I don't know if I'm just unlucky but I seem unable to find professional what I call 'general' mechanics or engineers.
I can remember 20-30 years ago, if you went to my then VW mechanic (who'd worked on my 1968 12 Beetle for 15 years) he could not only carry out routine services and repairs but could tackle just about anything that needed doing. His training (which he explained including fitting and turning) allowed him to understand almost anything mechanical and could see how to fix things.
Over time, I became friendly with him and when you went to his home you could see all the work in progress. He only had to look at the problem and he'd figure out what the problem was and how to fix it.
Now we have a motorhome which is essentially a motor vehicle with a living space mounted on it. It is out of warranty now but even when it was under warranty, when there were problems (and there were a few) when the van was being looked at, the 'mechanic' would shake his head and say things like "nah-you need a new grundelwurp and they don't make them anymore....can't help you."
A case in point is the motorhome specialist charged with fixing my non-functioning habitation door lock. After he'd had the van for two days, I rang for a progress report. "Your actuator motor is knocked mate-I've got on order £380 plus fitting." After nearly three months waiting for the part (from Bailey) with no joy, I took the van back. I then found that the actuator motor was not only fine (there had been snapped wires where they entered the door) but that a replacement (a two wire actuator motor) was £4.98 from e*bay delivery the next day.
I still need to have the wires joined for a long term solution but have found,after enquiry, no one who takes on thIs kind of mechanical repair. My old mate is now retired and very ill so he's not available. I went through the yellow pages and rang listed: coach builders, fabricators, light engineers, mechanics, auto-electricians etc etc. Couldn't find one who was prepared to have a look at the problem and suggest solutions. I don't have enough confidence in my own skills to undertake the repair but I do know that there must be loads,of people like my old mate. They just don't seem to work anymore.
Hey ho. Rant over. As the ventilator shortage in the UK suggests, we're not the manufacturers we used to be. I fear that skill base is just disappearing.
I can remember 20-30 years ago, if you went to my then VW mechanic (who'd worked on my 1968 12 Beetle for 15 years) he could not only carry out routine services and repairs but could tackle just about anything that needed doing. His training (which he explained including fitting and turning) allowed him to understand almost anything mechanical and could see how to fix things.
Over time, I became friendly with him and when you went to his home you could see all the work in progress. He only had to look at the problem and he'd figure out what the problem was and how to fix it.
Now we have a motorhome which is essentially a motor vehicle with a living space mounted on it. It is out of warranty now but even when it was under warranty, when there were problems (and there were a few) when the van was being looked at, the 'mechanic' would shake his head and say things like "nah-you need a new grundelwurp and they don't make them anymore....can't help you."
A case in point is the motorhome specialist charged with fixing my non-functioning habitation door lock. After he'd had the van for two days, I rang for a progress report. "Your actuator motor is knocked mate-I've got on order £380 plus fitting." After nearly three months waiting for the part (from Bailey) with no joy, I took the van back. I then found that the actuator motor was not only fine (there had been snapped wires where they entered the door) but that a replacement (a two wire actuator motor) was £4.98 from e*bay delivery the next day.
I still need to have the wires joined for a long term solution but have found,after enquiry, no one who takes on thIs kind of mechanical repair. My old mate is now retired and very ill so he's not available. I went through the yellow pages and rang listed: coach builders, fabricators, light engineers, mechanics, auto-electricians etc etc. Couldn't find one who was prepared to have a look at the problem and suggest solutions. I don't have enough confidence in my own skills to undertake the repair but I do know that there must be loads,of people like my old mate. They just don't seem to work anymore.
Hey ho. Rant over. As the ventilator shortage in the UK suggests, we're not the manufacturers we used to be. I fear that skill base is just disappearing.
