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Old 11-17-2021, 05:35 PM   #21
jasin1
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Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
I don't know about factored in. For example, I had a budget for rotating equipment support in my business area. Say 2.5 million per year. I was responsible for deciding if we did repairs in our little area shop, our central maintenance shop, or sending the job out to a vendor. I frequently advocated for working jobs on overtime rather than adding personel that would permanently add costs. It was cheaper to work a couple jobs a week on overtime for 8 hours at time and a half.
We tracked our in-plant overtime costs and reacted to those numbers. Jobs that were sent to outside vendors would have overtime approved, or not, by me. There were usually few questions about repair costs by vendors. The cost would just bring tears to your eyes and folks were reluctant to open that can of worms, or dig deep into the repair reports.
Bottom line, yes overtime was a necessary evil when compared to the costs of loss of production. So is overtime a necessary evil compared to the ultimate costs of loosing customers because their RV sat in the shop for 2 months instead of 2 weeks?
Yes you have a good point
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Old 11-21-2021, 08:26 AM   #22
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Very hard to find a Good Tech, Camping is over whelmed, there is no way Camping World can repair the RV's they are selling. We have returned 3 times on the 4 door fridge, still beeps. NOT worth the time to keep retuning. We now have to use a truck bed brace to hold pressure. Sad to say but a RV they list for over a $100,000 dollars never have had these many issues, on a 5th wheel.
Went to the local CW to purchase a washer/dryer combo for the rig. When asked if they would install and what the cost would be to install I was told to basically forget about installation until after the first of the year.

So I will have the washer/dryer on hand to install myself (rig is prepped for laundry). Saves me some money also.
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Old 11-21-2021, 11:52 AM   #23
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$40 and hour won't buy much of a tech nowadays.... that's more like journeyman level pay

$65... gets you experienced folks
Wait, $40/hr is $83,000/yr. Are you saying that's not enough to get a knowledgeable employee?

...

That it takes $65/hr, $135,000/year to get just a good knowledgeable employee?

Maybe you were speaking tongue in cheek.
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Old 11-21-2021, 05:37 PM   #24
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I would say that is great money for a newbie, but not for an experienced person. Experienced blue color workers in the right field are easliy making 100K PLUS per year now.
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Old 11-21-2021, 06:27 PM   #25
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In my years, I’ve come to realize the RV service industry is a low paying field. Today’s tech has to know “a whole bunch” of technical stuff, and training is sorely lacking, and we won’t talk about all the tools

I am forever grateful that I had a long successful career before starting in this field. I have told new techs in the past that this is a “job” you have while looking for a “career”.
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Old 11-21-2021, 07:20 PM   #26
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$40.00 an hour is not enough for an experienced tech today IMHO.
$83,200 is not going to cut it for someone who can weld, perform diagnostics, complete competant repairs with first pass yield results, electrical, plumbing, engineering up-grades to poor designs form the manufacture nand the list goes on.

I’m a contractor with plumbing, welding, electrical, hydraulics, concrete, carpentry, auto mechanics, designing and i’m getting tired at age 53...When you find someone who can do 3-4 of those trades, they will make 135K per year period. The baby boomers retired, and the new kids on the block dont have experience. I would gladly pay $150 per hour if the tech was competent, can fix the problem the first time in a reasonable amount of time verse paying $100 per hour and taking 2 weeks due to zero experience and it still not get fixed right. I know there are a lot of people who have a tool box and can fix things, but in many cases they are limited. On this site, there is a lot of great people with lots of experience and support hands down.
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Old 11-21-2021, 07:33 PM   #27
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$40.00 an hour is not enough for an experienced tech today IMHO.
$83,200 is not going to cut it for someone who can weld, perform diagnostics, complete competant repairs with first pass yield results, electrical, plumbing, engineering up-grades to poor designs form the manufacture nand the list goes on.

I’m a contractor with plumbing, welding, electrical, hydraulics, concrete, carpentry, auto mechanics, designing and i’m getting tired at age 53...When you find someone who can do 3-4 of those trades, they will make 135K per year period. The baby boomers retired, and the new kids on the block dont have experience. I would gladly pay $150 per hour if the tech was competent, can fix the problem the first time in a reasonable amount of time verse paying $100 per hour and taking 2 weeks due to zero experience and it still not get fixed right. I know there are a lot of people who have a tool box and can fix things, but in many cases they are limited. On this site, there is a lot of great people with lots of experience and support hands down.
Where can I apply? I can do all the above.
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Old 11-21-2021, 07:37 PM   #28
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There are so many openings in the US if you have the right skill set.....This is not a joke!
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Old 11-21-2021, 07:41 PM   #29
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There are so many openings in the US if you have the right skill set.....This is not a joke!
I agree, but in line with the topic, out here the pay doesn’t reflect skill level, still lower.
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Old 11-21-2021, 08:00 PM   #30
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If you have heavy industrial hydraulic experience i MIGHT
be able to help you in Modesto CA. There is a massive shortage in just this one skill set WORLD WIDE. Now i could see that in Modetsto there is about 219,000 as of 2020 reports whereas in the the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton area of the North Eastern PA ( Lehigh Valley area of 700,00 ) massive demands in all blue collar tech positions. Your welcome to PM me if your looking.
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Old 11-21-2021, 08:10 PM   #31
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While this is feeling dangerously close to the Kobayashi Maru, I'm just trying to say I'd gladly pay the rates referenced if I, as the RV owner, were directly hiring someone to repair my RV. But the few dealer employed RV techs I've had contact with were nowhere near experienced enough to earn those rates.

