Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete Sullivan.
Hi Pete, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Pete Sullivan, I own and operate RV on Call, LLC, which is a mobile RV service company based in Durham, North Carolina.
RV on Call opened for business in 2022, at which time I was performing scattered service appointments on my own, mainly based around Durham. I now work with a partner who is based near Raleigh, and we are able to serve customers across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and surrounding central North Carolina counties.
My entry into a mobile RV service business did not follow the traditional pathway. My background is not in the building or automotive trades, and I have never been a particularly entrepreneurial person.
My full-time work background is in urban planning and IT. Although that experience is far removed from RV repair and maintenance, the skills I gained in customer service, communications, business administration, and technology have served the business well.
So how did I come into this line of work? Well, I enjoy new challenges, so the idea of a side business always appealed to me, though I was never sure what the right niche would be.
Then in 2020, two major events occurred – one personal, one global – which gave me the nudge I needed.
First, there was COVID. While the pandemic and local stay-at-home orders were in full swing, my family finally realized a long time dream of owning a travel trailer. My family is originally from Seattle, Washington, where tent camping and outdoor adventures were a regular part of our lives.
During peak COVID, with social distancing in full effect, our Winnebago travel trailer “Irma” saw many fun adventures with friends and family, mostly shorter trips around North Carolina and always near the water. My son was also at just the right age to still want to go camping with his parents 🙂
During that RV Honeymoon period I immersed myself in all things RV – maintaining them, understanding how they are built, and following all the social media #RVLife influencers sharing their stories of life on the road.
My wife and I laugh about how we naively thought an RV would make camping easier…..Lol, no! RVing creates more work, but it’s certainly more comfortable.
Interestingly, a lot of other people also became first-time RVers during COVID, which had a profound impact on the RV industry and became the other force leading me to RV on Call.
During COVID, the overall demand for new RVs surged, with many other first-timers like us craving a new pandemic outlet.
That spike in new interest caused many RV dealers to run short on inventory. In turn, manufacturers saw the green light on sales and quickly ramped up production and cranked out units much faster than usual.
Unfortunately this COVID production fast-track led to many RVs being rushed to dealers without thorough pre-delivery inspections.
RVs are like rattling homes on wheels, which already puts strain on components and hardware. When manufacturers cut corners the effects are felt more acutely and systems break down faster.
This exact scenario unfolded on a large scale during COVID, with many disappointed first-time RVers dragging their rigs right back to the dealership for warranty repairs.
Only there was a second problem – no one could get the repairs done!
Another global event that played out during COVID was an extended series of supply chain delays for all types of imported goods, particularly auto and RV. Some might recall the images of container ships sitting outside of ports that couldn’t unload due to clogged terminals and shortages of dock workers and truck drivers.
Warranty repairs are complex by nature because multiple parties need to get involved at several points in the repair journey. Then the COVID situation broke the system. When demand for repairs spiked, and the availability of replacement parts went dry, the average wait times for a complete RV Repair Event Life Cycle ballooned to 8-12 weeks.
This caused everyone in the RV industry to look for better RV repair options with fewer pain points, particularly mobile RV repair. And that’s when it clicked for me.
I thought, “I know how to build and promote a website and have a lot of customer service experience….there’s a huge unmet demand for mobile RV service in our area….why don’t I get trained and certified and see where this goes?” Several of the major training and certification programs for RV technicians shifted to online format during COVID, so I was able to complete a program remotely with the RV Technical Institute (RVTI), and formally created RV on Call in 2022.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
RV on Call is a second job, so of course finding the time on nights and weekends to create and market the business, and deliver good customer service – all while still making time for myself and my family – was the main balancing act.
When RV on Call initially opened in 2022, I was performing all of the service work on top of the business administration. I had very limited openings on nights and weekends where I could schedule service appointments. It soon became clear that my own lack of scheduling flexibility was too limiting to customers, who often needed service faster or at different times.
My initial intention was to only take on a small number of jobs and grow steadily over time, but right away I had more work than I could handle. This is usually a good business problem to have, but ultimately I was turning too many customers away to other mobile technicians in the area.
I’m sure my competitors liked the referrals, but I started to worry RV on Call’s reputation would suffer.
So I posted a job opportunity and was lucky enough to find a really great partner. That allowed me to focus on the business and marketing side, while he focused on scheduling, parts ordering, and service fulfillment.
This arrangement came at just the right time. It helped overcome the initial business growing pains and allowed RV on Call to be much more responsive to customers in terms of communication and service scheduling. That evolution was a big win because speed and predictability are two main aspects customers are seeking when they opt for a mobile RV service provider versus a traditional repair facility.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
RV on Call offers a full range of mobile RV services for towable and motorized units, including maintenance, repair, installations, inspections, consultation, and cleaning.
I think what sets us apart from other mobile service providers is our quality of online presence.
We know most of our customers find us through Google Search and Google Maps, which tends to be the main way people look up service providers. And so the website is a key tool for telling the business’s story. We include a company profile, blog, and an extensive FAQ, and also offer premium digital products for a small fee. Our site is also optimized for mobile devices, which over half of our customers use when doing an initial RV service provider search.
