Info for RVers...

Hitch-It-Rite RV Service

12475 Dixie Highway
Holly, MI 48442

(248) 328-1280

Ed quickly determined it was a failure of the circuit board that was installed as part of the last Norcold recall repair work I had done in February.

I really appreciated how Ed patiently explained to me in layman terms what happened with the refrigerator this time and the overall issue with this recall. Due to some refrigerators that overheated to the extent of causing fires within RVs, Norcold developed a high temperature sensor kit that sensed if there was overheating, would shut the power down to let it cool off to the correct temperature, then the power should come back on. Apparently, the circuit board in my kit failed and needed to be replaced and was sent back to Norcold for diagnosis.

Ed explained that Norcold does not supply their service techs with these parts to be kept in stock. So whenever one fails, it takes 3-5 days to get the parts delivered. I would not have been a happy camper for that long without a refrigerator, but Ed was able to make it work basically the way it did before the sensor was installed. He installed a 15 amp fuse that allowed power back to the original circuit to operate the refrigerator, and the fuse would have broken the circuit before starting a fire if it had overheated during that time. (I just wrote down what he said here, not that I understand what it all means - I was just glad he was able to fix it temporarily until the main fix was done.)

So I was impressed enough with his knowledge and customer care attitude as he also was checking on what parts might be needed to fix the Kwikee electric steps that had also decided to quit working at this same time. When one of my outings took me past his shop, I stopped in to check it out and meet Cindy, who I'd been speaking to by phone about the timing of the parts arrival and when the final repairs would be done. She had been so nice and friendly, I wanted to meet and thank her as well.

Ed has experience in sales and service of RVs since 1984 and can repair all types on trailers and motorhomes. Besides being a certified Norcold repair technician, he is also certified by Dometic.

I always appreciate a certified service that will come out to your site instead of me having to go to all the time and trouble to bring it in, so this was a big plus to me. But if you do need to bring your RV in and have to stay overight, they have a spot for you on their lot with 30 amp electric and water hookups. You can also have your motorhome propane tank filled or refill your portable propane tanks here.

Don't have your own RV at the moment? Ed has travel trailers and motorhomes available for rental and he'll even deliver to help you get set up as well as pick it up when you're through with your trip. If you're ready to buy or sell, he has a consignment lot and/or a place to store your RV.

By the time the Norcold part came in, Ed had found a used circuit board for the Kwikee steps he wanted to try out before I spent hundreds on a new one or went so far as to replace the steps.

I had decided those stairs were possessed. Starting in 2010 I had problems with them extending while I was on the road. After that was fixed all was fine for a while, but then they would be temperamental and not extend at all sometimes. This would happen for no particular reason that I could tell. If I was on level ground where it would be no problem, they would work. If that side was hiked up to where I had to jump to the ground, that's when they'd decide not to extend. First repair place said it was a fuse, and it worked for a while after that. The next time it stopped working, I was on my way to SC for a month and figured I'd get it fixed there. But by the time I got there, they were working again. When I got here, once again, they stopped cooperating at a very inconvenient time.

After Ed installed the used circuit board (i.e., control unit or control board), it still didn't work and he couldn't understand why since he could see there was now power from the board to the motor. So he used the oldest repair trick in the book - he "tapped" the motor with a hammer and that "coaxed" it to work! He thinks maybe the brushes were stuck in closed position and the tapping freed them enough to allow the steps to work. He cautioned me that I may have to replace the motor at some point, but at least it's working for now and I'm going to just be thankful for that, and that I found another angel repairman like Ed, and pray that my good luck continues around Michigan...