Ouch!

Just got my camper back from Coleman Sales & Service, my local RV dealer that I send all my repairs to that I can't handle on my own.

The good news: The awning is fixed.

The bad news: It cost $411.25.

Both my awning springs had broken and needed to be replaced. I discovered the problem this weekend when, while washing the camper, the awning wouldn't unroll all the way. An Internet search alerted me to the potential problem, and the folks at Coleman Sales confirmed it.

I wasn't surprised. I had suspected one spring was broken nearly from the day we bought it. The left (non-ratcheting) side never did operate smoothly, and we always had to man-handle it to get it started. We made do with it for the past four years or so but our luck finally gave out this past weekend.

There's probably many people who will tell me I should have fixed this on my own. And perhaps they'd be right. I'm willing to try just about any repair when it comes to my camper, but this time for this one, I thought it best to leave it to the pros. I paid dearly for it, sure, but at least I have the peace of mind to know that the next time we're camping, my awning will work properly — both sides of it!

ADDENDUM: After learning that my father was charged less than $180 by Coleman Sales & Service to replace one broken spring last summer, I went to the store this morning to offer them a chance to make it right. I politely told them I felt I was overcharged based on the repair they did to my father's camper last summer. The same salesman said it was two different repairs, that it was a fair price and he had gone over everything with me when he provided me an estimate. I told him I had no basis for comparison when I agreed to the estimate, but now that I do I feel strongly that I was over-charged. He then offered to take $100 off the bill. I accepted that offer, and he reiterated that the original bill was a fair price. I said I appreciated that, and thanked him for taking $100 off the bill. The salesman was polite and seemed genuine in wanting me to be satisfied with the experience.