Shop rates?

soilmovers

Well-known member
Maybe it's been awhile since we've had work done in an RV shop but $109 hourly rate? Considering what we pay for automotive repair rates ($75 average) and airplane repairs ($80 hr average)

What gives??
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I know $100 a hour means we are all in the wrong business. I guess an RV tech has to be part plumber, part electrician, part bodyman, part auto mechanic, part carpenter, part TV and electronic repairman, part appliance repairman. So if you add up all of their hourly wages you might come close to $100 an hour.
 

Willym

Well-known member
You know the saying about "Jack of all trades"...

I know $100 a hour means we are all in the wrong business. I guess an RV tech has to be part plumber, part electrician, part bodyman, part auto mechanic, part carpenter, part TV and electronic repairman, part appliance repairman. So if you add up all of their hourly wages you might come close to $100 an hour.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
The repair shop at the RV Dealers we bought our trailer from charges $125.00 an hour.
 

slmayor

Founding California Northern Chapter Leader
Market sets the rates. We're at $98 unless it's insurance or warranty work @ $110. (lots of extra paperwork and phone wrangling) Guys next door are $110 and the Reno store is $115 as is most of the other shops there. In CA, most of the money goes for Worker's Comp insurance. Just this year, one out for 3 months with a back injury from lifting an AC, and another now out from going backwards off a ladder while being chased by bees that were living in an AC. The job is subject to a lot of opportunities for injury. Other peoples poo and the accompanying litany of diseases it carries, electrocution from the owner that wired his convertor backwards, burns from the exploding gas valve under the refrigerator that the owner didn't tell you they tampered with, and many more fun things like the bees. I have a whole new respect after working in a service center. I work inside for the most part and still had an incident when someone returned a sewer hose that they swore they hadn't used. While putting it back in the package and undoing the ends which were fastened together, guess what poured out? Hep B anyone?

Jim G is right about techs being masters of all trades. On Friday, we had an elderly couple traveling through that had issues. We dropped what we were doing to get them on their way. Our tech did troubleshooting on the cars fuses, changed a burned out tail light bulb, fixed a blown fuse on the coach, extended the wire for their tow plug that had been stolen, diagnosed and fixed the refrigerator that was throwing error codes, and I installed a step cover for them. They paid for parts and $98 or one hours labor. I think that was pretty fair.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
Workmen's comp, health insurance, hazardous waste disposal, electricity, water and sewer, property tax, rent/building payment, uniforms, business insurance, accounting fees, wages, specialty tools, Social Security, Income tax, shop supplies, interest on loans, inventory investment, advertising, training....there's lots more. Our shop charges for Automotive work have been well over $100.00 an hour for years...Think they charge too much? Open up your own shop and see if you can make at $49.95 an hour...Don
 

rebootsemi

Well-known member
Welcome to the real world, shop rate is $150 / hr if you watch and $200 / hr if you want to help, that's to cover the insurance costs for you in my shop.
 

porthole

Retired
$109 seems a little absurd for RV work.

I've had work done at MOR/ryde in Elkhart twice now. Don't remember exactly what the labor rate was but I seem to recall it to be around $65.
And for that you get top quality work from craftsman out in the shop, a clean and friendly atmosphere in the waiting room and pleasant workers throughout the building.

I have dealt with service departments for many years, including being a new car tech for over 18 years. MOR/ryde is a cut above them all.
 

soilmovers

Well-known member
Workmen's comp, health insurance, hazardous waste disposal, electricity, water and sewer, property tax, rent/building payment, uniforms, business insurance, accounting fees, wages, specialty tools, Social Security, Income tax, shop supplies, interest on loans, inventory investment, advertising, training....there's lots more. Our shop charges for Automotive work have been well over $100.00 an hour for years...Think they charge too much? Open up your own shop and see if you can make at $49.95 an hour...Don

Believe me, I understand overhead. We are self-employed and have employees.

I guess I was comparing other business shop rates to an RV shop. We never mind paying for a good job. Problem is, finding a reliable shop.
The last time our plane was in for an annual inspection, the technician left a screw driver in the engine. You can't pull over to see what's wrong when you're 10,000 ft in the air.
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
I just left the Dodge dealer and noticed his labor rates are $74.00/hr. for cars and vans, $90/hr. for medium and heavy duty trucks and motorhomes and $54/hr. for diagnostic time.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but my Dad was a Ford dealer when I was in high school. I don't remember the shop hourly labor rate, but it was split 50/50 with the mechanic.
 

hogan

Past Mississippi Chapter Leader (Founding)
and the sad thing is many times these "Techs" are newbies being trained on the job.
 

GOTTOYS

Well-known member
Believe me, I understand overhead. We are self-employed and have employees.

I guess I was comparing other business shop rates to an RV shop. We never mind paying for a good job. Problem is, finding a reliable shop.
The last time our plane was in for an annual inspection, the technician left a screw driver in the engine. You can't pull over to see what's wrong when you're 10,000 ft in the air.
Totally agree. Just bailed my kids car out of a shop he went to on the recommendation of a friend because it was close to his house. Paid $9.45 a quart for transmission fluid, among other things...I paid the bill for him, but probably won't be able to sit down for a week or so...Don
 

TeJay

Well-known member
The idea behind hourly flat rate is to allow for the differences in economics around the country. I live in NW Arkansas. Down along I-40 from Fort Smith to Little Rock gas is about 10 cents cheaper than our area. I have asked why many times and the answer I get is, "Well NWA is a a more affluent area and you can afford it. Labor rates are kind of the same. They charge depending on the affluence of the area and what they can get away with. The flat rate is also set by the industry. If the book says that you charge 2-hours to complete repairs that's what you charge. It may take you 3-4 hours to complete but you can only charge 2. If you finish it in 30 minutes you charge 2 but if it comes back you fix it for free. So there is some sort of a checks and balance system although it's not a perfect system. Of course they also make $$$ on the parts as well.
One can usually tell if they are going to have a good repair experience. This is what I look for: Is the shop reasonably clean? Will they allow you to go into the shop area? If they won't they may be hiding something. Also don't give me that, "We can let you back there because of our insurance." That's a bunch of Democratic lawyer crap. Will they listen to your suggestions or comments concerning the repairs?? Can you talk to the actual repair tech?? Ask for names of individuals who have had work done there. Word of mouth is the make or break aspect of any kind of repair facility.
The techs make decent money but a good deal of that $$$ goes to the dealer.

TeJay
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Heartland did a recall on my North Trail. They arranged to have it done here by a local shop, provided the parts, and allocated a half hour labor for the job. Heartland had right in the letter that the half hour rate was sixty dollars and that is what the local guy billed them. Ironically, the local rate is 95/hour, but it took them almost an hour to do the fix. Mine was the first one they did so there was a learning curve.
 
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