Buying a Former Rental Class C. How many of us out there?

[IAMICHABOD]

While researching these pages for my next Motor Home I saw a few threads discussing Rentals, most were Pros and Cons but very few posts from people who had purchased one.

I thought it may be a good resource and helpful to hear from these people. The good, the bad, what they liked and what they didn’t. Also if they had any problems, things they changed, if they would recommend this to others or do it again.

Here is my story: I am not a novice, having owned a Class A for more than 15 years and doing the camping thing with my wife and two daughters, I can say “been there done that” But life changes, and I sold everything so I have been away from this for several years. Starting over I lurked here for a while and got a lot of good insight then went looking.

My criteria was: A Class C within by budget, less than 30 feet so I can keep it at home, saving storage $, a rear bed, and a lot of storage space.

What fit that was Winnebago, Fleetwood and a few others, what I found mostly was Jamboree / Tioga 26Q. In the year models 2002 thru 2006. I did my home work looking at NADA and other sites to find the fair prices for the models that I was looking for.

After several months of searching the internet, Craigslist, private ads and Dealerships for a Class C that suited my budget and needs, this is what I found. Of the dozen or so I inquired about.Most were upsidedown in their payments, owing more than they were worth. All were on Ford Chassis, 7 needed tires, all had the original 7 to 10 year old tires, and they all needed repair of the awning and most needed some work inside or out and the maintenance records were sketchy, but most had low mileage. The Dealerships offerings were better but they had a profit margin to maintain so I got older models within my budget or huge up sales that didn’t work for me.

My next step was looking at the rental market for sales. In my area there are 2 large companies that have rental sales, Cruise America and El Monte RV,who also sell Class A RVs.

First up was El Monte RV Their units are production RVs that are made by major manufactures, with TV antennas and hookups inside and out, Ducted A/C and heat, 2 house batteries, a rear ladder and parts are readily available from those manufacture’s. I looked at their web site and it detailed their warranty and what was checked and serviced by their factory trained technicians. The unit I looked at was like new inside, the upholstery on all the seats was new as was the floor mat in the driver’s area, it had a new mattress, still in plastic and a new bedspread. All of the curtains were new also. Newer (2010 mfg date) tires with 98% rubber and the mileage was ninety thousand (90,000).

Then there was Cruise America: Their units that I looked at seemed to be Spartan,no TV antenna or hookups for one,non-ducted A/C,small counter space and only one battery, no rear ladder for inspection and maintenance of roof and built just for them, they were all “refreshed” their words not mine. They offered extended warranties at a huge cost. All had high mileage, one hundred and thirty thousand (130,000) or more and the price range seemed a little high. The sales staff had a take it or leave it attitude and were not very forthcoming when asked about maintenance records and service,they claim to have proprietary info in those records,It doesn't seem to be a problem for El Monte RV.

At El Monte RV I took a test ride; This Unit was a 2006 Tioga 26Q on a Chevrolet Chassis it rode
Drove and handled much better than the Fords that I had driven. It also had more leg room and was quieter. We got back and I asked about the service and maintenance on it, the salesman, Joey, handed me a 28 page single spaced document asked if I wanted some coffee or something to drink and said “read this and if you have any questions I will answer them”.

It detailed everything that was done before and after each rental, the mileage, generator hours and hours billed. Each time it was washed and detailed inside and outside, all fluids were checked and replenished if needed, the holding tanks were washed, LP system was checked for leaks, all torque on wheel lugs were checked, brakes front and rear checked for wear and cracks, pressure in tires, all appliances, generator oil, lights inside and outside, the list goes on and on.

It also listed all oil changes,coolant change,trans service,fuel injector service and cleaning,fuel filters,air filter, new brakes, all repairs and replacements all with date, mileage and time spent in complete detail from day one to when it was pulled from the rental fleet and was refurbished. I have a complete service record on this vehicle.Also the service records on the Onan Generator,all oil changes,air filter and spark plug replacement with hours and date. I negotiated a good deal with them and am very happy with my purchase.

It came with a 1 yr. 12000 mile power train warranty and 30 day on all appliances. It also came with a 28 page maintenance record that detailed everything. Also the original sales packet from Fleetwood with the manual and serial numbers on all appliances,refrigerator, microwave,furnace, AC, water heater, etc. and the manual for the Chassis. I have had no problems with it so far.

(ON EDIT) 5 Years and close to 14000 miles.Just Scheduled Maintenance and new tires,old ones were at the 5 year mark and I wanted new Michelin LTX M/S2s.

