RV Tech Talk

Today, we will talk with a man who jump-started a new career as a mobile RV technician, and enjoyed a very profitable first year in a business of his own.

Chris Travaglino was one of the first people to complete all five weeks of technician training at the National RV Training Academy’s new Big Red Schoolhouse in 2018.

Prior to that, Chris and his wife, Kimberly, and their four children, headed the Fulltime Families group for nearly 10 years to provide support to families of school-age children who live and work full-time in RVs.

A few years ago, they sold that business and decided to move to Florida to be with family and pursue some new opportunities in ministry. Chris, had always been handy and was often the go-to person at Fulltime Families events to help fix problems with RVs.

He saw an opportunity to become a mobile service technician when he researched the market in south Florida and realized how few options were available to RV owners to get their rigs fixed without having to pack everything up, drive it to a dealership and wait weeks just to get an appointment.

Chris describes what the training was like and how it gave him the confidence to start Travel Tech RV. He explains how it is possible for an independent technician to find the support needed to tackle any purple monkeys that might pose a particular challenge for someone making repairs on his own.

Chris explains how he promoted his new business, and how that generated a stream of customers that now sustains the business through word of mouth promotion.

He describes what it took to set up a business and a repair truck, and how he and his wife share the workload of managing the operation.

I have a great deal of respect for Chris Travaglino and his entire family. They are honest, passionate, helpful people, and doors just seem to open for them to find new customers and build this new business opportunity.

It took just five weeks of training to prepare him to become a mobile service technician and launch a business of his own.

With the average RV dealership scheduling repair appointments four weeks out, there is a tremendous opportunity for mobile repair technicians to make an above-average living just by just serving a few customers every day.

When customers get great service from an honest, dependable technician, then word of mouth keeps people like Chris very busy. Plus, Chris knows that he could make three times as much money working for himself as he could working for someone else.

For more information about Chris and his business, Travel Tech RV, visit www.traveltechrv.com.

The National RV Training Academy can not only provide the instruction people need to feel comfortable fixing RVs, but the academy can provide insurance, certification and business training to help people start professional companies.

The academy’s one-week live training or home study course will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or to provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

Paul Witherspoon is a veteran who went to Florida to visit his wife’s parents who were workamping at an RV park. While there, he saw the potential to make a great living as a mobile RV technician.

A chance encounter with an RV dealer looking to start a mobile RV service business in 1995 opened the door for him to get a job right out of the military. He didn’t have any formal training other than a few vendor classes along the way.

Most of Paul’s training was self-taught as he took apart components to see what was wrong with them, and then reassembled the units after making a repair.

When his son wanted to become an RV technician as well, they both attended the National RV Training Academy. In the process, both Paul and his son became certified RV technicians.

He started his own mobile service business in the Florida Keys, which was essentially an untapped market for mobile repairs. Since then, he has moved his business to Texas.

Paul also explains how he liked the business training he got from NRVTA and how it has helped him become more profitable.

Although Paul taught himself how to do many of the RV repairs many years ago, he has since come to realize how much more beneficial it is to get formal training on current components.

He really stressed the need to run an ethical operation. That’s an unfortunate side effect of the current market for RV repair. Demand for service outweighs the supply of technicians. As a result, some questionable characters slip into the market and provide substandard repair.

Yes, it works to Paul’s benefit because he and his son can go in and clean up the mess other technicians created. But, it also gives the RV industry a very bad name.

Paul realized that his name was very important, and he has worked hard to protect it. As a result, it has paid off very well with a successful business that is big enough that he can employ his son.

He also champions the need to become a well-rounded technician, not just someone who focuses on one or two components.

That’s an even bigger moneymaker because he can complete a variety of repairs – and offer better service – by fixing many things at the same time.

I also liked his advice to open a separate savings account and squirrel away a percentage of every job’s income into that account to cover taxes and ensure money is available to constantly reorder parts.

He’s got a great business, and a lot of it has to do with education he received from the National RV Training Academy in Athens, Texas.

The academy’s one-week live training or home study course will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or to provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

For more information about Paul Witherspoon’s company, Mobile Family RV Center, visit www.mobilefamilyrvcenter.com.

Logan Beavers became an RV technician earlier this year after deciding that fixing RVs would help fund his ministry.

The pastor from Kingsport, Tenn., grew up using RVs. One day, while looking out his window, he realized that nearly every one of his neighbors had a recreation vehicle, and they would all eventually need to be serviced.

So, he completed courses at the National RV Training Academy while he seeks work at a smaller church that can’t afford to hire a full-time pastor.

A father of two daughters, he considered fixing RVs as a way to support his family while pursuing his passion. He googled RV training courses and was connected to the NRVTA in Athens, Texas.

He purchased the home study course first and, decided to attend classes in person to take advantage of the hands-on training. It helped that he got a $300 credit for buying the home study course, and that he could apply that credit to the academy’s live class.

