Where to go for repairs (Rochester NY)

[GlennLever]

Where do you take your MH for repairs.

Here in Rochester NY I have struggled to find someone to work on the chassis.

There seems to be a clear division of what should be repaired by who. The chassis is deliverer to Fleetwood as a running driving chassis and the body is done by Fleetwood.

I just purchased my 1997 American Dream and wanted the mechanics gone through. Complete PM, new air springs, brakes checked, coolant drained and flushed, all leaks fixed (transmission, hydraulic fan motor), wipers repaired, hitch upgraded from a 5,000 hitch to 16,000.

I ended up at Conway Volvo Truck and Bus. They took me to the cleaners in costs. The wipers were not fixed the first time around (they replaced the wiper motor, charged me, and when I got the MH back it did exactly the same thing, posted the problem on this forum, the switch was suggested as the problem, went back and they replaced the switch which fixed the problem and had a big discussion as to having to pay for the first repair attempt. They ended up just charging for the motor on the first repair, refunded the labor)

I have several small problems with the coach that I would like to get fixed (water heater only works on propane, I would like to remove both TVs and replace with flat screen and install satellite antenna).

These items I may end up doing myself, but for future repairs am looking for recommendations on where to go (I have not been impressed by Camping World in Chruchville, or Johnston RV in Webster, I have only had dealings with the sales and parts personnel and have come away with the feeling they were very independent, not interested in helping if thy did not have something to sell (the coach when I was looking, TV stuff when I had purchased a coach)

I need a place to go for on going maintenance that is GOOD and will not want my right arm in payment.

So.......

Recommendations for mechanical repairs..........

Recommendations for coach repairs.........

I am willing to travel to find a place.

[smlranger]

Caledonia RV Repair. The owner is an IRV2 member and an avid RV'r. He runs a great shop and does quality work. I am sure if there are repairs that he is not able to do, he can certainly recommend shops in the area for those jobs.

They also do interior upgrades; new TV's, flooring, etc. Call and talk to the owner. His name is Don.

If I lived in that area, it is surely who I would have working on my coach.

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by smlranger

Caledonia RV Repair. The owner is an IRV2 member and an avid RV'r. He runs a great shop and does quality work. I am sure if there are repairs that he is not able to do, he can certainly recommend shops in the area for those jobs.

They also do interior upgrades; new TV's, flooring, etc. Call and talk to the owner. His name is Don.

If I lived in that area, it is surely who I would have working on my coach.

Thanks I will follow up on your tip

[GlennLever]

I stumbled across this site

RV Service Reviews

[phranc]

I was going to mention Caledonia RV Repair also , but smlranger beat me to the punch.
I don't think Caledonia ( near Avon ) is far from Rochester.. If you have work done
let us know your thoughts . Other NY folks would like to know

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by phranc

I was going to mention Caledonia RV Repair also , but smlranger beat me to the punch.
I don't think Caledonia ( near Avon ) is far from Rochester.. If you have work done
let us know your thoughts . Other NY folks would like to know

I will certainly post my feelings about work done. First I will visit the shop, It is not far from me, it is my understanding that the people that used to own that place now own camping World in chruchville.

[GlennLever]

Just a quick update. Don Pophal of Caledonia RV sent me a PM and I called him last week. He was very personable and I am going to visit Tuesday of this week. Update to follow.

[Wb2IVU]

Lewis General Tire 3850 W. Henrietta rd, can do front end alignments, brakes tires, shocks, oil changes etc. If I still remember the phone is 334-9000. They have been in business for at least 60 years.

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by Wb2IVU

Lewis General Tire 3850 W. Henrietta rd, can do front end alignments, brakes tires, shocks, oil changes etc. If I still remember the phone is 334-9000. They have been in business for at least 60 years.

It would be good to find and all in one shop so no finger point occurs if one job overlaps another. I have purchased truck tires from Lewis.

[GlennLever]

I went down and talked with Don today of Caledonia RV.

All I can say is outstanding. He spent a good deal of time with me. Never rushed me, answered all my questions, took me on a tour of his shop, introduced me to the mechanics.

It turn out that the shop carpenter was an old neighbor of mine.

I will be using them for PM maintenance, winterizations, and in the future may be some upgrades to the TVs.

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by GlennLever

I went down and talked with Don today of Caledonia RV.

All I can say is outstanding. He spent a good deal of time with me. Never rushed me, answered all my questions, took me on a tour of his shop, introduced me to the mechanics.

It turn out that the shop carpenter was an old neighbor of mine.

I will be using them for PM maintenance, winterizations, and in the future may be some upgrades to the TVs.

I knew you would be impressed when you visited their shop and met with Don. Wish we had someone like that in our neck of the woods.

[phranc]

Thanks Glennlever for the update on Caledonia. Maybe I may not have to travel to Elkhart for upgrades..

[Wb2IVU]

I have our toad serviced at Midas. The shop is close to home and the work is first class.

That said, I found out many of the Midas repair facilities have a RV Lift. Out of curiosity I asked the manager what an oil change would cost. I was floored when he said, $34.95, as I just paid $90.00 at our local RV dealer.. As it turns out.. What I paid to have preventative maintenance done at our local RV Shop for just shy of $1,000 would of been just about half at Midas.

My question is why such a discrepancy in the cost of service? Are Rv-ers being taken advantage of?

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by Wb2IVU

I have our toad serviced at Midas. The shop is close to home and the work is first class.

That said, I found out many of the Midas repair facilities have a RV Lift. Out of curiosity I asked the manager what an oil change would cost. I was floored when he said, $34.95, as I just paid $90.00 at our local RV dealer.. As it turns out.. What I paid to have preventative maintenance done at our local RV Shop for just shy of $1,000 would of been just about half at Midas.

My question is why such a discrepancy in the cost of service? Are Rv-ers being taken advantage of?

This might not be a good comparison,

I think you need to find out what is included in the PM service at both shops first before making a decision.