Best way to increase your mechanical inclination

[Coachmen Joe]

When I was a young one less than 10 I watched my father change a set of points in a 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 332cu in 4 barrel. I watched him change the points, set the dwell, and check the timing. After that I was hooked. During the course of my life I have managed to learn a number of trades some of which I hold a card or certification and some I don't. My personal experience is if you have a desire you can do it. When I was younger I would become friends with someone that would teach me what I wanted to know and most of the time when I was learning I helped for no pay just for the opportunity to learn. I applaud your desire to learn and better yourself. Good luck to you.

[Waiter21]

Curiosity and Opportunity. Sounds like a good name for Mars rovers :-)

Curiosity about things around us, how they work, why they don't work. I remember getting my butt whooped for tearing apart my sisters brand new 6 transistor radio because I wanted to know why it was so small compared to the radio that had tubes in it.

Opportunity - having access to a mentor and tools. A parent who can show us helps. Today, Google and Harbor Freight contribute to this with easily available information and inexpensive tools.

[marjoa]

You are not alone and most of the youth today don't even know how to change a tire. Scary actually. But you're here and wanting to learn.

Learning how to fix things, modify things, update things, troubleshoot things requires critical thinking and problem solving skills and IMO only experience can develop these types of traits. As these traits develop, you'll start to understand more and more how things work and when they break, you'll have a mindful library to sift through to find a path to a solution. But you'll also become keenly aware of your limits.

For me as a example, my upbringing and many career paths has taught me a lot of stuff and I rarely ever have to contract out work of any kind. It doesn't matter, wood work, mechanics, drive train, remodeling our kitchen when we had the house, etc, etc. But when it comes to electrical, I know my limits. I'm not to sharp in that area but am learning fast. My problem is—like someone else said—I don't understand the complete science behind a lot of electrical things. Especially the big dangerous stuff. Now I did totally redo my battery bay, converter and added some solar.

This was a big project for me and when I first started. I was totally overwhelmed and thought maybe I was getting in over my head. But I spent several weeks learning on what had to be done by going online, talking with Winnebago tech's and hardware vendors on the phone, downloading wiring schematics, watching YT video's and talking with twinboat here on iRV2. With all those resources the dots began to connect and I saw the big picture and knew what I had to do. However, I did hire an electrician to help me with wiring up the converter part behind my main high power breaker box.

My point is, to learn takes time and experience. I'm also one who subscribes to learn from others. Not just anybody....but others that know what they're doing.

Oh one last thing. Harbor Freight is good for SOME tools, but after you've wrecked your hands and knuckles a few times using cheap crappy tools, you'll see why having some quality tools for a lot of jobs is just a smarter and safer way to go.

Attached are some of the tools I carry on board our rig.

Good luck my friend.

[larliebler]

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement.

[Bigd9]

Originally Posted by larliebler

I grew up in a small apartment in the Bronx, NY which certainly helps me with living full time in my motorhome now. However, I'm at a disadvantage never having had a parent or role model teaching or tinkering while working on a car or anything mechanical. My Father was a very hard working man, he worked 7 days a week my entire childhood, and until he finally retired. He had two jobs and the only time off he had was when he was on vacation.

I learned many things in my childhood and feel fortunate that I was exposed to culture that most people never get to experience, but when we needed anything taken care of that was mechanical in nature we asked the janitor of the apartment building for his assistance. We would give him a few bucks and he would take care of it. We didn't even own a car and my Dad never learned to drive (although I tried to teach him when he retired and moved to FL at 70 years of age, what was I thinking!!!!).

I've never really had a burning desire to take the time to become "handy". I enjoyed my free time and wanted to spend more quality time with my children than my "Pops" did with me. I was fortunate that I made a very good living and I could pay others to fix things for me. Now I'm finding that not only am I interested in increasing my mechanically aptitude, but there is a need for it. I was naive when I purchased our first motorhome about a year ago, I had no idea how difficult it was to get a timely service appointment for my motorhome etc.....

I've learned so much from watching YouTube videos, and since I joined this forum, but I was wondering are there RV mechanical classes that I could attend that would supplement Youtube watching and forum reading that are of any value? I think I can handle the very basic stuff just fine like oil changes, WH thermostat replacement etc...?

Thanks for your interesting post. Your young life is so polar opposite from mine, and it was neat to see a glimpse of another way of life. Some of my fondest memories was working side by side with my Dad and my brothers fixing anything and everything from a favorite toy (it ran backwards after he first fixed it but my friends all liked it that was so I didn't want him to fix it again!) to removing a big block engine from our station wagon so we could rebuild it. His philosophy was "we can do this" when fixing things. I can't ever remember him paying for someone else to fix anything. His speciality at his job was making something work after "those engineers" came up with ideas. He was instrumental in making components for some of the first satellites ever to be launched by the US. When he was 92 and I was moving him out of his house and into mine, all he wanted from his house was his tool box and a dirty ball cap! My brothers and I take after him. We are never far from tools.

Since you have the desire to learn, as others have said, take some classes at places like libraries, community colleges vocational schools etc. Learn about electricity, simple mechanics and home repairs. Since you have the desire, now all you need is the experience.

Remember you can do this!

