Question What's wrong with this picture?

[MapNerd]

If you post an entry-level job, you can't require any experience. If you require experience, you need to pay more than entry-level pay.

I mean, it just doesn’t seem like rocket science to me. It’s simple supply and demand. When a supply is limited (in this case the supply is the labor pool of RV technicians), then the cost per unit increases, meaning you have to pay more for each worker.

As you increase wages, more people will be attracted to that job and supply will increase allowing you to stabilize wages or possibly reduce them through attrition.

$52k is nothing to sneeze at, but when demand for the product is at all time highs and the labor pool is thin, seems to me that if you want to keep your lines running maybe you should increase wages.

Doesn’t matter if you’re selling million dollar coaches or toothbrushes.

 

[sheridany]

Doesn’t matter if you’re selling million dollar coaches or toothbrushes.

Yes to a point. They still have to make a profit albeit sometimes a lot of profit to appease all the shareholders (institutional investors) desire to grow earnings per share every quarter. Every company will say they pay competitively in that local geography however they arrive at those numbers. At the end of the day, profit always wins.

 

[STANDERSON]

My starting salary the first year in the USN was $4400. That was per year. Everyone wants to start as CEO and not the person who sweeps the floors.

 

[Neal]

I think starting Google / Facebook salaries for software engineers are around 500-600K. Get a book and learn to code!

Self Warned:

 

[sheridany]

I think starting Google / Facebook salaries for software engineers are around 500-600K. Get a book and learn to code!

There is truth in that and the competition is fierce. There only so many talented data scientists or systems engineers available and the growth trajectory is like a rocket. Let’s not forget your fav. Amazon. You should see how many facilities they have in LV since I was here last time. Signs outside HIRING. 18.00/hr.

 

[J&JD]

I think starting Google / Facebook salaries for software engineers are around 500-600K. Get a book and learn to code!

Self Warned:

When our coach spent a month at Redding Freightliner in Northern California, several conversations with the service manager always ended with him bemoaning the lack of techs to work on the coach. Between Covid and the fact that no one seemed to want to work no matter if they increased compensation, he had no qualified techs to work on our coach. It took two weeks, AFTER THE PARTS ARRIVED, before our DEF head was replaced.
I believe compensation is really only a part of this nationwide problem.

 

[sanda]

Companies usually pay about 10% of what each employee brings in. $25 / hr with no experience, no college degree? That is a starting salary of $50,000/yr. People today don’t seem to understand starting pay ishoukd not be final pay. Hopefully, pay will increase with experience.

The people that don't understand starting pay are probably the same that say McDonalds should pay a 'livable' wage. Fast food was never expected to make a living at but rather for younger folks to make spending money while in school.

 

[RKins]

The people that don't understand starting pay are probably the same that say McDonalds should pay a 'livable' wage. Fast food was never expected to make a living at but rather for younger folks to make spending money while in school.

Yup, exploiting the young for profit. I never saw any marketing when I was a kid that sought out high school kids to work fast food. It was and still is a sham for a reason to pay poor salaries for good profits. Mcdonalds was in the news in the past couple days for record profits.

 

[bpaikman]

I was surprised to see the salaries for RV Techs. Seems quite low compared to other types of tech jobs.
Supply and demand.... and "You get what you pay for".

 

[Old Bubblehead]

Marathon has been around for a good while, I'm sure their seasoned hands make decent money. Skilled people vote with their feet, don't treat them right and they move on. Companies with stable work forces have hit the right formula with pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Entry level workers are a whole different ball game, OJT is expensive. You have to have a confirmed level of skill and knowledge prior to turning them loose on expensive coaches. Or you have horrendous warranty claims. Getting them in the door these days is tough.
Uncle Sam is the only one I have seen that can survive turning barely trained teenagers loose on billion dollar gear.

 

[Jireh Financial]

Several of the marine dealers we work with pay an additional commission to service people for billable hours. You turn in the billed hours and you get paid. Very simple concept and helps them keep good mechanics. Not sure if that has made it to RV dealers or not. Remember though, by the time you add health insurance, overtime ($25 at time & half is $37.50), workers comp and paid vacation, those numbers are not that bad FOR STARTING PAY. Also remember, the dealer is responsible for employee training costs, tools, facility insurance, heat, unemployment insurance, inventory costs and every other expense of running the business.
Ken

 

[Neal]

I realize, we all realize, entry level pay. We all know there is a problem in getting RV Techs. If you don't make jobs attractive you won't get the people. This is why tech companies have huge starting salaries, they want to find and hire the best, they learned this lesson. Sure, they could get a computer science major out of college and pay them 40-60K but they want to find talent. If the RV industry is going to solve the manpower problem then jobs have to be more attractive otherwise they'll sit home, eat bon bons and get paid by the government instead.

 

[sanda]

Yup, exploiting the young for profit. I never saw any marketing when I was a kid that sought out high school kids to work fast food. It was and still is a sham for a reason to pay poor salaries for good profits. Mcdonalds was in the news in the past couple days for record profits.

I never felt exploited when I worked fast food at 15 years old. I purchased my vehicles and had spending money. Would you rather our youth sit at home and play games? Do you complain now that this younger generation lacks the ambition to make a productive life for themselves? My 3 kids started working fast food and other menial jobs at 15 and learned nothing in life is free. Most of us had to start at the bottom and work up. As said before most now want to start at the top.

 

[RangeMaggotBob]

View attachment 10344

This is the picture that made my head spin. This is a new Newell under construction. This area is hidden by a large TV once done and is above the driver.

Look at how many ac outlets are there just for Ac to DC conversion.

I understand that there are a lot of components, and lots of demand. I also understand that it's a lot more organized than some areas of newmar.

What I don't understand is why aren't they using a power bus for DC off the 12v bank, and organized based on demand.

How do they expect the wall warts to behave when bouncing on America's highways?

Why does a $1M + coach have audio cables running parallel with AC power lines? Sure they can add a noise filter later, but why not eliminate the problem.

All of these questions are answered by post #1.

I don't know about isolating audio cables, and if everything is right etc, etc., but actually looks like a pretty clean installation to me.

 

[redbaron]

I don't know about isolating audio cables, and if everything is right etc, etc., but actually looks like a pretty clean installation to me.

I think the number of wall warts is really an issue for me. A DC power rail would eliminate all of them, and eliminate electrical noise too.

I know it will be hidden, and I know there is a blueprint. That blueprint is priceless....wish Newmar did it.