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.

[Bordercollie]

I wonder what kind of resale value a high mileage ex-rental will have when you want to sell it to the next buyer. Seems to me that there are a lot of gizmos in any rig that have limited useful life along with big ticket items like the roof A/C and fridge, awniing, tires, engine cooling system, brakes, transmission, suspension, etc. Expect to start spending some money on items as they reach around 7 years old. If you can fix or replace most things yourself that makes a difference.

[TyroneandGladys]

As I have said before the argument against rentals is that the renters abuse the rentals. That infers that no private owner abuses there unit and that all private owners have maintained there unit correctly.

[00zx6r]

I bought 2001 26' from cruise america in 2005 and had no issue. Crossed country 1 time (8000 mile) from CA - GA - FL and back to CA. Most of the time we are boondocks in the desert.

[NTORACN]

Bought a 2000 22C from cruise america back in 2004 and had zero problems with it. I just traded it in on a 2006 24D at El Monte RV. I'm very happy with ex rental RV's and the price you can get them for. You have to look at all of the units, some are beat and others are clean. Stay away from the beater units. I almost bought a 2nd RV from Cruise America until I found out their 23A unit only has an 18 gallon grey tank! Make sure the unit your looking for has the specs you need for the type of camping your gonna be doing.

[winnietrey]

delete

[winnietrey]

Happy Camping Iamichabod

[IAMICHABOD]

winnietrey wrote:
To be fair though, you have not owned it very long, and have not put many miles on it. I think the true measure will be 10 years, 60k miles, and a few hundred nights later. That time frame and usage may or may not change your opinion

"ALWAYS HAVING TO EDUCATE--Plan on spending lots of time educating folks who have never owned a rental unit yet have all kinds of opinions".

I did not know that you have a crystal ball and know how long I have owned,driven or stayed in my Motorhome. :h

To be fair? :?

[winnietrey]

To be fair though, you have not owned it very long, and have not put many miles on it. I think the true measure will be 10 years, 60k miles, and a few hundred nights later. That time frame and usage may or may not change your opinion

[IAMICHABOD]

Big Redneck wrote:
That would be the last camper I would buy. Most of the time I have seen one on the road it was in the fast lane going faster then it should. Usually a bunch of people in it more then it should have.They usually never change the oil either. There a lot better deals out there then one of them.I just bought a 2004 Four Winds 31 foot GM chassie with 15,600 miles for 20,500. Also garage kept and very clean.

From a previous post :R

3. ALWAYS HAVING TO EDUCATE--Plan on spending lots of time educating folks who have never owned a rental unit yet have all kinds of opinions.

[Big_Redneck]

That would be the last camper I would buy. Most of the time I have seen one on the road it was in the fast lane going faster then it should. Usually a bunch of people in it more then it should have.They usually never change the oil either. There a lot better deals out there then one of them.I just bought a 2004 Four Winds 31 foot GM chassie with 15,600 miles for 20,500. Also garage kept and very clean.

[gnight]

I wish I would have read this back in the summer. I almost bought from El Monte but the miles on the rig scared me. Dumb really as these engines will run forever if taken care of properly and most of their rigs were only 5-6 years old. I ended up buying an older model from a private seller and probably would have had less issues with a newer rental. Big difference between a 2003 and and 2007 model especially if you have to replace the tires.

[jacobj]

I wanted to thank everyone who had an input about purchasing a rental rv and also for the individual who ask the question. I was thinking about purchasing a rental rv for several months now and all the questions and concerns everyone here had anwered them. thanks again.

[IAMICHABOD]

travelintraceys
Thanks for the great post on the Pros and Cons of buying a rental.
I think it will help others that are looking at buying a RV.

I have to agree on all of the points that you made.

Price was a factor in my decision to go with the rental,as I said in the original post. I had looked at a lot of others of the same year,model and Mfg. All needed work or tires or something which meant
I had to spend more money to get it in shape. Granted they had less miles but I had no way of knowing how they had been matained. For less money I found one that had newer tires,Had a new interior,and a bonus I had a 28 page log of all matainance and repairs that had been performed.

