RV Repairs are a constant when you live in an RV full-time. There are many conflicting views on what RV to buy and how much you need to know to make your own RV repairs. When we decided to RV full-time, we purchased a brand new Salem Hemisphere Lite 23 foot travel trailer from RV Nation for about $21,000. After we purchased it, we took it to a dealership to have it inspected and fix anything they found. Luckily, they found no real issues that required immediate repairs.
The first year on the road, our awning would not work. So, we called a mobile RV tech for the first time to fix our awning. The repair was simply reconnecting a wire. The tech not only reconnected the wire, but made sure it couldn’t pop out again. This was the start of our relationship with Mobile RV techs.
We have used a total of four mobile RV techs during our four years of Full-time RVing. The last three technicians we used were called to repair our water pump. We have replaced our water pump twice. The water pump fails, and the fresh water tank will fill while connected to city water. The water pump should not allow this to happen. So, our most frequent repair to date on our travel trailer has been replacing the water pump. The last time we replaced the water pump, we added a brass check valve to prevent the water from filling our fresh water tank even if the pump itself fails.
The last repair we had was the camper toilet valve replacement. This is an easy repair. We knew something was wrong when we began seeing water around the floor bolt on the toilet. So, we had the part replaced.
If we have repairs that we do not feel comfortable fixing ourselves or if we want more information, we ask the park where we are staying for recommendations on RV Techs in the area. Although we do research the most likely fix in YouTube, there is a lot of additional service technicians provide us. We are always asking lots of questions about our RV. Mobile techs are great sources of information, and for us, much better than exploring the internet.
We now know how to replace the seal that cracked on the front of our camper, that our slide out rubber does not need replacing, and that no leaks can be detected in our RV. They have even offered us suggestions on installing a We-Boost on the camper. We love asking questions and speaking with experts who have been in the field for over twenty years. Many people simply look at the cost of the repair but do not consider the wealth of information you receive from a knowledgeable RV tech. We appreciate all the advice and information most of our technicians have provided. And, they have saved us quite a bit of money on their advice.
Many posts have been written on the poor quality of the Salem Hemisphere and the worst buying experience from RV Nation. We have been very lucky. Our experience with both have been really good. However, we are glad we had another dealership inspect our camper before taking her on the road.
Our travel trailer is now four years old. The trim and cabinets on the inside show their wear and superglue has become one of our best fixes. We have taken her to a trailer place in Okeechobee, FL and had our wheel bearings replaced and greased. We have installed our silicone roof and continue to observe and maintain our RV. However, we know she will not last forever and that the repairs on her will become more frequent. We expect to replace her, hopefully way in the future, whenever the cost to repair her becomes too much.
For now, though, we fix what we feel comfortable doing ourselves and call Mobile RV Techs for the rest. We have watched many YouTubers who insist that you must learn how to repair your RV yourself. But don’t fret. If you, like us, are not mechanical or if you are unsure about the fix, call a reputable RV tech. We have only had one tech who stopped by but never returned to actually repair our RV. No worries, though. You only pay when the job is finished. There is no shame in acknowleding that someone else is smarter than you in an area and that you can learn a lot from them.