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Old 05-20-2018, 08:01 AM   #1
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Is RV Service center about to gouge me for $550? (axles, bearings, brakes)

Out of courtesy I'm not mentioning the name of the Dealer providing service. It is a big chain in our area - not a corner Mom & Pop shop. Let's just call them RVS-R-US for sake of my story.

So - here is the story. I spent about two weeks calling several branches of RVS-R-US in the metro area two hours from my home to see if they could service my axles on a KZ-Vision 22BHS dual axle travel trailer. These dealers are all about 2 hr drive from my home. I tried the local dealer at home, but they wanted $550 for two axles @ $130/hr.

So, I call all the RVS-R-US and they kept quoting a price of $150 per axle or $330 for both with tax. So, I scheduled the work and hauled the trailer to the service center yesterday. When I got there the conversation went like this...

SERVICE: Hi, what can we do for you?

ME: I brought my trailer to get the axles checked and bearings serviced as needed. I spoke with an agent on the phone and he told me I could drop it off today.

SERVICE: do you know who you spoke to?

ME: No, but he told me it should run about $150 per axle. The trailer has over 10,000 miles on it and we have not serviced it since we bought it so I expect the bearings will need a repack.

SERVICE: Okay - well... I can agree to the $150 per axle for the bearing repack however with that many miles on it - when did you get it?

ME: Two years ago...

SERVICE: Okay - well with that many miles and never being serviced it is almost guaranteed you are going to need all the brakes replaced and it is going to run you around $850. See, here is how it will go...they are going to raise the entire trailer up and take all four tires off at once. They will open the brakes up and rub there finger inside. If they get brake dust - you are okay... if they get grease on their finger it means the seal leaked grease into the break drum and it is going to have to be replaced. If even one has grease in it we have to replace ALL FOUR otherwise you end up with uneven braking that could cause a safety issue on the road. Also, once we open up the brake drums and find grease we only have the option of replacing them to put it back together. It would be a liability issue for us to find grease in the brakes and then reassemble it and let you take it.

ME: Mulling over the fact that I just hauled this thing 120 miles... have two major family vacations starting in two weeks... okay - so, are you going to call me and let me know before you do each major phase.

SERVICE: Certainly.

== end story ==

So, I left it there and told them to go ahead. I want the trailer to be safe and sound. I WANT to trust that the guy is not screwing me. But, truth be told... there is absolutely NOTHING stopping them from just telling me on the phone "yep, your brakes had grease in them" and charging me the extra $550. Heck, they could even leave the old brakes on there and I would have no way of knowing or proving it.
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Old 05-20-2018, 08:41 AM   #2
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Did you visually inspect your axles before taking it in? Any signs of seal leakage? Doing trailer axles in your driveway would save you bunches of money! They are pretty simple and can be done with hand tools. I'm also a bit surprised you've gone so far without servicing, two years and 10,000 miles shows great faith in critical items. The prices quoted are not out of line with current shop hourly rates. If you had asked a local garage, without all the overhead of a big shop, costs would have been reduced. I'd also tell the shop if they call to tell you they have to replace a bunch of things, to save the old parts for your inspection. If you object to the high price of having others service your axles, educate yourself on YouTube and learn to do the job yourself. It's not difficult, the only place you could 'mess up' is tightening the axle nut too tight or too loose, and there is lot's of information online on how to do it right.
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Old 05-20-2018, 08:46 AM   #3
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Ask for the old parts back.
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Old 05-20-2018, 09:28 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by BFlinn181 View Post
Did you visually inspect your axles before taking it in? Any signs of seal leakage? Doing trailer axles in your driveway would save you bunches of money! They are pretty simple and can be done with hand tools. I'm also a bit surprised you've gone so far without servicing, two years and 10,000 miles shows great faith in critical items. The prices quoted are not out of line with current shop hourly rates. If you had asked a local garage, without all the overhead of a big shop, costs would have been reduced. I'd also tell the shop if they call to tell you they have to replace a bunch of things, to save the old parts for your inspection. If you object to the high price of having others service your axles, educate yourself on YouTube and learn to do the job yourself. It's not difficult, the only place you could 'mess up' is tightening the axle nut too tight or too loose, and there is lot's of information online on how to do it right.
I did consider doing it myself when I first started researching this. However - I currently do computer programming on the side where I made $50-$100 per hour. Based on that it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to spend the time researching / learning / doing the work and then having to worry about if I over tightened something or left another part loose. When I was younger I did all the work on my cars - changed out CV boots, fixed freezer plugs in the engine block, changed the oil, even swapped out a bad gear in a transmission once. I'm older now and would rather sit inside and do my programming to pay for someone else to get their hands dirty.

My only concern here is that I don't want these guys just tossing on random extra fees because they feel they can get away with it. If it needs it I have no issue paying - I just don't want to be taken advantage of.

