What do you remove from RV prior to having it serviced?

[Suz333]

We’re dropping our rv off to have some minor upgrades, and I’m wondering what all we need to take out of it.

We’re emptying the bunkhouse (except the drawers) because we’re having a vent fan installed, but now I wonder if we need to take other stuff out?

Has anyone had stuff go missing at a dealership? Has any of your stuff been ruined by heat?

It’s easier to leave stuff in it of course, but we’ll take stuff out if that’s the common practice.

Thanks!

 

[Stratman50th]

Empty the fridge and freezer.
Any guns and ammo (you asked).
Anything of value that won't fit in the safe.
Tools
We leave clothes and toiletries and stuff like that. I wouldn't think anybody wants our personal stuff and it really isn't anything that can't be replaced. We keep a spare set of everything in the coach anyway so it isn't like we couldn't operate.
I also schedule so it doesn't have to stay too long at the shop.

 

[PaHunter]

Any high dollar items I may have in there, fridge is usually empty. Other then that it stays. Now on our last fifth wheel I had changed all the compartments to barrel locks, so I asked the shop what they would need access to and left that one open, the rest they could not get in.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Honestly, I do most if not all of the work on our trailer(s) at home and anything too big for me goes back to the factory in IN. I trust our dealer about as much as I trust a drinking fountain in Tijuana

 

[tiggerdad]

My Mickey Lamp

 

[cruising spud]

Not a thing. We get our rv's mechanical workings done at a Ford dealership about 1/2 mile from us. If they have to keep it overnight, we ask them to put it in their garage. If they can't, my husband goes over near closing time and checks that it's locked He really does, and the dealership knows it.

The garage that works on the non-mechanical rv stuff, keeps the rvs inside an fence, and I trust them completely.

 

[loves to dive]

We have only left ours once but left everything except what was in the fridge. It was during winter so didn't have to worry about heat but it was in N. Ga. so there was some snow and freezing rain. The dealer left it under cover. They had to keep it for a couple of months because they had to order a new AC unit (ours got in a fight with a live oak branch and both lost) and a new TV antenna (same fight). We totally trust our dealer.

 

[himandher818]

I took mine into dealer while it was under warranty, and I took everything out. I dropped it of with pretty much the same contents as when I bought it. Now that it is no longer under warranty I plan on doing thing myself. I wouldn't trust the maintenance dept at that dealer to check the tire pressures correctly.

We totally trust our dealer.

I am in NW Ga, and if you don't mind I would like to know the dealer you trust. I may need one.

 

[loves to dive]

I took mine into dealer while it was under warranty, and I took everything out. I dropped it of with pretty much the same contents as when I bought it. Now that it is no longer under warranty I plan on doing thing myself. I wouldn't trust the maintenance dept at that dealer to check the tire pressures correctly.


I am in NW Ga, and if you don't mind I would like to know the dealer you trust. I may need one.

Not sure how close you might be but it's Northgate RV Center in Ringgold. We ended up buying from them after lots and lots and lots of research. We are in Athens and it's a 3 hour drive up through Atlanta but worth it for us.

 

[Boopuff]

We take anything of value (including our DISH) and that includes, tools and perishables. We had our rv broken into and they took our tvs, dvds, and some blankets, vacuum, just awful experience.

 

[Suz333]

We didn’t buy from Northgate, but would have if they were closer. We looked at RVs for years before purchasing last fall (from Campers Inn in Tucker), and stopped by Northgate a few times. They were always super helpful and nice. And the sales guy (Mike, I think?) was always very nice and no pressure (we went to several rv shows over the years.)

We considered buying from them, but as novice owners we wanted something close by.

Not sure how close you might be but it's Northgate RV Center in Ringgold. We ended up buying from them after lots and lots and lots of research. We are in Athens and it's a 3 hour drive up through Atlanta but worth it for us.

 

[tiggerdad]

I forgot, I also remove the kids.

 

[PaHunter]

I forgot, I also remove the kids.

funny how they tend to not want them left in the camper.

 

[Sjm9911]

I never remove anything, but i also tend not to leave it places to be worked on. Now you make me think. I hate thinking.

 

[himandher818]

I'm less than an hour from Ringgold and go there frequently. I did look at Norhtgate when I was buying, but they didn't have anything I was looking for. Next time I need to take it in for something I'll see if the work on things they didn't sell.

 

[tiggerdad]

funny how they tend to not want them left in the camper.

I know, right?

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I'm less than an hour from Ringgold and go there frequently. I did look at Norhtgate when I was buying, but they didn't have anything I was looking for. Next time I need to take it in for something I'll see if the work on things they didn't sell.

A big part of the problem with servicing RV's is that the reimbursement and paperwork for warranty work is often not worth the effort financially. Cheap help isnt good and good help isnt cheap so the dealers only incentive is to do what they have to do in order to keep you buying from them. Its a lousy business model.

 

[tiggerdad]

A big part of the problem with servicing RV's is that the reimbursement and paperwork for warranty work is often not worth the effort financially. Cheap help isnt good and good help isnt cheap so the dealers only incentive is to do what they have to do in order to keep you buying from them. Its a lousy business model.

This is absolutely true.

 

[ruthies12]

I didn't used to remove stuff but now I do. We once took our camper into a Camping World location for work on the windshield wipers. After I got it back, I noticed some stuff from the bathroom cabinet laying on the floor of the bathroom. I thought that was odd cause I've never had that cabinet open on it's own while driving before.

After a little look around I realized a bottle of prescription medicine was missing, it was specifically a bottle with a few prescription pain pills in it that had been leftover from a medical procedure. I hadn't needed them all after the procedure to control my pain so I stuck them in our camper cause sometimes you can be far away from a place to get help and our family has had stuff like a broken toe on a camping trip and a bad toothache on another camping trip, so I thought it would be worthwhile to keep the extras just in case.

They left the bottle of prescription nausea medicine still in the cabinet so they obviously knew what they were looking for. I now remove all medicines, especially narcotics, from the camper prior to service.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We had a trailer being repaired at the manufacturer in Indiana somewhere around 2014. They broke into our trailer and stole the TV only. The cost of the damage was about 20x the value of the cheap TV. None of our personal belongings was touched.