RV systems fail in patterns, and most of the parts thrown at them are unnecessary. A refrigerator that stopped cooling is usually not a bad cooling unit, and a generator that cranks but will not fire is usually fuel delivery. We diagnose at $285 per hour, credited against the repair.
What this covers
An RV carries three electrical systems, two water systems, an LP system, and a set of appliances that run on more than one of them. When something stops working, the fault is often one system upstream of the symptom.
That is why we charge for diagnosis and credit it back. An hour spent finding the actual fault saves replacing two or three parts that were never broken.
The work in this category
Each of these is its own repair with its own failure modes, its own parts, and its own price band. Follow any one of them for the detail, or call (714) 909-1444 and describe what the vehicle is doing.
12 volt electrical systems: House side DC faults, parasitic draw, grounding, and distribution panel work.
120 volt electrical systems: Shore power, transfer switches, breaker panels, and receptacle circuits.
Battery and charging system repair: AGM and LiFePO4 banks, converters, and charge profile faults that cook batteries.
Solar panel installation and repair: Rigid and flexible arrays with MPPT controllers, sized to the actual load.
Inverter and converter repair: Magnum, Xantrex, Victron, Progressive Dynamics, and WFCO units.
Wiring and fuse box repair: Chafed harnesses, rodent damage, corroded grounds, and panel rework.
Generator maintenance: Scheduled service on Onan and Cummins units, including the parts that get skipped.
Generator repair and overhaul: No start, no output, and load faults traced properly before parts go on.
Generator installation: New unit installation including mount, exhaust, and fuel pickup.
Fresh water system repair: Pumps, lines, fittings, and the pressure faults that split them.
Black and gray tank repair: Cracked tanks, failed valves, sensor faults, and macerator pumps.
Water heater repair and replacement: Suburban, Atwood, Truma, and AquaHot units.
Toilet, sink, and shower repair: Fixtures, seals, pans, and the floor underneath when it has been leaking.
Pump and valve repair: Fresh water pumps, check valves, and winterizing bypass assemblies.
Refrigerator repair: Dometic, Norcold, Furrion, and residential units in absorption or compressor configurations.
Stove, oven, and cooktop repair: LP appliance service including regulator and orifice work.
Microwave repair: Replacement and the cabinet and circuit work that goes with it.
Air conditioner repair and service: Coleman, Dometic, and Furrion rooftop units, hard start and soft start installs.
Furnace and heating system repair: Suburban and Atwood furnaces, hydronic systems, and duct faults.
Why owners bring this work to us
We diagnose before we quote parts. RV systems fault in ways that mimic each other, and the cheapest possible repair is the one where we replace the part that actually failed.
We hold the LP certification the work requires. Gas system service and leak repair is done by a certified technician, because it is the one system on the vehicle where a shortcut can burn the coach down.
We keep systems work under the same roof as the body work. Water intrusion damages wiring and appliances, and splitting a claim between a body shop and a systems shop is how owners end up with an uncovered gap in the middle.
What it costs and how we quote it
Our labor rates are posted publicly: $210 per hour for body and paint, $260 for mechanical and electrical, $285 for diagnostics with a one hour minimum, and $95 for detail. Paint supplies bill at $55 per paint hour and body supplies at $5 per body hour, both calculated automatically on every estimate.
Almost no shop in Orange County publishes an hourly rate. We do, because it is the fastest way to prove an estimate is honest. If you know the rate and you know the hours, you can audit every line we write. A shop that will not tell you its rate is asking you to trust a number you have no way to check.
Where your specific job lands inside a published range is decided at teardown rather than over the phone. On these vehicles the visible damage is consistently smaller than the actual damage, which is why we photograph what is behind the panel and submit it as a documented supplement before proceeding.
Working with your insurance carrier
We bill every major carrier direct, so you cover your deductible and nothing else up front. On a repair that runs into five figures that is not a convenience, it decides whether the repair happens at all.
