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.

[mredneck]

coolmom42 wrote:
Financing at El Monte RV--has anyone done it?

Just wondering what type of experience it is. Was the rate competitive? Does ElMonte hold the note, or is it through a bank or finance company?

My budget is $30K for the motor home, plus another $10K for taxes, upgrades, etc. I will have about half of that at the time of purchase, but would like to spread out the second half over a year. This would give me more flexibility in my IRA withdrawals and possibly help me stay in a lower tax bracket.

It would probably be simpler to finance at El Monte than get money wired from a lender. I have top-tier credit and don't anticipate any problems getting a loan, just trying to keep things simple.

I plan to buy in the fall of 2017. Probably will buy from the Orlando or Las Vegas location. I'm looking at the smaller motor homes like the Winnebago 24V.

Yep. Smooth as silk. Just like a car loan. Except more paper to sign. El Monty in McKinney TX took real good care of us.

[craz_z]

My 23a is a v8 I know this for a fact as I've wrenched every possible maintenence item you possibly can.

I don't trust the pm schedule as going through mine wasn't the worst I've ever seen but definitely way past due on pretty much everything. Still love my majestic but would rather get a el monte if I was to do it again.

There were 8 plugs and 8 coil boots as I changed them out as recommended here. Was gonna do coils but read they just randomly fail so have a spare just in case. One was replaced as it was newer and didn't look like the others. At first it was intimidating then once into it wasn't that hard just lots of patience sorry for the ramble.

[IAMICHABOD]

samven1 wrote:
I am almost sure the 23A has the V10 unless they changed things the 22E has the V10 on the 350 chassis.

I think I would go with what Mocoondo says about the 23A.

After all he is A Cruise America Dealer

[Mocoondo]

samven1 wrote:
I am almost sure the 23A has the V10 unless they changed things the 22E has the V10 on the 350 chassis.

I can promise you the 23A is a V8 on the E350 chassis. The 28A is the V10 on the E450.

[samven1]

I am almost sure the 23A has the V10 unless they changed things the 22E has the V10 on the 350 chassis.

[samven1]

Same motor and at least 1500 lbs lighter, it should not have any trouble climbing anything the 28A did.

[Mocoondo]

MtnBikeMarty wrote:

So I'm looking at the 23A (E350 with a V10) or the 28A, my question is how well (or not) does the 23A go up the mountains?

The 23A is a V8, not a V10. Both are equally capable.

[MtnBikeMarty]

I rented a 28A (E450 with the V10 engine) and it did well up the mountains from Phoenix to Flagstaff, we were able to easily maintain 55 on the steepest of grades, I was impressed it did so well and the quality of the rental fleet builds, that it inspired me to look at the used rental market instead of new and dealing with warranty issues.

So I'm looking at the 23A (E350 with a V10) or the 28A, my question is how well (or not) does the 23A go up the mountains?

[Soh_Crates]

So glad to have found this thread! We are currently looking at a 28A from CA Phoenix, didn't even think to look at another rental company. Will read this thread in it's entirety later today. Thanks to all who have contributed!

[CatchinBluegill]

Just got back from a 2.5 week trip with my ex-El Monte MH (it's a Class A, not a C, but... 🙂

We covered over 3,000 miles from San Diego to the Black Hills, Little Big Horn Battlefield, Yellowstone, places in Utah, and Vegas on the way back, towing my 2009 Odyssey behind. Apart from some drawer catches failing, and a tire valve stem problem (my new TPMS really saved my bacon!), everything went very well. Even with something as heavy as an Odyssey on the back, it did well on our big western grades. I only fell below 50 MPH a few times on hills, and that was only in the worst parts. Even then, I never got below 45. It would have been a rocket without the toad, but I was sure glad to have a toad. It made sightseeing life so much easier 🙂

I plan to put a 5 Star tune on it, can't wait to see how it tackles grades after that. Everything is currently stock except for a Banks Ram Air system I put on just before the trip. That seems to help the engine breathe better; it's much more free-flowing than the stock unit, and it sounded different right after I put it on. A Banks cat-back exhaust is likely in its future, too.

I'd never been on more than a day trip with it before. Was happy then, still happy with it. The only problem I tended to encounter was the generator shutting down due to heat (most likely, since it happened most from Vegas to San Diego, and air temps were over 100). Even though they'd be heavy, I'd be thrilled if motorhomes had water-cooled generators. We run the genny pretty much all the time to run the roof air for passengers in the back.

