We have a ten year old Winnebago motorhome. There simply is no way that I would of owned the thing over the last three years if I didn't do nearly everything myself. First, most shops want well over $100/hr to work on them. Second, many shops are booked for weeks to months ahead of time, so down time can be ridiculous. Between google searches and youtube videos, I have tackled a fridge that quit twice, repaired the water heater several times, replaced the 12 volt converter, and several other repairs that cost a tiny fraction of what the dealer would of charged.
My best DIY win was a slide gear that failed. It was a daunting task that two mobile RV mechanics and a repair shop refused to work on. The repair shop actually told me that my only hope to get it fixed was a Winnebago dealer, and it would take 5-7 hours. I figured that I couldn't screw it up worse that it already was. I called the huge Winny dealer near the factory and asked the parts guy, "what typically breaks on my slide mechanism? He sold me a plastic gear, and two steel pins for $20. A friend and I tore the whole assembly out, tore it apart, and BINGO, the original plastic gear was a shredded mess. It was a three hour job, and two of us ended up covered in dirt and grease, but it was at least $700 less than getting it repaired "professionally".
