Before You Call the RV Repair Technician: Five Things to Check When Your RV Stops Working
About
Something in your RV stopped working. What should you check before requesting service?
An unresponsive air conditioner, a refrigerator that is not cooling, or a water pump that runs without producing normal flow can interrupt a trip and leave you wondering what failed. Before assuming that an expensive component needs replacement, it helps to organize what you know.
In Before You Call the RV Repair Technician: Five Things to Check When Your RV Stops Working, RV inspector and instructor Bill Riggs presents a practical framework for basic owner observations:
• Available power: Identify the power sources in use and which equipment works or remains unavailable.
• Controls and settings: Understand selected modes, zones, displays, and equipment-specific instructions.
• Supplies and operating conditions: Consider water, fuel, storage preparation, clearances, and other requirements.
• Recent changes: Build a timeline around travel, campsite moves, maintenance, replacements, and modifications.
• Symptoms and service decisions: Describe the concern clearly, recognize when to stop, and prepare an effective service request.
Written in plain language, this guide helps you distinguish an observed symptom from an unverified diagnosis. It emphasizes appropriate owner checks, applicable manufacturer instructions, and clear limits on further action.
Four practical appendices include a five-check troubleshooting worksheet, a service-request preparation checklist, sample service requests, and guidance for building an RV equipment reference file.
This book is for owners of motorhomes, fifth wheels, and travel trailers who want a more organized response when equipment behaves unexpectedly. Some concerns may be resolved through an appropriate setting or preparation step. Others require professional evaluation. In either case, accurate observations help you make the next decision.
Know what to check, what to record, and when to call.
Published by the Professional Association of RV Inspectors.