Construction,this unit had to be made well,to stand up to the rigors of the trade. I also got the build sheet for mine and it is listed as a Tioga Commercial 26QR.

As far as Durabilty I think that it speaks for it's self, as you said,you got it with a lot of mileage and put a lot of more trouble free miles on it. Todays vehicles are designed to last if properly maintained or the manufactures would not put such a long warranty period on them. As the service manager told me if this rig is not rolling they are losing money so it is in their best intrest to mantain it to keep it on the road.

As for the Cons I have to agree with you on the Extended Warranty. When I looked at Cruse America a lot of their sales pitch was their Extended Waranty. I found it off putting and very expensive for what you get.

I had no dealer Hankie Pankie. I was told going in that it was a 2006 but was on a 2005 Chasis but I already knew how that works from the days that I had my Class A.They were upfront about everything that I asked about.
They also offered a Extended Warranty, when asked, but admitted that it wasn't a really good deal. It came with a 1 year/12000 mile power train warranty from them also 30 days on all appliances,from El Monte RV.

Having to educate people about owning a rental, I have to agree you get all kinds of opinions but after I had a few folks actually come in my RV and saw how nice and clean and well appointed it was they were impressed. I even had a few that went and looked at the place that I bought mine.

I have to agree Go Out And Enjoy and use that money you saved for other things, I know that I did..........

[travelintraceys]

Thanks for the thread IAMICHABOD. Here's pro's and con's buying rental motorhomes (at least in our case--a 2003 Ford Class C Four Winds Majestic 23A purchased from Cruise America in 2006 with 99k miles). After six years of use, 20k added miles and dozens of states traveled from CA to MI, we can say:

PROS
1. PRICE--Not everyone can afford a new or low-mileage unit. We figured the 30K we saved could buy a lot of repairs, and that proved true. 6 years and 20k miles later, we have only spent $100 on repairs (coil went bad, and it still ran). Just usual maintenance items like fluids, battery, etc.
2. CONSTRUCTION--Rock solid. Yes, we believe people when they say these units are abused. But think about it: A company couldn't stay in business if their rigs were always in the garage or behind tow trucks. That's why they order them solidly built with no frills. We like the diamondplate low-level entry step, the solid wood cabinetry and easy care linoleum floor.
3. DURABILITY--The Ford van is about as generic as it gets. If you break down, you'll get parts. I drive the same 5.4 V8 in shuttle vans and they are running with over 350,000 original miles on them. Just keep the fluids fresh. Plus, the little 5.4 V8 climbs mountains better than our previous carburated 460 V8 and gets double the gas mileage (11 mpg vs 6 mpg). Even the coach--with all its appliances--has had zero breakdowns in 6 years of year-round use (including a fulltime gig).

CONS
1. EXPENSIVE WARRANTY--With high mile vehicles, a warranty seems like a no brainer, but really, you could replace an engine yourself for what it costs. Would not buy warranty again. Plus, the mandatory service intervals were "setup to trip-up"--like, odd mile oil changes and such.
2. DEALER HANKIE-PANKIE--Purchased as 2003 but when registering with state, computer said 2002 (6/02 per vin). I found they can go by coach--not chassis--date when selling. Also, roof had been patched. No maintenance records, no disclosure, so buyer beware.
3. ALWAYS HAVING TO EDUCATE--Plan on spending lots of time educating folks who have never owned a rental unit yet have all kinds of opinions.

Overall, we would definitely buy another rental unit (but maybe from another source, like El Monte). Like we said, $30k savings would buy a lot of repairs--if needed--and they weren't. Enjoy your rig!

[derosacamp]

Another approach to the RV rental experience. We were looking at RV's primarily at dealers, and when inspecting the one we purchased, we noticed the shadow of lettering identifying it as a rental. The dealer had taken it in on a trade from a private owner who bought it from a local dealer that rented it. Although cosmetically compromised, the mechanics were in good shape, relatively low mileage 32K for a 2006)and had lots of nice features, including new decals! We are finishing up our first season, had all the warranty work done including trouble igniting the water heater and a leaky shower drain and over all pleased with the unit. I am planning on replacing the couch and some of the cushions to bring the decor more in line with our tastes.