Businesses We Trust

• Alabama Motor Coach,  3041 Wetumpka  Hwy, Montgomery, AL (334) 270-1100  We purchased our 1999 King of the Road Royalite 5th wheel here, but their service department is excellent and the staff is super.  They have a nice full-hookup mini-campground on their gated lot if you have to stay overnight during repairs.
  

• Bradley Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, 1690 Industrial Blvd., Lake Havasu City, AZ (928) 855-1191  We stopped here for routine maintenance (replace the serpentine belt, flush the radiator) and when they found out we didn't have a second vehicle they shuttled us to our campground several miles away, picking us back up when the truck was done.  Very nice.

• Mohave Hitch & Welding, 1600 W. Acoma Blvd.,#14, Lake Havasu City, AZ (928) 855-2085  We had repairs made to the wiring harnesses for our US Gear  D-Celerator exhaust brake here as they are authorized dealers/installers.  The owner expedited our part order to be able to fix our problem before we had to leave the area.  He is a very knowledgeable young man and very proud of the work he does and it shows.

• Big O Tires, 740 West Apache Trail, Apache Junction, AZ  (480) 982-2600  Every Big O Tire store we've dealt with has had friendly, capable staff that has handled our flats, blowouts and punctures in a fast and efficient manner.  No matter which city or state we've had problems in, the Big O folks have not disappointed us.

• Cates/Hill Trailer Supplies, 670 S. Hwy 80, Benson, AZ  (520) 586-3339  We purchased a new battery here when one of ours self-destructed due to overcharging by a converter gone haywire.  When the new battery didn't seem to be working they "loaned" us their on-site technician who followed us back to our campground where he did some trouble shooting to discover our converter had gone bad.  Super nice folks.

•  Southwest Dental Group, 4355 E. University Dr., Mesa, AZ (480)768-3953  I needed an emergency root canal due to an abcess and the staff and Dr. Garber at this dental office were all terrific.  Dr. Garber followed up with an evening phone call to the rig to check on me and made sure to let me know that he would come back to the office to see me if I was having a problem.  Nice people, quick and painless service--what more could you ask from a dentist?

• Kempton's RV, 3335 E. Main St., Mesa, AZ (866) 396-3985  Authorized Heartland RV repair facility, worked on our air conditioner and installed our JT Strong Arm jack stabilizers.  Worked with us to get our air conditioner vent issue fixed, although this is more a problem with Heartland's design/installation.  Helpful staff, reasonable prices for the work we paid to have done, worked with us as fulltimers.
  

• Parc Center Dental Group, 77564 Country Club Dr Suite 350, Palm Desert, CA (760) 772-7082  When I had a severe toothache, I called Parc Center Dental office and was fortunate enough to see Dr. Kourosh Dianatyazdi who quickly diagnosed a severe abcess/infection and need for a root canal.  Since we had to leave the next day, he simply prescribed super-antibiotics to start to clear up the infection, but his manner and thoroughness showed him to be a good dentist.
  

• La Mesa RV, 6006 Miramar Rd., San Diego, CA  (858) 228-5400  Went in for squealing brakes, came out with the knowledge that we didn't have the Never-lube axles we had ordered.  The service manager made sure we were informed of repairs being done and what they had found each step of the way.  I believe they will be moving their service department to their RV sales location a couple of miles up the street, so double check before you go.  Recommended as an authorized Heartland dealer.  The parts department staff was also very helpful..
  

• Timberland Ford, 2442 South Byron Butler Pkwy (Hwy 98), Perry, FL (850) 584-6178  When we discovered we were leaking transmission fluid they did some trouble shooting with us and then fitted us in the next day to repair the problem, which turned out to be a leaking line.  Super friendly and courteous staff.

• Lacey's RV (mobile) Service, DeFuniak Springs, FL (850) 859-2262.  We needed a slideout room adjusted and a new spring for our large awning and the repairman from Lacey's had us fixed in two days (he had to order the spring)  Fast, efficient, common sense approach to problems, very reasonable prices.  Highly recommended for on-site repairs.
  

