Purchase of Cruise America Rental Class C

DSDP Don wrote:
Actually, many of them can be in very nice shape. You know the service was completed on a regular basis and repairs as needed. Typically, they don't come with an awning or hitch, but pretty reasonable to add.

Often, I see many of them just used to transport people versus a van. I wouldn't have any issues buying one.

Don't put too much faith in the "serviced regularly" part. I was a manager for a large auto rental company for several years. We changed oil on the entire fleet (1800 cars during our peak season) twice a year. Some had 500 miles on them some had 15,000 miles on them. We weren't any different than any of our competitors. The cars all were under warranty, it would cost us money to pull them out of service to fix anything. If it was usable we rented it and let the next owner worry about it. It's all about cash flow. I bet rental RVs aren't treated any differently..

B.O.

Have been away from this forum for quite sometime and never got to review your latest post. Have still not bought a motor home as I have been busy with other things. Am now, once again, in the market. And yes, I have checked out El Monte. They seem to be a very reliable outfit as is Cruise America. Let's face it, both of these companies have been in the RV rental and sales business for many successful years.

I have also been looking at used Class C's and even small Class A's from private sources. Nothing over 26 feet. There seem to be many Class A's out there and for decent pricing. The Class C's seem to be fewer and more expensive. Also, the pricing for Cruise America and El Monte Class C's have gone up by about 25% since I last looked at them. Maybe I should have bought one then. I am really torn between getting a few years old Class C from a private individual and paying cash as opposed to purchasing one of the ex-rental units and having payments over the next 12 years or so. With an older Class C I will not be able to obtain an extended service agreement which will leave me open to paying for repairs out of my pocket. With the ex rental unit I will at least have an extended service agreement and a newer unit. I would never attempt to fix most things on a motor home myself. Retired executive who can't hammer a nail straight. I guess it's a "pay me now or pay me later" scenario.

Floridastorm wrote:

Jbrowland wrote:
No offense to any one, but if they haven't looked at or purchased one, I wouldn't take their advice too seriously. I have one and it has been amazing. I owe nothing on it. Not many can say that. Moreover, they are in better shape than most one owner, used RV's I looked at thanks to a major refurb process. These ex-rentals tend to be filled with new to newer parts inside and out thanks to frequent use.

I'll give you a little buying advice as an owner of a former CA RV. One, they won't budge much on the price but they will fix and add anything you request before the sale like tires, breaks, or anything else you find wrong with it. I had over 30 items on my list addresses quickly and without complaint and that cost them several thousand. They didn't drop the price much, but they gave me new breaks, tires, a new $390 battery, new mattresses, radio and much more. Two, don't buy the warranties. Save the money and spend it when something breaks and it will be it a new or used RV. Nature of the beast. Three, if something breaks or goes wrong within a few months of the sale then take it back and they will fix it. I did twice. Four, spend about 5 or more hours with a check list going over every detail before you leave. Most of these RV's have front end issues. Take extra time to check on that. Five, drive the heck out of it happily knowing you don't have a 50k mortgage on it. Six, enjoy the fact that most will be shocked when you pull up in an RV that has 150,000 miles and looks newer than their three year old RV. ;). Seven, read every page of the thread IAMICHABOD linked to and ignore MUCH of of but not all of the advice from people who have never driven, purchased, or looked at a refurbished RV from CA in person. I say this because before I went to look, I made some terrible assumptions about how bad they would be before going. I read yelp reviews from renters and the reviews were horrific. I assumed my experience would be the same and it wasn't. I am honestly still a little shocked by this fact and that's why I took the time to respond here. My experience was stellar. Not perfect, but better than the experience I had on new lots with slimy RV salespeople and with people listing their units online and in the paper.

Buying one of these units is not for everyone. In fact, I would say that it's only a good option for a small group of people. I would say that it tends to be a good option for cash buyers who are sick of tent camping and want a cheap RV for weekend warrior style use. First time buyers who don't want or need much.

