RV and coach
RV Appliances
A unit that has failed on its own: the refrigerator that will not cool, the air conditioner that runs without cooling, the water heater that quit. Appliances in a coach are the reason a lot of trips get cut short, and they are work we do here.
What it usually turns out to be
You do not need a diagnosis to call. Describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a shop job.
The refrigerator cools on shore power but not on propane, or the other way round
That split is the most useful thing you can tell us, because an absorption fridge has two ways to make the same heat and only one of them has failed. On the gas side we look at the burner, the flue and the ignition; on the electric side the element and its control. A fridge that does neither is a different conversation and usually a worse one.
The fridge is cold at the top and warm at the bottom, or has stopped cooling since a trip over a pass
Absorption refrigerators depend on the coolant flowing by gravity, so running out of level, or a hard tilt, can stall one. Sometimes it recovers and sometimes the cooling unit is done. We check whether it can be brought back before anybody talks about replacing it, because the unit is the expensive half.
The roof air runs constantly and the coach still will not cool
First question is whether it is moving air or moving cold air, because a blocked return, a dirty coil or a failed capacitor all look identical from the couch. We check airflow, the coil, the capacitor and the thermostat. If the problem turns out to be inside the sealed refrigerant circuit, we tell you that rather than open it.
The water heater lights and then goes out again
A unit that lights and drops usually is not getting the flame confirmed back to its board, so we look at the thermocouple or the sensing electrode, the burner and the vent. A vent full of mud daubers is a genuinely common answer and a cheap one.
The furnace worked fine last season and now it does nothing
Furnaces mostly fail over the winter they sat rather than the one they ran. We check the board, the sail switch, the limit switch and the blower first. We also check whether the furnace is at fault at all, because a thermostat or ducting problem is the house systems side.
The generator starts and then shuts down after a minute or two
A generator that starts proves fuel and ignition, so a shutdown after it warms is usually the unit protecting itself: oil level, overheat, or a fuel supply that is fine at idle and not under load. We look at the exercise history too, because the single hardest thing on an RV generator is not being run.
What we do
- Refrigerator diagnosis and repair, gas and electric
- Refrigerator replacement when a unit is past repairing
- Water heater service, flame adjustment, vent and exterior cleaning
- Furnace repair and replacement
- Rooftop and basement air conditioner service
- Cooktop, range, oven and microwave repair
- Washer and dryer service in larger coaches
- Onboard generator service
Will it fit
The question owners ask first and almost nobody answers on a website.
- Service bays
- 7
- Sized for big rigs
- 4
- Sized for cars and light trucks
- 3
- Yard entrances
- 2
Two yard entrances is what makes a long rig easy to get in and back out of. Call with your length before you drive over and we will tell you whether it fits and when the bay is free.
What we do not do here
- Appliance work happens here, not at your site. Pulling a rooftop air conditioner or sliding out a refrigerator needs to be done indoors, out of the wind, with the coach level and a second set of hands nearby.
- We handle the appliance itself here. If the trouble is behind it, in the ducting, the thermostat, the plumbing or the wiring, that is house systems. Same crew, same building. It only changes which question we start with.
- We do not open sealed refrigerant circuits. If your rooftop air needs work inside the sealed system, we will say so and tell you your options.
- We do not claim to be an authorized dealer for brands that have not authorized us. If your unit is still under the manufacturer's warranty, tell us before we start. Going through the warranty may cost you less than getting it fixed fast.
- We do not quote appliance repairs over the phone. The question that matters is whether the unit is worth fixing or worth replacing, and nobody can answer that without seeing it.
Before you call, have this handy
None of it is required. It just gets you a real answer on the first call instead of the second.
The brand and model off the unit, not the coach
Look for a label inside the door, behind the lower vent, or on the cover of the roof unit. RV builders buy their appliances from other companies, so a Norcold, a Dometic, a Suburban or an Atwood can show up in almost any brand of rig. That label tells us which parts to order.
Whether it fails on gas, on electric, or on both
For a refrigerator or a water heater this is half the diagnosis before we start. If you have not tried both, it is worth trying before you call.
When it last worked, and what happened in between
A season in storage, a long climb, a night out of level, a new battery, a shop visit. Appliances tend to fail because of what happened around them rather than on their own schedule.
Whether the unit is still under a manufacturer warranty
Worth knowing before anyone touches it. If it is covered, the route matters, and we would rather point you at that than do work you did not need to pay for.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Is it worth fixing, or should I replace it?
That is usually the question that matters, and we would rather answer it honestly than sell you the bigger job. On a refrigerator it often turns on whether the cooling unit itself has gone, because that is most of the cost of a new one. We look first, then tell you what each option costs, then you decide.
Do you work on the brand I have?
Tell us the brand and model off the label when you call. We do not list brands we are authorized for, because being authorized is a formal agreement and we will not imply one we do not have. What we can tell you on the phone is whether we can get the parts and about how long they take.
Do you come to me?
We do have a service truck and we do go out. Appliance work is usually the exception, because a rooftop unit comes off from above and a refrigerator comes out through a doorway, and both go better indoors and level than in a driveway in the wind. Call and tell us which appliance it is, and we will say straight which way makes sense.
My furnace will not light. Is that an appliance or a house system?
Call and describe it. Sorting that out is our job, not yours. Rough rule: if the furnace itself has failed, it is an appliance. If it makes heat but the heat does not get where it should, or the thermostat never asks for it, that is house systems. Same crew either way, so you never get handed off.
Do you stock appliance parts?
The store carries refrigeration supplies and replacement vents along with the rest of the RV consumables, and it is open to walk-ins whether or not we are doing the work. Anything we do not have on the shelf we order.
Can you swap a unit for a different one than came out?
Often, and it depends on the opening, the power available and the venting. Bring the coach and the idea and we will tell you whether it fits before you buy anything.
How long will you need it?
We tell you the soonest realistic date when you call. On appliances, finding the problem is usually quick and getting the part is slow. If something has a long wait, keep using the coach and bring it back when the part lands.
Talk to someone who works on these
Call the shop and we will tell you the soonest realistic date rather than book you and hold your rig. Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday 8:00 - 12:00.