Community Forums

Paradise_RV · 02-03-2021, 07:45 PM

Need some quick opinions. 2016 Coachman Orion. Coach A/C wasn't working. Took to local RV repair and consignment place. They determined a bad Capacitor, but to be on the safe side we should change both; OK, I'll bite. After saying for 5 weeks that they had the part on order I finally pulled the build sheet for the rig, contacted Coachman to verify correct part for the Dometic A/C. I had it in my hand in 3 days. Took it to them to install. Gave them a day or two and they got it installed and A/C works. Them; Oh, we noticed the coach was leaning and looked under and one of the air suspension bags has a leak" -FIRST ALERT- Fine, maybe I just didn't notice. Go ahead and change both.... After repeated calls their Tech left early/We cant find the Tech working on your Rig/ - on and on. -SECOND ALERT- Called today and Lady working the counter, "with a crying baby behind the desk" broke it to me that the tech needs to order a Thermostat. Said the A/C worked ok the other day once, but wont work now. headed in to talk to the tech tomorrow. But the air bags are done right???? Oh, there may be an "issue" there too. Question; IT the tech screwed up changing the capacitor could he have fried the circuit board or Thermostat? I know for a fact it was working fine to control the furnace the day before I took it to the shop. Also I really feel I would have noticed the coach leaning when I dropped it off to them. Anyone else smell a rat/scam here???

okcnewbie · 02-03-2021, 08:50 PM

We dropped our DP off before Thanksgiving. Nothing done for two months and the communication was totally one way. I told them I needed it "fixed or not" in a week and they did a couple things

I typed a big long story and my tablet locked up....

So moral of the story for me is;
I'm taking chassis stuff to big truck or other highly rated shop if needed.

I'm gonna try mobile repair "if" i can't fix it myself.

I'm putting repair shops in the same boat as dealers. Don't belive it even if the reviews are good. Get first hand recommendations if possible.

p.s. My awning topper spring wasn't broke like the shop said. The spring just popped out of the holder. Another free fix for me.

Glennabbott1 · 02-04-2021, 07:51 AM

Sounds like most RV repair shops. Overworked and underqualified . Continually over promising and under delivering.

Maybe it's just me......

Gary RVRoamer · 02-04-2021, 08:57 AM

Sounds like the standard RV shop run-around. Most everything you needed could have been done in a few days if they put any effort into it. Maybe a week or so if they are sandwiching your job in among others (the usual state of affairs). The rest is just neglect and sloppy procedures.

Mile Marker 42 · 02-04-2021, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennabbott1

Sounds like most RV repair shops. Overworked and underqualified . Continually over promising and under delivering.

Maybe it's just me......

It isn't.

twinboat · 02-04-2021, 09:17 AM

Your thermostat runs on 12 volts, maybe your batteries are dead now.

Rescue your RV from them.

okcnewbie · 02-04-2021, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

......Rescue your RV from them.

This sums it up and is what I decided to do after a couple months of run-a-rounds.

People that aren't handy and own a MH need to make priority number one finding someone that is fair and competent to work on MH. ( good luck with that )

HopsBrewster · 02-04-2021, 09:37 AM

OTOH...
I had a good experience with an independent shop last fall. I took my TT in to repair the awning struts in late Sept. I also had an issue with my water heater not working on gas, so had them check that too.
When I was checking in with the owner he had 4 phone calls from people trying to schedule work. The place was full with just room to park mine. He told 3 of those jobs the wait list was 3 months out. He told me 4 to 6 weeks to complete mine, depending on parts. When I noticed the TT had been sitting for a few weeks I called for a status. He said the vendor had shipped the wrong part and he was waiting for the right one. He called me 2 weeks later to say the struts were repaired and that he needed to replace the control board on the WH. I approved that, as I had suspected that was the problem.

When he called me 2 days later that the WH was done, he informed me that the power converter's bottom unit/charger was bad and asked if I wanted it replaced. I thought to myself "here we go..." and told him no, I would look into it in the spring. I scheduled pickup for 2 days later which was right about at the 6 weeks mark. When I picked it up, he was still busier than a 1-legged goal tender and said he wasn't taking in any more work for at least 4 months.

I got my TT home, plugged her in and found the controller to be working. I had some unpleasant thoughts, then went about my business. 2 weeks later, I found the batteries weren't charged. I checked out the converter and found that it wasn't charging. Ah so! an Intermittent problem. Ok, I retracted my bad thoughts about the guy and decided that it's a simple job I can do myself come spring.
Not only did they meet their commitment, they also found and suggested repair of an intermittent fault. I'm pleased with my repair experience and I gave him a good review.

I hope you find a good shop to deal with.

Paradise_RV · 02-04-2021, 02:59 PM

I called BS on this one and went over; luckily less than a mile from my house. The counter rep had the Tech come out and show me. Turned out the repairman didn't know how to properly use the thermostat. Now I need to question what else didn't he know when he change the capacitors, serviced my generator, or changed out the airbags in the suspension. Must be a little nervous on that one since they requested to keep it a few more days to monitor.

Fiesta48 · 02-05-2021, 07:20 AM

My downtime fixing things myself, ZERO. Cost 1/10 of what the 150/hour shops charge. I can't think of a more unreliable vehicle than an RV, especially motorhomes.
YA gotta learn the basics then at least try to FIY. If it's already broke you can't make it worse. If you fix it your way ahead.

egwilly · 02-05-2021, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

Your thermostat runs on 12 volts, maybe your batteries are dead now.

Rescue your RV from them.

LOL

timjet · 02-09-2021, 05:32 AM

Finding a reputable place to fix your RV is difficult. My advice is to never take your RV to a dealership and find a local repair shop that can fix it. That can be difficult so ask here on this forum for recommendations in your area. Any time I've had to fix something I couldn't, I make an appt and tell the shop I will stay with the RV until it is fixed. So far the shops I've used have accommodated me.

It's also a good idea to have a general idea of what's wrong and what needs to be done to fix it before you take it in. Again advice from this forum is very valuable. Having already purchased a part if you know you need it will make the repair much quicker.