Locals say “chaz-a-WITS-ka,” and the name is often translated as “land of hanging pumpkins.” Chassahowitzka is not a town or a Census place, just a river village at the end of Miss Maggie Drive (CR-480), so there is no population count to quote. What it does have is a county boat ramp, a campground and a steady flow of trucks towing boats and campers. RDI Power has no shop here. Our only location is in Brooksville, about 18 road miles and 26 minutes from the middle of Chassahowitzka, and our mobile technicians come out when a truck cannot make that drive.
Chassahowitzka’s spring, refuge and county ramp
The Chassahowitzka River is spring-fed, and its first-magnitude spring rises at the campground. In September 2025, the Southwest Florida Water Management District returned the campground, boat ramp and parking area to Citrus County under a 40-year agreement, and the county runs camping, the boat launch, boat rentals and a camp store there. Privately owned cabins line the outer river before Buzzard Bay, and anglers come for seatrout, redfish and snook, with blue crab trapping on the side.
Downriver, the water opens toward Dog Island and the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, and the ramp is the community’s front door to all of it.
Where US-98 meets US-19 at Chassahowitzka
Chassahowitzka sits right on the route from our shop to the Gulf side of Citrus County. US-98 runs northwest out of Brooksville and joins US-19 here on its way north toward Perry. CR-480 starts at the river and runs east, crossing the Withlacoochee State Forest toward US-41. For a truck based or launching here, that means the drive to the shop is a straight shot: east on Miss Maggie Drive to the junction, then southeast on US-98 to Cobb Road.
Tow rigs and campers at the Chassahowitzka landing
A truck that backs a boat down a ramp and hauls it back up loaded works hard in a short distance. The transmission and torque converter heat up on the pull out of the water, the cooling system has little airflow at walking speed, and the parking brake and service brakes hold a lot of weight on the slope. River water also finds trailer hubs and trailer brakes every launch. Over a season, that shows up as slipping or hot transmissions, weak trailer brakes, noisy bearings and corroded trailer wiring. Our trailer repair page covers the trailer side.
Campers bring their own version of the same story. A diesel pusher parked at the campground gets the work we do on any heavy chassis: engine, Allison transmission, air brakes and air suspension. Many of those repairs can be handled right at the campsite, and the ones that need a lift come to Brooksville.
For the truck, a diagnosis starts with the facts: codes and live data on transmission and coolant temperatures, a cooling system pressure test and a look at the brakes and hitch. Every finding goes into a digital vehicle inspection with photos and the technician’s notes before any work is approved, and the labor carries a 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty. The full scope of engine and drivetrain work is on our diesel service and repair page.
Drive in or call from Chassahowitzka
A truck that runs and drives normally can make the 26-minute trip to Brooksville. One that is overheating, slipping, smoking hard or will not start should not; call (352) 433-3800 and we will help decide between a tow and a mobile visit. On-site options are explained on mobile diesel repair in Chassahowitzka. For the river communities to the north, see Homosassa diesel repair, and for the planned community just to the east, Sugarmill Woods diesel repair.