1995 Concourse- help with a RV Dr. punch list?

[SMan]

If they are not precise with the paperwork then I doubt their work would be any different. Their estimates seem fairly bloated. For that kind of money a precise and detailed estimate is exactly what should be provided.

Things that need re-bedding include the A/C unit, roof vents, refer vent, antenna, and plumbing vent. I would be shocked if it takes 5 tubes of anything to accomplish. Just my 2 cents.

Wish you the best with your repairs. I think you'd be surprised at what you can do yourself!

[Bett]

Do you have an inverter, leveling system, or slide out? Didn't think so....Maybe that's just a part of their generic form.

No, that’s definitely part of a generic form. When I asked for a full diagnostic, they offered me this ‘pre-trip inspection’ which was supposed to thoroughly check everything over and costs $600. The Service Advisor went into the Chinook for quite a while. I told him (and he looked around) the major things that weren’t working, we just needed to figure out WHY. Furnace, water pump, propane, water heater, etc. Now they’re indicated as ‘not working’ on the estimate and they list possible fees. So they haven’t done any diagnosing at all, it seems.

The layout of the estimate is difficult for me to read, and I'm not confident that I'm totally grasping it. $334 to replace a toilet seal? That job should take an hour from beginning to end, max, barring any tragic mishap. $400 to swap a water pump? That's a 20 minute job and an $80 part.

. I emailed him yesterday asking him exactly what I was seeing. I asked if I was being quoted almost $600 to repair two seals? What else is wrong with the toilet and why is it $600 to replace these on a $300 toilet? I also asked him to further explain the $1,190 estimate for the roof- what they called ‘resealing’. I haven’t had a response.

. The materials prices are enjoying a 100% mark-up, and the labor prices are severely bloated. Do they provide the labor hours per job? Do they break it out more intelligibly in another document? I'm really sorry to be negative, but I'd hate to see a fellow Chinooker get fleeced.

They do not explain or break down anything further.

I don’t feel you are being negative, and I appreciate your feedback greatly. I posted this here because I wanted your opinions on this as I wasn’t sure if I was overreacting. This place was highly recommended to me so I was really stunned by this seemingly vague and outrageously priced estimate. Maybe they don’t want the hassle of digging into unknown waters on an old rig that clearly has problems, and this is a good way to make it go away- on par with what you mention below:

Ican think of two things that might be going on here. First, when you start dismantling an old RV, you never know what you're getting into, and you might run into unpredictable situations that can get pretty nasty. So maybe their estimate is heavily padded to cover such circumstances. It would be more fair to quote you the realistic time/materials to do the job, then charge for extra hours if they run into problems.

Maybe this is what’s going on and I agree that being fair and transparent is much preferred to what they’ve given me thus far.

The second thing is that they're in San Jose, and shop rates there are some of the highest in the country. Consider getting an estimate somewhere to the east, like Modesto. I recognize the geographical inconvenience, but it might easily pay for itself. Call around and ask about shop rates and availability. Then as you said, it's basically peak season. If it took 3 weeks to get an estimate together, how long will it take to do the work? Rats.

. I agree. I know it’s higher here. I happily pay my auto mechanics $100 an hour because they work hard and fast and tell me exactly what they're going to do and why.
These guys are as clear as mud and want to charge me $179 an hour for....uhhh.... whatever.

As Blue said, the estimate was cut off. Is it possible to attach a .pdf? I'm curious to see the whole thing.

I am working on figuring out how to get that to show up here. Thanks for your patience and feedback!

[Bett]

I agree with Scott that sometimes it is like a rabbit hole when a tech is working on the RV, but it is ridiculous to charge $200 in labor for swapping the water pump. It is right under the sofa, and the fitting is easy to connect and disconnect. The two wires are clearly colored, and it is pretty straight forward job.

It maybe unfair for me to make other comments since I did not see the estimate in the entirety, but my guess someone is getting a nice Summer vacation from you.

The more I hear from those of you with experience with this, the more I feel justified in my hesitation and disappointment. I have no problem paying a fair amount for quality help, but no summer vacations will be paid for by me.

I’m grateful for taking the time to share your opinions, thank you.

[Bett]

If they are not precise with the paperwork then I doubt their work would be any different. Their estimates seem fairly bloated. For that kind of money a precise and detailed estimate is exactly what should be provided.

. That is a very good point!

