Tips for navigating the service and warranty process.
By Chris Dougherty, F263059
May/June 2025
The service experience in the RV industry can be frustrating for experienced and new RVers alike. It differs from just about any other sector that serves consumers, and as such, it can lead to frustrating hang-ups, disagreements, and misunderstandings that can make RVing less enjoyable.
From a high level, everyone in the RV industry wants people to enjoy the lifestyle and for more folks to join in. Counter to this are factors that negatively affect the products and services RVers depend on. It is not the purpose of this article to regurgitate typical online discussions. Rather, the intent is to offer advice on navigating this sometimes-challenging environment, thereby reducing stress and helping RV owners to solve their issues as quickly and accurately as possible.
HOW RV SERVICE WORKS
As is true when it comes to buying and financing an RV, the RV service process differs from that of just about any other service, except maybe for boats. An RV is a home on wheels that incorporates products made by various manufacturers and suppliers, from chassis to appliances and electronics to furniture. How these items are serviced and supported is not standardized as it is in the automotive or appliance fields, or just about any other industry. Understanding this and navigating these intricacies can make your life much easier.
Historically, automotive dealers have operated garages that make money doing service work. However, with the sheer number of vehicles on the road, service has been standardized across the dealer network, and significant advances have been made in automated diagnostics. After all, most vehicle models that come off the line are identical, save for a few options.
In the RV world, RVs are living spaces first, mated to a vehicle to move them around. Think of the RV manufacturer as a home builder/assembler. Like home builders, most RV manufacturers make almost nothing that goes into their RVs. The RV manufacturer designs and builds the box, but most everything in it comes from suppliers worldwide. This makes RVs more interesting, especially with the proliferation of residential systems and appliances common in many units.
Like an auto dealer, an RV dealership sells rolling stock and offers parts, accessories, and service. However, unlike auto dealers, RV dealers are not franchisees, so the requirements for providing this service are vague and largely not enforced. RV dealers are more like standard storefronts and big-box retailers. They sell lots of different makes and models of RVs, but that can change regularly and quickly. This is comparable to how “Bob’s TV and Appliance” might carry Samsung TVs and Frigidaire appliances today, but six months from now, they might be selling LG and GE.
The RV service experience can be similar to what one might encounter at an appliance store. Some appliance stores offer service, while others depend on the manufacturer’s service network or independent appliance repair businesses. Some companies sell new RVs but offer little to no service, which is typical for those selling RVs over the internet.
RV dealers are often required by RV manufacturers whose products they sell to offer service to owners who did not buy from them; however, the dealership can schedule those requests after caring for customers who purchased RVs from them. This is another big difference between a franchised auto dealer and an RV dealer; service is a central focal point in automotive, whereas RVs are more complicated. This makes sense, as RVs have far more diverse parts than autos, making parts stocking and supply difficult.
That is why many in the RV industry recommend buying from a local dealer, so you have a relationship with that dealer. Most dealers will try hard to squeeze in an out-of-town traveler and help keep their trip on track, but if you shopped a local dealer and then bought out of town or out of state, they’re not likely to be sympathetic. Imagine that you purchased a widget from Walmart and took it to the competition for support. As a competing business, how would you feel about that? “Sorry; you have to take it back to Walmart” might be the response.
The RV sales business is super competitive, and companies are forced to work around some obstacles to stay afloat, which can lead to considerations of dollars over customer service. These bottom-line decisions are part of business, and this author is neither defending nor condemning them. Further, competition in the parts and accessories space has led some stores to stop carrying what they once stocked, complicating parts availability and affecting repair event cycle time, or RECT. We, as consumers, vote with our dollars, and sites like Amazon and AliExpress are replacing brick-and-mortar stores.
Another aspect of RV service is dealer personnel hiring, training, and retention. The RV industry’s technician training and recruitment programs have never been stronger or more successful, but many people willing to work these jobs remain untrained. This needs to change.
Dealers, historically, have tended to push back against training, stating that techs rarely stay in one place for long. Many dealers now understand that investing in a company-wide training, education, and quality-performance pay program works toward staff job satisfaction and retention. The industry’s RV Technical Institute is tasked with recruiting and helping to retain technicians, and there are more trained technicians now than in the 115-year history of the industry.
IMPROVING THE RV SERVICE EXPERIENCE
While it may seem like it’s out of your control, how you interact with the RV service system can make a big difference in the outcome of a transaction. Remember, service providers are people, too, and nobody likes having a bad day. Communication and respect go a long, long way.
Look for service providers who carry current industry certifications. If a technician has been trained, tested, and certified by a respected source, it is a sign that he or she has exhibited competence, at least up to that level. This technician’s work should be at a more professional level. A dealer can claim that it has certified techs, but if the certifications aren’t hanging on the wall, they may not exist or may be expired.
When you make an appointment for service, be as clear and to the point as possible about what is happening. It may be a good idea to go to the dealership with the RV to make your appointment, provide documentation, and get warranty authorizations processed and perhaps parts ordered before leaving your unit for service.
At any rate, be as complete as you can when explaining the issue. While pictures and video can help and are welcomed, your description of the problem, especially if it is intermittent, is essential.
Remember that technicians only have your description to guide them to a solution. Answer the common questions: Who, what, when, where, why, and how? When a problem is occurring, be observant! What is the environment in which it is happening? If your air conditioner, for instance, is leaking, note the circumstances. Is it or has it been raining? Is it particularly hot or humid? Is the RV off level? Does the unit leak only when in use, or always? Is some material, such as pine needles, trapped on the roof? Did you hit a low branch or something else?
