How to Buy Parts for Your RV

We have a 1995 fifth wheel and as your RV ages, certain things begin to go out in them, when they do, you need replacement parts. There are many parts dealers across the country that do repairs and as a result can get parts and many parts they already stock. Sometimes you can save yourself time and money by calling the manufacturer first.

On our fifth wheel, due to many years of the door opening and closing, the door strike becomes loose and eventually it must be removed, but if you slam the door without the door strike it begins to tear the thin metal stock that frames the door. If this goes unchecked, it will eventually break the pieces out where the door latch hits the frame, then you won't even be able to latch the door unless you find a welder or someone to fix the frame for you, or in worst case scenario you replace the entire door and frame. This is very expensive.

The door strike was missing in action from our RV when we purchased it and the door frame was only beginning to crack so I went on a search for a new door strike. (A door strike is the hard metal piece the latch hits when you close the door, the striking action causes the latch to retract into the door until it reaches the opening in the door strike). My search lead me through several parts dealers some of whom carried the pieces in stock, others must order it. The prices I found for our particular door strike ranged from $10.00 to $15.00, (not including shipping), for this small metal piece. Before ordering the part I though, why not call the manufacturer? So I did, and much to my surprise they had my door strike in stock and the price was under $3.00 for the part and $1.83 to ship it. So for under $5.00 I got the part I needed and would have paid nearly that much just for the shipping from the other parts dealers.

Manufacturers will often stand behind their products much better, while dealers are there to make a profit from the parts. For a manufacturer to do this for us was just good business, and I commend them for being such a quick and easy company to deal with. So if you need to buy parts for your rv, after you contact the dealers, try calling the manufacturer and if it is a part that is made by another company, try calling both the manufacturer of your RV as well as the manufacturer of the part in question. You can eliminate the middle man and if they are a good and upstanding company they will gladly serve you, one of their customers, and take care of your needs.