Performance, custom & powersports
Books and taxes for RV repair shops and mobile technicians.
Campsite service calls, manufacturer warranty work that pays out late, parts riding in the van, and mileage that swings with snowbird season. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
October made $13,000. The Forest River warranty payment for September's slide-out repair finally cleared, so I matched it back to that job instead of counting it as a fresh sale.
- Service call payoutMobile service calls
- Forest River warranty paymentWarranty reimbursements
- Cash deposit, campground callsMobile service calls
- Camping World parts orderParts and materials
- Fuel, service vanTravel and fuel
Why your books are different
A mobile RV repair business's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is service calls at campgrounds, warranty work billed to a manufacturer, parts stocked in the van, and travel costs that swing with the season. When the books do not know the difference, you cannot tell if a slow month is actually slow.
-
1
Manufacturer warranty payments land weeks after the site visit
A slide-out or appliance repair covered under a Forest River or Thor warranty gets billed to the manufacturer, and the payment often lands a month or more after the visit. Booked as income the day it arrives, it looks unrelated to the call it actually paid for.
What we doMatches warranty reimbursements back to the repair they cover, so the timing gap does not confuse a month's real numbers. -
2
Travel and mileage costs swing hard with the season
Chasing snowbirds south in the fall and RVers heading out in spring means fuel and mileage costs jump around all year. Compared to a flat monthly average, a heavy travel month looks like a bad one.
What we doKeeps travel and mileage in its own line so a high-mileage month reads as the season it is, not a cost overrun. -
3
Parts riding in the service van become invisible inventory
A stock of common fittings, seals, and small appliance parts kept in the van gets bought in bulk and used slowly. One restock order makes that month look expensive and the calm months after look too good.
What we doKeeps van stock and parts purchases in one steady line and tells you when a restock is the reason a month looks thin. -
4
Cash and check payments from campground calls go unrecorded
A repair done at a remote campsite sometimes gets paid in cash or a check handed over on the spot, with no card reader involved. If it never makes it to the bank statement clearly, that income is easy to lose track of.
What we doAsks about cash and check payments when a deposit does not match expected card activity, so no service call goes uncounted. -
5
A slide-out comeback is not free
When a repair does not hold and the same rig needs a second visit, the trip and the parts cost real time and fuel with no new invoice to show for it.
What we doFlags comeback visits separately so travel time and cash collected still tell you the truth about a job's real margin.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an RV repair business.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Mobile service callsOn-site repairs at campgrounds and storage lots, however they were paid.
- Shop repair jobsWork done at a home base bay, if you keep one.
- Warranty reimbursementsManufacturer payments for warranty repair work, matched to the visit.
- Appliance and slide-out repairsBigger jobs, kept apart from routine service calls.
Money out
- Travel and fuelMileage and fuel for the service van, tracked apart from other costs.
- Parts and materialsFittings, seals, and appliance parts from Camping World and manufacturer parts programs.
- Diagnostic and hand toolsEquipment carried in the van for common repairs.
- Van maintenance and insuranceUpkeep and coverage on the service vehicle itself.
- Marketing and lead feesGoogle ads, campground referrals, and RV forum listings.
- Card and financing feesWhat the processor kept before you got paid.
- Certification and training costsManufacturer and trade certification renewals.
What we watch for you
- Warranty reimbursement lag
How long it takes manufacturer payments to land after the visit. A widening gap changes how much cash you need on hand.
- Mileage as a share of costs
Fuel and travel against total spending. Shows whether a heavy travel month is normal for the season.
- Comeback rate
How often a repair needs a second visit. Rising numbers point to a parts or process issue.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things mobile RV techs ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
I match it back to the September visit it paid for, so the timing gap between doing the work and getting paid does not confuse your numbers.
At 76 cents a mile for the second half of 2026, that is real money. I keep travel and mileage in its own line so a heavy month like this reads as the season it is.
When I see a cash deposit that does not match your usual card activity, I ask what it was for. As long as it shows up in the bank, I will sort it.
The tax side
The tax side of a mobile RV repair business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and mileage. Warranty payments mismatched to the job, mileage undercounted, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vehicle mileageThe business mileage rate is 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents from July through December 2026. Every mile chasing a service call counts.
- Van and shop equipmentDiagnostic tools and van-mounted equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Parts inventory in the vanStock carried for repairs is inventory, not an expense the day it is bought. What actually got used during the month is what counts.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions RV repair shops and mobile RV technicians miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Vehicle mileage or actual expenses
- Diagnostic and hand tools
- Manufacturer certification renewals
- Van maintenance and tires
- Campground referral and directory fees
- Google local ads
- Phone and tablet for dispatch
- Uniforms with your logo
- Liability insurance
- Roadside assistance for the van
- Cell and data plan for remote sites
- Trade association dues
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
An RV repair business's year, kept every month.
Snowbird season pulls the work south in the fall and north in the spring. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, mileage totals from the year are reviewed, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring RV season changed the number more than expected.
- October
Before the snowbird rush
Before fall travel season fills the calendar, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for RV repair shops and mobile RV technicians. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions mobile RV techs ask first.
How does Gus handle warranty payments that land weeks after the repair?
He matches the reimbursement back to the visit it covers, even when it arrives a month or more later, so the timing gap does not confuse a month's numbers.
Can Gus track mileage across a season that swings between the north and south?
Yes. Travel and fuel get their own category, so a heavy-mileage month during snowbird season reads as the season it is, not an unexplained cost spike.
What if a customer pays me cash at a campground with no invoice?
When a deposit does not match your usual card activity, Gus asks what it was for. As long as it lands in your bank account, he will sort it into the right category.
Do I write off my van stock of parts when I buy it?
No. Parts held for repairs are inventory. What actually got used during the month is what counts, not what you restocked.
A repair I did comes back for a second visit. Does that change the books?
It does not change what you do, but Gus flags comeback visits separately so your travel time and cash collected still tell you the truth about that job.
My books are behind after a busy travel season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever