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.

[SJ-Chris]

marronnin wrote:
Add me to the list. Just picked up our 2018 Thor Majestic 28A from CA yesterday.
Now it's in the driveway, getting cleaned out of all the little things that got put behind drawers, in "inaccessible" locations, etc. Can't wait to take our first trip in her to Yuma in 2 weeks.

This thread was very helpful in making the decision to go forward in the buying process. Thanks IAMICHABOD!!

-Marshall

Welcome Marshall! Was that from the Newark location? Just curious. I bought two 2015 28a units from them a couple years ago and they have been working out pretty good. Let us know if you have any questions.

-Chris

[IAMICHABOD]

marronnin

Welcome to the Forum and to the ranks of the Happy Former Rental Owners Club,you will be # 144

I am glad that this thread was a help in making your decision to purchase a Former Rental. There is a lot of information to go thru.

If there are any things that you need help with or questions about your Former Rental just ask,there are a lot of members that may be of help or if not I have archived a lot of stuff from this thread that could be useful,just post here or PM me and I will see if I can help.

Good luck on that trip to Yuma. Hopefully you won't find too many weird things in those inaccessible areas but if you it would be a kick to know about them :B

Let us know how it is all going with this new to you RV and if there any mods that you make that makes it yours.

Happy Camping!!

[marronnin]

Add me to the list. Just picked up our 2018 Thor Majestic 28A from CA yesterday.
Now it's in the driveway, getting cleaned out of all the little things that got put behind drawers, in "inaccessible" locations, etc. Can't wait to take our first trip in her to Yuma in 2 weeks.

This thread was very helpful in making the decision to go forward in the buying process. Thanks IAMICHABOD!!

-Marshall

[SJ-Chris]

Racerboy76 wrote:
Thanks for the reply Chris! Good thought on the speed and breaking. Maybe ill give it a trial run before the main event to see how it does. Is your 28a an E350 or E450?

I do have a 23' Class C RV with the e350 Superduty. I have towed my 20' boat with no problem. Similar weight to a car I would imagine.

-Chris

[SJ-Chris]

Racerboy76 wrote:
Thanks for the reply Chris! Good thought on the speed and breaking. Maybe ill give it a trial run before the main event to see how it does. Is your 28a an E350 or E450?

e450

[Bea_PA]

We have flat towed our Saturn Vue several times with our 350 with no problems. We have a braking system.

[eldel]

The 28a is on a 450 chassis. I rather suspect that if you could attach it to Delaware it would tow it. The only thing I would worry about is the rear sway bar. That's going to be a lot of sideways momentum a long way behind the axle.

[azrving]

.

[Racerboy76]

Thanks for the reply Chris! Good thought on the speed and breaking. Maybe ill give it a trial run before the main event to see how it does. Is your 28a an E350 or E450?

[SJ-Chris]

Racerboy76 wrote:
Hello fellow RV'ers! Has anyone here towed a small car on a dolly or something comparable in size with their former rental 23A? Were planning a long trip and need to take our car along. A Our Thor is a 25A former rental which is very similar to the 23A. It feels like it would have plenty of power and being the car is on the dolly I would think it wouldn't impact the suspension too much. Any pointers or things to watch out for?

Thanks in advance!

On two occasions I used a U-Haul tow dolly behind my Thor Majestic 28a. Each time, the car was less than 4000lbs. Your RV is smaller, but I believe all the Majestics come stock with a 5000lb tow hitch so I don't see a reason why it would give you any issue. In theory, it is very similar to towing a boat (...and I've done that many times). You shouldn't have any problem. Verify that your trailer lights are working correctly with the trailer. Drive a little slower (I think those tow dollies have a max speed recommendation of 55mph). Give yourself a little more braking room.

Good luck!
Chris

[Racerboy76]

Hello fellow RV'ers! Has anyone here towed a small car on a dolly or something comparable in size with their former rental 23A? Were planning a long trip and need to take our car along. A Our Thor is a 25A former rental which is very similar to the 23A. It feels like it would have plenty of power and being the car is on the dolly I would think it wouldn't impact the suspension too much. Any pointers or things to watch out for?

Thanks in advance!

[IAMICHABOD]

Hey Chris
My thermostat is hooked to my Ducted A/C unit and also to my furnace,It replaced the old one Like this one which controls both of them.
It can be hooked up to only control just the furnace.As I found out when trying to replace the old one,kept changing wires around until I got the right combo to run them both as the old one did..There is quite a few posts here on the forum,Here are a few That I found using the google search.


As for the Bilsteins,they made the ride much nicer and controlled the leaning and porpoising.With the old ones after a dip the RV would go down then up then down again and up.With the Bilsteins they only make one rotation then settle back to the flat ride.

It also takes out the harshness of the ride.

I have been using Bilsteins for over 30 years,from my off-road vehicles thru all of my other vehicles,trucks,Suvs and other RVs.

I hope this helps,anything else just ask,happy to help when I can.

Happy Camping.
Gary

[SJ-Chris]

Good stull IAMICHABOD!

Question about your digital thermometer...Is it connected to just your furnace? Or does it control your heater AND your AC? On my 2015 Majestic 28a, the AC controls are on the unit itself (up on the ceiling). The analog furnace thermostat is on the wall by the kitchen sink. Just wondering if you tied them together somehow.

Regarding the Bilsteins you added...I know nothing about them but often hear about people adding them. What do they do for your ride? How noticeable is it really? Thanks!

-Chris

[IAMICHABOD]

I have had my Former Rental a bit longer than SJ-Chris,I have also made some Mods/Upgrades myself.I am pretty handy,I have done most all of these,plus fixing things that have broken or needed routine maintenance.

So I too would like to share a list with links. Links are also in my posts that may be helpful to any of you.

Oxygenics My Shower Head Post

Vortex Fan for the bathroom.

Swivel Seats My post on that.

New Window In Door My post on that.

Wheel Simulators I like the look better than Hub Caps or the painted wheels.

Valve stem kit

Bilsteins Better ride and and control from leaning and porpoising.

Led Lights to replace all of the old ones.

Converter To replace the ****py WFCO and get a great 3 Stage one.

New Toilet To replace the old unsanitary hand flush with a foot flush.

Black Tank Flush My post on that.

Digital Thermostat To keep things cool or toasty easily.

Awning lock

Maxxair Vent Covers

MaxxAir Fanmate to cover my Fantastic Fan

Fantastic Fan

Backup Camera

Tire Pressure monitor

Put TV in a cabinet My post on that,much nicer to have it there.

A New Mattress sleep much better now.

A Severe Duty Fan Clutch My post on that, to keep that motor running cooler.

New Michelin Tires My post on that.

New seat covers and new foam My post on that, much nicer and more comfortable.

New TV Antenna My post on that, Replaced that old Batwing with The Jack and got much better performance.

New Headlights My post on that.
And then to pretty it up a bit a Billet grill



What Upgrades or Mods have the rest of you all made,come on back and tell us all about them

Have a great camping season!!

[SJ-Chris]

About 3 years ago I purchased two Cruise America 2015 Class C Majestic 28a units. I am a moderate DIYer and have made several modifications/upgrades. I enjoy these projects and seem to be a little addicted to doing more (lol). I have fixed many things that broke along the way too, but this post is just covering upgrades and modifications. I thought I would share a list here along with links to several of the projects in case any of you want to make the upgrades....

Added a backup monitor. I'm actually surprised that rental RVs don't come stock with backup cameras as they help drivers so much. Well, Cruise America RVs do not come with them. So, I added one.
Cost was ~$140. It is wireless. The camera is mounted on the rear of the RV and is placed right underneath the center running light near the rear top of the RV and the camera gets it's power from the running light. Here is the one I chose.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078PDH6Z8

Added a 2nd lead acid battery. This doubled the battery bank from 100AH to 200AH which I feel is much more reasonable for the typical weekend warrior RVer. I added the battery in the small external compartment on the driver side closer to the rear. I drilled some 1/2" holes near the top and bottom of this compartment (on the underside of the RV where it isn't visible) to allow for gas venting. Then ran heavy duty battery cables to connect with the original coach battery.

Added a battery monitor. Incredibly helpful for all things battery/power related. Cost: ~$75. Let's me know that my solar, alternator, generator charging is working. Let's me know exactly what the battery capacity is. Let's me test/know the power consumption of any 12v item in the RV. Very useful.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30168196.cfm

New front seat covers. Hard to find ones that fit, but these ones fit like a glove! After a while, the original cloth seats had stains. These covers are a vinyl type that can easily be wiped. They have been holding up great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084WVK4DD

Added USB charging ports over the dinette, over the couch, and over the rear bed. I installed these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZQJPJMB
Allows for all passengers to keep their devices charged.
If you put them within ~6-10 inches from your under-cabinet dome lights (if you have those), you can tap off the dome light wiring.
I chose these for easy install because with the correct sized drill bit, it is a 10 minute job!