I thought about asking for the parts back - but, I don't see what it would prove because they could just wipe the inside of the parts with dirty grease before they give it to me. So, it would prove nothing.

I did not inspect anything before I took it up there - but, I was sure wishing that I had spent some time under there with a camera documenting everything. But, by the time I got there it was kinda too late to start doing that.
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Old 05-20-2018, 09:58 AM   #5
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Sounds like you could do the work yourself. If you make $50-100 an hour doing programming, why would you question a shop's hourly fees to do the work to make your RV safe to tow? Often asking to see the parts, not take them with you, is enough to keep things honest. They don't know if you'd recognize a brake drum from an eardrum, but asking to inspect the parts would keep them honest. An experienced mechanic would be able to tell the difference in a quickly wiped part from one that has been driven and had happened over time.
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Old 05-20-2018, 10:10 AM   #6
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Sounds like you could do the work yourself. If you make $50-100 an hour doing programming, why would you question a shop's hourly fees to do the work to make your RV safe to tow? Often asking to see the parts, not take them with you, is enough to keep things honest. They don't know if you'd recognize a brake drum from an eardrum, but asking to inspect the parts would keep them honest. An experienced mechanic would be able to tell the difference in a quickly wiped part from one that has been driven and had happened over time.
Again - I'm not questioning the fees - I'm just asking if this is a normal situation... do axle bearings tend to lead to brake drum replacement? if so, when one is bad do you really have to replace all four? things like that.

I will happily pay for work that needs to be done. That said I have seen people in my own industry try to charge a person $500 for web programming that was totally bogus. I know it - but, most clients asking for programming would never suspect a thing.

I'm really just trying to see if the majority of people who ready my original post are going to say...

a. yes, this is pretty standard and required work that happened to me as well.

b. no, it is extremely rare that brake drums would get contaminated and need replacement.
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Old 05-20-2018, 10:32 AM   #7
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If one bearing seal leaks out grease and contaminates the shoes, for equal braking both sides on that axle should be rebuilt. Not sure the other axle needs rebuild if it is all O.K., but for the modest price of brake shoes, replacing all shouldn't break the bank and keep everything equal.

I don't know your brake drums, but grease contamination can be cleaned up and the drums turned if there's enough metal to allow turning. All this starts adding up, perhaps it's cost effective to just replace the drums rather than turning them.
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Old 05-20-2018, 02:11 PM   #8
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I too hate to feel I was being taken advantage of. I had my old tt taken in 2 years ago for a bearing re-pack, adjust the brakes. They just gave me a "2 hour labor" quote at $135 an hour. Ended up being charged for 2.5 hours of labor with also putting in new grease seals.
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Old 05-20-2018, 02:23 PM   #9
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I am just curious here. When you ask to see the old parts and they show you them, how do you really know that those are your old parts? A dishonest shop could show you old parts that they keep around for just that purpose. Unless you are standing there when the work is being done you will never know for sure they are your old parts.
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Old 05-20-2018, 02:44 PM   #10
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I think you need to be involved in the process. Stand there and watch them take it apart. That is the only way to feel good about driving it on your next trip.
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Old 05-20-2018, 03:03 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UFO Pilot View Post
I am just curious here. When you ask to see the old parts and they show you them, how do you really know that those are your old parts? A dishonest shop could show you old parts that they keep around for just that purpose. Unless you are standing there when the work is being done you will never know for sure they are your old parts.
If you're that suspicious of a mechanic, I don't think I'd trust them to do any work for me. You could use nail polish or a paint stick and discreetly mark the drums. Many shops won't allow owners in the shop area claiming insurance concerns.
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Old 05-20-2018, 03:10 PM   #12
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I am not suspicious of the people who normally work on my vehicles but sometimes you are caught in unfamiliar areas when repairs are needed. It appears the OP can't be around to verify the work being done is actually required. He expressed doubts and I have often wondered about the question I asked. The times I have needed repairs on the RV while away from home we have stayed in the MH. I was right there as the parts came off so I knew they were my parts I was looking at. I was towed to the shops so really had no choice or other options.

Nothing sinister on my part, just curiosity.
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Old 05-20-2018, 03:12 PM   #13
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If you have grease leaking in the drums, you should be able to smell it as well. Will smell like the grease smell you get around a wooden roller coaster or a semi's fifth wheel hitch.

At some point, you have to trust the shop doing he work, but you should also know what signs to look for when you are having an issue.

Good luck with your service and have safe travels on your upcoming trip!
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Old 05-20-2018, 03:19 PM   #14
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Wheel bearings are relatively easy to change. Why didn't you just try to get a local mechanic to do it.

As an aside there is no way to know if they are being honest with you, short of you being there. Then they'll probably say "insurance regulations don't permit customers in the workshop." So you'll never be sure.
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