Problems locating repair shops for Motorhomes.

[plattpd60]

Does everyone seem to have a problem locating shops to repair class a Homes. When repairs need to be done to anything beyond the camper section. All the Ford dealers say they can't do the work on Motorhomes. No lifts big enough.

[ferndaleflyer]

univmd talk to Greg and tell him his friend from NC recommended him. I think he can lift you.

[Johno02]

I have a local auto and truck mechanic with a large bay door that does all my chassis work. oil changes, fluid checks, engine repairs, brakes.

[Alan_Hepburn]

The OP lists his location as "usa" so, with that in mind - try Leale's RV in San Jose, Ca - they have lifts that can handle any RV, a body shop, and a great team of workers. They handle most warranties and will get you in and out in a timely manner - not like many places that give you an appointment to drop your rig off, then wait a week or a month to even start working on it!

They've been our go-to place for almost 15 years now...

[univmd]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
No one mentioned here is close to MD but there is an independent garage in Odenton MD that works on ANYTHING RV. I got sent there a couple of years ago and it is a great big place doing all kinds of things from mechanical on DPs to putting in laminate floors----they treated me real good and were priced fair I thought. B&G Services 410-305-0390

Thank you for the recommendation! We live in Maryland and have had our coach for 12 years and have not found a service center we liked yet! We’ve been to Freightliner Baltimore, Freightliner Landover, Cummins Glen Burnie, Queenstown RV College Park, Annapolis RV Center, Jim Donnies RV, etc. NONE of them have been excellent. We continue to use them because everyone else does. Next time we will use B&G. We have an 8kw diesel Powertech generator that stalls under medium load and no exhaust coming out of the generator’s exhaust pipe anymore. It does not slide out, hopefully B&G can lift our coach?

[Gjac]

It is hard enough finding a shop when you are home, it is even harder when something happens on the road out west in a state like MT, when there is low population and fewer truck repair shops to support that population. In the summer when most MH's are on the road and the population doubles or triples with all the tourists even if and when you can find a truck repair shop you may wait a long time to get the MH back especially if it is in a accident with substantial damage or repair work to be done. Their first priority is to truckers not RVers. You have a much better chance if you have a breakdown near a city or highly populated area than breaking down in a more remote area.

[irishtom29]

I Have an F53 based coach and use the Ford commercial truck website to take note of those dealers who work on Class As along or near my likely routes.

When I got a check engine light the Ford dealer in New Braunfels Texas took me in the next morning and had me fixed and out before lunch. Bad spark plug.

There is an independent truck service place in Sturgeon Lake Minnesota that works on ALL types of motorhomes and have my coach serviced there.

[ferndaleflyer]

No one mentioned here is close to MD but there is an independent garage in Odenton MD that works on ANYTHING RV. I got sent there a couple of years ago and it is a great big place doing all kinds of things from mechanical on DPs to putting in laminate floors----they treated me real good and were priced fair I thought. B&G Services 410-305-0390

[wildtoad]

plattpd60 wrote:
Does everyone seem to have a problem locating shops to repair class a Homes. When repairs need to be done to anything beyond the camper section. All the Ford dealers say they can't do the work on Motorhomes. No lifts big enough.

1) You are absolutely correct. I called every ford dealer in my area and more. Only one said they would do work on mine but limited to oil changes and general inspection.

2) I called the Ford customer service number shown above and they gave me the name and number of all the Ford service centers in my area. Now, go reread #1. Their lists are way out of date.

3) I talked to my local Camping World who sells Ford based motorhomes - Who do you send your customers to for service? Their sent me a small shop 20 miles away which had not been cleaned in years, did not have a lift, but would work on it.

I now take it to a truck service center for all chassis service. BTW I had this exact same problem when I bought a brand new 2000 Winnebago Rialta on a VW power train. Ended up with using a small independent service shop.

[RedRollingRoadb]

rk911 wrote:
you'll have better luck at ford commercial chassis service centers. clicky

Maybe, maybe not. When I had my class C I tried the lookup dealer. One is listed was who I buy cars from for years and I asked them. Nope. Try ABC, nope. Called a different one, nope. I have a feeling that Ford doesn't know who sells what or who services their products.

[wallynm]

RV Service is my go to web page

plattpd60 wrote:
Does everyone seem to have a problem locating shops to repair class a Homes. When repairs need to be done to anything beyond the camper section. All the Ford dealers say they can't do the work on Motorhomes. No lifts big enough.

[ksg5000]

Most Ford dealers won't even work on Class C's - I take my rig to Ford Truck Dealer.

[rk911]

you'll have better luck at ford commercial chassis service centers. clicky

[DrewE]

If you aren't needing warranty work, there are any number of independent shops that work on trucks and motorhomes; I have yet to have any real difficulty finding one when I've needed it. Often they don't advertise all that heavily or have facilities that are immediately obvious from the main roads, but can be found by asking around. People with box trucks and step vans and shuttle busses need to get them repaired from time to time, after all, and it's not much different working on them as on a motorhome.

For warranty work it's maybe harder since you need a factory authorized place.

[timmac]

Check with some heavy truck repair shops they might handle working on the Ford F53.

Freightliner truck repair shop here in Las Vegas does work on the F53 chassis and can handle warrenty service as well since they also sell the commercial Ford trucks.

But there rates are $130 a hour so I do as much of my own repairs as I can.

:C