[George Schweikle]

What a great attitude!. Everyone is at a different stage of RV knowledge and I'm sure you will enjoy adding to your repertoire. The internet and YouTube make this much easier than the early days.

Originally Posted by larliebler

... Now I'm finding that not only am I interested in increasing my mechanically aptitude, but there is a need for it...

[Dav L]

What your dad provided you is the work ethic. Mine did too.
But, my dad didn't know the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer.
All that I essentially picked up myself.
It comes by doing.
And one experience fixing X, helps you fix Y.
Then you start to design and build Z with the accumulated background.
You have to enjoy it (which I have always) to learn, fail, learn, do, succeed.
I started with model building. Plastic models, then Radio Control.
Then the toys got bigger: bicycles, minibikes, motorcycles, cars, boats, houses, now RVs. Each experience has added to the other.
So, start by doing. I kinda remember my first was replacing a toilet seat that my parents couldn't figure out - when I was four...

RVs are kinda neat because they have a variety of different systems and trades that are required to do "end to end"...electronics, propulsion, woodworking, paint, trim, fiberglass, body work, chassis work, software, suspension, pneumatics, hydraulics, water and waste systems, etc.

Lean on this forum and certainly even better are RV neighbors. Just know that many of folks that want to help don't have the background. Find the ones that do.

Start with a decent set of tools. Harbour Freight makes reasonable quality tools at a great price especially for big and heavy stuff like 1 inch drive sockets for major RV suspension and tire work. Craftsmen stuff is now always on sale because of the demise of Sears. I bought a 450 piece set specifically for the RV for $200 recently so I don't need to keep moving tools back and forth to the shop. You don't need the boutique names of SnapOn, Mac or Proto until you start doing this stuff every day (if it becomes a love).

Keep safety at a high point of importance. For example, NEVER get underneath an RV that doesn't have jack stands that are rated for MORE than the weight of that corner of the RV. Make the investment in the safety equipment. Make sure the stands are on solid ground or substantial wood blocking. These RVs are heavy. Don't underestimate.

I will be putting my RV tool box together soon...that might be a good subject for a different thread...

Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

[Wrktfsh]

The best way to increase your mechanical abilities are to dive in and start wrenching. If your unsure hit up the internet for advice anspd videos

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by RiverBurt

You’ve already got as much inclination as you’re ever gonna have.

True. But you can always increase your knowledge, if so "inclined."

[deandec]

I assume a person assembled whatever broke, and therefore I might be qualified to repair that item if I were so inclined.

Yesterday, I replaced the Sim card and SD card slots in my Galaxy S3 cell phone.

Cost was about $5 for the part and some time spent on You Tube and at the work bench.

At 74 years of age, there were no cell phones in my youth to learn to repair.

I could quote Nike's motto, but they are not in my favors at the moment....

[Isaac-1]

I agree dive in and practice, in addition to watching youtube videos, you might find someone with a similar type RV to what you have at an RV park that has traditionally done their own maintenance, but is no longer physically able to do the work, and offer to turn the wrenches for them if they will teach you what to do.


As to how did I learn to be handy, well probably the number one way was buying a 30 something year old 1950's pickup truck and using it as a learning tool, not only when things broke, but also in fixing all sorts of things people had rigged to work over the years. (first hint here is coax audio cables are not the appropriate wiring for brake lights)

[56safari]

Lots of good suggestions so far, so I'll throw out a couple more. Go to estate sales or auctions that list hand tools in the inventory. With fewer people interested in doing it themselves, the tools typically go for next to nothing. Snap-on and Mac are top of the line and Craftsman are very good. Pick up a Craftsman tool catalog and you'll be able to spot good deals. I've actually picked up a drill press and tire changer for agreeing to haul them away at the end of the auction. Also, go to some classic car cruise ins and talk to the people by the cars. Many belong to clubs or small groups that enjoy passing along knowledge if you want to get your hands dirty and have a Saturday free.

Too bad your in Denver. I spend most of each summer working on my cars and have lost the grandsons help to graduations and full time jobs!

[larliebler]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Thanks for your interesting post. Your young life is so polar opposite from mine, and it was neat to see a glimpse of another way of life. Some of my fondest memories was working side by side with my Dad and my brothers fixing anything and everything from a favorite toy (it ran backwards after he first fixed it but my friends all liked it that was so I didn't want him to fix it again!) to removing a big block engine from our station wagon so we could rebuild it. His philosophy was "we can do this" when fixing things. I can't ever remember him paying for someone else to fix anything. His speciality at his job was making something work after "those engineers" came up with ideas. He was instrumental in making components for some of the first satellites ever to be launched by the US. When he was 92 and I was moving him out of his house and into mine, all he wanted from his house was his tool box and a dirty ball cap! My brothers and I take after him. We are never far from tools.

Since you have the desire to learn, as others have said, take some classes at places like libraries, community colleges vocational schools etc. Learn about electricity, simple mechanics and home repairs. Since you have the desire, now all you need is the experience.

Remember you can do this!

Thanks for the encouragement.

[tizzyfit]

I tried to teach him when he retired and moved to FL at 70 years of age, what was I thinking!!!!).

NO ONE in southern Florida knows how to drive so your "pops" should fit right in behind the wheel.