[path1]

BoxinTheCompass wrote:
Was out and about in greater Daytona Beach FL area and saw a 23 Majestic pulling into shopping center parking lot.

Pulled up and introduced myself to the owner and talked with him on the unit and asked how he liked it and how its been for him.

He has owned the unit for 8 years now, when he purchased it had 140K mileage on it. It's a little older now of course but still looked ok and he has not had a problem with it. He says he takes it in every 4-5 years and has the rubber roof resurfaced/recoated for about $250. He says the next time he goes in he will have to have new roof put on but he says it will cost him $400-500 to do that.

He loved his used Class C rental and its still going strong, I thought I would share that with the folks here.

Good story.

He is getting a deal if he is getting a new roof for $500.00

Our 2001 is 15 models years old now. Last five years I've been putting on a roof coasting also. I put on what Cruise America puts on and pleased with how it looks and no leaks.

I talk with X-rental owners when I see them. But, I don't see them as much as actual Cruise America rentals. Renters are sometimes from other countries. I try to find out they think about the US. Interesting to me, just to listen to what they have to say. A couple we meet in a campground near Mt Rainier (WA state) was from Ireland. They couldn't believe that we in the US cut down trees just as firewood. And how cheap our gas was.

[BoxinTheCompass]

Was out and about in greater Daytona Beach FL area and saw a 23 Majestic pulling into shopping center parking lot.

Pulled up and introduced myself to the owner and talked with him on the unit and asked how he liked it and how its been for him.

He has owned the unit for 8 years now, when he purchased it had 140K mileage on it. It's a little older now of course but still looked ok and he has not had a problem with it. He says he takes it in every 4-5 years and has the rubber roof resurfaced/recoated for about $250. He says the next time he goes in he will have to have new roof put on but he says it will cost him $400-500 to do that.

He loved his used Class C rental and its still going strong, I thought I would share that with the folks here.

[Claybe]

Trip is going great except for the spark plug repair and then the next day I went to dump the black tank and noticed it was riding funny and checked the inner dully tire and it was flat! Never changed a tire on the rig before but was very thankful for the full size spare! Lost a big chunk of the tire on something so I will need to replace it.

Funny thing happened tonight....was inside my cousins house and we were walking out to the camper and my mom is staying inside the house (we were offered as well but declined) and I over heard my mom say to my cousins wife oh I am staying in the house and my cousins wife says yeah that's a good decision to sleep in that big comfy bed. I don't think they understand I would rather sleep in my "home away from home" rather than their house with the big comfy bed! Oh well. I will take my camper almost any day 🙂

[path1]

Claybe wrote:
We are out on a 10 day trip right now and had some issues so just wanted to give others a heads up. We were going down the freeway and the check engine light starts blinking indicating a miss fire. Had to go an auto parts store to get the codes read and found out that cylinders 5 and 7 were misfiring. After a couple of hours I had the coils and spark plugs replaced. After examining the spark plugs, they were in BAD shape. I don't think the coils were bad, just the plugs. So I will do the other 6 plugs when I get home. Doesn't look like the plugs had been changed ever so thought I would give everyone a heads up to change your plugs if you have a high mileage rental RV!

Post how your trip goes. When we got ours I changed every filter and fluid there was.

And I don't trust those maint. programs. We would have a Corp inspection and we always got wind of when Corp was going to inspect. After mechanics got done playing with the maint program in the computer, every truck we had the maint was 100% up to date. Including trucks that were fenced for 3 or 4 months waiting for insurance or whatever, but on paper they were 100% up and ready. When Corp pulled the reports or printed out reports they all looked good on paper. In real life not so much.


One of these days I'll post everything we did to our X-rental. And haven't had problems since 08. I think you have about same year.

Enjoy your trip.

[Claybe]

We are out on a 10 day trip right now and had some issues so just wanted to give others a heads up. We were going down the freeway and the check engine light starts blinking indicating a miss fire. Had to go an auto parts store to get the codes read and found out that cylinders 5 and 7 were misfiring. After a couple of hours I had the coils and spark plugs replaced. After examining the spark plugs, they were in BAD shape. I don't think the coils were bad, just the plugs. So I will do the other 6 plugs when I get home. Doesn't look like the plugs had been changed ever so thought I would give everyone a heads up to change your plugs if you have a high mileage rental RV!