There were a few things that it didn’t have as it was a rental and the ones from private parties did have.
• Power steps, outside Stereo/CD don’t need or want them.
• An Awning, this I wanted and had installed. A Swivel Seat and a new Window in The Door that I installed.
• Wheel Simulators, I like the looks so I had them installed and at the same time had Tire Man valve stem kit put on.
• Replaced the Chinese WFCO with a US Made converter/charger
• It came with mini blinds and not the day/night that most have, these are more practical and have a lot less failure.

• It also came with Stainless Steel sinks,easier to maintain than the cheap plastic ones that come in the noncommercial units.
  

I am very happy with my Rig, it suites my needs and it was in my Budget range, I think I got a good deal.

So if you bought a rental please share your experience here for others to use as a resource.
Or if there are any other questions that have not been covered in these pages, just ask, there are many helpful people on this thread.

[kirbymurphy]

Being cheap, I'd try some Seafoam, and oil change, and a new fuel pump

[CatchinBluegill]

samven1 wrote:
Is the 5500 gold a pressure lubed (oil filter) twin cylinder or water cooled.

It's a V-2, pressurized oil, forced-air cooled. Turns out the HGJAB is part of the Cummins model number of the generator.

[samven1]

I am not sure about the fuel pump but a rebuild at those hrs does not seem unreasonable for a single cylinder, splash lubricated, air cooled engine. Is the 5500 gold a pressure lubed (oil filter) twin cylinder or water cooled.
The price quoted compared to the new price for that gen set also seems in line. A replacement will cost at least 3k if you install it yourself.

[CatchinBluegill]

socal77 wrote:

Mocoondo wrote:

socal77 wrote:


rebuild with new fuel pump, etc. Quoted a price of $950. He said he could just do a tune-up but that the generator would not perform at peak condition.

I'd appreciate feedback. $950 seems high...

I'm not sure about the price, but I'm not sure it needs a fuel pump at those hours, unless fuel pressure or fuel flow were tested and found to be low.

The Onan Marquis Gold 5500 in my former El Monte has over 3300 hours on it. From the El Monte service record, it appears to have had the fuel pump replaced at 3062 hours:

GEN-ENG-PUMP-O-GENERA,PUMP FUEL 5.5 HGJAB GENERATOR,1,177.96

I'm not sure what the first part means (could be an oil pump), the second is clearly fuel pump, and no idea about HGJAB, either. The number at the end is the price billed to the fleet department by the service department.

It also had that same major service when it was almost new (65 hours), so it sounds like the thing blew up when it was brand new. It also had a lot of diagnostics done at 94 hours. From then until 3062, it had only routine scheduled maintenance (and was well cared for). That major service was probably earlier in the year I bought it (they go by hours/miles, not calendar date), so I expect it to have a long and healthy life. I run it at least once a month, per the manual.

It doesn't mention having had the carb rebuilt, but it starts easily and runs well, so it may have been done at some point.

[socal77]

Mocoondo wrote:

socal77 wrote:


Anyone have an idea of what type of costs to expect to service the Onan 4000? I does start right up but runs rough. He did say the oil was low in it.

The fact that it runs means it probably needs a good tune up. I would personally get it over to an Onan authorized service center for a thorough inspection and service. Probably a couple hundred bucks well spent.

Thanks Mocoondo, I appreciate the guidance. I just talked to a mobile RV repair guy that's been around 10+ years. He has contracted to do work on CA RV's in the past so knows them very well. He's also Onan Certified. (Also has 21 reviews on his company's Facebook page and they are all 5 stars so he sounds legit).

I told him my Onan 4000 has 1,300 hours on it. He is suggesting a rebuild with new fuel pump, etc. Quoted a price of $950. He said he could just do a tune-up but that the generator would not perform at peak condition.

I'd appreciate feedback. $950 seems high...

[Mocoondo]

socal77 wrote:


Anyone have an idea of what type of costs to expect to service the Onan 4000? I does start right up but runs rough. He did say the oil was low in it.

The fact that it runs means it probably needs a good tune up. I would personally get it over to an Onan authorized service center for a thorough inspection and service. Probably a couple hundred bucks well spent.

[IAMICHABOD]

Welcome to the club!

Ill add you to the roster.

[socal77]

Love this thread! We joined the Ex-Rental RV club a couple weeks ago. Picked up a former CA 2009 Majestic 28A. I bought it from a company that purchased directly from CA a year ago. The seller distributes kid's razor-type scooters and skate boards. They sent 5 of their employees on a 9,000 mile cross-country promotional trip for 30 days in the RV.

