The most expensive mistake RV owners make is replacing parts before they’ve diagnosed the actual problem. I’ve walked up to rigs where the owner has already swapped three components and the real issue is something a five-dollar fuse or a loose connector would have fixed. Diagnosis first. Always diagnosis first. With a roof membrane leak … Read more
RV repairs are either thirty minutes or three days — there’s rarely an in-between. The difference is almost always whether you understand the system before you start, whether you have the right tools, and whether you ordered the correct part the first time. I’ve learned all three lessons the hard way, multiple times. The water … Read more
Different brands fail in different ways — and once you’ve serviced enough of them, you start building a mental map of which rig is going to have which problem. That brand-specific pattern recognition is what separates a tech who’s been doing this for years from someone who’s just good with tools. With the Jayco Jay … Read more
Knowing how to diagnose and repair RV systems isn’t just a maintenance skill — it’s a negotiation weapon when you’re buying. Every mechanical issue I can identify on a walkthrough is money off the asking price. Most sellers don’t know what’s wrong with their own rig, which means an informed buyer has all the leverage. … Read more
RV dealer service departments are backed up. Have been for years. If you’re a full-timer waiting six to ten weeks for a warranty repair appointment, that’s six to ten weeks where you’re either living without that system or paying out of pocket for a mobile tech. Learning to handle repairs yourself isn’t optional — it’s … Read more
Some repairs on an RV are DIY-friendly. Others involve propane, 120-volt shore power, or structural load-bearing components where a mistake has real consequences. Part of my job is knowing which category a job falls into — and being honest with owners about the line between a competent DIY fix and one that needs a professional … Read more
The thing that separates a good RV flipper from someone who just cleans up old rigs is systems thinking. When one component fails, I always ask what else failed alongside it, what caused it, and what’s about to fail next. RV systems are connected in ways that aren’t obvious until you’ve taken enough of them … Read more
When your rig is your permanent address, calling a dealer and waiting three weeks for a service appointment isn’t an option. You fix it yourself, you fix it now, and you fix it right — because your home doesn’t get to sit broken on a lift. On the Airstream Bambi 16RB, the awning fabric is … Read more
I pull up to broken rigs for a living, and I can tell you without hesitation which repairs show up on my schedule over and over. Not because RVs are poorly built across the board — but because a handful of systems get neglected in exactly the same ways by exactly the same owners. Entry … Read more
After buying, repairing, and reselling more than thirty rigs, I’ve crawled into every corner of every coach body style you can name. I know exactly which systems manufacturers cut corners on, which repairs look scary but are actually straightforward, and which ones will drain your wallet if you wait too long. LP gas detectors are … Read more
