By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Duane, a certified RV inspector and one of my favorite RV YouTube vloggers, gives his thoughts on the pros and cons of buying a used Class C rental, like those offered for sale from Cruise America.
Cruise America is the country’s largest RV rental company. They provide a great way for people to try out the RV lifestyle before fully committing to it.
Like rental car companies, they also regularly sell off older units and replace them with newer models. This offers the public a chance to get an RV at a bargain price.
Pros of buying a used Class C from Cruise America
- Price! You can save considerably by buying a Cruise America RV.
- Cruise America claims to maintain and refurbish every unit before it is offered for sale. That means that like a rental car agency, these motorhomes are serviced and maintained every time they come in from a rental. Of course, Duane includes the caveat that the importance of this point will depend on how much you believe them. Duane is always skeptical of these claims. Personally, I am less so as the rigs have to be maintained well to keep them in a rentable condition. Whether they refurbish before selling, who knows?
- Warranty! Cruise America offers a free 3-month/3,000-mile warranty. You can optionally get an extended warranty as well. For about $2,000, this option extends the engine and drive train warranty for five years or 100K miles.
- Rent to buy. Cruise America offers a program where you can rent one of their RVs to try it out. Then if you decide to buy, the price of the rental is applied towards the purchase (with some restrictions).
- Cruise America Class C RVs are smaller and more nimble RVs, an especially great option for new RVers.
Cons of buying a used Class C from Cruise America
- It has been a rental, which means new RVers who may or may not actually know how to use an RV potentially could have used it hard.
- These units usually come with high mileage. The ones Duane has been seeing recently have 120K to 150K miles on them. Duane says to plan on budgeting some money for repairs or buying the extended warranty.
- The brand selection is limited to the Thor RVs that Cruise America uses. If you like these particular RVs, great. If not, buying a used Cruise America RV may not be for you.
- These are basic RVs without a lot of amenities. Don’t expect to see slide, awnings, or auto leveling. Expect the interior to be basic and utilitarian too.
- You can spend between 10K to 15K more than the Cruise American price on other RVs and get a lot more choices, options, and amenities.
Who should buy a used Class C rental RV?
After covering the pros and cons, Duane shares his thoughts on who should buy a Cruise America used Class C RV. Most users will probably not choose this option. However, Duane says these folks could benefit:
- Those with tiny budgets or who want to spend the least amount possible.
- Those who don’t need or want extra amenities.
Of course, Duane recommends getting an inspection from a certified RV inspector before the sale to make sure everything is working and the rig truly has been refurbished.
Do you have any experience buying a used RV from a rental company? Please drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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Duane pretty much convinced me not to buy a beat up used Cruise America Class C. Not that I was considering that anyway. But, some enterprising person with time and money to spare could make a video on how they bought one of these units and turned it into a grand RV. I would love to see that.
Hi. Although Duane convinced you not to get a used, beat up CA Class C, since he’s an Inspector, I understand and respect his view. For me, however, I plan to get a pre-purchase Inspection done to make sure the rig is in decent shape. Plus I’ll be taking lots of other precautions. Given my limited finances, the fact that taking out a loan isn’t an option, and I can’t afford anything more expensive, CA is my best option. I think the bottom line for whether getting a used rig is the right choice, depends a lot on the dealer/salesman, as well as the individual’s situation. As a newbie, I’m looking forward to getting started with a used CA rig.🌝
Knowing how people treat rental cars and trucks I would be very Leary of buying used motorhome from them. You know that unit was used by someone who thought it was capable of 4 wheeling and there is no telling where and how much off roading it’s been through. Plus it’s made by Thor so that’s another “black eye”.
Having looked at that option before buying a used private deal, the rental shops have top notch technicians to service their fleet. however was not what I wanted in terms of amenities and the fact if I wanted to sell unit at a later time it would be significantly harder to sell for reasons stated.
My first motorhome was a dealer rental. A 1985 Coachman 24 ft. We bought it with 36,000 mile on it 8 monthe after Ford made the chassis. So just a little bit more than 1000 miles a week. I really dont think they had time to service anything. Motoroil was black transmission oil was dark.power steering was empty.