When a service appointment is booked, we arrive exactly when agreed upon (not a vague window of time), and will call or text in advance if the time changes. We also send formal written quotes, invoices, Terms of Service, and automatic appointment reminders, and can take credit card payments online and in-person.
These features might not sound super fancy in 2026, but many small shops don’t want to bother with the time or expense of setting up modern business systems. I can see why it is tempting for a small business owner to forgo investment in business tools for the sake of limiting overhead costs. But doing so usually ends up undermining their ability to fully leverage the clarity and convenience factor that customers hope to get when dealing with a small business versus a large corporation.
Clear communication is one aspect where we consistently receive positive feedback on our Google Business Profile reviews, and this has led to many repeat customers.
Our quality of communication is something I am proud of, and this where all mobile RV technicians can offer a premium experience over a traditional RV service center.
For example, when you take your car to a large dealership for repairs, you often face long wait times, then get bounced around to different team members each time you call for updates. And you’re usually one or two steps removed from the person performing the actual repairs. This compartmentalization of roles might make sense from the business’ standpoint, but it often feels bureaucratic for the customer.
Small businesses like RV on Call are easily reachable, we provide clear and direct information, and we will proactively communicate with customers throughout the service journey. And of course, we make house calls, saving customers the hassle of dragging their rig back and forth from the dealership. We do charge a small fee to cover travel expenses, but many customers are willing to pay a little extra for the added speed, clarity, and convenience.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
RV on Call is a secondary job, so success for me means keeping the work interesting, low stress, and reasonably profitable.
Thankfully the business software behind RV on Call has allowed automation of many tedious aspects of business administration. That helps ensure my time is spent solving more important marketing or customer service matters.
Designing an efficient and high quality service and communication workflow – and forming meaningful relationships with customers – is something my background in customer service, communications, and IT really helped with. RV on Call was recognized for these efforts in several ways.
In 2022-23 RV on Call received the Southern States Business Award for Best Mobile RV Repair Company. This included a mention in RV Pro Magazine, a major trade publication. Then in February, 2024, RV on Call became the first mobile RV service provider in the US to receive the Unity Blaze certification with Black Folks Camp Too, which is an advocacy group that promotes inclusivity within the outdoor recreation industry. After completing training business display the “Unity Blaze” campfire symbol, which is a pledge to make all customers feel invited and welcomed, regardless of their race, age, gender or abilities. RV News, which is another major trade publication, featured a story on this in March 2024.
These efforts also caught the attention of one of the two major RV technician training programs, and in 2024 I was invited to speak at the annual conference for the National RV Inspectors Associated (NRVIA) and RV Technicians Association of America (RVTAA) in Athens, Texas. The title of my presentation was, Data, Deadlines & Diagnostics: Streamline Your Mobile RV Business Workflow and Win More Jobs.
This invitation was an honor, but also intimidating, as many of the conference attendees had much deeper knowledge than me in relation to RV systems and repair techniques.
My topic focused on business tools, workflow decisions, and customer communication – practical advice for a solo business owner trying to juggle marketing, customer care, admin, and service work. I’m always interested to know how other folks are striking this balance, and the discussion after my presentation was really interesting. The business operations challenges I highlight are universal no matter one’s age, location, or area of specialty.
Going forward, I’m thinking long-term and hoping this is something I can continue into retirement. I am confident the future will remain bright for RVing. Gas prices are a big question right now, but manufacturers are continuing to explore hybrid and electric solutions. And if airline travel prices go sky high due to rising aviation fuel costs, that might push more people into domestic travel options like RVing. Camping and outdoor recreation remains really strong, despite (in spite of?) our increasingly online life.
There are many things I have changed along the way, I’ve tried offering some services that either weren’t sustainable or didn’t sell well. It’s funny, as a solo business person you have very few people to bounce around ideas with. Sometimes you have to just need to put it out there and see what happens. My family has been very supportive and gives all kinds of ideas and useful feedback.
So, I will continue tweaking the business and zeroing in on the niche(s) we can be most effective in. RV on Call will continue doing the service work to meet the demand, but I’m also working on a new online store for RV clothing, gear, and gifts. It might not be as practical as RV repair, but you know what? People LOVE useful campsite gadgets and adding personal flare to their rigs. I enjoy doing a little design work, and I’m always looking around at campgrounds to see what people are displaying to show pride in their home-on-wheels and the nomadic lifestyle.
It has been an enjoyable journey, thank you for allowing me to discuss RV on Call!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rvoncall.com/post/mobile-rv-service-contractor
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rvoncall/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/RV-on-Call/100089654667977/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2fPhP8m8RPUfC0bXlaPoRw
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/uju246PKcZkD5a02MtoEIg
- Other: 1) https://g.page/r/CQ64OARkqKxpEAE 2) https://rv-pro.com/news/rv-on-call-receives-north-carolina-business-award/ 3) https://www.rvnews.com/mobile-rv-service-earns-unity-blaze-certification/ 4) https://newworldreport.digital/winners/rv-on-call-2/
