RVTI-Trained Mobile Tech Shares Ins-And-Outs Of Entrepreneurship

Like many RV techs, Charlie Cuaron, 40, of Albuquerque, began taking things apart to see how they worked when he was a boy, starting with his father’s lawnmower and his mother’s antique calculator.

“Unfortunately, it was another twenty years before I became as interested in putting things back together,” he said with a laugh.

But Charlie followed his passion and soon was working in the marine industry fixing boats, then in the aviation industry assembling and reassembling airplanes. While working at Kirkland Air Force Base, he also got his private pilot’s license.

Then, in what initially didn’t seem to be a logical career move, Charlie began working in IT at Sandia National Laboratories, specifically in forensics, preventing data breaches and loss for the military weapons base.

“There are synergies in the logic of IT and mechanics,” he said. “You have to have the same mindset to be a trouble shooter, then to find solutions to problems.”

His transition to working on RVs began as a hobby and a kindness to friends and stranded strangers he met at RV campgrounds. When his wife grew tired of his hours of unpaid labor and the knocks on the door of their fifth wheel at 7am requesting help, she encouraged her husband to consider turning his avocation into a vocation.

Charlie’s first move was to get a job at a dealership in Albuquerque. His hope was to learn more about processes and procedures, but that was dashed on Day One when he asked his supervisor about training and was told, “Just go and fix the RVs.”

Charlie wasn’t worried about his ability to ultimately figure out how to repair RVs, but he wanted training to learn how to fix them faster and more easily. That’s when he discovered the RV Technical Institute’s online class for Level 1, and what led him to taking the four-week Level 2 class in-person in Elkhart.

“I’m a hands-on learner,” he said. “I can understand a book or a video, but if I can also put my hands on something, then it makes a lot more sense. I can see how things work together.”

Charlie appreciated the amount of real-world experience the instructors at RVTI had; they had worked in all parts of the industry, from engineering to assembly. Bill Stewart made a particularly strong impression on him. “I’d be very happy to have his wealth of knowledge in my life!”

Charlie estimated that he already knew about 80% of the material that was presented during the class, but the 20% that he didn’t - in areas like generators, advanced electrical troubleshooting, and hydronic heating systems -- was particularly valuable. RVTI also taught him about the touch screen systems that many of the new RV models feature. He reckoned his IT background gave him a leg up on understanding the tablet-based electronics.

“My motivation for becoming certified was to get better at RV repairs,” said Charlie, who noted that some of his classmates wanted certification in order to comply with manufacturer warranty requirements. “The certification is no substitute for experience, but having both is ideal.”

Armed with these, he set out to start his own mobile tech business. His wife helped him to come up with the name, “RVive Mobile RV Repair, LLC” and to design a logo and business cards that included “Insured and Certified.”

“I was always drawn to the idea of working for myself, but I didn’t feel confident enough about my skills before,” said Charlie. “But now, I know that I’m both good at repairs and at customer service, so it’s easy for me to meet people and to get the word out.”

In fact, most of his business comes from word of mouth, although he also has a magnetic sign on his truck and when parked at campgrounds, he sometimes hands out business cards and puts up banners advertising his services. After working with one or two people, word seems to spread like wildfire, he says.

So, while marketing is not a challenge, figuring out the business side of being a mobile tech can be very difficult. It helped that he trained at RVTI with eight other mobile techs who were happy to share their experiences and advice, but Charlie still spends a lot of time researching the different income reporting rules of each state and figuring out where to source parts.

“A lack of business and legal knowledge is definitely a common concern,” he said. “Every state is different.”

And every RV part is different, too, he adds.

“Sourcing where to get parts can be really hard because you’re constantly moving and the parts that someone needs in one area may not the same in another,” he said. “People in Florida laugh if you’re trying to find furnace parts.”

As soon as Charlie and his family arrive in a new area, he goes about familiarizing himself with where to get parts. In some cases, he gets them shipped from his sources back in Albuquerque, but in other cases, when people need a repair done right away, he finds a local source. Sometimes, however, he advises customers to order their own parts, then they coordinate travel plans to meet up at another campground a few weeks later where he will install them.

“I was once in Florida and needed a part that had to be backordered, so the customer and I coordinated to meet up in the Carolinas to do the work,” said Charlie. “There are so many families RVing today and we often run into them every few weeks in different campgrounds.”

When it comes to warranties, Charlie sometimes needs to send parts back. He knows what documentation is necessary – the reports and photos – so he’s able to advise customers on how to work with appliance vendors and manufacturers. As to personal guarantees for his service, Charlie provides his contact info to his customers so they can always reach him. While he offers a full refund, he has not yet had to provide one.

One of the keys to his success is his customer service, which he believes is often lacking in the repair industry.

“A lot of repair people are very transactional and robotic,” he says. “I love gaining people’s trust with good communication, honesty, and integrity. I understand that they aren’t buying repairs, they’re buying me, so I want to ensure that they have a good customer experience. I think it helps to build a positive opinion of the rest of the tech community, too.”

Many of Charlie’s customers are becoming lifelong friends. “We’ve connected to so many people,” he says. “It’s amazing how many RV families are out there but how small a community it is.”

Charlie is determined not to let his successful business rule his life. His priority is spending time with his family and achieving a good work-life balance, so while he could easily work and bill for 60-70 hours per week, he tries to limit his work to three full days per week. That allows him to continue homeschooling his two sons, ages 11 and 8, while his wife, who is a nurse, works as an online case manager.

The family has now travelled to 37 states, but they return for several months a year to be with their extended families and to boondock on five acres of land they own in mountains outside of Albuquerque. When it gets too cold at 7800 feet elevation, they retreat down the mountain to a small campground where there is always mobile tech business to be had.

More than a year after becoming an entrepreneur, Charlie feels like he has the best of all worlds, saying, “I have the opportunity to travel, to make enough money to sustain my family, and to grow socially.”