My son worked as a dealer tech for a while and then in technical service for GM, I know that GM in particular has quite a few parts that require a review and further diagnostics before being released. If the tech opens a "parts bomb" and just throws parts at the issue it will come back to them and be charged. Its a very complex process with GM.

And my comment about my friends dealership is actually about 6 or 7 years old now. Things may have changed.

Another big problem is there are so many manufacturers of campers that these techs are always working on a different camper/platform. Some things I'm sure are the same but the procedures are probably different for each manufacturer so every time a customer brings a camper for warranty work they are always working on something different and it's hard for them to get fast (profitable) when they are always reading the procedure instead of turning wrenches. If you by a Ford and go to the Ford dealer they are always just working on Ford's (or GM's). You go by a camper and the dealers carry 20 different brands, models lengths, widths, options, axles and someone brings in a brand they don't sell just to get some work done and they want to run the other way.

Your comments on the GM dealer are spot on. And the parts may be returned to GM for inspection so SPO can make a deterimination if the diagnostic process is falling short and resulting in excessive parts swapping.. The trouble tree that GM techs follow as well as having engineering support generally keeps them from gravitating to parts changing. In rare cases, nothing works and those cars were shipped to us for study.
Changing a module is expensive and they rarely go bad as an example. Many times we would write in the procedure to not replace the module first but to complete the diagnostic in order. My friends son is a dealer tech and he makes money on some jobs and loses on others. The manufacturers really put the squeeze in how much time they alocate for a repair. If the repair is something like a recall where the tech performs a repetative task, he can make good money. A one off like an engine swap can take its toll on the tech. So can intermittant issues.

For RVs, their dealership simply does not have the training, expertise or education as most auto dealer techs have offered to them.

Jim

Sounds like the OP is talking about routine service work, not warranty work.

As far as getting a better per hour rate on work, how would the customer even know? Unscrupulous dealer could charge less per hour, and increase the repair time by an hour or two. who knows??