OrionsLair Report post Posted July 6, 2011 We are looking to find a new repair shop for our Monaco Motorhome. Does anyone know of a shop that allows you to stay in the MH while it is being worked on? Monaco in Oregon used to, before NavStar took over but they eliminated that.. We are full timers with a cat so being out of the rig while it is worked on is a major pain. If not an open shop, then one good on customer service with convenient campground location. We are looking for both interior and exterior repair. We have damage to storage compartment doors to get repaired and our cabinets are pulling away from the slide box and need reattaching. We would prefer West or Central USA but since we can travel wherever we want, we would go most anywhere for a really good shop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted July 7, 2011 We have had good experiences with Paul Evert's RV Country. This web site was very slow loading for me this evening but eventually came up. They have locations in Fresno, CA, Bullhead City, NV and Coberg, OR. We've been to their Fresno facility. I don't know about overnight stays but as full timers, there have been only a couple of times when repair shops haven't allowed us to stay in the coach overnight. We've stayed overnight at all kinds of repair facilities, Cummins, RV Dealers, Camping World, Body Shops, etc. The only instances I can think of were two different times when we were having paint work done and it would be in the paint booth overnight. I didn't want to stay then anyway! We had compartment doors repaired and painted in Eugene, OR at Central Auto Body and Paint, 541-686-9115, and they pulled us out every evening so we could stay in the rig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OrionsLair Report post Posted July 7, 2011 Thanks for the recommendations. What I meant about the open shop was staying in the rig during the day while they are working on it. At Monaco we could stay in the back of the motorhome with the cat to keep him out of their way rather than stuffed into the car with the cat in the parking lot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted July 7, 2011 Regarding staying in the motor home while the actual work is going on, that is more uncertain. The only way I know to be able to do that is to ask the management. Some work like painting almost certainly won't allow you to be in the coach while the painting is going on. We've been in the coach while doing tire work, engine work in and outside the shop, internal work such as your cabinets, etc. We've had other shops that have a strict no one in the motor home while it is in the shop. Call and talk to the shop foreman before you commit to bringing the motor home into a shop for repair. That should let you know if they will accommodate your needs or not. I think part of their answer is dependent on how you approach them with the request and the nature of your reason for wanting to stay. In other words, I believe that in many cases the same shop would give a yes to one person and no to another. Calling before you are at the shop gives them some incentive to say yes. If you are at the shop they may be more inclined to say no since you are already partially committed to having the work done there. One of our favorite repair shops is Iron Horse RV in San Antonio, Texas. This is an independent shop, not a dealer. They can take care of your body work and painting as well as the cabinet work. They have covered outdoor work areas that are adjacent to the shop. They have always allowed us to be in the coach while being worked on with the painting exception. I didn't think of them since you had a preference for the west coast. We were there two months ago and had our Norcold 1200 refrigerator replaced with a household model. They did an excellent job of modifying the cabinet and even allowed me to assist with some of the work. We were in the coach for the whole process. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bummy48 Report post Posted August 1, 2012 "R" Mechanic in Livermore,Ca.(about 40 miles east of San Francisco) is one of the best "FULL SERVICE" shops. I have used them many times for servicing and repairs when i lived in the Bay Area. They do house, body/paint and chassis repairs. Phone # 925 294-9645 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bizsmith@yahoo.com Report post Posted August 2, 2012 Alliance coach in Wildwood, FL has a "campground" with water and electric (50 amp) hookup. They come and get your coach in the AM and drive it into the shop. You stay in the lounge during the day (which is comfortable and pets are welcome). Their shop is fairly open and you can walk about and could have lunch in your coach if you want. I was in and out of my coach almost at will as long as you keep out of the way. They return your coach to your site in the afternoon. They have full service, engine, body, interior, woodworking. The service has been good but you can't rush them, many people consider them slow and you need to keep tabs with your service manager. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
