RVwest is pleased to introduce Reg DeYoung as our new RV expert and regular columnist. As a Journeyman RV Technician,
DeYoung has 15 years of experience in the RV industry. He received his certification from Okanagan College and, for the past nine years, has been working for Runners RV—a recreational vehicle dealership located in Cranbrook, B.C. Over the years, DeYoung has dealt with a variety of RV problems and maintenance issues. As a certified RV Gas Fitter, DeYoung is authorized to work on RV appliances as well. RVwest is thrilled to have DeYoung on board and appreciate his expertise.
TECH TALK RV service advice How to improve your dealings with an RV service department by REG DEYOUNG
COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY: Parts person/service writer Tom Keiver and warranty administrator Kathy Frampton at Runners RV know the value of having good communication with customers. —photo by Reg DeYoung
A very important part of owning an RV is maintenance, whether you do a percentage yourself or rely on a RV service facility to make repairs or do periodic check-ups. If your RV is well-maintained it will give you a better chance of having a favourable resale value when you intend to sell or trade-in your rig. It will also improve the chances that your trip will be a more pleasant experience without hassles or down-time with expensive repairs. But, sometimes components just fail or repairs are required without any symptoms or warnings to the RV owner.
In recent years RV dealerships have expanded their service facilities and new dealerships have opened in more areas with better access for the RVer on the move. Some service repair centres are factory authorized or certified by appliance manufactures to do repairs under warranty. Most independent shops can do work on RVs quite satisfactory. The same preparation applies to every type of facility.
Firstly, I would like to mention that you must understand in respect to our Canadian weather the RV season is short compared to our friends in the south; in the summer months most service shops are going flat out to meet the requirements of their customers from the off-road retail work as well as in-house, pre-delivery inspections and warranty work. When you arrive at a shop it will not be uncommon to be informed that the service department cannot take a look at your RV until later that day or in a few days. However, most service managers or writers will do their very best to accommodate you as soon as possible, especially if you are travelling through the area to your destination.
I would like to offer some tips to help you deal with an RV service department in a more positive and effective manner—whether you have purchased your RV from that dealer or not—when a problem or problems arise.
Gather information
If you have a new RV that is still covered under a factory warranty make sure you have the necessary paperwork or warranty card readily available to present to the service manager or writer to help them determine who will be paying for the required work, especially if it is not a dealership that sells or services that particular brand. Don't be surprised when, if you are a customer with a rental unit, the service department will not start work on the unit until they are clear on who will be paying. They may have to speak to the rental agency with an estimate on labour and parts costs for an authorization as well.
If you have an extended warranty policy from an independent company there are procedures to be followed; and most of these contracts have designated labour times and descriptions of what is covered and what is not covered, similar to the factory warranties.
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The service manager or writer is your direct communication line to the techs or warranty administrators that make the decisions or do the inquiries in regard to the problems or repairs that will be honoured by that facility, based on the information you have provided.
Spread the news
Inform the dealership where you purchased your RV from that you have some problems or warranty issues. Whether you are having the repairs done at that dealership or another service shop, there may have to be some additional communication from the factory warranty reps as well.
If you are doing a spring shakedown or using your rig for the first time and find some failures or breakdowns book the appointment as soon as possible and make sure your RV will be returned to you in time for your next trip or scheduled vacation time—especially before a long weekend which, if left to the last minute, will result in disappointment.
Write a checklist
If possible, make a list of the repairs and a brief description of what is happening or not happening and try not to miss anything. It also helps to prioritize the repairs in regards to importance if your schedule and the shop's schedule is too busy to do all the repairs you have requested. This will also help the technician with troubleshooting and diagnosing the problem. You should check the completed work order to see if it matches your list to ensure there are no surprises when you return to pick up your rig.
Stay tuned
Ask the service department to inform you of any changes to your appointment or down-time that will be needed to get the parts required for repairs. Also, you should ask them to inform you of additional time or parts that are needed above and beyond the projected estimate. Let them know you would like to see the failed or damaged components—especially if the warranty is being processed elsewhere or if you would like to see the part to understand why it may have failed.
A few words of wisdom
Now I would like to discuss some things that may get you off to a bad start at a repair facility. Firstly, one of the biggest complaints of any service department is customers who book appointments and fail to show up without calling to cancel or change the day.
Another common mistake is made by customers who like to wander into the shop and look over the technicians shoulder and ask questions. This is dangerous due to work being done on propane and there are also air lines and electrical cords to trip over, which is a liability issue to that shop. It also slows the technician down—and your paying for it. If you wish to see how the repairs are going it is best if you speak with the service manager at the front counter.
Most shops will have a designated waiting room provided for their customers. You can spend some valuable time with other customers discussing trips or picking up some great tips and tales from some more experienced RVers. If you have children you may want to venture out a bit and discover the points of interest in that area.
For the most part, an RV dealership will always try to do it's best to provide good and reliable service to get you back on the road. It helps the service department do a more effective job if you provide the additional information to get the technicians going in the right direction more quickly.