• Holmes on Wheels, Inc., 24245 CR 6, Elkhart, IN 46514 (574) 266-1586  David Holmes operates his business as a mobile service as well as having a store-front location.  He repaired our oven when the technicians at the dealership where we bought our fifth wheel couldn't.  A couple of months later he walked me through a repair over the phone.  He's extremely knowledgeable in repairs to rv appliances and is honest and friendly. 
  

• Mor-Ryde International, 1966 Moyer Ave.,Elkhart, IN (219) 293-1581  Manufacture and install rubber suspension systems.  We had Mor-Ryde put their suspension system on our 1999 King of the Road Royalite fifth wheel, on our 2002 National RV Palisades fifth wheel and on our 2000 Ford F450 Pick up truck.  The systems are individually made for your rig and the staff works to make sure everything works properly before you leave the area. It may take a couple of days, but it gets done right and we love the staff here.  You stay overnight and they feed you donuts for breakfast and pizza or subs for lunch in a very comfortable waiting room that is positively home-like.  They even have a modem outlet for email.
  

• Safelite Autoglass, 937 East 53rd, Davenport, IA (563)386-6810  We stopped by Safelite to pick up some glass glazing compound (that's not the right name but the name escapes me) to glue a window frame back a glass pane in the fifth wheel.  They not only gave us the compound for free when I explained the repair I needed to make but when I also mentioned a chip in our windshield they arranged for someone to come out to our campsite later that afternoon to make the repair.  When I showed the repairman how well "Goo Gone" would work to clean the glue-y mess from his hands, he gave me a huge bottle of glass cleaner.  Very nice staff who went out of their way to assist us.
  

• Hair We Are, 315 E. Spruce, Deming, NM (505) 544-3345  The best hair cut I ever had, given by the owner Rosa Contreras.  Shampoo and cut, no blow dry (I wear it short) $9.86

• Nazeri Family Dentistry, 162 Hospital Dr, Raton, NM  (575) 445-3596  Again,  a dental emergency, this time for Denny who ended up having a tooth pulled.  They got us in fast, did a great job at a surprisingly cheap price (although it fell under our insurance) and were very friendly. 
  

• Cimino Brothers Ford,  246 Clark Ave., Raton, NM (575) 445-3685.  A bad EGR took a few days to be fixed because it also had a broken mount, which was the original diagnosis.  So while they took a while to get it fixed, they were concerned about getting it right.  They are also right in town, so you can visit the museum or have lunch at the Enchanted Grounds Espresso Bar.

• Rocky Mountain RV & Marine, 12700 Central Avenue Southeast, Albuquerque, NM (505) 292-7800  The service department fixed our messed up slideout and when it still didn't work right, started over and did it all again until it did work right.  Helpful and friendly staff, service techs cleaned up well after themselves.  Work completed under warranty so I can't vouch for their prices, but they got us in and fixed quickly understanding our full timer lifestyle.

• Adventure RV Service, Inc., 220 Tahlequah Trail, Springboro, OH (937) 746-1871   When our air conditioner/heat pump went out on our fifth wheel the folks at Adventure got us in right away and actually repaired the air conditioner, rather than just yanking it out and installing a new one which would have been a lot more expensive.  Quick, reasonable and honest, I would recommend this business to any RVer who happened to be traveling in the southern Ohio area and is in need of repairs.  They also have full hook ups available so you can stay in your rig if need be.
  

• Jimmix's Body Shop, 4136 Industrial Lane, Beavercreek, OH (937) 426-5584  This is where we took all our cars and the truck for body work when we still had a house and jobs.  They do quality work.  What more can I say?
  

• Robberson Ford, 2100 N.E. 3rd St., Bend, OR (541) 382-4521  The staff at Robberson bent over backwards to figure out what went wrong with our newly installed rebuilt transmission and to get it repaired in a reasonable amount of time since we had to rent a car while our truck was in their shop.  They worked to get us one of their free rental cars as soon as they could and completed the repairs to the truck within a couple days despite having to fit us in on an emergency basis.