Here in California, the used RV market barely exists. Not many sell and those who do used the hell out of theirs and want too much money for junk or are under water and want to sell their barely used RV for five bucks less than they paid. For those reasons, buying a CA RV for 19k instead of a new one for 55k or a used one for 49k may be a better option. IMHO, these CA units are good deals at 19k but once you go above 25k then maybe not so much.

That said, you live in Florida where the exact opposite is the case and the used RV market is much better so you must consider that as well.

Good luck and do your due diligence with the sale and you will be fine!

Thank you, sir, for some excellent advice with your CA experience. In perusing the many ads for used motor homes, especially Class C's, I find that most private sellers and a lot of dealers overprice them quite a bit. Some are completely ridiculous as they probably never even checked the NADA value to get an approximate value. Having already spoken at length with the CA dealership in Orlando, I do know that they completely go over these units and bring them up to standard before selling them. I don't think they would warranty them for 12 months or 12,000 miles if they did not. On top of that, the extended 5 year warranty is not very expensive. I would want the extended warranty for engine and transmission alone. If either of these systems fails it could cost many times the $1,600 price of the warranty. It's just my personal preference. People who can do their own repairs may not be interested in the extended warranty. The 19G unit is perfect for my wife and myself. Also, we do need a 2nd car. Something that small can suffice as a 2nd car. So, it fits our situation perfectly. I will use your knowledge to make sure the CA dealer takes care of everything before I roll it off the lot.

Glad to assist. Hope I didn't offend anyone. ALL of the folks here have been very helpful at one point or another.

Full disclosure, I bought both warranties but haven't used them. I have either taken my RV back to CA and they fixed it for free or I figured it out with some help from RV.net. You will be surprised by how much you will learn in a year and how many things can be handled easily yourself. Sometimes putting your rig in the shop for two weeks to fix a small problem isn't an option. RV shops are always slammed in sunny SoCal. That said, when I have called the warranty company, they have been available, friendly and have always assured me that if I used them that it would be taken care of. The interactions I had with them were a pleasant surprise. I expected the old run around and trouble but again, I was disappointed that I wasn't disappointed. ;)

I suggest looking at the 23a. Just a little bigger, a queen bed you don't have to climb up to, and about the same price. The 19 is an awesome little RV and I can see why you like it but I honestly found them to feel a little tipsy and harsh perhaps because of the four wheels and not six. JMHO of course. Honestly they all drive like large boxes on wheels though, lol. Simply horrible machines to drive compared to my Mini Cooper.

Another thing I forgot to mention, ask for a ladder and go up on the roof. Spend about 15 minutes looking for cracks etc...

Here is another tip. Get to know the guy who will be addressing any issues you find and buy him/her lunch any time you go. I did and my new best friend found five more things I missed to the tune of about 1k. A little honest friendship goes a long way. CA has tons of parts laying around for the hundreds of RV's they service daily. They really don't mind putting those parts in your RV if they are needed and it makes you happy and you sign the bill of sale. The company is owned by the employees. They don't give the hard sale. It was kinda weird going from a commercial RV lot to CA. They show you the RV's but they don't pressure you. You buy great. You don't buy okay. It seems every CA lot has one person who handles the selling and a hundred who handle the renting.

I should mention that many people have also been very pleased with El Monte ex-rental purchases. They tend to have less miles but they also tend to cost more. I looked at them but they averaged about 30k and I wanted to stay under 20 used or just buy new so I went back to CA. One positive with El Monte is they supply very detailed maintenance records. CA does not but if you are friendly enough, they will show you the records. ;)

I can't stress the importance of asking for things you feel the RV needs and being friendly. It's a different approach than buying hard ball style from the typical lot. I don't think the sales folks at CA make much on the sales and that shows in their attitude. They aren't negative, just less desperate to sell you something. I made it clear that this was a ton of money for my family and they seemed to appreciate that concept unlike the salespeople at other RV lots who just seemed interested in taking my money and getting rid of me. When I asked what happens if this breaks the answer was always to bring it back and they would fix it. And when it did break, Ibrought it back and they fixed it. I hope you have the same experience. Good luck!