Under California Insurance Code section 758.5 your insurer cannot require you to use a particular shop. They may recommend one, and they have to tell you the choice is yours. That protection matters more here than on a car, because the pool of shops that can physically handle this work is small and a network shop with no relevant experience will underwrite the claim on the wrong assumptions.
Serving Buena Park and the surrounding Orange County cities
We are at 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, about 13 miles and 20 minutes from Buena Park by way of the 91 and the 5. The shop runs 35,000 square feet under one roof, which is what lets us keep collision, structural, paint, interior, and systems work in house instead of subletting pieces of your repair to three other vendors.
All work is performed in shop. We do not run route service. A written estimate is $150, credited against the repair when you authorize it.
What this work typically costs
Real ranges from our posted catalog, not a marketing number. The spread is wide because the scope is wide, and where your job falls is determined at teardown rather than guessed at over the phone.
| Work | Typical range | Shop hours |
|---|---|---|
| House battery replacement, AGM, lithium, LiFePO4 | $500 to $5,500 | 2 to 10 |
| Inverter and charger replacement | $750 to $4,500 | 3 to 14 |
| Generator service and repair | $400 to $8,500 plus | 2 to 35 |
| Solar panel installation, rigid or flexible with MPPT | $1,500 to $12,000 plus | 8 to 40 |
| 12V and 110V electrical diagnostics and repair | $285 to $5,000 plus | 1 to 20 |
| Water heater service | $350 to $4,500 | 1 to 18 |
| AC replacement, hard start or soft start install | $750 to $4,500 | 2 to 14 |
| Refrigerator service | $400 to $4,500 | 1 to 18 |
| Fresh water plumbing service and repair | $285 to $4,500 | 1 to 18 |
| Black and gray tank repair and replacement | $750 to $8,500 | 5 to 35 |
Sales tax of 7.75 percent applies to parts and materials. Labor is not taxed. See the full posted rate card.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my RV refrigerator stop cooling?
On an absorption fridge the most common cause is running it out of level, which lets the ammonia solution crystallize and blocks circulation. Other frequent causes are a blocked flue, a weak LP regulator, a failed control board, or a 12 volt supply that has dropped low enough to shut the board down.
My generator cranks but will not start. What is wrong?
Usually fuel delivery. On a coach with a shared tank the generator pickup tube sits higher than the engine pickup, so it starves at roughly a quarter tank while the dash gauge still shows fuel. After that, the common causes are a stuck fuel solenoid, a failed pump, or a control board that is not seeing the start signal.
How much does RV electrical diagnosis cost?
Diagnostics run $285 per hour with a one hour minimum, and the diagnostic time is credited against the repair once you authorize it. Most house side faults are isolated inside the first hour. Intermittent faults and rodent damage in a harness take longer because they have to be traced physically.
Do you work directly with my insurance company?
Yes. We bill every major carrier direct, including Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, AAA SoCal, Mercury, Allstate, Wawanesa, National General, Foremost, Liberty Mutual, Good Sam, and The Hartford. We write the estimate, photograph the damage, submit supplements when hidden damage turns up, and deal with the adjuster so you do not have to.
What does an estimate cost?
A written estimate is $150 and it is credited back against the repair once you authorize the work. An in depth diagnostic is $285 for the first hour and is credited the same way. We charge for estimates because a proper one takes real shop time, and that keeps our schedule filled with actual repairs.
Do you come out to Buena Park, or does the vehicle need to come to you?
The vehicle comes to us. Everything happens in shop at 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887, about 13 miles from Buena Park on the 91 and the 5. We do not run route service. Frame work, structural repair, and refinishing need the equipment and the booth, and nobody can do that job correctly in a parking lot.
What are your posted labor rates?
Body and paint is $210 per hour, mechanical and electrical is $260 per hour, diagnostics and programming is $285 per hour with a one hour minimum, and detail is $95 per hour. Paint supplies bill at $55 per paint hour and body supplies at $5 per body hour. Sales tax of 7.75 percent applies to parts and materials. Labor is not taxed.
Last reviewed by the OCRV Center shop team.