RV Tech Talk

Today’s show is going to focus on a graduate of the technician training program at the academy who went on to launch a successful mobile RV service business called My RV Workshttps://media.blubrry.com/rvtechtalk/content.blubrry.com/rvtechtalk/Episode_003-Darren_Koepp.mp3 in Sequim, Wash.

Darren Koepp describes himself as a recovering engineer. He loved his job and the work it entailed. But, it often required him to be away from home for extended periods of time. As a father of two children, he realized he was missing out on a significant portion of their lives.

He wanted to be a “daddy on demand” so that he could be invested in their lives as they grew up. As you might imagine, he made a very good salary as an engineer. But, he felt called to be more than just the guy who earns the money and sees his kids for a few minutes every couple of days.

So, shortly after his son was born, he quit his engineering job on nothing but faith that something would show up to replace the income. The family was living in an RV, so he took an online training course to learn how to fix many common problems. Soon enough, he was being asked to fix campers at his RV park and nearby parks as well.

One day, Darren had a chance encounter with a mobile service technician, and it opened his eyes to a way to support his family without lengthy travel excursions to faraway places.

He got a job as a repair technician working for an RV dealership, but was soon making as much money evenings and weekends as he was at his full-time job. So, he ventured out on his own and today Darren operates a very busy, very successful mobile repair business.

It’s a really interesting story, and he’ll tell you how he got started, how he marketed it and what it takes to be a full-time, self-employed mobile RV service technician.

I love listening to stories like Darren Koepp’s. It’s funny how doors can open that lead you to a completely different career and lifestyle.

His approach to marketing is innovative in that he doesn’t do any traditional advertising. Rather, he puts on free seminars teaching people how to maintain their own RVs. When they find out how much work it takes, it often opens the door to a paid repair job.

Darren doesn’t do anything really mechanical. Just repair jobs that can be completed on-site.

I appreciated how open he was in describing what it would cost to start a business, and how he has automated the process to allow people to schedule their own appointments.

It was nice to hear him talk about how a husband and wife could operate the business together to save overhead.

There is a lot of opportunity out there for people who want to be self-employed, make good money and travel the country – or just stay parked in one area, like Darren and his family does up in Washington.

For more information about Darren and his business, My RV Works, visit www.myrvworks.com.

The key is to get solid technical training. With that, you can work virtually anywhere in the country and command an above average income.

If you are interested in learning how to start a mobile RV repair business of your own – or go to work as a campground technician or RV inspector, I’d encourage you to visit the National RV Training Academy’s website at www.nrvta.com.

Last week, we talked to Terry Cooper, the founder of the National RV Training Academy, who provided an overview of the academy and the training people can receive. He also shared his vision for this podcast and the subjects we’ll be discussing in upcoming episodes.

Today, I’m going to talk to the administrator of what is commonly called The Big Red Schoolhouse in Athens, Texas.

You’d understand why if you ever saw a picture of the massive structure in Athens, Texas, that houses several classrooms and three service bays so students can learn all they need to learn to fix and inspect RVs.

Stephanie Henson provides more details about the training taking place at Big Red, and describes the various educational tracks the students can follow.

She explains what type of training is available specifically for professional RV technicians, RV inspectors and even consumers who just want to learn how to fix a majority of problems they’ll encounter with their RVs.

She zeros in on the type of training offered that pertains to various components on an RV – everything from air conditioners to levelers.

The Big Red Schoolhouse stocks an ample supply of components so that many students become familiar with a variety of components they are likely to encounter in the field.

Stephanie also describes one of the best perks for taking the introductory course and that is that people can actually attend again at no cost within 12 months of taking the first course. I guess they really want to make sure people have a firm grasp of that basic training.

Stephanie covers the costs for attending classes and the application process.

Lodging is available either in the adjacent RV park or one of the cabins.

For more information about the training available to RV technicians, RV inspectors and even RV owners, visit www.nrvta.com.

Let’s face it. There is a critical shortage of technicians in the RV industry. Wait times for repairs at RV dealerships can now stretch months before an opening. There are way too few technicians serving a growing population of RV owners.

The good news is that it creates unlimited opportunities for people to make money fixing things. The demand for mobile RV technicians is flourishing and people engaged in that line of work can easily make $100,000 or more every year working their own schedules in businesses of their own.

Campgrounds are hiring trained technicians to provide service for RVers who roll in to their facilities needing minor repairs, winterization and dewinterization.

RV buyers are starting to embrace the idea of getting RVs inspected before they pull the trigger on a purchase – and so are banks, insurance companies and firms that offer warranties.

Like I said, the opportunity is abundant to make good money providing a valuable service to RV owners and buyers.

Our first guest is Terry Cooper, the owner of the National RV Training Academy. He’s going to explain why this podcast will be an important tool to recruit, train and retain RV technicians. He outlines some of the opportunities that are available and what you can do to capitalize on those opportunities.

I’ve known Cooper for many years, and I have interviewed him several times when I worked as the editor of RV Daily Report. He is a true visionary. Not only does he see the problems the industry faces because of the critical shortage of technicians, he has taken steps to fill that void.

Years ago, students in junior high and high school could take shop classes to learn a trade. Then, for some silly reason, our country started telling students the only way to be successful was to take out a boatload of student loans, go to a four-year university and go get a job working for someone else.

What a disaster that has proven to be. But, it creates an incredible opportunity for people who like to work with their hands to make an above-average income running their own businesses from their homes or their RVs.

I have already interviewed nearly a dozen people who support their full-time RV adventures by providing RV service. I have also interviewed people making a good living by helping people avoid buying RVs that may have been problematic.

The key is to get solid, reliable and professional training. That’s what the National RV Training Academy will do. This podcast will augment that training by showing what other people are doing in RV tech careers

Even consumers who simply want to be able to fix their own RVs will benefit from the training provided by the academy and from this podcast.

I’m excited to launch this podcast to help train and support RV technicians and talk about the myriad of opportunities available to professionals and consumers alike.

For more information about different types of training available, visit the National RV Training Academy’s website at www.nrvta.com.