What would you guess...

[Darin]

..is the percentage of RV's with water damage of some kind. 
My guess is, 80%+.  Since for a lot of people, I suspect the purchase was an impulse buy and they did no research on how to own an RV.  And it sits, neglected 95% of the time and the buy had no idea an RV roof isn't like a car roof.  So, out of sight, out of mind, till they find they have damage, then try to use some home depot bathroom caulking on their roof seams.  The best people to trust to maintain your roof if you don't know how is the dealer.  And that's expensive.  And they're already making payments on an RV that they don't/can't use.  So..... it hits craigslist.  With water damage.  Probably undisclosed.  And the next buyer, probably also making an impulse buy fails to look past the dream of traveling with an RV and doesn't see the damage till it's raining at the campground. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

That's probably the right ball park.  I've always said that there are two kinds of RV, those with leaks and those that haven't leaked YET. Many of them get caught and repaired without significant damage, but we see/hear about those that are neglected and do major damage. And there are too many of those, largely due to lack of education or simple "not mine"  thinking.

 

[darsben]

THE WORST person to trust is the dealer.  The best is yourself, the second is a good mobile repair guy with whom you have developed a relationship.

 

[SeilerBird]

I would bet the figure is closer to 100%.

 

[Darin]

THE WORST person to trust is the dealer.  The best is yourself, the second is a good mobile repair guy with whom you have developed a relationship.

Interesting.    I'd think the dealer would have the most interest in making sure you are satisfied with their service, and they'd have all the best tools and products for sealing your roof. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Many RV dealers seem totally unconcerned with customer satisfaction or service reviews.  Not all of them, of course, but many.  Typically their techs just swap parts as quickly as they can and move on to the next rig. Again, there are some top notch pros but that isn't the norm or typical.

A big part of the problem is that RV work is a seasonal business in most areas. It's hard to train and retain good techs when you only have work for them 4-7 months a year.  Plus, at their hourly rates ($100-$140 per hour), customers scream at the costs no matter what, so hurry up is the order of the day. That's why so little time is spent on diagnosis or looking for alternative solutions.