The National RV Training Academy has opened enrollment for the next five-week training series to prepare people to become certified RV technicians.
The next class begins April 6 in Athens, Texas, and concludes May 7 at which time students will be eligible to take a test to attain NRVTA RV technician certification.
The series kicks off with the one-week RV basic maintenance training course, during which students become acquainted with RV electrical, propane and water systems, as well as the tools needed to fix 80 percent of the problems most RVers encounter, according to NRVTA.
That course is followed by a one-week advance training class that focuses on RV air conditioners and heat pumps. It includes four-days of classroom instruction plus hands-on experience working on a variety of components made by Dometic and Coleman.
The next series is exclusively dedicated to RV absorption refrigerators and the propane and electrical circuitry of Dometic and Norcold equipment. Students learn to troubleshoot 12-volt DC and 120-volt AC test points, as well as to remove and replace a cooling coil.
The fourth series focuses on water heaters and furnaces during four, 10-hour days of classroom and hands-on lab instruction. Training addresses Suburban, Dometic and Atwood components and how to diagnose, repair or replace thermostats and ignition systems.
The final week is dedicated to RV exterior systems, which includes special attention on hydraulic slide-outs and leveling systems plus RV sidewalls and roofing material. The session involves four, 10-hour days of classroom instruction plus a variety of hands-on lab work exploring common issues with the above systems as well as RV tires, suspensions and axles.
After the first week of training, students can take a test to become an NRVTA registered RV technician. Upon completion of all five weeks, students can take a proprietary test to earn their NRVTA RV service technician certification, which qualifies the graduate to work at any RV dealership or operate their own business as a mobile RV technician.
“We have been training RV technicians for 10 years and have the course material down to a science,” said NRVTA President Terry Cooper. “Our focus is to support dealership service techs and entrepreneurs who desire to run a successful mobile repair business. … We accomplish in five weeks what other training organization do in two months or longer.”
The cost to complete the five-week session is $8,538 and includes five course exams and two certification exams. Coursebooks are included in the fee; however, students will need to supply their own tools, which may add up to $500 to the cost of training, depending upon what the student may already have in his or her toolbag.
Students can stay in their own RVs at the adjacent RV park or take advantage of on-site cabins and RV rentals. A variety of hotels are available within a few miles of the training center.
To maintain an ideal teacher-student ratio, enrollment is limited to 30 students in each class.
Three other five-week sessions are slated to take place in Athens May 25 to June 18, July 13 to Aug. 6, and Oct. 19 to Nov. 12
For more information and an enrollment application, visit www.nrvta.com.