When the trip was completed they had no more need for it and had it sitting outside their offices. I found it when they posted it for sale on RVTrader.com.

It had 152,000 when they bought it from CA. When I got it, the mileage was 161,700. It was dirty inside and out and had a couple issues (broken driver's side mirror) they told me they'd fix before I purchased it. I offered $16,000 Cash AS IS. They accepted it. They can use the loss on their corporate taxes.

I knew I was taking a risk but I'd looked it over prior to my offer. I have owned another Class C in the past so knew what to watch out for. I also figured I was getting it at such a low price point I could afford to put some money into it. The low NADA value with that mileage is $32,000.

I paid a certified RV guy to go over it last week. I was happy when he said no serious issues. There was a 6 inch tear on the roof from a branch most likely. He's fixing that. Said rest of the roof in great condition. Onan 4000 generator runs rough so needs some TLC.

I have it at an alignment shop this weekend. Pulls to the right. The tires are like new though so I'm glad about that.

Anyone have an idea of what type of costs to expect to service the Onan 4000? I does start right up but runs rough. He did say the oil was low in it.

[BoxinTheCompass]

Thanks for the info Bluegill, El Monte sells a variety of rentals including both class A and C. We may drive over there next weekend for another looksee but this weekend we drove over from Daytona to Orlando to see Cruise America.

We saw a 28A that had been painted but not really refurbished as of yet and then we saw a couple of the other models that were fully refurbished. You could tell the difference between fully refurbished and not. Much cleaner in and out in both engine compartment and storage and in the coach.

We didnt see a fully restored 28A unfortunately

One thing that even the fully refurbished ones that stand out is the captains chairs (driver/pass seats) were a little worse for wear. .... saw some noticeable stains... CA said they would not replace them or the jacknife sofa but mentioned the dinette and mattress could be replaced. So I may consider either seat covers or replacing with new seats (ref Shop4Seats.com from IAMICHABOD)

Another thing is we met a very nice couple who were looking at the 19G as a cheaper alternative than a Class B .... I never thought of it that way and comparing prices to class B it seems smarter alternative unless you are stealth camping in the city. They had a travel trailer and were tired of the extra work with that (they looked younger than us!)

Seems newer models make appearence after labor day according to salesman. He said that at 5 years they are then refurbished and put up for sale and the newer model years start in Sept-Oct

One thing to note, driving south on I95 every 1/4 mile was an RV heading north.... it must be the annual migration. About 60% had dinghys with 4 down (the rest did not) and I didnt see one tow dolley

[Bea_PA]

Our 24 foot rental did not come from CA but from a private dealer so it has electric steps a hitch and an awning. It also only had 14,000 miles. It all depends on what you are going to use it for. We had a pusher with all the bells and whistles and lived in it in the winter. Now all we want to do are camping trips and cross country trips so we can handle small quarters and don't mind leaving it sit for months at a time. We don't miss all the maintenance that we had on the big rig so there are pros and cons depending on what you plan to do. I'm sure on a rainy day with 3 of our great grands it will seem really small. lol I'm looking forward to see how it tows our Vue this summer with the tow-haul I hope it will have enough power.

[CatchinBluegill]

BoxinTheCompass wrote:

One thing surprising that I thought you would advise as a con versus pro is the wardrobe space
Thanks!

Storage space is always at a premium in a Class C, which was one of a number of factors that led me to buy a rental Class A, with driver comfort being the other major one.

Last summer, we rented a large Class C (Jamboree 31 bunkhouse, which is actually 32 feet long), and while it had sleeping space for our family of 6, it was pretty short on storage space, and the fridge was small enough that we had to bring both an ice chest and a small 12-volt car cooler. Those were secured in the step well and under the table, since the ice chest wouldn't fit in the small external storage compartments.

Wardrobe space was adequate (just) for our 1-week trip, and large Class C vehicles like that are pretty generous on wardrobe space by Class C standards. Even then, some extra clothes, as well as dirty laundry, were kept in external compartments.

The Bounder we bought has a lot more wardrobe space, a bath-and-a-half floor plan (convenient when 4 out of 6 are girls) with a big shower (convenient for my dad, who is mobility-impaired) and more external storage space than I think I'm likely to ever fill. In terms of driver comfort, the worst Class A I've ever sat in (and I tried a lot) is still better for me than any Class C I've ever sat in.