No offense intended to the very experienced techs who volunteer their time and knowledge here helping others. Thank you for your generosity.
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Old 11-21-2021, 08:19 PM   #32
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There are TOO many RV techs who dont have experience with RV repairs. That said, there are only about 1500 RV techs in the US and we just went through the highest RV sales over the last two years with more RV manufactured issues ( as well including supplied parts for those RV’s ) there is about 4,500 shortage of experienced RV techs as a result. This will last about 10-15 years IMHO... Most newbies will likely retire camping with the massive spikes in camp ground cost along side of their RV monthly payment and their truck payment and some with lot rent payment ( noting some housing developments dont alow RV parking at the home). Point is they cant cant sustain those cost. Sorry all to go several directions here.
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Old 11-22-2021, 05:41 AM   #33
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I was recently surprised to find there is a school near me (Athens, tx) that is cranking out RIVA certified techs. Apparently the market is there for more and better techs. Interestingly they are also teaching classes to help helps RV owners repair and maintain their own rigs.
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Old 11-22-2021, 06:25 AM   #34
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I’m glad to hear about classes for RV owners, but I’m not physically able to work on my own . Unfortunately, there was a time I needed a repair done at the campsite and couldn’t get in touch with a tech. I left messages with 4 techies. That was 6 months ago and I still haven’t heard from them.
I think they all wanted $100 for travel and $50 to $75 per hour, plus parts.
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Old 11-22-2021, 06:26 AM   #35
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I was recently surprised to find there is a school near me (Athens, tx) that is cranking out RIVA certified techs. Apparently the market is there for more and better techs. Interestingly they are also teaching classes to help helps RV owners repair and maintain their own rigs.
There is a severe shortage of skilled blue collar workers in all trades in this country. The education system seems to always be behind the curve. In the 1960's we were told to "become an engineer!) Because the space race was in it's glory. By graduating HS in 1972 the space race was atbthe finish line, the Vietnam war was ending (less defense spending) and engineers were waiying tables.

Fast forward to the 1990`s and kids were told thry needed a Junior College degree to be a "sanitation engineer" (garbage collector) a BS to work in an office, and a Masters Degree or better to make dedent money. This misconception left the construction trades, auto and diesel tech positions unfilled. Outside of unions there aren't many apprenticeship opprotunities and few people willing to wait for the "Masters " money at the completion.

I advise anyone graduating HS and unable to go to school to consider the military. They won't "get rich quick" but with a good work ethic can get an education and or training. Nowdays, anyone with some mechanical or electrical aptitude and intrest can jake a good living if they are willing to spend those years they would have spent earning that 4 or 6 yr degree (depending on discipline) and get the experience and traijing certificates in a trade.

jmho, ymmv
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Old 11-22-2021, 08:34 AM   #36
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There is a severe shortage of skilled blue collar workers in all trades in this country. The education system seems to always be behind the curve. In the 1960's we were told to "become an engineer!) Because the space race was in it's glory. By graduating HS in 1972 the space race was atbthe finish line, the Vietnam war was ending (less defense spending) and engineers were waiying tables.

Fast forward to the 1990`s and kids were told thry needed a Junior College degree to be a "sanitation engineer" (garbage collector) a BS to work in an office, and a Masters Degree or better to make dedent money. This misconception left the construction trades, auto and diesel tech positions unfilled. Outside of unions there aren't many apprenticeship opprotunities and few people willing to wait for the "Masters " money at the completion.

I advise anyone graduating HS and unable to go to school to consider the military. They won't "get rich quick" but with a good work ethic can get an education and or training. Nowdays, anyone with some mechanical or electrical aptitude and intrest can jake a good living if they are willing to spend those years they would have spent earning that 4 or 6 yr degree (depending on discipline) and get the experience and traijing certificates in a trade.

jmho, ymmv
I'd have to agree with the military!
I tried in 1974 to join the USAF but was classified 4F due blind left eye?
Our son graduated HS with no idea of what he wanted, like the majority of graduates, pissed away 2 years of college then joined the USAF. He's been retired for a year with 21 years of service now at 43 years old drawing a good retirement + has another great job that he plans to retire from again at 58 years old.
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Old 11-23-2021, 06:52 PM   #37
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I’m glad to hear about classes for RV owners, but I’m not physically able to work on my own . Unfortunately, there was a time I needed a repair done at the campsite and couldn’t get in touch with a tech. I left messages with 4 techies. That was 6 months ago and I still haven’t heard from them.
I think they all wanted $100 for travel and $50 to $75 per hour, plus parts.
That price sounds reasonable to me. Beats $170 an hour at a shop.
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Old 11-24-2021, 04:18 PM   #38
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The Army is a good place to park a clueless youngun. I was in my junior year of college and had NO idea why I was there. Eventually, after I got out I got a degree. Would have been better off learning a trade by far. Trades are now considered beneath the younguns who are all taking clothing design, politics, ethnic studies and the like. They rack up a zillion dollars of loan debt and when they get out end up sitting at home with no marketable skills. I actually had to take math and computer jibberish to get degree. Will never forget my C programming class at UMBC where the instructor was Greek with a horrible accent. Everything he said was Greek to me on several levels.
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Old 11-24-2021, 08:48 PM   #39
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When people learn a trade, its for a life time, and very valuable.
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