part is installed behind me as I type (The company I ordered from.. Shipped that dame day)

 

[gwinger]

My trailer has a recall on the propane regulator. NHTSA reported almost 300,000 defective regulators on numerous brands dating back to 2017. My dealer told me that the manufacturer said the cannot find a source for replacements. Strange part is they are still building and shipping trailers, so they do have a source. They just refuse to ship the regulators to the dealers since it may mean stopping or slowing production.
Regulators are in short supply due to the fact that all the manufacturers are gobbling up everyone they can get since they buy in bulk and have priority.
I did find two sources for the regulator. I now have one and am waiting on the second.
When I went to refill one of my tanks, the propane supplier near me had them in stock.