RV Servicing ?

[kwiebe]

Can anyone explain the apparent typical RV service scenario which requires you to make an appointment 2-4 weeks in advance, then take the RV in, then wait another 2-3 weeks for it to be looked at? It's not waiting for something else to happen (like parts) - the RV just switches from waiting at my house to waiting at the dealer.

It seems illogical. An appointment to wait?

Even more silliness is that they actually give you a time of day for the appointment.

I can see the reason for the first wait, but not the second. This seems akin to the Seinfeld episode about the rental car place not actually reserving a car when you make a reservation.

[TandW]

If it were the selling dealer and it was in for warranty work I might be distressed. Otherwise, for normal service, an oil change for example, there are many other venues.

[Backcountry1]

The most logical thing I can think of is that the dealership has limited amount of space, and a lot rv’s that need/want to be worked on/serviced/warrantied. So the initial appointment is for room to sit on the lot while other rv’s are worked on. (An rv that should take two days turns into 4 or 5 days of work)

It sucks that’s for sure, but I can see the dealerships point of view.

[fagnaml]

Primarily very limited parts (and sometimes staff) availability, some RV repair shops in the Houston area doing the following:
1) Schedule an appointment to diagnose a maintenance problems
2) Keep the RV for 2-3 days to diagnose the problems and develop a repair plan
3) Have RV owner pick up their RV
4) Bring the RV back to the repair shop in 4-6 weeks depending on when parts arrive

Because it takes 4-6 weeks for parts to arrive combined with the big growth in RV ownership, RV repair shops don't have enough "land" to store RVs waiting for parts to arrive. Hence why RV owners are now faced with "double scheduling" for diagnosis and then 4-6 weeks later repairs.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The logic is solely the convenience of the dealer/shop. They get your business by accepting your service request, than work on it when convenient for them. Meaning when a tech finishes his other jobs and needs another one. Then after a brief diagnosis, they order parts which may or may not arrive in a timely manner. Doesn't matter, because there are more RVs waiting for service. Then, when the parts eventually arrive, the tech can install them - at his convenience. As long as their lot has room to park lots of RVs, it's an ideal situation for the shop.



The only thing the appointment gets you is a slot on their waiting list. The only reason they say to "make an appointment" instead of "just bring it in" is that they have to allow time for other RVs to be completed to have room for yours.

[Dutch Star Don]

I agree with Gary, it's all about profit. If they have several RV's in the que waiting for repair, they can plug them in as space and time becomes available. A mechanic finishes a job early on Wednesday and has four hours left in the day. The shop looks at what they have waiting and grabs a four-hour repair out of the lot. No lost time or money. It's also beneficial to the mechanic, who is getting paid by the job.

In my younger days, as a mechanic, I was always looking for the next repair job to make more money that week.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

The logic is solely the convenience of the dealer/shop. They get your business by accepting your service request, than work on it when convenient for them. Meaning when a tech finishes his other jobs and needs another one. Then after a brief diagnosis, they order parts which may or may not arrive in a timely manner. Doesn't matter, because there are more RVs waiting for service. Then, when the parts eventually arrive, the tech can install them - at his convenience. As long as their lot has room to park lots of RVs, it's an ideal situation for the shop.



The only thing the appointment gets you is a slot on their waiting list. The only reason they say to "make an appointment" instead of "just bring it in" is that they have to allow time for other RVs to be completed to have room for yours.

Sad but true!

[ByeTheWay]

I have a mobile diesel mechanic service mine and I always pay with Cash. I do get and keep receipts.

[Alan_Hepburn]

The shop we use for all our maintenance/repairs seems to be unique: we schedule an appointment and drop the RV off. When writing up the work order the first question is "What are we working on?" and then they ask "When do you need it back?" - they have never failed to meet the schedule of that last question. I don't really care if they start working on it as soon as I drop it off - what's important is that I get it back when I need it...

[twogypsies]

It would be great if you (& others) would create a signature line that would appear on every post so that we know what year/kind of RV you have.

I went back to read your older posts & it seems you have a 2022 Fleetwood Flair V8 so I assume your dealer is doing warranty work.

You are correct for your specific issue: the dealer doesn't need all that time to get to you. If you're still able to drive it they should set up a definite repair time so that you could still use it while waiting.

[77Travco]

This is why RV owners need to learn how to work on their own equipment.
Yes, even things that would be warranty work can easily be addressed better by the person who actually cares... the owner.
I have not once returned to my selling dealer after driving my coach off of the lot.

Things that I simply fixed myself...
Battery charger/inverter monitor issue
Kwikee step
Bay door latch
Support bolts for front cap
Roof seal issue
Gen-set muffler
VacuFlush system
Slide toppers
Grey tank vent
Washer/dryer connections
Furnace board

Those are a few off the top of my head.
Do yourself a favor and learn to do it yourself. It's not rocket science and you will do a better job than the RV tech trainees that most warranty work gets delegated to.

Just my 2 cents.

[dizcom]

Big difference between warranty work, service contract work and pay for it yourself work. Also makes a difference whether the parts are in stock, easy to get, or need to be ordered or back ordered. I kind of understand where the dealers are coming from, and I kind of don't. There's very little incentive to make things less of a nebulous waiting game. If you don't bring your rig in, so what? There are plenty of other people that will. There's more work than they need right now so why would they be any better about things?


This is when I make my choices. When times are tough and dealers need customers, I can walk into any place and have 5 people handing me coffee and bending over backwards to get my business. It's how I get treated today that makes a difference to me. How I'm treated when they don't need my work or my money is going to be the deciding factor for the next time I need work or a new rig. If you're OK with rude techs, lack of responsiveness, and mystery repair times, then you're OK with me not coming back and letting others know to stay away.

[Gary RVRoamer]

There are shops that actually hold to appointments, but they probably aren't RV dealer shops. Truck repair centers, factory service shops, and appliance specialists tend to schedule their work carefully and hold to that schedule. Mobile services too, since they try to avoid making extra trips.


As long as there is a ultra-high demand for for Rv repairs & maintenance, the situation probably won't change. Neither will the quality of the work.

[Country Road]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

There are shops that actually hold to appointments, but they probably aren't RV dealer shops. Truck repair centers, factory service shops, and appliance specialists tend to schedule their work carefully and hold to that schedule. Mobile services too, since they try to avoid making extra trips.


As long as there is a ultra-high demand for for Rv repairs & maintenance, the situation probably won't change. Neither will the quality of the work.

Bingo. In my home town, we have a truck center that will fix anything on your unit accept water and inside electrical problems. When they tell you to bring it in, they almost have you drive it into bay #3 or whatever.

Point is, find another place to take your unit.