Btw, both me and the wife are former Floridians and both FS Seminoles. :)
---Jason

I have a very good friend that bought a CA former rental. They beat the heck out of it boon docking and road tripping. It worked for them with no problems except for normal wear and tear.

Very good post Jbrowland! Always good to hear from someone that has done what the OP is thinking of doing,with facts and helpful information.

I have seen WAAAY to many uneducated posts on buying a Former Rental.

Floridastorm,Good luck in your quest for that RV. If you do indeed buy from Cruise America please return to the Buying A Rental Class C thread and share how it went and anything else that may be helpful to others that are thinking of buying a Former Rental. :B

Jbrowland wrote:
No offense to any one, but if they haven't looked at or purchased one, I wouldn't take their advice too seriously. I have one and it has been amazing. I owe nothing on it. Not many can say that. Moreover, they are in better shape than most one owner, used RV's I looked at thanks to a major refurb process. These ex-rentals tend to be filled with new to newer parts inside and out thanks to frequent use.

I'll give you a little buying advice as an owner of a former CA RV. One, they won't budge much on the price but they will fix and add anything you request before the sale like tires, breaks, or anything else you find wrong with it. I had over 30 items on my list addresses quickly and without complaint and that cost them several thousand. They didn't drop the price much, but they gave me new breaks, tires, a new $390 battery, new mattresses, radio and much more. Two, don't buy the warranties. Save the money and spend it when something breaks and it will be it a new or used RV. Nature of the beast. Three, if something breaks or goes wrong within a few months of the sale then take it back and they will fix it. I did twice. Four, spend about 5 or more hours with a check list going over every detail before you leave. Most of these RV's have front end issues. Take extra time to check on that. Five, drive the heck out of it happily knowing you don't have a 50k mortgage on it. Six, enjoy the fact that most will be shocked when you pull up in an RV that has 150,000 miles and looks newer than their three year old RV. ;). Seven, read every page of the thread IAMICHABOD linked to and ignore MUCH of of but not all of the advice from people who have never driven, purchased, or looked at a refurbished RV from CA in person. I say this because before I went to look, I made some terrible assumptions about how bad they would be before going. I read yelp reviews from renters and the reviews were horrific. I assumed my experience would be the same and it wasn't. I am honestly still a little shocked by this fact and that's why I took the time to respond here. My experience was stellar. Not perfect, but better than the experience I had on new lots with slimy RV salespeople and with people listing their units online and in the paper.

Buying one of these units is not for everyone. In fact, I would say that it's only a good option for a small group of people. I would say that it tends to be a good option for cash buyers who are sick of tent camping and want a cheap RV for weekend warrior style use. First time buyers who don't want or need much.

Here in California, the used RV market barely exists. Not many sell and those who do used the hell out of theirs and want too much money for junk or are under water and want to sell their barely used RV for five bucks less than they paid. For those reasons, buying a CA RV for 19k instead of a new one for 55k or a used one for 49k may be a better option. IMHO, these CA units are good deals at 19k but once you go above 25k then maybe not so much.

That said, you live in Florida where the exact opposite is the case and the used RV market is much better so you must consider that as well.

Good luck and do your due diligence with the sale and you will be fine!

Thank you, sir, for some excellent advice with your CA experience. In perusing the many ads for used motor homes, especially Class C's, I find that most private sellers and a lot of dealers overprice them quite a bit. Some are completely ridiculous as they probably never even checked the NADA value to get an approximate value. Having already spoken at length with the CA dealership in Orlando, I do know that they completely go over these units and bring them up to standard before selling them. I don't think they would warranty them for 12 months or 12,000 miles if they did not. On top of that, the extended 5 year warranty is not very expensive. I would want the extended warranty for engine and transmission alone. If either of these systems fails it could cost many times the $1,600 price of the warranty. It's just my personal preference. People who can do their own repairs may not be interested in the extended warranty. The 19G unit is perfect for my wife and myself. Also, we do need a 2nd car. Something that small can suffice as a 2nd car. So, it fits our situation perfectly. I will use your knowledge to make sure the CA dealer takes care of everything before I roll it off the lot.