The in-person training also prepared him to take the test to become a registered RV technician.

Logan describes the benefit of being able to work on components from a variety of different brands, which he expects will better equip him to diagnose and repair those items in the field.

He also explains why the training would be appropriate for people who may not have experience in fixing things or even tinkering with equipment before starting the course.

He took the home-study course first and found it helpful in fixing his own RV, but it also opened his eyes to the possibility of making RV repair a career or even a part-time job.

It is one of the best educational values out there. For $7,500 in tuition, $1,500 for tools and $2,000 for lodging expenses, people move from being novices to certified RV technicians in just five to six weeks.

From there, they can get a job working at an RV dealership making upwards of $30,000 in the first year, to hauling in more than $100,000 in a business of their own working as a mobile RV technician.

Logan was very appreciative of the community of students and faculty who stood by him during the training. I loved what he said that when he left the academy, he did not feel like they just took his money and left him trying to figure out what to do next. The staff helped him every step along his journey.

The National RV Training Academy’s one-week live training or home study course will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or to provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

Today’s podcast features interviews with some pretty incredible youngsters who are growing up RVing with their families. One of them now lives in an RV park managed by her parents.

I bumped into 15-year-old Raylea Willey at the 2019 Workamper Rendezvous in October, and I met 10-year-old Maddie Karnes while visiting the National RV Training Academy the week before Rendezvous.

Raylea lives at the Texan RV Park in Athens, Texas. Her mother, Stephanie, is the administrator of the academy, and her stepfather, Todd, is one of the instructors and manages the campground.

She has been homeschooled or roadschooled for several years, and describes what that experience has been like for her, and how Raylea has benefited from that transition.

Her schedule changed from sitting in a classroom from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with four minutes between classes and 45 minutes for lunch to spending just two to three hours a day in typical education activities. Through the change, she actually excelled in her studies.

Raylea helped form a group for local teens who are also homeschooled, so she and others can enjoy some of the positive aspects of socialization that come from hanging out with other students her age.

Because her parents work at the RV park, she encounters other kids who are being roadschooled as they travel with their parents, so Raylea offers some advice for them.

She also offers some advice to parents on how to make the RVing experience more relevant, interesting and impactful for kids, especially teens and tweens. She provides insight to what youngsters her age are thinking and feeling about living in an RV, and what parents can do to ease the transition from a traditional home experience to a more nomadic lifestyle.

Students her age often seem forced into a type of conformity that is necessary for a large-scale educational environment. But, Raylea’s experience seems to have opened doors for her to discover more about herself and the world she lives in.

More importantly, she’s creating opportunities to help other kids and teens who RV full-time to connect with each other and share their experiences.

Our second guest is 10-year-old Madison Karnes, or Maddie as she prefers. Her experience is a bit different from Raylea’s because Maddie is just starting out in the full-time RV lifestyle.

She also just started roadschooling, but is already seeing how it benefits her in comparison to other friends who still attend a typical school.

National RV Training Academy Director Terry Cooper joins us in this segment and engages Maddie in talking about things she does at the campground, especially her entrepreneurial effort to operate lemonade stands to serve people going through tech training and staying at the Texan RV Park.

Maddie describes what she likes most about living in an RV, and she talks about some of the hobbies she pursues on the road. She even shares some of her career aspirations.

Raylea Willey and Maddie Karnes are pretty typical of other youngsters their age who I have encountered over the years, not only as a journalist covering the RV lifestyle, but as a full-time RVer.

They are super confident, super polite and exceptionally conversational, and even more so when some guy hasn’t thrust a microphone in front of them. Roadschooled students just seem to develop the ability to speak comfortably with people of all ages.

Raylea’s advice to give kids time to discover the advantages to roadschooling and the RV lifestyle on their own makes sense to me. Children who have been RVing for a while find they absolutely love not only the lifestyle, but the ability to learn on their own.

Parents may need to tug them into the RV, especially if the students are older. But, if they are given space to grow into the new lifestyle, they’ll adopt and wonder how in the world they ever wanted to cling to that other life.

Ron Denny is a mobile RV service technician who runs a business near Sacramento, Calif. What makes his business unique is that he has opted to specialize and focus exclusively on repairing RV appliances.

If it requires electricity to operate it, then Ron knows how to fix it. That includes water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, and refrigerators. He also works on electrical and hydraulic levelers and slideout systems.

This allows him to really zero in on a problem to quickly diagnose and repair the unit. But even by focusing on a smaller segment of RV repairs, Ron is still exceptionally busy.

It’s quite a change from his first career, where he spent 30 years working for the fire service. About 25 years ago, he bought an RV for his family to use, and learned to maintain it himself. He also discovered he was often asked to fix problems with his friends’ RVs.

