As the motorhome turns series — post #three

Surviving RV Repair and Maintenance Woes as a Full-Timer

Pets complicate the situation. Without patience, you won’t make it.

When I finished my last post about the travails of repairs and maintenance as a full-timer, I was hoping and praying that we wouldn’t have to spend the night in a hotel as work on the bedroom slide of our motorhome continued. Sadly, that prayer didn’t get answered the way I wanted, but God’s ways are always better than mine, even when I don’t understand.

I was worried about our cat Paddy making it through the experience more than I was about the inconvenience of the situation. I’d canceled our hotel reservation as a show of faith that our slide repairs could be made by the end of the day. At about 1:00 in the afternoon, our service rep, Lori, said that the job would not be completed and that we would have to stay at a hotel.

Thankfully, the SureStay Hotel in Wildwood still had a pet-friendly room available. We’d never stayed in a hotel with Paddy because our vacations took place in our RV. He’d been stressed out staying in the service department, and I hoped another move to a strange place wouldn’t be too traumatic.

I went to the motorhome to pack an overnight bag for us and our mechanic, Mark, asked if I could come back in a couple of hours because he and his assistant were at a critical stage of the repair. I returned to the service center and sat with Tommy and Paddy, working on my computer and making a mental list of our overnight needs.

At 3:00, I went to our torn-apart motorhome and got to the proper drawers and cupboards for needed items. I thanked Mark and his assistant for their efforts and told them how hopeful I was that we could get back into our rig before too late the next day. They were both reassuring and helpful.

As I said, we’ve never stayed at a hotel with our boy Paddy. As a first-time experience at a pet-friendly hotel, ours was terrific. We were on the ground level, and there was a note on the door that warned there was a pet inside. I thought this was fabulous. All the worries I had about our Tasmanian boy were quickly dispensed.

I set up Paddy’s playhouse because I thought the large strange room would be too scary. The first time we took him from the motorhome into our house in Shingletown, he lost his mind. He ran around screaming and looking distraught for a couple of hours. I left the door unzipped on his playhouse, and he jumped out onto the bed within minutes. He ran around the hotel room, happy as a clam, investigating every nook and cranny. It was as if we’d rented the room just for him. There is no describing my relief.

I’d made an appointment at a local veterinarian for a checkup long before our extended stay at the Lazy Days Service Center began. We have signed up with a Christian RV ministry, and one of the requirements for participation is having recent records for pet vaccinations and checkups. I hadn’t taken Paddy for a checkup in four years. He’s such a lunatic at the vet’s office that we avoid it like the plague. I gave him the medication provided to calm him before his visit, which helped immensely. However, when it came to trimming his claws, they said they couldn’t do it without sedating him with a shot.

Before any pet owners go off on me about putting my boy through sedation to trim his claws, you should understand that he WON’T let us cut his nails. They were so long that they were getting caught in everything, which resulted in a lot of screaming and possibly painful removal from things like screen doors.

Given the choice of taking Paddy back to the service center he hated for hours or having the doctor sedate him so he could get his claws trimmed and do a more thorough checkup, I opted for the latter. I figured the extra $90.00 expense was worth it. Our day was stressful enough already.

By now, you’re probably wondering when I will get on with the RV repair woes.

We left Paddy at the veterinarian’s office and headed back to Lazy Days to see how repairs to the slide were going. We were tickled pink when Lori informed us that our motorhome should be back in its spot by 1:00 or 1:30. Paddy was initially supposed to be picked up after 3:00, but the vet's office called and said the ornery cuss was awake an hour after we left him. They told us he’d be sleeping a lot and that we could come and get him any time.

When we hadn’t heard anything more from Lori at 1:45, I went to ask Mark how he was coming along and saw that Big Red was already sitting on our site. By the time Lori called, we were back in the motorhome, leveled and set up, and were ready to head to the vet’s office to pick up our boy. Tommy expressed his annoyance. She said that as soon as she found out our motorhome was moved, she picked up her phone to call us. Communication does seem to be an issue in the service department.

As inconvenient, expensive, and sometimes downright miserable as this experience was, it could have been much worse. I’m choosing to concentrate on the pluses. Let’s start with the bedroom slide. We don’t know how it got broken. We were upset to find out that “nothing structural” is covered by our warranty. However, the less expensive fix worked. Our repairman could have easily gone down the costly road without trying to find a way to save us money. Mark went above and beyond to finish the job as quickly as possible.

The service package that Tommy ordered was as extensive as it was expensive. Our mechanic, John, was knowledgeable and helpful. He spotted our damaged oil pan and helped us to get it fixed at about a third of what it could have cost. We know everything is looking good mechanically and have more confidence in our rig to go faraway places. Our 2017 Entegra didn’t come with a service record. We now have peace of mind. The full-service package was well worth it.

The front tire issue was resolved. Our super-slide gasket was repaired. The left front warped leveler pad was replaced. John taught us a lot about our rig and its maintenance, and I believe Tommy will be more equipped to handle problems as they arise. Everyone at Lazy Days was personable, empathetic, and helpful. The dealership did everything it could, considering its staffing and part problems.

Speaking of part issues. The four motors needed to replace the broken ones in our nightshades had to be ordered, and we don’t know when to expect them. When we return to get that handled, John will look into the intermittent problem with the camera that keeps an eye on our tow vehicle.

There’s still an issue with our black tank sensor. Have you ever talked to an RV owner who had gauges that worked on their water tanks? I haven’t. John explained a lot about macerating toilets and how they work. I should say the reasons they don’t work that well. Cleaning out the black tank when a macerating toilet is involved is a story for another day. We have learned a lot through this experience, and we hope that sharing it will help others who plan on purchasing an RV or are new to the lifestyle.

A gentleman we met at the service center made a statement that addresses the multitude of problems RV’s experience. He said, “Imagine that you have 6.0 earthquakes where you live, and your house is shaking, rattling, and rolling regularly. You are going to have lots of problems with appliances and everything else. When you drive your house around, subjecting it to the equivalent of regular earthquakes, you will have problems.”

With that said, is it worth all of the hassles? You bet it is. We no longer have a house payment or outrageous property taxes to contend with. If we don’t like the weather where we are, we can move. We see unique places and meet wonderful people regularly. We are blessed beyond belief.

If you are considering buying an RV for vacations or are pondering the full-time lifestyle and have questions, I’m here to help. Feel free to reach out through my email or messenger. We were supported by so many people along the way, and giving back makes me very happy.

If you want to read more stories on Medium by thousands of talented writers or me, become a Medium subscriber. It’s only $5.00 a month. I will receive a small commission. Thank you for reading, and God bless.

Here are the first two stories in case you missed them.