No offense to any one, but if they haven't looked at or purchased one, I wouldn't take their advice too seriously. I have one and it has been amazing. I owe nothing on it. Not many can say that. Moreover, they are in better shape than most one owner, used RV's I looked at thanks to a major refurb process. These ex-rentals tend to be filled with new to newer parts inside and out thanks to frequent use.

I'll give you a little buying advice as an owner of a former CA RV. One, they won't budge much on the price but they will fix and add anything you request before the sale like tires, breaks, or anything else you find wrong with it. I had over 30 items on my list addresses quickly and without complaint and that cost them several thousand. They didn't drop the price much, but they gave me new breaks, tires, a new $390 battery, new mattresses, radio and much more. Two, don't buy the warranties. Save the money and spend it when something breaks and it will be it a new or used RV. Nature of the beast. Three, if something breaks or goes wrong within a few months of the sale then take it back and they will fix it. I did twice. Four, spend about 5 or more hours with a check list going over every detail before you leave. Most of these RV's have front end issues. Take extra time to check on that. Five, drive the heck out of it happily knowing you don't have a 50k mortgage on it. Six, enjoy the fact that most will be shocked when you pull up in an RV that has 150,000 miles and looks newer than their three year old RV. ;). Seven, read every page of the thread IAMICHABOD linked to and ignore MUCH of of but not all of the advice from people who have never driven, purchased, or looked at a refurbished RV from CA in person. I say this because before I went to look, I made some terrible assumptions about how bad they would be before going. I read yelp reviews from renters and the reviews were horrific. I assumed my experience would be the same and it wasn't. I am honestly still a little shocked by this fact and that's why I took the time to respond here. My experience was stellar. Not perfect, but better than the experience I had on new lots with slimy RV salespeople and with people listing their units online and in the paper.

Buying one of these units is not for everyone. In fact, I would say that it's only a good option for a small group of people. I would say that it tends to be a good option for cash buyers who are sick of tent camping and want a cheap RV for weekend warrior style use. First time buyers who don't want or need much.

Here in California, the used RV market barely exists. Not many sell and those who do used the hell out of theirs and want too much money for junk or are under water and want to sell their barely used RV for five bucks less than they paid. For those reasons, buying a CA RV for 19k instead of a new one for 55k or a used one for 49k may be a better option. IMHO, these CA units are good deals at 19k but once you go above 25k then maybe not so much.

That said, you live in Florida where the exact opposite is the case and the used RV market is much better so you must consider that as well.

Good luck and do your due diligence with the sale and you will be fine!

To each their own. I, too, have seen WAAAY to many uneducated CruiseAmerica and other company renters doing unheard of things to rented motorhomes. Tank dumping is usually good for a laugh, but hardly dangerous. The angles they get parked must be taking years of life off the fridges in them. They get driven as if they were stolen - since operators often know very little regarding how to drive a large vehicle. There's a video out there of a rental unit mired in sand as the operator tried to take it over the dunes. You can hear the engine at red-line rpm's with wheels spinning in the sand. No thank you. I want something I can count on when I'm trying to enjoy myself miles away from home on the road... ST

I would not hesitate buying one of their units. Just be sure you fully understand the warranty and if you feel the need to purchase additional coverage, and then be sure you understand that coverage as well.

I have a CA former rental. See my signature.

The 12 month/12,000 mile warranty is very limited. It explicitly lists the 20 or so parts that are covered by the warranty.

If extended warranties are important to you, You may want to purchase CA's extended warranty. GoodSam's extended warranty on motorhomes is limited to 80,000 miles on the odometer. You may be very hard pressed to find a third party warranty for a high mileage motorhome.