Things that need re-bedding include the A/C unit, roof vents, refer vent, antenna, and plumbing vent. I would be shocked if it takes 5 tubes of anything to accomplish. Just my 2 cents.

I wondered! And as Blue asked, is it even the right sealant that they are recommending? Ugh.

Wish you the best with your repairs. I think you'd be surprised at what you can do yourself!

Thanks! I am gathering up my courage. I’m going to try and do the roof unless I get talked out of it. I sure don’t want to screw that up. And I’m detailing the interior myself.

But I guess I should cut my losses and pay the $600 for the pretty useless ‘pre-trip inspection’ and be done with it. Sigh.

Thanks again everyone

[Astrodokk]

Bett,
Get a second opinion even if it costs you another fee.
Look up an RV service or repair place out of town somewhere and give it another shot, but I would suggest not going with those guys, even if highly recommended. It seems that they may be taking advantage of someone who they see as not knowing anything about RV’s or has friends that do. You’ve got them here!

[Bett]

Bett,
Get a second opinion even if it costs you another fee.
Look up an RV service or repair place out of town somewhere and give it another shot, but I would suggest not going with those guys, even if highly recommended. It seems that they may be taking advantage of someone who they see as not knowing anything about RV’s or has friends that do. You’ve got them here!

Thank you. I do feel lucky to have found your group, where the support and technical and practical advice are top notch. Once again- I appreciate all the time each of you have spent helping me navigate this, from ideas of what could be the cause of different system issues to pointing out the ways in which the estimate and the process thus far was probably as crummy as it seemed to me.

I just reread all the responses and made some more notes from them in my little Chinook journal. You’ve shared a lot of ideas and tips that will be very valuable.

Ya’ll are a great bunch. THANK YOU!

[Bett]

Wanted to share a little story. I drive past the local
Fire Station several times a day. One of the firefighters there has a beautiful little Concourse XL that they park out front a few days a week. I get excited every time I see it. I used to imagine having my own someday; now I imagine the day that I can get mine looking pretty as the one at the Fire Station.

It’s there again today. I decided to call.

I got someone in Admin and explained that I had just bought a Chinook, and had been admiring the one at the Station for a long time and would love to talk to the owner. She told me that it belonged to the Captain there. She’s forwarding my message and will ask him to call me.

I imagine that anyone who has such a beautiful rig must have some local tips and hopefully referrals in the area. Fingers crossed!

[Bett]

Here is the PDF of the estimate. I hope it works for you guys. I can see it just fine, but I know uploads are a little glitchy. Thanks

EDITED: removed PDF

[Scott]

Thanks for the .pdf. It makes sense now. Well, the estimate makes sense, but the numbers don't. $200 to "check water leak in rear compartment" is a bit confusing. Try for another estimate. This one raises far too many questions.

Since professor Blue hasn't chimed in, I'll toss this in for levity. Lap sealant and bedding are totally different. Bedding goes under a flange (butyl putty in our case). Lap sealant goes around the perimeter of the outside of a flange. Re-bedding is advised. Lap sealant is not, although it's standard practice in RV land. Furthermore, lap sealant is severely ill advised if it's placed over existing lap sealant. It sounds like that's what they intend to do and I consider that to be very poor practice.

Rebedding isn't difficult but there are a lot of ways to do it incorrectly. Also, you'd obviously be on the roof 9 feet off the ground, it can get messy, and one needs to take time and care to ensure cleanliness and properly tightened fasteners; too loose and you might get leaks, too tight and you squeeze out too much putty and you can get more leaks. New screw holes might need to be drilled and then the old ones would need to be filled. It's not brain surgery but it takes a bit of a touch.

I feel for ya Bett. This is a bummer. And I'm inclined to agree that they might be intentionally scaring you away.

PS - I bought a brand new, lovely toilet for $120 delivered, and it came with new seals and was an straightforward installation. Their prices are insane.

[chin_k]

Bett:
I would edit out your personal info and reload the link. I don't know about you, but I like to keep things private except for a selected few.

I would go to different RV shop and get a different estimate. Sounds like it is similar to a $19.95 oil change place that lurks you in for a quick oil change, and send you out with a $2000 estimate on a $8000 car with ballooned price. I don't see a lot of reviews on Leales RV.

For the horn, maybe it is a simple as a fuse replacement? It is a standard Ford E350 for the chassis, and there is a lot of information you can look into.