Roadtrek mechanic in maryland/dc

[doliner]

Hey All,
Hoping to get some leads on a mechanic who will work on a 1996 Dodge Roadtrek 190. Most refuse to work on anything this old/RV's and others are quoting outrageous diagnostic fees + $170 per hour labor rates. Curious if any of you guys have a good independent mechanic that you use. Thanks for your help!!

[michaelingp]

I assume you're talking about the RV portions, not the truck itself?

If you're talking about the RV portion, I don't think you're going to find a much lower labor rate. We live in Maryland but we sold our Roadtrek many years ago. In the 2014-2015 time frame we were paying about $110/hour, so given the shortage of RV mechanics and inflation, $170/hour doesn't seem all that unreasonable to me 7-8 years later. Back in 2014, the big problem was not the cost, but having to wait weeks and weeks for an appointment. As long as they did a competent and honest job, we were happy to pay the labor rate at that time.

[mkguitar]

...and if it's the Dodge part


almost any shop can work on it


just let them know how high you are and how much it weighs


you'll do better with a shop where someone has gray hair, they'd probably have experience with diagnosis without depending on the on board computer to do it for them


mike

[Ron J. Moore]

Beaver RV, Beaver Falls, PA has a good reputation…and they are a RT Dealer.

[michaelingp]

Beaver Motors RV in Beaver Springs, maybe?

[otr]

I have a 2000 RT 190V, my general auto mechanic (the guy who keeps my Honda and Toyota running) has done everything auto for me, he has a lift which will support 10,000 pounds so he can get underneath.

John is not a Dodge fan, he always grumbles about the electrical system on the van, but he has troubleshot many issues and the repair cost has been fair.

When I bought van, the OD button did not cause the OD to engage, he sent me to a AAMCO shop which solved the problem, a new ECU, I was lucky as most transmission shops would have pushed a rebuild on me.

I am fortunate to be handy, so my RV type work is all done in my driveway.
You tube has been a big help!

[StephenP]

I have experience with one - not likely I will go back so not sharing.

There are two more with some positive comments but I have no experience

One up in Gambrils - RT 3 north of Bowie but south of 97.
One over in Annapolis area (Annapolis RV) as I recall.

There is supposed to be another in the Frederick/Hagerstown area but I don't know where it is...

I would not expect either to be cheap but you can check out reviews.

For the car side check with your local Dodge or Chevy dealer. They should do the car work as long as the RV House side is not in the way.

StephenP

[shelw]

I have used this shop several times and have been very happy with everything he's done. In Gettysburg, but worth the drive depending upon where in Maryland you're located.

https://goo.gl/maps/AJCMvarMbsiob1dr7

[JOE-N-DOT]

Hi, Joe-n-Dot here. I have made some comments (in red) on StephenP's post.
Also, if you are looking for general mechanical work, I have been using Newberg Service Center, on US301 in Charles County, near the Potomac River Bridge (Harry Nice Bridge) for both my Roadtrek, 2000 Versatile 200 on a Chevy Chassis, and my Class C Itasca on a Ford E350 chassis. I have no connection with Newberg Service Center. I have been satisfied with their work and costs since 2015.

Originally Posted by StephenP

I have experience with one - not likely I will go back so not sharing.

There are two more with some positive comments but I have no experience

One up in Gambrils - RT 3 north of Bowie but south of 97. There are two near here.One is Leos: I've had good service there, but have heard mixed reviews from other people. The other one is in the middle of the road, between Northbound and southbound US301/MD3. Heard nothing but bad things from them, and their other location in Frederick.
One over in Annapolis area (Annapolis RV) as I recall. Annapolis RV has moved to the eastern Shore, right off US Rt 50.

There is supposed to be another in the Frederick/Hagerstown area but I don't know where it is... There is Beckley's on US15 North of Frederick, closer to Thurmont, I think. I have no information about them, other than that I stopped in for parts and they had a fairly extensive parts dept.

I would not expect either to be cheap but you can check out reviews.

For the car side check with your local Dodge or Chevy dealer. They should do the car work as long as the RV House side is not in the way.

StephenP

[michaelingp]

Originally Posted by StephenP

One up in Gambrils - RT 3 north of Bowie but south of 97.

That would be Leo's I think. We used them about 8 years ago. They seemed competent and reasonably priced (was about $110/hr then), but it took many weeks to get an appointment. Since the problem was a propane leak, we didn't have use of the van in the time we were waiting.

[StephenP]

Joe-n-Dot - thanks for the info on the two spots. I have pretty much decided I need to turn myself into a House side mechanic and look for a regular car shop for the Dodge side.