[Dick]

I think relatively few do work on their coach. I think the relatively small number (compared to the total population of owners) that post on this site are in the minority.

It is not because the owners are incapable, but they don’t have the tools, place, or trust in their knowledge. To many owners these coaches are intimidating and few really want to get into the nitty gritty of understanding all one has to understand before beginning to do work. I believe a lot of owners also lack the time to do the work.

Those of us that do our own work for the most part have an extensive history of messing with mechanical things. We change our own oil on our cars, we have spun wrenches in the past, and we just see the bus as big, not necesarily impossible to work on.

Then there is the issue of limits. Changing oil or fluids is one thing, but who has drain pans big enough, or a place to dispose of the fluids. That is a dirty, messy job and involves lifting heavy pails or drums and not a lot of people are willing to deal with the mess.

[Ronald]

Huh. Jon’s opinion is 180 degrees from mine.

I’m basing my opinion based on the plethora of questions about how to fix this or that I presume results in the owner doing their own work.

The difference of opinion between Jon and myself might come down to the definition of “work on the coach”. Jon does “work” on his coach I would probably never think of tackling. There is probably a broad range of “work on the coach” in the Forum.

If the PC Forum software supports “polls”, it would be interesting to have a poll and ascertain how many members work on their coaches and to what extent they will go.

[Chas]

Maybe 2% really work on their own bus like the Godfather. Most don’t have knowledge or means to do it.

I mean everything, not what is easy.

The rest of us do nothing past bulbs and a wash or maybe you are a tinkerer.

I do alot of work on my own bus but I would consider myself a tinkerer.

Later

bv

[Alvie]

Dick,

We are approaching 2300 members. Tom and I are both aware there are folks who do nothing on their coach because they rely exclusively on the converter and Prevost. A significant number of those do not belong to PC. So of our 2300 members count the number of users that post. Then of those, based on their questions count how many will actually spin a wrench. Replacing a TV or getting a new hub cap to replace a lost one doesn’t count. I assume you are talking about those that will do at the least routine maintenance such as lube, oil change, etc.

Report back.

I think I know the answer and I doubt if you will get close to 5% of our total membership.

[Bernie]

There is a lot of stuff I would like to do and are mechaniclly capable of doing provided I had the right facility.

There are two things I just want do, mess with the engine cause a screw up could cost me $25,0000 and the suspension, a screw up there could cost me my life.

I do tinker with it a lot, electronics, plumbing and stuff most people can do.

If I had a pit I would be under there almost every day.

For everything else there is the old reliable Jeff Rowe, unless he puts my invoice on the site 🙂

Go get em Jeff.