RV Technical Institute Evolves With A New Full Suite Curriculum For Training RV Techs

As the most potent and pioneering advocate for the RV industry, the RV Industry Association (RVIA) underscores its leadership role by continuing to provide new and revolutionary ways to make it easier for consumers to buy, drive and own an RV. One of RVIA’s primary goals has always been customer satisfaction - the ultimate indicator of success. Moreover, for those RVers seeking to maintain and repair their RVs, satisfaction must include reducing the repair event cycle times (RECT). This is where the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) comes in.

Earlier this year, RVIA’s Board of Directors approved a strategic and comprehensive plan to create the RV Technical Institute to be located in the Elkhart, Ind., area, the heart of the RV industry. The Institute is envisioned as the central hub from which to create new ways to lower RECT by focusing on the creation of a world-class RV technician training curriculum, certification, and new techniques for RV tech recruitment and training.

Thirteen members of the Institute’s Curriculum Focus Group met recently in Elkhart for an intensive three-day session to complete Phase 1 of new curriculum development: “Creating Technical Standards and Planning Curriculum.” Within Phase I there is renewed focus on providing the type of training most central to RV techs. The curriculum will continue to ensure standards of knowledge and credential exams, but will also create new instructor manuals, student learning objectives, student labs and training aids such as power points, videos, equipment lists and more. This full suite approach to curriculum will be used both by institute trainers and will also be provided to regionally accredited training partners.

“A fully developed RV tech training curriculum is at the heart of RVTI’s success,” said Matt Wald, RVIA vice president of strategic initiatives. “We are excited to have the top RV tech training minds in the industry working with the team to create world-class RV training curriculum. It is also significant to note that, for the first time in memory, the Institute’s curriculum development process has RV techs themselves sitting at the table to provide their wisdom and input to our curriculum.”

While the new curriculum begins its roll-out, RVTI continues to offer a range of flexible program options for individuals seeking certification, additional education and those looking to become RV technicians.  The Technicians in Training (TnT) program was launched to provide just that - training for technicians at dealerships throughout the U.S. In 2017 the TnT program added 520 newly registered techs and trained 3,019 techs industry-wide.

TnT’s ultimate target is to deliver technical training classes to even more regional dealerships on a regular basis. The RV industry agrees that properly trained and certified technicians that can quickly diagnose and repair RVs and their components increase their earning potential and add greater value to the dealerships where they are employed. 

As sales of RVs continue to grow it has become more critical than ever that potential RV buyers know that there are efficient, well-trained technicians available to keep their RVs safe and operational within reasonable repair cycle time-frames. A recent RVIA and RV Dealers Association Repair Event Cycle Time study demonstrates that better-trained techs significantly reduce the turnaround time to get RVs repaired and back on the road for RVers to enjoy, and, importantly, fulfilling one of RVIA’s premier objectives: enhancing customer satisfaction.