• Davies Ford, Rt. 119 North, Connellsville, PA (724) 628-2720  When we blew our transmission in the truck, we were in an area where we had never been before, so I relied on the Internet and a couple of online reviews of the service at Davies Ford, which was one of two Ford dealers within twenty miles of our campground.  My frantic phone call led to them telling us to have the tow service drop the truck off outside, since the dealership was closing before the tow driver could arrive.  Keith, the service manager, worked hard to get our truck in and repaired and have it done under warranty, to boot.   The truck was finished in four days which was amazing since they squeezed us in.  We recommend Davies Ford if your F-series truck needs repair.

• Mason Tire, 750 Hwy. 17 N, Surfside Beach, SC (Myrtle Beach) (843) 238-3339  Mason had our Goodyear ST tires in stock since since there are three huge campgrounds nearby.  We've used them to rotate our tires, fix flats and more.  They are professional, friendly and helpful whether it's an emergency or simply standard maintenance.

• Grand Strand RV Service, 105 Lichen Court, Unit 3, Myrtle Beach, SC (843) 238-3329  A fantastic mobile rv service with lots of repeat customers and after dealing with Bobby, one of their service techs, we can see why.  Not only did he do a good job for us, he gave us a recommendation for a great sub shop and later stopped to say hi if he was sent to the campground to do other repairs.   Highly recommended. 

• A&E Factory Appliance Repair 800-659-7011 (Myrtle Beach)  I was given this number by Haier Company, but I assume they will do all types of appliance repair.  The service tech was honest enough to tell us the part and repair would cost much more than we paid for the washing machine and the service charge was very reasonable.  I would use this service again. 

• Insight Satellite (704) 551-4100  While actually based in North Carolina, this company services Hughes/DirecWay satellite systems for the Myrtle Beach area.  Our installer was Chris Briley who worked very hard to get our system up and running, only to discover we had a bad modem.  He has no problem working with tripod systems and I have his private number.

• Diesel Service, Inc., North Hwy. 77, Harlingen, TX (956) 423-1214  We purchased an aluminum auxiliary diesel fuel tank from John at Diesel Service and had him install it.  We love having the added capacity for driving longer distances without having to worry about running out of fuel.  John and his wife are super folks, salt-of-the-earth and bent over backwards to help us out several years later when we had a problem with the electronic switch that controlled the changeover between the main and auxilliary fuel tanks.  They actually remembered us three years later, which I'm not sure if that means we're memorable or maybe something worse.  Hmm.
  

• Wenatchee Ford, 1001 North Miller St., Wenatchee, WA (509) 663-2111  After driving from Nevada to Washington in a week, by the time we hit the state of Washington the engine was missing like crazy.  We had come to Washington to work, so we had to take the truck in on our days off and ask them to try to find and repair the problem as quickly as they could because we would have to wait for the truck or rent a vehicle.  They worked very hard to finish the engine repairs in one day and even found a couple other items that we would later need to have repaired pertaining to the exhaust system.  Excellent staff, thorough and competent.
  

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BUSINESSES ON THE WEB

• Prosat Communications , 2400 West 84 Street, Suite 8, Hialeah, FL  33016  Phone (305) 828-1958  Prosat and its sister company Futurevision  supplied us with our replacement dish for our Hughes.net system when high winds blew our dish over and shattered the base of it.  Although English is not their first language, they worked hard at getting us a new replacement dish at a very reasonable cost.  Not only did it include the feed arm, but it was the new metal Raven dish.  Don't expect instant service, but the it's Hughes.net equipment with dealing with Hughes.net.

•  RV Wholesalers.com is an online RV dealership that also has online parts sales.  We needed a replacement sliding battery tray and RV Wholesalers had the cheapest price on the Internet, plus it was delivered to our campground within three days of our order.  You can't beat that when your lifestyle demands you stay on the move.

•  Moen.com While on the road our hand-held sprayer on our kitchen faucet started leaking badly.  An e-mail to Moen requesting information on where we could purchase a replacement sprayer head received an instant response from a customer service rep asking us the color of our faucet.  When we gave her that information, she then request our mailing address so the company could send us out a replacement sprayer head at no cost.  This for a faucet set that is five years old!  You've got to love a company that stands behind their products.