Changed the fluids and NEVER had an issue. Still going after all these years. My daughter owns it now 38 years and going strong.
Years ago my folks bought two used rental class C’s because of price. They enjoyed both for years. But my Mother replaced all cushions and fabric in them. My Father had to fix lots and lots of small things. For them it was the only way to afford a class C. Everytime I went with them something broke, one time I walked a few miles on the interstate to get to a phone to call a tow service so know what your buying.
Interesting and informative article. Thanks for sharing it with us.
We bought a used 34 foot Class C from Cruise America when we decided to go from travel trailers to a motorized RV. We did not want to invest a large amount of money into a unit until we were sure if this life style appealed to us. This unit had low mileage (less than 80,000 miles) and the cost was under $35,000. (They now wait longer to sell refurbished units and they are considerably more expensive.)
Cruise America added an awning and roof ladder for us. It had a new paint job, new battery, and new tires. They reviewed the service record on this unit with us and we were pleased. Overall the unit was better constructed than our present Class C since it had to take the punishment as a rental. We were pleasantly surprised how much we liked the unit. We kept it for 8 years and still received a good trade in on our brand new RV.
A friend recently bought a unit from Cruise America and when he had trouble with the engine on the way home, he called them and they had it towed back and gave him another RV. They stood by their product.
For me, the most interesting CA sale RV in the last several years is not for a Class C. CA apparently bought a number of 2017-2018 Lance 650 truck campers, but has been selling them all without replacing them. They were available only on crew-cab RWD Ford F-150s, which were sold separately, and only in the West and Alaska. The 30A campers came with dry baths, queen beds, fridge, cooktop/microwave, furnace, rooftop AC, power cord, battery, and propane, but no jacks, awnings, or slides. And Lance has a much better reputation for quality than Thor. CA has been selling them for $17-20K or about half the new price. Since they did not replace them, truck campers were apparently not as popular as their Class C rentals.
Interestingly, they are now renting small Thor travel trailers, designed specifically for CA with dry baths, rear E-W beds, front dinettes, and no slide. I think maybe they are being hurt by peer-to-peer rental companies and trying to complete with non-motorized TTs that rent for less than their the Class Cs.
I’m currently saving $ to buy my first rig, a 25 ft CA RV b/c I’m a minimalist and don’t need or want the bells & whistles. I’m also planning to have a pre-purchase inspection done to ensure that I’ll be in good shape when I hit the road. I’m grateful that CA exists and offers these kinds of RVs b/c I’m retired and on SS and thus, can’t afford a more expensive one I’m getting the 25 ft b/c I’ll be able to drive it since towing doesn’t appeal to me.
BTW…once I buy the rig, I’m going to NRVTA in TX to get certified as a mobile tech and an Inspector. That way, I’ll do most of my own repairs and will be able to make extra $ on my travels🌝
Bought an El Monte rental 8 years ago (in fact typing this out from the driver’s seat now) with 125K miles, have just short on 190K now. Have replaced all the appliances, but the coach as a whole has been solid. I love the fact that it’s basic – vinyl and leather means no stains, I don’t care about the sand from the Beach, or the dogs muddy paws. The huge basement and tanks are another plus. A friend bought a brand new Winnebago C around the same time, and he’s had nothing but problems – all electrical. I’d definitely recommend buying a used rental from one of the big companies since you know they had to keep them maintained so they wouldn’t break down on paying customers.
Bought a used Class C from El Monte RV in Las Vegas that still had manufacture warranty on it.
We had no problems with it at all, it was solid.
Considered a unit from Cruise America but it did not even come with a TV. Glad we bought from El Monte, and mattress was comfortable (can you believe it). Ultimately we sold the unit for more than we bought it for.
No complaints!!
Yikes! Buying Cruise America’s cast-offs sounds like a lose-lose proposition. I do like the YouTuber. He has a comforting delivery and seems knowledgeable.
Where can I rent a 27ft.motorhome ?I want to see how it feels.Im5’tall gal 110lbs. Can I handle this comfortably?