Other factors: the two slides are much deeper than Class C slides, so the inside is far roomier than a C. Even with the slides in, the aisle is wider. The bed is a standard queen (60 x 80), and the 12 cubic foot fridge is twice the size of the 6 CF one in the C we rented. The power awning, 5KW generator and 50-amp power system are also nice. The 22.5 inch wheels and real truck suspension give a better ride than a Class C.

The downsides?

At 36 feet, it's bigger than any C except a Super C, which means it's heavier with the same engine and it maybe slower on hills (OTOH, it has a 5.38 final drive, which may be lower than a Class C's, not sure) and it's not bad on hills. Definitely will get lower mileage than a C. 22.5 inch tires cost a lot more, and the ones that were on it when I bought it had good tread, but were old enough to have severe dry rot on the inner sidewalls on 5 of the 6. It's very first trip after I bought it was to the tire shop to have them all replaced.

Also, because of the size, it's less practical to try to use it as a sightseeing vehicle, so I plan to tow our minivan behind it. Getting the pieces in place for that. Just need to get the base plate in, and I'm done. Towing is some added expense of course, and some extra work. It may also lead me to chip it and possibly go the full Banks Power Pack route, depending on how it performs this summer.

A smaller family can probably get by with a smaller Class A, and just a couple can get by with a much smaller one. Even at the same length, they typically have more storage space than any Class C. Those who can do that may be able to get by without towing a vehicle behind. Of course, many Class A owners do forego towing either much of the time or completely, so you _can_ live without a toad. It's just nice to be able to leave the RV a the campground and sightsee or grocery shop in the passenger vehicle.

It also can prevent what happened to me last summer at the Kaibab Lake forest service campground. We took the motorhome up to the Grand Canyon, and when we got back in the late afternoon, another RVer had removed our reservation paper from the post, presumably thrown it away, and taken our lake-view site. The campground host have me a nearby double-sized pull-through at no extra charge, but it didn't have a view. I still half regret not asking him to call a ranger and make the guy move, but it probably wouldn't have been worth the delay and conflict. The campground host told me that happens all the time when people don't have something they can leave behind in their site.

[BoxinTheCompass]

Thanks Wiz (and others too) thats a great honest reply.

One thing surprising that I thought you would advise as a con versus pro is the wardrobe space.... any suggestions on clothes storage and how you did that?

Crazy what solar brand equip did you use?

Thanks!

[w3ozwizard]

