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  1. #1
    Big Traveler
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    Price to install Roadmaster on 351M?

    Looking at the Roadmaster and asked my dealer for a quote on install, including the parts, over 1000 bucks. The parts are about 450 or so. That seems really high to me, but wanted to see what others think. It's basically a bolt on install from the way I read it, drill 16 holes into the frame and detach/reattach the ubolts on the axles. 600 bucks for that? Seems a bit much, but maybe I'm missing something or it's a really nasty install? It's hard, I have a shop at the house, every tool known to man, and it's really hard to pay for something I know I could do myself, even if I really don't want to crawl under the trailer for hours on end. Call me cheap, I probably deserve it.

  2. #2
    Rolling Along cfowler55's Avatar
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    I’m guessing you are referring to the Roadmaster shock kit? If so , figure about an hour per wheel , if you have good sharp drill bits. My dealer charges $150 an hour. It’s always cheaper to do it yourself , but drilling while flat on your back is no fun. That’s what you have to decide.
    Charlie
    Vickie & Charlie
    2019 310GK-R
    2020 RAM Longhorn DRW Cummins /Aisin

  3. #3
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by cfowler55 View Post
    I’m guessing you are referring to the Roadmaster shock kit? If so , figure about an hour per wheel , if you have good sharp drill bits. My dealer charges $150 an hour. It’s always cheaper to do it yourself , but drilling while flat on your back is no fun. That’s what you have to decide.
    Charlie
    Phew! (150/hr!). Yes, that's the system that I'm talking about. And yeah, not fun to drill/work from that position, I do it (seemingly) all the time on my other machinery, so I'm used to it, but still, agreed, not fun. I'm sure it'll take me >1HR per wheel to get it done (at least averaged out, I'm sure the first wheel will take some real thinking/looking at it), but, even if takes 6 hrs, that's "paying myself" 100/hr to work on it.

    You know, an aside, but prices like this are one of the reasons I struggle to have my equipment worked on (and this is everything, RV, trailers, truck/cars, motorcycles, etc). At 150/hr, I expect A++ level service. I work in consulting, and if hire someone that we bill out at 150/hr, that person is going to be in the 125-150K/yr range for salary typically, and often times (assuming we're not talking about doctors or other professions that require 10+ years of training) be at the very top of their field. A 150/hr consultant is pretty "up there" in most areas (again, excepting legal and medical).

    And then, no offense intended here, you walk into your RV shop (or auto service center) and you chat with the "mechanic" who, in many cases, is, well, less than knowledgeable. And you look over the work they do and are distinctly less than impressed. You want to charge 150/hr, OK, I get that, but you need to have the people on the other side of it who "wow" you with their skills. The thing that bugs me, I guess, is the gap between what they are paying the mechanics (50K/yr?) and what they are billing them out at (assuming 2000 hours a year billable, ~300K/yr). That gap is way out of line for my business, if we pay someone 100K and bill them at 300K/yr, that's way "over" what we expect. We generally shoot for a 2-1 ratio, pay 100K, bill 200K on an employee. Where, if my numbers are right for mechanic pay, the RV dealer is looking for about a 6-1 return, pay 50K, bill at 300K. Good work if you can get it, that's for sure. And let's not forget, mechanics aren't typically consultants, they also sell/consume parts, which also have a markup on them.

  4. #4
    Site Sponsor JCR GD's Avatar
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    I did mine. A little over 1 hr. per wheel. The key is sharp long drill bits for easy reach. If you're handy it will be no problem for you.
    Jim (& Sharon)
    2015 GD Momentum 385TH - SOLD
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  5. #5
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by JCR GD View Post
    I did mine. A little over 1 hr. per wheel. The key is sharp long drill bits for easy reach. If you're handy it will be no problem for you.
    Thanks, I'm going to take a shot at it myself, that price is just too high. Come on, you can do it, for the first time, at home, in 4hrs and a shop wants 600 dollars for it (and can almost certainly do it in 1/2 the time with every tool imaginable right there). That's just too much/high.

    Now, the next question. You happy with them? Seem to make a difference? Our roads in SC are awful, which is a big part of the drive for me to do this, so I'm hoping it makes an appreciable difference.

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor JCR GD's Avatar
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    In my case they work great and very happy with them!

    When I would hit a bump the back end would start bouncing like a diving board and it seemed like forever before it stopped. It was especially noticeable with my Fiat in the back (2600lbs.) Now after a bump the bouncing settles right down. A friend following us one time even commented that our trailer quit bouncing immediately after a bump while his continued to bounce "all over the road."

    So for a TH with a heavy load definitely noticeable, lighter trailer with no load at back, maybe not so much but I'm sure better than without.
    Jim (& Sharon)
    2015 GD Momentum 385TH - SOLD
    For Sale - 2015 Ford F-350 DRW 4x4 Lariat w/ AirLift bags, Titan 65 gal. OEM replacement fuel tank.
    The toy:
    2017 RZR XP 1000 EPS SE

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper
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    I installed them myself on my triple axle Momentum. It took about an hour per wheel. The key for me was using fresh Carbon Steel drill bits. Everything else struggled to go through the frame. The rest was truly bolt on and straightforward.

    I am very happy with the results. I can feel a significant improvement in the towing from the drivers seat. Between this upgrade and going to the CRE3000 I am much happier with the towing.

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