Forum Discussion

jinxies's avatar
jinxies
Explorer
Feb 26, 2015

Thoughts on purchasing a rental?

New to this forum!!

We've owned motorhomes in the past, never bought new but from a friend. Our in laws have a Monaco that we've been using but this time we are looking at a 2005 Fleetwood Jamboree 31W GT with 1 slide from EL Monte Rv. The millage is (naturally) high at 101,000.
I'm sure everyone has an opinion about buying a rental but I'm confident that El Monte is very throughout about the upkeep of the rig. They do provide all the service records and completely refurbish all of the rentals...no one wants a used mattress...eeewww.

With that mileage, here's how we plan on using the RV so I can get a few "more experienced" opinions.

Both of us work and we have 2 kids (12,10). My husband can only take 4 weeks a year vacation, with one from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We have a 19ft MasterCraft ski boat that we use around 4 times a year. We will be towing and travel around 230 round trip to our lake destination. We also take 2 weeks in the year to travel with the kids, usually, within our state of California. I would like to be able to plan a trip outside of the state but the general use will be in CA. We live about 30 miles from a national park and Thousand Trails so it would also be used for general "get a way" weekend trips.

In saying this and the way we would use it, does buying a used RV seems the ok way to go? We just can't afford (or justify) buying a new one with the amount of time it would be used. Basically, paying for it to sit. How much mileage is too much?? Experiences with buying a rental?? Experiences with El Monte?

Thanks so much in advance!!
Class C

5 Replies

  • Jbrowland's avatar
    Jbrowland
    Explorer
    Feb 26, 2015
    What they all said. PM sent. ;)

    As far as buying VS. renting I would have to say that for me, the cut off is a purchased RV needs to be used at least once a month to make it worth while to own. Any less than that and you should consider renting. Keep in mind that one trip could mean a night out close to home. Always fun to do a quick trip with the family.
  • IAMICHABOD's avatar
    IAMICHABOD
    Explorer III
    Feb 26, 2015
    The most important things are,is it in your budget for the type of camping you want to do and that the floor plan is what you want.

    That seems to be the case,so I would say yes you have a great deal on this RV. I checked NADA RV prices on this model and it seems that this is a very good price. CLICK HERE for that.


    100K miles on a Ford E-series chassis with proper maintenance, which you have records for,is not a problem. And the one piece front cap is a real plus. without the window it is less prone to leaks. a real problem with Class Cs

    I have had no problems with my EX Rental from El Monte RV over many miles and their service after sale is outstanding.
  • FireGuard's avatar
    FireGuard
    Explorer II
    Feb 26, 2015
    If you're only going to use it a few times a year, why not just rent it from El Monte. Probably cheaper in the long run and won't have any cost and depreciation when parked.
    I'm pretty sure rentals are made the same as any RV but with less amenities and nicer features.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer III
    Feb 26, 2015
    I would not hesitate to buy a rental from a competent rental company; it's probably had more consistent upkeep than many privately used motorhomes, and I think at least sometimes rentals are built to rather more robust standards (for framing, cabinetry, and so forth) than typical motorhomes. I don't know anything specific about El Monte.

    100K miles on a Ford E-series chassis with proper upkeep is nothing to worry about; you will probably wear out the house part long before the chassis has major problems if you keep up on routine maintenance, even if you drove long distances.

    Just last weekend I was volunteering at a camp/conference center place and ran a couple of errands in an older 15 passenger van they have. After about 200K miles of use the engine and transmission still work pretty much like new. They did have to replace the exhaust manifold not too long ago, a common problem for vans of that vintage and I gather somewhat labor intensive. Beyond that, I don't believe they've had any significant issues with the van (well, excepting body rust, which is practically a given for any older vehicles driven in New England winters). The Ford E-series chassis and the E-series vans are practically identical mechanically speaking. The motorhome will naturally have beefier axles and springs than a passenger van because it's larger and heavier.

About Motorhome Group

38,766 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 29, 2026