How to Hire RV Technicians
Finding, evaluating, and retaining skilled RV service technicians
Hiring RV technicians requires looking beyond traditional job boards to RV forums, trade schools, adjacent industries (marine, HVAC, auto), and RV owner communities where enthusiasts may want to turn passion into career. Evaluate candidates on diagnostic thinking and adaptability rather than just certifications. Competitive compensation, quality tools, and ongoing training help retain technicians in a tight labor market.
Where to Find Candidates
Traditional job boards yield limited RV technician candidates. Better sources include: RV-specific forums and Facebook groups where enthusiasts gather, marine and auto technician communities (skills transfer well), HVAC technicians interested in mobile or varied work, trade school HVAC and electrical programs, and RV industry trade shows and events.
Employee referrals often produce the best hires. Technicians know other technicians. Offering referral bonuses can accelerate hiring when you need to grow quickly.
Evaluating Technical Skills
RV repair spans electrical, plumbing, HVAC, LP gas, structural, and appliance systems. Few candidates excel at everything initially. What matters more than current knowledge is diagnostic thinking and learning ability.
Practical evaluations beat interviews. Give candidates a diagnostic scenario—describe symptoms, let them ask questions, see how they approach the problem. Candidates who ask clarifying questions and think systematically can learn specific RV systems. Candidates who jump to conclusions may have bad habits that training can't fix.
Compensation and Benefits
Technician compensation varies by market, but RV specialists typically command $25-40/hour for experienced techs, with higher rates for certified specialists. Flat-rate pay works for some shops; hourly with efficiency bonuses works for others. Match compensation structure to your business model.
Beyond pay, technicians value: quality tools and equipment (don't make them supply everything), training opportunities, schedule flexibility, and a professional work environment. Shops that treat technicians as professionals rather than labor retain people longer.
Training and Development
The best technicians want to improve. Offering ongoing training—manufacturer courses, RVTI certification support, specialty training like Victron—helps retention and improves capabilities. Budget for training as an investment, not an expense.
Consider training paths that develop specialists. One tech becomes your Victron expert. Another focuses on Dometic and Norcold. Specialization creates value for customers and career development for technicians.
Build Your Tech Team
ServiceNomad provides the operational systems that help RV service businesses manage and scale technician teams effectively.