The Generator at Baton Rouge: Big Bertha Meets the Iron Pickles

The Generator at Baton Rouge: Big Bertha Meets the Iron Pickles

There is no worse feeling in full-time RV life than a critical system failing in the middle of January with nowhere to be towed and no mobile tech available until Monday. I’ve been there. That experience is why I now maintain everything on a schedule and know how to handle the repairs myself. A generator … Read more

The Water Pump at Durango: Big Bertha Goes Dry

The Water Pump at Durango: Big Bertha Goes Dry

Most of the service calls I get aren’t emergencies — they’re deferred maintenance that finally gave up. The owner noticed something off weeks ago, ignored it, and now they’re calling me from a campground two states from home. Nine times out of ten, this repair could have been done for a fraction of the cost … Read more

The Mud at Moab: Big Bertha Meets Her Match

The Mud at Moab: Big Bertha Meets Her Match

The first thing I do when I buy a used rig at auction is skip the cosmetics entirely and go straight to the mechanical systems. How a previous owner maintained the furnace, the AC, the water heater — that tells me everything I need to know about how the whole coach was treated. The roof … Read more

The Wind at Organ Pipe: Big Bertha vs. Mother Nature Round 2

I keep the most common failure components stocked in my van because certain repairs come up so predictably I’d lose time driving to a supplier. When I show up to a rig and already know what’s wrong before I open the access panel — that’s not experience, that’s pattern recognition from seeing the same failure … Read more

THOR CHATEAU – Awning Fabric and Motor Repair

Awning Fabric and Motor Repair for THOR CHATEAU 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 … Read more

AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE 19X – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE 19X There is no worse feeling in full-time RV life than a critical system failing in the middle of January with nowhere to be towed and no mobile tech available until Monday. I’ve been there. That experience is why I now maintain everything on a schedule … Read more

LEISURE TRAVEL VANS UNITY – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for LEISURE TRAVEL VANS UNITY I taught myself to handle most RV repairs through a combination of YouTube videos, forum threads, and expensive mistakes. The expensive mistakes were the best teachers. This guide covers what I eventually figured out — without the part where you strip a bolt, order … Read more

WINNEBAGO SOLIS – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for WINNEBAGO SOLIS When you boondock regularly — no hookups, no campground services, no one nearby to help — you develop a different relationship with your rig’s systems than a weekend camper does. Everything has to work. You learn the failure modes, the warning signs, and the repairs before … Read more

THOR TRANQUILITY – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for THOR TRANQUILITY Living full-time in an RV changes your math on repairs fast. You start calculating the cost of parts versus the cost of a mobile tech, and you realize that most of these jobs — once you understand the system — are absolutely within reach for someone … Read more

AIRSTREAM RANGELINE – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for AIRSTREAM RANGELINE The full-time RV community is the most generous knowledge-sharing group I’ve ever been part of. Someone has already fixed the exact problem you’re dealing with, documented it in a forum thread, and answered follow-up questions for free. This guide pulls together the best of that collective … Read more