Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

Recreational vehicle service technicians inspect, adjust, diagnose, overhaul and repair recreational vehicles including travel trailers. Some RV technicians may specialize in maintaining electrical, plumbing, gas, hydraulic or chassis/towing systems. They may also specialize in repairing appliances, generators and interior components. The profession includes workers that perform customized van conversions.

Some of the common job titles are recreational vehicle technician, recreational vehicle repairer, master certified RV technician, master certified recreational vehicle technician, RVDA master certified RV technician, recreational vehicle dealer association master certified recreational vehicle technician and mobile service recreational vehicle technician.

Responsibilities

  • Inspect recreational vehicles and diagnose problems
  • Evaluate and test systems and parts to make sure repairs were completed
  • Determine the nature and extent of damage
  • Estimate costs
  • Remove damaged exterior panels and replace and repair structural frame members
  • Test and repair electrical and plumbing systems
  • Record details of repair work
  • Replace or repair defective parts

Job Characteristics

RV mechanics should have mechanical aptitude. They need to follow safety practices. RV mechanics usually work a standard 40 hour week.

Employment Outlook

The employment growth from 2006 to 2016 for recreational vehicle service technicians is projected to be faster than the average for all occupations. In 2008 the median hourly wage for recreational vehicle service technicians was $15.14.

Education, Certification, and Licensing

Recreational vehicle service technicians can become certified by passing the RVDA-RVIA RV Service Technician Certification Test. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association offers RVIA Trouble Shooter Clinics which provide hands-on training and offer a lot of the core knowledge evaluated by the test.

The RV Service Technician Certification Program is designed to help the RV industry and the public in identifying technicians that have demonstrated the knowledge and the ability to meet the standards in RV diagnostic and repair procedures as adopted by the Governing board. Certification demonstrates the technicians experience and competence in the field. Certification can improve the chances of getting a job in the field.

Resources

Major Employers

The top job providing sectors are recreational vehicle dealers, motor vehicle dealers, automotive repair and maintenance; motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing; and automotive parts, accessories and tire stores.

Schools for Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians are listed in the Browse Schools Section.

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Skills

Below are the skills needed to be recreational vehicle service technicians according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Skill NameImportanceCompetence
Repairing3.883.88
Troubleshooting3.53.5
Active Listening3.383.25
Critical Thinking3.383.5
Speaking3.383.12

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Abilities

Below are the abilities needed to be recreational vehicle service technicians according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Ability NameImportanceCompetence
Near Vision3.883.62
Manual Dexterity3.753.38
Oral Comprehension3.753.88
Oral Expression3.753.75
Problem Sensitivity3.753.5

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Knowledge

Below are the knowledge areas needed to be recreational vehicle service technicians according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Knowledge AreaImportanceCompetence
Mechanical4.044.98
Customer and Personal Service4.034.19
Administration and Management32.34
Building and Construction2.763.1
Production and Processing2.692.46

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Work activities

Below are the work activities involved in being recreational vehicle service technicians according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work ActivityImportanceCompetence
Getting Information4.143.45
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material4.123.22
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.914.06
Handling and Moving Objects3.885.26
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.883.07

Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians Work styles

Below are the work styles involved in being recreational vehicle service technicians according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work StyleImportance
Attention to Detail4.37
Dependability4.3
Integrity4.08
Cooperation4
Independence3.94

Metro Areas Sorted by Total Employment for
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

Listed below are the 10 largest metro areas based on the total number of people employed in Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians jobs , as of 2019

   
Metro AreaTotal EmploymentAnnual Mean Salary
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario420$39,640
Elkhart-Goshen350$44,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim320$43,540
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater250$40,900
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade240$41,030
Oklahoma City160$44,570
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise160$50,990
Boise City150$36,460
Idaho Falls130$40,830
Tulsa130$41,720

Compare Total Employment & Salaries for Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians

Use our handy tool to see what employment and salary numbers look like for two different metro areas

Select State
Select Metro Area 1
Select Metro Area 2
Please select State, Metro Area 1 and Metro Area 2
Select different Metro Areas
Employment
Salary

Total employment and salary for professions similar to recreational vehicle service technicians

Source : 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; O*NET® 24.3 Database, O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, Employment & Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org

We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians.

Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.