This past year seemed to go by at lightning speed. I’ve been asked to share my favorite moment of 2022, but the truth is, I simply couldn’t do what I do without my team. So I want to share a few favorite moments from my team here at California RV Specialists.
For me, one of the highlights of my year was partnering with RVtravel.com. Specifically, getting involved with the weekly livestream, Talkin’ RV Tech. I have learned so much from Dave Solberg and Chuck Woodbury. It also gives me something else to work closely on with my wife, Ashley, who is often behind the scenes.
Without question, Ashley Simpson‘s favorite moment of 2022 was adding to our fur family. We adopted another Boston Terrier. Our dynamic duo, Arvie and Hitch, live a very good life. They live with us, sleep with us and work with us. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Our service manager (Zach Mortenson) and customer care agent (Christina Mortenson) share the same favorite moment of 2022, that being the birth of their son, John. The whole team, including our postman (who ultimately won the baby pool), were anticipating his birth, and this precious one made us wait a full nine days past his due date! John spends a few days a week bouncing and cooing in the office.
Terry Golding is one of our technicians and specializes in paint and bodywork. While Zach and Christina were anticipating the birth of their son, Terry was anticipating the birth of his grandson. Born just one day after John, Karter made his grand entrance! He has his grandpa wrapped right around his finger, just like it should be.
Outside of “Grandpa Duties,” Terry is the person on our team who camps the most! His most recent trip was in early December for his wife’s birthday. He enjoyed the beauty of the Marina Dunes RV Park in Monterey, CA.
Vannessa Carrillo joined our team in June of this year. New to the RV industry, she shared her excitement in learning something new every day. She is proud to now have a job with steady days and hours, something she struggled with obtaining in her prior work experience.
Just like Vannessa, Zach Medeiros (although we call him “LZ”) also joined the CALRV team this year. We hired him as a lot porter/shop helper. Throughout this year, he has been eager to learn more and continues to take on a bigger role—most notably his suspension work!
I often tease LZ about “gracing us with his presence,” because he always has a trip or event planned. He not only enjoyed a trip to Hawaii this year, but in August he entered the 2022 Hog August Bites rib cook-off with his cousin. They took home the “first place rookie team” award!
Our service advisor Sam Contreras didn’t skip a beat when sharing her favorite moment of 2022—and that is when we made the business decision to stop doing manufacturer’s warranties. “Obtaining authorization and waiting for parts made my job frustrating!” She especially enjoyed the day when I had to admit that I was wrong.
Fructuoso Contreras is our technician with the most experience. He has been on my payroll the longest and has ridden the RV wave with me since the early 2000s. When asked about his favorite moment, he shared two things—one being he was proud to be a part of the CALRV team. “After all these years, this has been the BEST team we’ve ever had.”
He also shared his care, concern and delight that our team made it through a Covid outbreak. The Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend, the CALRV team was reduced to less than half staff. Every few days, someone else would start experiencing symptoms and tested positive. It took multiple weeks, but we are back to full staff!
Dave Busch is one of our technicians and is a master carpenter. While I write this, Dave is living his favorite moment of 2022—and that is taking his grandson (Ryan) to Disneyland and spoiling him.
While his legal name is David Enos, we know him as Biggin’. Biggin’ specializes in hitches and flat-tow setups. When he’s not at work, he can be found spending time with his family or somewhere hunting. The highlight of 2022 was a trip to Arkansas, where he spent time with his family and friends. He enjoyed a lot of fishing, target practice and great food!
From all of us at California RV Specialists, we wish you a very happy and healthy new year! We look forward to sharing more about our work family and what we experience in 2023 with you!
More from Dustin
Read more of Dustin’s articles here.
Dustin owns and operates California RV Specialists, an independent RV repair shop located in Lodi, CA. He thrives on sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm of RV repair and maintenance with his team, customers, and virtual friends.
Be sure to check out his YouTube channel where he shares what’s going on in the shop and the product offerings in the store. Dustin is also very active on Facebook. Join his group, RV Repairs and Tips – What’s in the shop!
Dustin proudly operates the business alongside his wife, Ashley; but the true pair that run the show are their Boston Terriers, Arvie and Hitch.