Findlay RV is known as the fix-it place

Findlay RV body shop Manager Rob Russell is a behind-the-scenes kind of guy who fixes things. From the simple fender bender to the full-blown, head-on accident with a giant deer, he has seen it all over the past 27 years.

Repairing the body of a motor home requires intense skill because the coaches, which are as long as 45 feet, require a special level of detail.

“A lot of the coaches involve Fiberglass repair, which is an art all into itself,” said the 47-year-old Russell, a native of Pueblo, Colo., who has lived in Las Vegas for 30 years.

“Being able to take such high-end, $500,000-plus coaches and make them like new again produces a great level of satisfaction,” he said.

Needless to say, Russell and his staff of 75 years of combined experience meet with people during some of their tougher times.

“We actually meet by accident, no pun intended,” Russell said.

“I pride myself on not only doing a thorough inspection, but also explaining to the customer how to make it right on the surface, while also concentrating on the inner structure and the features particular to motor homes,” he said.

“These coaches are like houses on wheels. No matter how old or condition of the coach, we have a set up to fabricate many obsolete parts. Being the area dealer for Fleetwood, Winnebago and many others, we also have the buying power and the ability to install the correct original equipment manufacturers parts for most recreational vehicles.”

One customer came in distraught over damaging his motor home by hitting a deer in Texas. Russell quickly made him a little more comfortable with the situation by consoling him with an interesting line.

“I told him the bad news was that the deer in Texas aren’t required to carry insurance, but the good news was that we were able to make his motor home perfect but we were unable to save the deer. The customer got a kick out of our humor.”

The time necessary to repair the motor home depends on the extent of the damage.

The Findlay RV body shop includes three 65-foot-long production bays along with a 16-by-55 foot paint booth.

“We shoot Fleetwood OEM (original equipment manufacturers) DuPont products which through time have been deemed to be the best product to apply to motor homes because of the expansion and contraction of many of the Fiberglass component,” Russell said. “We take pride in the work that we do as proven by our Grade A rating with all of the top RV insurance carriers.”

Russell has been a recreational vehicle industry association and recreational vehicle dealers association master certified RV technician for 20 years. He is also a DuPont certified painter.

Findlay RV is at 4530 Boulder Highway between U.S Highway 95 and Flamingo Road.

The dealership is headed by General Manager Reuben Figueroa. For more information, call 702-435-2500 or visit Findlay RV.com.