Added a TV and DVD player. This was put on the driver side of the upper cab bed (there is a 120v outlet there already). I had to run a 1"x4" piece of wood immediately above and below the window and then two vertical pieces. I painted them to match the drape color so they were less noticeable. This allowed me to place a long reaching TV mount/arm on the wall so that the TV could be swiveled open and pointed down so people can watch from the couch or dinette. Here is the long-reaching TV mount I used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XJJKRM7

Upgraded Tires. When the time came for new tires, I feel it is a no-brainer to move up to 225/75r16 Commercial rated tires (121/120 load rating). Gives ~2000lbs extra load carrying capacity on the rear. Before doing this, I had 2 blowouts on my RVs over a couple of years. Since upgrading I have had zero blowouts. Better safety. Helps me sleep better at night.

Tire Pressure Monitor System. Cost ~$80 and took 5 minutes to install. This is a GREAT safety feature to have. Over the years I've had a couple of times when the inner dually was flat and I didn't notice (prior to getting this TPMS). If you don't have one, you should add one. Your safety is worth it!
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30305164.cfm

RV roof reseal and caulking. The RVs were 6 years old when I did this project. The caulking around the vents and the front cap needed some attention. I was also about to add solar so I wanted a nice, clean canvas to work on. Cost was only ~$250/RV. I feel like I added an extra 5 years of protection to my roof. Haven't had any leaks. Here is that project:
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30201452.cfm

500w solar and 2000w PSW inverter. I'm a huge fan of solar on RVs. Keeps the batteries topped off all the time when in storage, and allows for boondocking. I was able to find an inexpensive way to add 500w which is more than enough solar. Probably only needed 300w, but with this inexpensive technique (used panels), the panels were practically free.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30217540.cfm

Added a Trik-L-Start device. This handy ~$60 device takes a small amount of the charge going to your coach batteries (via solar or being plugged in) and charges/maintains your chassis battery. Keeps everything nice and topped off. Never having dead batteries is so nice...

Changed all the interior light bulbs to LEDs. LED light bulbs use ~1/5th the power. Changing them keeps the RV cooler in the summer months AND uses much less battery power. Cost: ~$15. These ones worked in my RV (verify yours are the same before purchasing):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HRVKQDR

Upgraded the rear bed to a 10" memory foam mattress. Cost was ~$260 and definitely worth it. Here's the one I got...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JRHI0W2

Tornado black waste tank flush system added. This ~$50 project makes it so you can rinse out your black waste tank the best, easiest way possible. It not only pushes out all the waste on the bottom of your tank (...there's plenty left there after a "regular" dumping without a tank flush), but it cleans your waste tank walls and most importantly the SENSORS so that they read correctly. Very beneficial in my opinion.
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30315748.cfm

Added Roof Vent cover over the rear bedroom ceiling vent. This ~$30-40 addition allows you to keep the vent open while driving, while in storage, etc. Easy to do. Puts zero holes in your roof during install. I just put it over the bed to try out, but now I think I'll add one over the bathroom vent as well (...nice to be able to leave the bathroom vent open).
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30358230.cfm
While you are up there, you might want to also change the rubber vent cover seal especially if yours is all hard, brittle, and cracking. You can order it here, $13 for 2 vents:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HZCW58V/

Added a fan over the rear bedroom bed. This allows for bringing in air and/or blowing air out. On one of my Majestic 28a units it had a pull handle to open/close the vent (instead of a crank handle). This forced me to get creative and create a custom, quiet vent fan. Cost was about $25. Here is a link to that project:
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30361696.cfm
On the other Majestic 28a, it had a crank type opening system. I happened to have a Heng's Vortex vent fan laying around so I installed that one in that RV.

Catalytic Converter anti-theft system and alarm. After having one of my CCs stolen (covered by insurance), I decided to do something to help prevent it from happening again. Even though insurance covered it, that RV was out for about 5-6 weeks (what a pain). For about $40 I was able to put together something pretty good. For an extra ~$60 I was able to install an alarm that covers the catalytic converter, the interior of the RV, and the main rear storage compartment. Here is a link:
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/30358670.cfm

Added a locking gas cap. I don't ever want someone stealing my gas (...with prices this high, it could happen), or anyone putting anything into my gas tank (unlikely, but you never know). Cost was ~$12.

Adding cooling fans and boiler protection to the refrigerator. This is my latest project and not yet finished. I'll add a link when complete. Adding cooling fans to blow outside air through the back of the refrigerator and out the vent will help keep the fridge/freezer interior cooler (especially in warm months). Adding boiler protection will help prevent refrigerator damage and/or fire.

I think that's most of the upgrades. Hope you find this useful.

Have any of you added anything else that you really enjoy? Let us know.

Happy Camping!
Chris