Other things to note when gathering information for a technician to help with troubleshooting can include:
- Does the problem happen only when you’re at a particular campground? Plugged in at home?
- What are you using for a water source?
- Has regular maintenance been done?
- What are the weather conditions?
- How are the driving conditions?
- Did any event occur that may have led to the problem? For example: Hitting a big pothole, etc.? Large truck passing? Started after refueling?
- Sounds?
- Smells?
- Visual indicators such as leaks, puddles, bulges, cracks, dim lights, power outages, etc.?
- What happened right before the problem started? “I took a shower, then…” or “I started the generator, then…”
I can’t overstate how important this background information is. If a health-care provider you haven’t seen before cannot obtain a good patient history, they can’t effectively treat you. Why should your RV tech be any different?
Have a clearly written or typed list. Consider keeping thin, brightly colored masking tape handy with your list. Put the tape on a physical item that needs repair, such as scratches or gouges, and refer to it in the list. Remember, communication is key!
It is always best to have a physical, in-person walk-through with the service writer when dropping off your RV for repairs, but if that is not possible, providing a detailed list and as much information as you can will have to suffice. Also, when picking up your RV, complete a walk-through before leaving the facility. If they didn’t fix what they were supposed to, it’s better to know before you leave. Take a deep breath and approach the situation calmly but firmly.
REPAIR EVENT CYCLE TIME
Many factors affect how long it takes for an RV to be repaired. While parts are among the leading considerations, losing units in the service stream is another, especially when parts orders are fragmented, or shipments are incorrect, damaged, or never arrive. These situations make managing tens or hundreds of service units quite challenging. At the end of the day, these failures are just that, and RV owners have every right to be upset.
The RV industry continues to work on RECT, technologies, and training to help keep RV service backlogs to a minimum. Sometimes, extreme delays are unavoidable. I remember a customer’s coach that had hit a bridge, destroying the roof. The unit was in the care of a chassis service company at the time of the accident. The unit was sent to us, and a complete roof replacement was ordered from the coach manufacturer. Three roofs were shipped before we received one that was usable. The first two had been skewered by forklift trucks in the shipping stream; we left them on the truck they arrived on. As I recall, the coach spent six or eight months in the shop. Those are awful conversations to have.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
I recommend that you and your dealer or service provider talk about how a particular repair or malfunction would affect your travel plans. Sometimes, a repair can be delayed, a temporary fix employed, or another accommodation made to keep you on the road. Instead of leaving the RV at the repair center, take it home and continue to use it.
If you are traveling, following are a few other suggestions to consider:
- If the problem involves a particular component or system, you may want to contact its manufacturer instead of the RV manufacturer. The company’s information should be in your owners packet and on the system. (You did read your owners packet, right?) Often, the resolution will be quicker, and that company may have other providers that can help you out more readily.
- If you can, do some troubleshooting on your own. You may be able to find a cause or pinpoint an area of interest before a service provider arrives. A key to troubleshooting is looking at the energy source supplying a device or system. Do you have good power (12-volt DC and 120-volt AC)? Do you have propane? Do you have enough fuel? Manuals often have troubleshooting sections; most manuals and other resources are available online. AI and social media may offer solutions, but do your due diligence and try to obtain information from a reliable source.
- Keep a logbook with receipts for all maintenance, repairs, and modifications you make to the RV. This logbook should always stay with the RV. A digital version is acceptable as well. It may be required for any warranty or extended service plan claims.
EXTENDED SERVICE PLANS
Extended service plans (ESPs) can be valuable for many RVers, especially those with more complex or expensive RVs. ESPs are a whole topic on their own, but here are a couple of points to consider:
- Always carry copies of all the documents for your ESP with you in the RV.
- Follow the claim process for the ESP to the letter!
- Service providers must provide an estimate and gain approval for repairs before they begin. Make sure they understand that. The ESP is an insurance policy against repair bills, and if the company decides to send out an adjuster and the repairs already have been done, the claim will be denied.
- Understand your plan! What does it include or exclude? What are the deductibles?
- Remember, proof of maintenance may be required, so have those documents handy. You can do your maintenance, but you must prove you did it. Receipts and a logbook do the trick.
- If a dealer says a warranty claim has been denied, obtain the information from them and contact the manufacturer yourself. Often, a customer has more power than the dealer to turn around a denied claim. The same goes for an ESP.
Lastly, some RV manufacturers have programs that will send you warranty parts or approve other service providers, such as mobile service techs, to do warranty work, so consider that. If it’s a system or appliance, though, consider contacting that company directly, then the RV manufacturer if that doesn’t work.
Navigating the RV service and warranty process is different, but approaching it with the right expectations, information, and mindset can help you quickly find the best solution.
About the author. Chris Dougherty is a lifelong RVer who started RVing with his family in 1973, was a full-timer for 10 years, and has worked in the industry for 27 years. He has been a technician, business owner, service writer, service manager, and technician instructor. He is an RV Technical Institute Master Certified RV technician and instructor who teaches RV technicians for the Pennsylvania RV Camping Association. He teaches consumers about RV technical and lifestyle subjects through media work, classes, and seminars at shows across the U.S. Dougherty and his wife, Karen, enjoy traveling with their Montana fifth-wheel and Lance camper.