The RV Industry Association (RVIA) is easily the premier association to represent RV manufacturers in the United States. According to their website, they represent manufacturers and component and aftermarket suppliers - who together “produce 98 percent of all RVs made in the United States, and approximately 60 percent of RVs produced worldwide." They work with lawmakers to ensure a favorable RV business environment, maintain standards of safety on plumbing, heating, fire and life safety, etc in RVs, and conduct research, data, and analysis about the RV industry.
In their research, they found a striking piece of data. "The RVIA found out the average repair time on an RV is 21 days," says RV Technical Institute Representative Sharonne Lee, "And that's just unacceptable."
Think about it. You live in the north and you are getting your RV ready in late spring for a summer of fun. You realize something is wrong with some component of your RV and, by the time you get it into a shop, according to those numbers, the summer is half over and you missed out on so much camping just waiting for your rig to be ready.
So the RVIA decided to do something about it. According to the website, "The RV Industry Association and the RV Dealers Association contributed a combined $10 million dollars to create the curriculum, credentialing and career path for RV service technicians, along with an institute to deliver the new and improved curriculum. It is the only industry-wide supported path to certification."
According to RVIA research, with proper technical training and parts availability, that number of 21 days goes down to an average of 4 days, reported Lee. "Since only about 20 percent of technicians currently participate in training certifications, creating a standardized curriculum, creating a career path to move up the ladder and recruiting and growing the pool of technicians became the goal."
The RV Technical Institute is brand new. It was formed in 2018, and the 18,000 square foot facility in Elkhart was acquired in 2019 while 2020 marks the first year of operation. The facility has seven classrooms and a shop/bay space to accommodate 2-3 RVs for hands-on training.
Class is in session. [Photo/RV Technical Institute]
The curriculum is being rolled out gradually. There are four levels of proficiency, which are described below:
LEVEL 1 Technician: A pre-delivery inspector (PDI) technician- possesses a proven skill set to prepare an RV for customer delivery by verifying the operation of all components. To achieve this level, you must successfully pass Level 1 written and skill-based (practical) exams.
LEVEL 2 Technician: A technician that has theoretical knowledge of all the systems and components within an RV and a proven skill set to be able to perform basic diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repairs on those systems and components. To achieve this level, you must successfully pass Level 1 and 2 written and skill-based (practical) exams.
LEVEL 3 Tech Specialists: A technician that has completed the supplier trainings on speciï¬c types of components and increased their skill set to be able to perform advanced diagnostics, troubleshooting, and repairs on those systems and components. To achieve this level, you must successfully pass Level 1 and 2 written and skill-based (practical) exams as well as attend and pass 24-hours of approved hands-on vendor training covering the minimum topics listed for each specialty within five years.
LEVEL 4 Master Tech: The Master Technician has completed all five designated specialties through vendor trainings and is proï¬cient in troubleshooting and repair of all the major systems and components within an RV.
"At this point, we have classes in Level 1 proficiency and we are piloting Level 2," Lee tells The Buzz.
Curt Hemmeler is the Executive Director for the RV Technical Institute. "There is a huge gap in skill/trade jobs in the country right now and the RV Industry is no different," Hemmeler explains, "We are exploring the idea of bringing the Level 1 training to high schools and helping high schoolers have Level 1 training complete and a job ready for them right out of school."
A technician utilizes a completely different set of skills than a mechanic. "A mechanic generally works in the auto industry and concentrates on engines," Lee explains. "Whereas an RV technician is almost like someone who works in construction. They work with electrical, plumbing, building and more."
Eagle Rock RV Center is a well-reviewed service center in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They have one person on staff who is a Certified Technician, though they all participate in the training when the owner sets them up. “They are really helpful,” said Service Technician Larry. “They do things like put 20 different water heaters on the table with different problems and you have to go around and figure out what is wrong with each of them. It cuts down our diagnosis time tremendously.” Like many service centers, Eagle Rock has mechanics and technicians, with everyone doing different work. “I concentrate on radiators and engine work,” says Larry, “But we have other guys who just do finish trim and things like that. You do what you’re good at.”
Larry says that the problem isn’t usually the diagnosis of an issue, it is the waiting time for parts. “They make so many different types of refrigerators and water heaters and other appliances that are all just a little bit different. It is impossible to keep all the little parts in stock.”
For Eagle Rock, they honor warranties from select manufacturers and do it at the same pace as other repairs. “Warranties are generally about the same as other work - the only difference is the warranty only pays for a certain amount of labor time,” reports Larry. “It is generally pretty close to how long it takes, though.”
Before the RV Technical Institute, there was the RVDA/RV Industry Association Technician Certification Program, which had two levels - Registered Technicians and Certified Technicians. Technicians with valid certificates were grandfathered into the new certification program. Hemmeler explains that many of these technicians will be useful as instructors in this new program. "We hope that when the experienced technicians are looking to retire, they'll consider getting into instructing," he says.
The Technical Institute is setup on a hub and spoke model. The ‘hub’ is in Elkhart, the RV capital of the world, where manufacturers and component suppliers can give their input into the curriculum as many are right in the area and serve on the Board of Directors; and the ‘spokes’ are all the programs that will be available throughout the United States.
The training is not just for young people getting into the trade or already certified technicians, but it can be a great job for a full-timer who is looking for work on the road. "Absolutely people can take the course and utilize their training on the road as a mobile technician," says Lee. Begin by simply completing a written exam, as well as a hands-on test to show mastery of the skills that are discussed in the certification curriculum in a Level 1 course.
To find a class near you - check them out here.
And, if you aren’t interested in classes, knowing that the RV Industry is putting major steps in place to make sure you are on the road as much as possible and out of the shop is certainly reassuring!