As he was counting down the days to his fire department retirement, Ron saw starting an RV repair business as a way to give him something to do for a few hours a day, a few days a week. But, his business grew quickly into a second career.

He attended training first through the Mobile RV Academy, and then took advance courses at the National RV Training Academy.

People like Ron Denny just prove that RV repair is a lucrative business for people who really know how to diagnose and repair things, but also understand how to provide quality customer service.

He built his business the right way. He had a full-time job with the fire department, and started doing RV repair on the side. By the time he was ready to retire from the full-time job, he had the training and foundation laid to walk right into another career that pays very well.

By specializing on RV appliances, Ron has developed the keen ability to quickly diagnose and fix problems. He is so good that RV dealers often call him to come in and tackle some projects for them as an independent contractor.

Ron became so skilled at doing those repairs that he is currently helping to write curriculum for the RV Industry Association that will help train others to diagnose and fix those components.

He said one of the biggest perks of his job is to see the smiles of relief he gets when he can resolve a problem so people can continue their adventures. He often goes above and beyond, even driving hours to get to a desperate customer, but the ability to fix a problem is almost a mission for him.

For more information about Ron Denny and his company, visit www.dennysmobilervservices.com.

The National RV Training Academy can help you start a business just like Ron’s where you can make a very good living by working as an RV inspector, campground technician or by providing mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

The demand for RV inspectors is growing all the time as consumers realize that it’s a wise decision to have an experienced inspector look over an RV before buying it.

Today we will talk with Karen and Keith Cupp, a couple from Altoona, Iowa, who completed training to become certified RV inspectors with the National RV Inspectors Association.

Keith had always dreamed of being self-employed. When his job suddenly changed, it opened the door for him to pursue that dream.

On Facebook, he learned about opportunities to be an RV inspector. Then he talked with someone who was already performing inspections.

A short time later, both Keith and Karen were heading to Texas to get their training. Since Karen went with him, she opted to take the training, too. So now they adopt a team approach to inspecting RVs.

They describe the training program and what they learned, and how they went about setting up a business to do inspections anywhere they happen to travel. They also explain the inspection process and all the work it entails to complete a thorough analysis of the RV.

They describe some surprises they uncovered during inspections, and explain how fluid analysis works to help evaluate the condition of a motorhome.

After completing about 450 inspections, Keith is seizing upon another opportunity. He returned for advance training to become a registered RV technician. He explains his motivation for doing that and how it will benefit his new career.

Just like they did with the inspector training, Karen joined him to complete advanced training as well. Today, she’s also a registered RV technician, and she’ll tell her story.

The Cupps were able to offset some of the cost to take the training by workamping at the RV park adjacent to the Big Red Schoolhouse in Athens, Texas.

The Cupps’ story just proves that when you have a will to make a change in your life, doors will open and opportunities will present themselves.

It is possible to make very good money as an RV inspector or as a trained RV technician. All it takes is few weeks of training – not a few years.

The National RV Training Academy’s one-week live training or home study course will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

Dick and Melissa Karnes owned a business doing property maintenance for several years, but they wanted to travel with their 10-year-old daughter, Madison.

They were looking for something they could do on the road from anywhere they might be. Because Dick is a handyman, a friend recommended that he go through training to become a mobile RV technician.

They took the first week of training and found work as RV inspectors. But then they returned to complete the advanced training courses to become certified technicians.

In fact, the Karnes became the first husband and wife couple to complete courses together at the National RV Training Academy, and Melissa became the first woman to pass the certification test at the academy.

They describe some of the things they learned in class, especially in the area of propane and electricity. It helped them diagnose and prevent a potentially dangerous hot skin problem that severely shocked their daughter.

Melissa explains why women should look at the training as well, not just as an income opportunity, but to help them maintain their own RVs while traveling.

Just having the basic training helps them maintain their own RVs but, more importantly, ensures that they won’t be taken advantage of when seeking repairs on the road.

Melissa continues to work as a mortgage underwriter and explains how she manages that career from the RV, too.

The Karnes have found a way to market their repair services to alert people that they are in the local area.

They also describe the importance of continuing their education to stay abreast of rapidly changing products on the market that are either being installed at the factory, or by consumers who are purchasing them on their own.

In addition to fixing RVs, Dick and Melissa have also developed a team approach to RV inspections.

The National RV Training Academy’s one-week live training or home study course that will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

In previous episodes we have talked to either Stephanie Henson, the administrator of the Big Red Schoolhouse, or Todd Henson, an instructor with the National RV Training Academy. Today, we’ll speak with them both.

They’ll talk about their YouTube channel – Two Beards and a Babe – and a project they’ve been working on together. They purchased an older Airstream and documented progress made on their renovation project, which enabled Todd to do some technical-related videos.

