Does anyone offer a "school" for the mechanical parts (ie electrical, water, etc) for an RV. Not because I want to go into business, I just want to know more about how they work as we travel.

There are a number of schools that teach RV mechanical trades. I see them advertised in the RV magazines all the time. I'll bet that if you did a Google search for TV technical training you'll come up with leads. Good luck, Fred

There are a number of good reference manuals and books available to assist an RV owner to work on their own rig. You can get them at used rates online at places like Amazon or Yahoo shopping sites. I've used several of them to do repairs and maintenance. None of them are written for "Dummies", but if you have some common sense DIY skills they will be helpful.

One online school that I have researched, and am considering taking courses from, is Northhampton Community College. Obviously, there will be a fee associated with the education. However, considering the current rates for work done at a certified RV shop, I figure that if I can't save money, I can at least break even. And, that training would accomplish two things. One, it would allow me to be more educated on any mechanical issue where I really did need to take my rig to a shop. Two, if I happen to have a mechanical issue while on the road, I might be able to completely repair it, or at least make a fix that will get me to a certified repair facility with the least amount of delay in a trip.

Having said that, I strongly believe that most RV owners who have at least some mechanical skill can do routine maintenance and repairs to their own rig. It isn't rocket science to change the oil in a motor home. It doesn't take much skill to locate a blown fuse and replace it. It's usually a simple task to replace a water heater element, etc, etc. If one can do basic home and auto maintenance and repairs, then they can do it on an RV.

Al Cohoe teaches RV courses at a vo-tech/community college in the Northwest. He was an instructor at the Harrisburg Life on Wheels (LOW) conference in September. His classes were excellent. His email address is: acohoe@shaw.ca I am sure he would be able to give you some more information. Randy and Pam

We have a 40' deisel pusher, and we have learned lots and lots about RVs in general at large rallys where they have many seminars.  Even if you do not own an RV, or if you have a fifth wheel, most large rallys (such as regional and national FMCA rallys, Escapees Escapades, Good Sam rallys) will admit you on a "day pass" and you can attend seminars and check out the vendors.  Much of the info you'll gain will help you out with any RV.  The absolute best education we got about our RV was when we attended the "Spartan Homecoming" for owners of RVs on a Spartan Chassis.  We came away from that week saying that it should have been required for all new RV owners before they drive the rig off the sales lot...and we'd been fulltiming for 5 years already!  And don't forget to ask question at on-line forums...they're great!  Good luck gathering knowledge!

Mary

http://bryantrv.com/sitemap.html I saw the above site in a post on another forum a year ago. It has a lot of repair tips and online owner's manuals for appliances and equipment used in RV's. I found it very helpful when trying to solve an A/C problem recently.