I told everyone on this list, that I would give an update on my purchase of a Cruise America 28A after having it for a year. When we purchased it, it had about 130,000 miles on it. We have put about 5 thousand miles on it with zero problems. We took a trip and stayed in Arizona for about 2 months and traveled there and back and got an average of about 8.5 miles MPG. Had we drove on the Interstates more, we would have gotten a little over 9,I believe but we took the back roads so we could see more of the areas and visit friends and family. We have also taken several trips around areas in our home state. There were no problems with the motorhome at all. We never felt underpowered or uncomfortable at all. My wife did not like the faucet in the kitchen so I replaced it and when I did, I did not get it tight enough and had a small leak but that was my fault not the MH.
A did as complete a job of inspecting the motorhome on the lot before I sighed the papers. CA let me do that over a 2-day period and provided employees to help me and answer questions. But even with doing as good of an inspection as I could I have found that apparently someone made a tail swing error and the left corner of the coach must have been damaged as I can see signs of repair inside the storage compartment and the storage door on that side is obviously new.
HERE is what I consider the down side of a motorhome like this. And please remember that this is just me, my wife and dogs and our life style. So what I am going to say may not be pertinent to you or your family. If you are a person that travels from camp site to camp site maybe staying only a day or two in one place, then the CA motorhome will be great for you. It is designed to be idiot proof. No awing to remember to take down, no steps to remember to bring up, no TV antenna to take down, no sliders to bring in, no leveling jacks to bring up. The amenities are pretty Spartan so you do not have to worry about over wearing the furniture, carpets, or other things like that, as they are selected for durability, not particularly for style. The rig is manufactured to be used hard by beginner MH users who do not understand all the things you need to do to manage a modern MH and to be blunt idiot proof.
BUT BUT if you are a family or person who wants to stay put for a longer period of time, let’s say 2 months in Arizona like we did. The walls are going to start coming in on you with no sliders. If you travel with pets, they have to sleep somewhere and unless you have them in bed with you they are going to be in the way when you are trying to cook or just move inside the MH. I know get rid of the pets. That is not going to happen. With a slider you would have a lot more room. An awning would also help in this regard, but in some places like Arizona it is just too **** hot for us Northerners to sit outside even with an awning. Motorhomes without at least one slider seem to us to be very scarce unless you are looking at a rig that is very old. You kind of feel out of place.Many other MH owners know that a Majestic is a name for a USED CA renter motorhome and make comments like “Oh that is one of THOSE old high mileage rental returns, isn’t it?” Kind of looking down their nose like you are some kind of trailer trash or something. Of course you have to go into some kind of tirade to defend your purchase. Maybe this kind of snobbery does not bother you but if you stay someplace for a time, you may hear it. We did in Mesa Arizona. So be warned.
I have made many upgrades to the unit I have. I did not like the very cheap curtains that come with the MH, so I upgraded them to better quality blinds. We got tired of pulling them back each day. The modesty panel in the front was a pain so we bought one of those aftermarket panels that goes over the windshield and connect with magnets. That was much better and did not get in the way of us watching the TV we put in the upfront area. We put in a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) in the MH. 9 miles out a tire valve extender started to leak and the TPMS gave us enough warning to allow us to find a safe place to check it out. As I had roadside insurance and it was raining hard I called them and it was taken care of. Without the system I may have had to stop on the freeway in an unsafe place. Well worth the money in my opinion. I installed a TV and DVD system so that we can watch TV. I have a Garmin GPS system that is wonderful as you can customize this one to the size of your motorhome and with the aid of the traffic warning system is was just great in guiding us through places like LA. Without it I may have still been there wondering around the many highways out there that seemed to intersect with themselves. Upgraded the mattress and bedding. What comes with the MH in our case was a new queen size mattress (the RV industry says is queen size but not close to the one you may have in your home), to a much better mattress. Sleeping on the **** they gave us, was like sleeping on a rack. And don’t think because there is a bed in the rear that it will be easy to make. You have to be just about a person with 10 foot arms to make the bed. My wife is a NAZI on making the bed but had to just fluff it up many times which did not make her happy. There is just not enough space to get around the bed on both sides and still tuck things in as you may like. Many MHs have slides in the bedroom and makes this activity much easier. And in my case my wife much happier. I also put in a wireless back up camera system. It helps like it is supposed to in baking into some of the tight camping places.
NOW here is my point in listing some of the upgrades I have done. They can all be removed and moved to another MH if you don’t get them on the newer rig you may want to buy. That is one reason I would NOT put an awning, car towing package or solar system on this MH or any MH until I am SURE I am going to keep it a long time, as removing them would be almost be impractical and may cause damage to the MH in doing so. In our case we are going to spend much of our time in Arizona not because only that the weather there is better than it is here in Washington state but one of our daughters lives there with grandkids so we enjoy being with them.
SO I am sorry for this long rambling post but I promised to give you all an update after my first year, so here it is. I am very happy with the MH it was as advertised and I may keep it until the wheels fall off or I am on the other side of the grass. But in our life style we feel we need more space and creature comforts. I hope this helps anyone trying to decide on buying a CA used motorhome. The company is honest and very helpful in my experience. I visited the remanufacturing facility while I was in Mesa. They do a great job in bringing the used MHs up to what they were like new as can be expected.

[craz_z]

The solar thing I believe is for CA to keep the house battery topped up during periods of waiting to be rented I did find a manual somewhere I think it came with the air conditioner from coleman it's basically a waste of space at only 5 or 10 watt

I ended up putting 400watt panels on my majestic best upgrade I ever did I also snuck a inverter and 125ah battery under the bed as the one on board battery wasn't enough

Tranny would be a snap to change if paying to do it I'd say 4k to 5k engine would be a bear and would 10k 15k would be my estimate if doing yourself half or less of that

[jonthebru]

I can't help with most of your questions, but a couple. When I rented a 19G in Las Vegas for a seven day drive to Zion, I never once saw the solar charging light on. There was a lot of sun at the time. You can find the price of new engine and transmission easily. There are several businesses that do just that.
My opinion is buying a used rental is buying a higher mileage newer model compared to a comparable older Class C with lower mileage. Because they are bulletproof, some systems, TV antenna for example, are not there or a little more basic. One of the first things I would do is make it mechanically reliable, tires, etc and put a nice efficient solar system on board, That allows cutting the cord on many crowded campgrounds and allowing you to dry camp. For me, that is a good thing. Have fun!