Are Self Repairs Worth It?

[chuckster57]

If this was the only repair they did, then yeah something is amiss. Even extended warranty companies have a “book rate” they will pay. How much is your deductible?

[sourdough]

Deductible was $450. They did replace the LP detector but said it was covered as well? They also replaced both batteries, supposedly free of charge, because they completely discharged the new ones on the trailer previously.

They said they were "allowed" 15 hours for the tank replacement by the warranty company. I'm not sure what all they have tacked in there but I've asked for all the invoices from the suppliers so that we can compare billing vs actual material costs, labor costs etc. It should be "enlightening" I suspect. I suspect I'll also find that the "free batteries" weren't. On the other hand, they may be able to justify the charges but I just can't see how.

[chuckster57]

It ought to be very interesting reading when you get copies. 15 hrs sure seems a bit high to R&R a tank.

[FlyingAroundRV]

Bad hair day. Ignore previous rant!

[travelin texans]

I honestly feel with the $736 you paid that you paid for the tank repair, batteries & CO detector then they billed the remainder to the warranty company, so basically got to both of you.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I honestly feel with the $736 you paid that you paid for the tank repair, batteries & CO detector then they billed the remainder to the warranty company, so basically got to both of you.

Yep..... [emoji848]

[FlyingChief]

Another huge advantage of doing the work myself is that I get the work done when I need it done. There are a ton of posts about folks waiting weeks and sometimes months to get even simple stuff done...while their rig sits at the dealer and they can’t use it. When I fix it myself, It’s done now, not when someone else gets around to it!

[FlyingAroundRV]

Originally Posted by FlyingChief

Another huge advantage of doing the work myself is that I get the work done when I need it done. There are a ton of posts about folks waiting weeks and sometimes months to get even simple stuff done...while their rig sits at the dealer and they can’t use it. When I fix it myself, It’s done now, not when someone else gets around to it!

^^^Agree. This is an important factor for us. We can't access our TT for 9 months of the year and we want to spend the other three traveling. We can't afford to have the rig sitting at a dealer waiting for work to be done while we sit in a motel. And trying to get work done from 12,000 miles away is not an option.

[SR71 Jet Mech]

I as a technician of one sort or another over the years MUST do my own repairs. I have a fit when my grown children cut my grass when we’re out of town. I too have had shoulder issues ( rotator cuff repair and a/c joint separation which led to the removal of 2cm of collar bone) and above head work is very challenging. However, as a old stubborn a$$, I refuse to not take anything in for repair.
4 years ago my 5.9l dodge had injector issues. Procrastinated until 3 were bad bad and ultimately burned a piston. But there was that “have the ability, know how, and 30k worth of snap on tools but no WANT to”. That went from a 3k repair to a 12k engine o-h. I was okay (sort of) with that but, having to have it go back 3 times on a flat bed to fix this or that really chapped my ___!
I know the day is coming to start throttling back but, I’m gonna push as long as I can!
As for the price, I have to agree that they jacked it somehow. As an automotive technician for about 10 years I worked at both independent garages as well as two dealerships. Warranty work was the worst as book time was always about half of standard book time. That being said there were ways to “pad” the bill. I don’t think I could have changed an in tank fuel pump and grossed 3k or padded a $300-$400 job that much.
Also if I was doing a complete engine O-H that paid 18 hrs book time, if I needed help with removal or install the other tech would be paid from that 18 hrs. I was paid 35% commission of a $65 shop rate. The owners or service writers would schedule only enough “book time” work that could be performed in an 8 hr. Day. Left a lot of standing around time unless you had a big job to fill in.
One thing that pushed me away from that industry was working on a vehicle, repairing the problem and have the vehicle come back with a totally unrelated issue and hear those dreaded words....”I just had it in here and it still not fixed” .
Do this other repair for free and not get paid. It always struck me funny that people will go to the doctor over and over for the same cough, pay another $$$ and just keep paying. But skilled workers don’t have that same luxury. As I said I didn’t have a problem with my engine bill and the problems that arose WERE related to the worked performed. Fix it right the first time or not at all.
Anyway that’s a rediculous charge for that job!
Getting old is earned! But I don’t like it.

Scott

[kench]

Originally Posted by sourdough

We've had numerous posts, actually more than that, commenting on the need, and savings, associated with doing your own repairs.

I have repaired, worked on and fixed everything I've ever owned. Loved doing it, loved the knowledge and expertise and loved looking at the finished product. Over the last 2-3 years "life" has really kicked in and I've found I'm not able to do many of the things I used to do and have to have it "farmed out". Bad deal for me and usually for the ones doing it because I know what should be done....and not take what I get back.

As far as doing the work yourself; the benefits of that were just reinforced with me today. I had a leaking galley gray tank. What had to be done seemed simple; drop the coroplast, pull the tank and disconnect the drain lines, grab a new tank, secure it, reinstall the drain/vent lines and put the coroplast back up. Sounds a little involved but not really IMO. Well....

Had that exact work done and picked up the trailer today. The cost? Well over $3100!!! For the life of me I don't know how it runs up that high but I do know if you are able to do your own work and feel comfortable doing it, by all means DO IT! You can save yourself some serious money doing some relatively simple things....

