Career profile for Recreational Vehicle Mechanic

What does a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic do?

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics diagnose, inspect, adjust, repair, or overhaul recreational vehicles including travel trailers.

In addition, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics

may specialize in maintaining gas, electrical, hydraulic, plumbing, or chassis/towing systems as well as repairing generators, appliances, and interior components,
includes workers who perform customized van conversions.

What kind of tasks does a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic perform regularly?

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Explain proper operation of vehicle systems to customers.
Locate and repair frayed wiring, broken connections, or incorrect wiring, using ohmmeters, soldering irons, tape, and hand tools.
Repair plumbing or propane gas lines, using caulking compounds and plastic or copper pipe.
Confer with customers, read work orders, or examine vehicles needing repair to determine the nature and extent of damage.
Examine or test operation of parts or systems to ensure completeness of repairs.
Connect electrical systems to outside power sources and activate switches to test the operation of appliances and light fixtures.
Connect water hoses to inlet pipes of plumbing systems, and test operation of plumbing fixtures.
Inspect recreational vehicles to diagnose problems and perform necessary adjustment, repair, or overhaul.
Inspect, repair, or replace brake systems.
Diagnose and repair furnace or air conditioning systems.
Repair leaks with caulking compound or replace pipes, using pipe wrenches.
List parts needed, estimate costs, and plan work procedures, using parts lists, technical manuals, and diagrams.
Remove damaged exterior panels, and repair and replace structural frame members.
Open and close doors, windows, or drawers to test their operation, trimming edges to fit, as necessary.
Reset hardware, using chisels, mallets, and screwdrivers.
Refinish wood surfaces on cabinets, doors, moldings, and floors, using power sanders, putty, spray equipment, brushes, paints, or varnishes.

The above responsibilities are specific to Recreational Vehicle Mechanics. More generally, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment		Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

What is a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic salary?

The median salary for a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic is $40,520, and the average salary is $43,790. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Recreational Vehicle Mechanic salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Recreational Vehicle Mechanics earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Recreational Vehicle Mechanics earn less than $27,340 per year, 25% earn less than $33,090, 75% earn less than $51,950, and 90% earn less than $63,060.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Recreational Vehicle Mechanics is expected to change by 17.5%, and there should be roughly 2,200 open positions for Recreational Vehicle Mechanics every year.

Median annual salary: $40,520
Typical salary range: $27,340 - $63,060
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 17.5%

What personality traits are common among Recreational Vehicle Mechanics?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic are usually higher in their Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional interests.

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics typically have moderate Investigative interests. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Lastly, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics typically have moderate Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Recreational Vehicle Mechanics must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Recreational Vehicle Mechanics, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

What education and training do Recreational Vehicle Mechanics need?

Working as a Recreational Vehicle Mechanic usually requires a high school diploma.

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Recreational Vehicle Mechanics

20.7% did not complete high school or secondary school
47.0% completed high school or secondary school
19.9% completed some college coursework
5.7% earned a Associate's degree
5.6% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.0% earned a Master's degree
0.1% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Recreational Vehicle Mechanics

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, mechanical, or administration and management knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Recreational Vehicle Mechanics might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Important Abilities needed by Recreational Vehicle Mechanics

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Recreational Vehicle Mechanics need abilities such as near vision, oral comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Recreational Vehicle Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Critical Skills needed by Recreational Vehicle Mechanics

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Recreational Vehicle Mechanics frequently use skills like repairing, troubleshooting, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Recreational Vehicle Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Repairing		Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting		Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Recreational Vehicle Mechanic

Recreational Vehicle Mechanic

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