My RV Resource loves sharing details about our Featured VIP members and this week, we’re proud to spotlight Max Cook at Steadfast RV Service LLC.
Tell us a little about your situation while running your RV business.
For the most part my home base is in Middle Tennessee. My wife and I do travel to Florida every winter. We travel in a 2021 Jayco Seneca 37TS. We love Florida and the business has always been good. We also make other trips during the summer up north were its cooler. I would say we spend a good 6 months in our motorhome.
Do you live in an RV full-time?
We mainly snowbird in our 2021 Jayco Seneca 37TS. We love it and its perfect for us.
What inspired you to start your own RV business?
My wife and I had a five-year plan to start traveling when our boys went to college. I did some research and found there was a shortage for RV techs. So, I went to work at an RV dealer to learn the ins and outs and then started my training in Indiana.
What RV services or RV products do you offer?
I offer RV Inspections and pre-purchase RV consulting. I help clients find the right RV for them, teach them how to use it, maintain it and also go as far as teaching them how drive them.
I have done over 100 RV driving lessons, teaching new RVers how to back a fifth wheel or drive a big diesel pusher on the interstate.
I also do mobile RV repair. I have resources for parts just like the big box dealer and mainly focus on helping the full timers. They can’t just pack up and take their home to a dealer for a month.
I also install everything for RV towing. This includes all components for flat towing a vehicle to a hitch for a Fifth Wheel.
What is your background and how did you develop the skills to start your business?
I worked for 21 years with Coca-Cola and spent 12 of those years in the equipment Service Dept. I managed the Technicians that worked on the Coke equipment.
I then decided the corporate world was not for me, so I went to work at an RV Dealer as a service Tech. I can’t tell you how much I learned about troubleshooting while working there. I learned quickly and did very well. I received training directly from the OEMs. I eventually was trained by the RV Technical Institute and the NRVIA.
- NRVIA #2700
- Lippert Scout and Dealer
- Dometic Warranty Technician
- Formerly worked at a Jayco Dealer
- Factory Trained (LCI)(Dometic)(Aquahot)(Norcold)(Firefly)
What has been your business’s proudest moment?
I had a single traveling nurse I had done a pre-purchase RV inspection and taught her how to pull and back-up a fifth wheel. I worked with her for three days. She did great!
She then left Nashville for her next assignment that was 900 miles away. She called me in tears and said she had completed the trip and backed her RV into her spot.
She was so happy! Moments like that is why I do what I do.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I have two main challenges. One, is that I’m not the least expensive when it comes to RV Inspections. I set my fees based on my skill level, my experience and the product I produce. When the potential client talks with me, they usually understand the benefits of hiring a skilled inspector.
The second is that I get calls for RV service work and RV inspections and they need it done same-day or next-day. That’s really tough for me because I’m usually booked out two weeks but I really want to help everyone.
Describe your typical work day.
My day starts around 8am and I start doing service calls. I can complete three to four calls a day.
If I’m doing inspections, the day can be all over the board depending on the seller. I try to accommodate the best I can, while remembering that I’m working for my customer to provide an independent, unbiased RV inspection report.
Tell us something interesting/fun about your business.
I drive a cool little work van around and get complemented on it all the time. I have it stocked with common parts and I named it Casper LOL!
If you could go back to the beginning knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?
I would have bought a van in the beginning!
What’s your best advice for someone who wants to start his/her own RV business?
Go work for a dealer for a year. It will be tough but what you learn will be so valuable. I mentor three new techs who never worked at a dealer but attended the RVTI with me. They call me all the time with questions.
Any other comments or advice you'd like to share?
My goal is to keep everyone camping. Get a pre-purchase RV inspection. Protect your asset.
Glad to chat with you, Max!
To read more about Max at Steadfast RV Service LLC, click here to check out his company listing page.
You can also follow Max on Instagram and visit his website by clicking here.
If you’re an RV service provider, make sure you sign up for a company listing on My RV Resource, where we nurture a community of RVers and RV-related small business owners.
If you’re an RV enthusiast, become a member today so you can use advanced filters to find RV service providers all across the US (and even a few in Canada).
We’d also appreciate it if you would suggest companies that should be added to our directory and share reviews directly on the company’s listing pages. It’ll help everyone in the long run!