Just a heads up in case folks don't have any idea how expensive these things can get and how worthwhile it is to do your own work. Good luck to all.

I am sure many feel your pain. I have in most cases elected to do my own repairs as I don't seem to get the problem fixed on the first attempt when trusting a dealer technician ( Using the term technician loosly). Any warranty repairs I have had done seem to take 3-4 trips to the shop (thankfully I live only 15 minutes from the dealer I bought from). The $3100.00 charge seems offensive to say the least. I n future make a number of calls to dealers and see if you can get a competitive quote.
I too have gotten to the stage where I have to select what jobs I take on but the nice thing is that I still have the dollar and satisfaction savings of the many projects I have completed on my own or with a little help from my friends. WELL DONE!!!

[johnlewis]

Sourdough, have you checked out the mobile techs in your area? I have had two of them do work for me - one because I didn't have the time to do it myself, and one because I didn't have the tools (while we were full-timing). Since I was right there when the work was done, I knew how long it took, and I knew up front what his travel and labor costs were. Costs seemed reasonable to me.

[66joej]

Originally Posted by SR71 Jet Mech

I as a technician of one sort or another over the years MUST do my own repairs. I have a fit when my grown children cut my grass when we’re out of town. I too have had shoulder issues ( rotator cuff repair and a/c joint separation which led to the removal of 2cm of collar bone) and above head work is very challenging. However, as a old stubborn a$$, I refuse to not take anything in for repair.
4 years ago my 5.9l dodge had injector issues. Procrastinated until 3 were bad bad and ultimately burned a piston. But there was that “have the ability, know how, and 30k worth of snap on tools but no WANT to”. That went from a 3k repair to a 12k engine o-h. I was okay (sort of) with that but, having to have it go back 3 times on a flat bed to fix this or that really chapped my ___!
I know the day is coming to start throttling back but, I’m gonna push as long as I can!
As for the price, I have to agree that they jacked it somehow. As an automotive technician for about 10 years I worked at both independent garages as well as two dealerships. Warranty work was the worst as book time was always about half of standard book time. That being said there were ways to “pad” the bill. I don’t think I could have changed an in tank fuel pump and grossed 3k or padded a $300-$400 job that much.
Also if I was doing a complete engine O-H that paid 18 hrs book time, if I needed help with removal or install the other tech would be paid from that 18 hrs. I was paid 35% commission of a $65 shop rate. The owners or service writers would schedule only enough “book time” work that could be performed in an 8 hr. Day. Left a lot of standing around time unless you had a big job to fill in.
One thing that pushed me away from that industry was working on a vehicle, repairing the problem and have the vehicle come back with a totally unrelated issue and hear those dreaded words....”I just had it in here and it still not fixed” .
Do this other repair for free and not get paid. It always struck me funny that people will go to the doctor over and over for the same cough, pay another $$$ and just keep paying. But skilled workers don’t have that same luxury. As I said I didn’t have a problem with my engine bill and the problems that arose WERE related to the worked performed. Fix it right the first time or not at all.
Anyway that’s a rediculous charge for that job!
Getting old is earned! But I don’t like it.

Scott

^ Agree with Scott. I pulled wrenches in both the automotive and heavy equipment industry for about 50 years. We had a saying about doctors " they can bury their mistakes" not so much for mechanics.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by johnlewis

Sourdough, have you checked out the mobile techs in your area? I have had two of them do work for me - one because I didn't have the time to do it myself, and one because I didn't have the tools (while we were full-timing). Since I was right there when the work was done, I knew how long it took, and I knew up front what his travel and labor costs were. Costs seemed reasonable to me.

Thanks for the thought. I didn't although I might should have. We live in a rural, "ugly" part of W TX where RV dealerships and RV parks are/were scarce so there weren't any mobile techs anywhere near a couple of years ago. That might have changed now that RV parks are popping up everywhere due to the oilfields but I failed to think about that.

[AbHDToyHauler]

I totally agree with doing anything yourself you can. Over the years i have spent a small fortune on tools and accessories. My wife used to get on me about spending so much on tools. However whenever we need to do something now I have pretty much everything. I have also taught my son to do everything from drywall , plumbing and fixing Harley Davidson motorcycles. He also has a vast selection of tools and we share certain things like table saws etc. He has often said to me " Dad , my friend took his motorcycle to the dealer for its first checkup and paid $700. With all the work we have done over the years we couldn't afford to ride if we took them to dealers!" I agreed. The other thing is as I have gotten older he now does some of the jobs for me or helps. My wife is also handy and a great drywall finisher. I"m sure we saved a fortune over the years. I do know that some days now I don't want to go to the shop and work on anything though. LOL Getting old really does suck!

[Number 4]

I can still hear the "crack" when my son was standing in the doorway of our old TT #2 and the floor suddenly separated from the wall. I peeled back the siding, spliced and braced in some new floor/wall framing and put it back together. I've replaced water lines and done small mods too. Just recently I couldn't stomach the quoted cost to clean and grease the wheel bearings so I did it myself on our current TT. Aside from working on TT's I've remodeled both bathrooms in our house, installed ceiling fans and a whole house fan, drip irrigation, plus a few other things. My motto is, "If I really mess it up I'll hire someone to take over!" That has saved us a small fortune and I'm thankful for the knowledge I've gained.