They began reviewing equipment that RVers use, but also explain why they need the equipment. Many reviews just describe the good and bad aspects of a product, but never really explain why RVers would benefit from using that item.

The Hensons describe the tools they use while going through a step-by-step process to rebuild the Airstream. They show how to test products before they are installed and explain why they selected those items in the first place.

They also describe their involvement in the Road Life Project, which was unveiled this summer. It’s more like a club established by some well-recognized RVers who produce top-quality content. The partners share tips and ideas for new RVers as well as people exploring the lifestyle.

One of the key benefits of being involved in the Road Life Project is the ability to get health insurance while people are traveling. The Hensons describe the new group healthcare plan, how it works and how it benefits full-time RVers and business owners who may have difficulty getting coverage out of their home networks.

They explain how RVers can get medical advice over the phone and even prescriptions without incurring the cost of an office visit.

The Road Life Project also introduced a digital pen pal program to connect kids who live in RVs with other kids who are also traveling.

Finally, they explain how people can make money working full- or part-time as RV technicians or RV inspectors, and what it would take to jump into those opportunities.

For more information, be sure to visit www.roadlifeproject.com or check out Todd and Stephanie’s YouTube channel: Two Beards and a Babe.

The National RV Training Academy’s one-week live training or home study course that will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

Today, we’re going to talk to someone who makes money inspecting RVs for people looking to purchase a motorhome, fifth wheel or travel trailer.

Anthony Link operates his business out of South Carolina. He started the firm in March after completing training to become a certified RV inspector through the academy.

It took two weeks of intense training to learn the ins and outs of the inspection business, and how to use the software to ensure that every aspect of the RV is reviewed. The software also formats the reports for him so buyers can easily understand what was inspected and what the result was for each component.

Anthony describes some of the things he learned in class, how it opened his eyes to the types of things that can go wrong and why having an RV inspected makes good financial sense. He also describes some of the surprises he’s uncovered in his inspections, especially in the area of RV roofs.

He mentions some of the tools inspectors use and why they are important for conducting a thorough inspection.

Because he’s inspecting RVs to uncover potential problems, and not to diagnose and repair those problems, he found the training to be easier than going through the full-blown RV tech program.

These guys and gals really learn how to evaluate a recreation vehicle to catch things that may or may not influence a buyer’s decision to proceed with the deal.

The report buyers receive after the inspection is completed is so thorough, and documented with photos at every turn, it would be very hard to discredit the information contained in it. Like Anthony explained, a well-done inspection can save a buyer a lot of headaches and a lot of money.

There are more than 400,000 new RVs bought every year and probably twice as many used RVs purchased. The market is growing rapidly as word of the service becomes know. People know they shouldn’t buy a house without having it inspected, and they’re learning it’s best not to buy an RV without an inspection either.

Add inspections to get insurance coverage or extended warranties, and an inspector can make good money working full or part time from just about any state in America.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a certified RV inspector – or even getting an RV inspected – be sure to visit the National RV Inspectors Association’s website at www.nrvia.com.

For more information about Anthony Link’s business, Versatile Links RV Services, visit www.versatilelinks.com.

Today’s show features an interview with Todd Henson, someone who has gone through training at the National RV Training Academy, became a certified technician and now serves as an instructor there.

Not only does Todd touch on the type of technical training that is offered at the academy, but he also touches on some of the business training that is offered to help mobile technicians start and maintain a profitable company.

One tool available to graduates of the NRVTA programs is the ability to join an online group of technicians to share best practices and help troubleshoot difficult repair problems.

There are hundreds of certified technicians in that group already, so there is no need for a mobile tech, campground tech or RV tech to feel like they are a lone wolf when it comes to RV maintenance.

People who can’t afford tech training actually have an opportunity to work at the Texan RV Park to earn credit to cover the cost of taking the courses, and Todd explains how that works.

Where there’s a will, there’s going to be a way to get it done. So people who dream of being RV technicians and having access to the vast opportunities available to them in the growing market of RV maintenance, can still get training even if they can’t afford it at the moment.

Once people complete that training, they can join an online group of certified and registered technicians who can offer advice on running a business or overcoming a challenging repair issue.

One of the things that impresses me about the academy is that graduates aren’t left to figure things out on their own.

As Todd Henson explained, the staff isn’t just providing training and shooing them out the door.

The staff supports a network of technicians to ensure that anyone going through the training remains successful, whether they are RV techs, mobile techs, campground techs or just someone going through the program to learn how to maintain their own RVs.

As a general rule, technicians are skilled craftsmen who can diagnose and repair all types of RVs. But, when it comes to day-to-day management, marketing and growing the business, many times they feel like fish out of water – floundering to make sense of it all.

So, the academy offers additional courses to help people go into business for themselves, if that’s one of their goals.

If you’d like more information about the training offered by the National RV Training Academy, I’d encourage you to visit www.nrvta.com.