Vacation driving checks
From A to Ziegler Based on its size, an RV needs extra care By Bob Ulrich
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riving 4,000 miles to the Grand Canyon and back in a 30-foot RV has the makings of a memorable trip. Karen Bethel wanted to make sure the memories were good ones. So she took her vehicle in for service, first to the recreational vehicle dealership to fix the roof and change the oil. “That’s when they told me the tires needed to be replaced because of dry rot, which I understand is common for
motor homes when you are not using them eight or nine months a year,” she said. The RV dealership checks and adjusts air pressure as part of its service, but doesn’t sell tires. Bethel called a Ziegler Tire dealership in nearby Canton, Ohio, for help. The combination retail-commercial dealership had two 53-foot bays and an alignment pit designed for large vehicles. She decided to take the vehicle in for tires after talking with Retail Service Manager Scott Schwab. “He just explained what happens to the tires and the different tires available to me,” she said. “And he was very nice when I showed up.” According to a recent automotive service satisfaction survey by “Consumer Reports,” 30% of the female respondents who had stopped using a repair shop said they felt the staff tried to take advantage of them because of their gender. Bethel said just the opposite about the Ziegler Tire staff.
“The store was located right off the highway, so it was easy to get there,” says Karen Bethel, who drove her 30-foot, Class C motor home to Ziegler Tire’s retail and commercial dealership in Canton, Ohio.
Bethel (left), says one of the reasons she brought her RV to Ziegler Tire was the phone etiquette of Scott Schwab (right), the retail service manager. “He explained everything to me.”
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Because the back half of an RV is heavier than the front half, Ren Kamph (pictured) needed the extra lifting capacity of bottle jacks to replace the rear tires.
MTD May 2012 5/11/12 11:52 AM
