Episode 012 features mobile RV technician Paul Witherspoon

Paul Witherspoon is a veteran who went to Florida to visit his wife’s parents who were workamping at an RV park. While there, he saw the potential to make a great living as a mobile RV technician.

A chance encounter with an RV dealer looking to start a mobile RV service business in 1995 opened the door for him to get a job right out of the military. He didn’t have any formal training other than a few vendor classes along the way.

Most of Paul’s training was self-taught as he took apart components to see what was wrong with them, and then reassembled the units after making a repair.

When his son wanted to become an RV technician as well, they both attended the National RV Training Academy. In the process, both Paul and his son became certified RV technicians.

He started his own mobile service business in the Florida Keys, which was essentially an untapped market for mobile repairs. Since then, he has moved his business to Texas.

Paul also explains how he liked the business training he got from NRVTA and how it has helped him become more profitable.

Although Paul taught himself how to do many of the RV repairs many years ago, he has since come to realize how much more beneficial it is to get formal training on current components.

He really stressed the need to run an ethical operation. That’s an unfortunate side effect of the current market for RV repair. Demand for service outweighs the supply of technicians. As a result, some questionable characters slip into the market and provide substandard repair.

Yes, it works to Paul’s benefit because he and his son can go in and clean up the mess other technicians created. But, it also gives the RV industry a very bad name.

Paul realized that his name was very important, and he has worked hard to protect it. As a result, it has paid off very well with a successful business that is big enough that he can employ his son.

He also champions the need to become a well-rounded technician, not just someone who focuses on one or two components.

That’s an even bigger moneymaker because he can complete a variety of repairs – and offer better service – by fixing many things at the same time.

I also liked his advice to open a separate savings account and squirrel away a percentage of every job’s income into that account to cover taxes and ensure money is available to constantly reorder parts.

He’s got a great business, and a lot of it has to do with education he received from the National RV Training Academy in Athens, Texas.

The academy’s one-week live training or home study course will teach you everything you need to know to fix about 80 percent of the problems people experience with their RVs.

You can also sign up for additional training to become an RV inspector, campground technician or to provide mobile RV service. For more information, visit www.nrvta.com.

For more information about Paul Witherspoon’s company, Mobile Family RV Center, visit www.mobilefamilyrvcenter.com.