I'm buying from Cruise America based on this review you guys did. What was funny was that the saleman knows who you all are. I'm a solo retired female with multiple health issues but I don't want to have the "shoulda, woulda, couldas" later in life and regret not trying to live my dream. Thank you
These units are running from the low $40k -$50k and they're practically new inside. Cruise America orders them with certain deletes due to failure potential (Rear window, front window (leak and/or damage), ladders, awning, etc. As of today, they list 29 units available for sale in the U.S. Looks like a great way to start RVing without shelling out $100k+. This unit was very clean and well equipped. Thanks for the review!
I bought a 2015 Cruise America Thor Majestic 28A with 120K miles. EXCELLENT experience so far (two years) with no problems at all. Travelled last year from Utah to South Carolina, lived in it from May to Sept, and this year have been camped in Oceanside CA from June to end of August. NO ISSUES, great unit, runs great, have only had two maintenance items (replaced the front roof vent and a furnace relay/thermostat). Highly recommend checking out their units for sale. I got a great deal, and could actually sell it for $10K more than I paid for it!
I worked for Thor Motor Coach from 1991 - 2015. This video was a like a trip down memory lane. In addition to things not touched in this video, the water lines were set up with an air chuck for winterizing. The fresh water tank was equipped with 1" PVC drains for quicker and more thorough emptying. Unless Cruise upgraded the floors for resale, which it doesn't look like it, it's just linoleum over an OSB insulated floor system. And for what it's worth, Thor also built a 23' and 19' model for Cruise America.
@@ka9vmp can you provide more detail to understand the value you got and how it compares to what was decided in this video which can coat 35k plus or minus 10k in $500 incriminates based on milage
Two other important things about Cruise America's RVs' No awnings No slide outs Basically what Cruise America did with their RVs was that they made a list of the things that most often fail in RVs and didn't include them in the vehicles that they order
We bought one as our first Class C, 29 ft. It was great and lasted us several years. We sold it as our needs changed, but never had any issues with it.
I bought a 28A from Cruise America about 3 months ago and here is my experience. I bought a 2015 model sight unseen from Cruise America in Everett WA. I did this because watching the promotional video by Cruise America gave me the confidence that I was getting a fully refurbished coach. When you shop at Cruise America using the website it shows what units are available with the mileage listing which affects the price of the unit. Less miles cost more but it doesn't seem to mean much if you buy a higher mileage unit because the power train warranty doesn't care how miles you have on the unit when you start the coverage. This video shows the same unit I bought with all the same features. It was raining when we arrived to pick up the coach. One of the goofy things we noticed right away was that the roof drip rail stops right over the middle of the driver and passenger doors so when opening the doors to get in or out you get a nice stream of water down your neck. You would of thought they would have extended the drip rails far enough forward that this wouldn't happen. We inspected the coach and saw water on the floors under the vents and we thought it was because the vents were up and opened. All in all things looked pretty good so we left for home which involves a trip on a ferry boat to cross Puget Sound to get to the Olympic Peninsula side. It was late in the day as I drove out and the first thing I noticed was the extreme pull to the right as driving. I also noticed that the front vent over the cab bed wouldn't close all the way. The ratchet teeth on the unit were all broken. When I got home I contacted Cruise America and they said they would fix these problems, just take it to a shop and have them send them the bill. They did this for me no questions asked, really up-front stand-up guys. These units don't come with an awning but Cruise America will install one on your unit, get this, for about $1100.00! This deal saved me over $700.00 as realized by a quote from a local RV dealer. The awnings are good quality Dometic units, not cheap stuff. I had to bring the unit back to the dealer for the install of the awning and on the way home from the install the unit developed a problem where the engine wouldn't work right and I had to have the unit towed home. As background info I bought in addition to the standard 3K/3month power train warranty a 5year/100,000 mile power train warranty complete with trip protection. This was offered at time of sale for 800 bucks, half the normal price. Cruise America stepped up to the plate and paid for everything, including non-power train items. They must have spent over $5000.00 in repair work fixing the alignment problem and front wheel bearings, replaced the radiator that leaked, roof vent problems, and replaced the catalytic converter. The solar power charger never worked and I didn't press it when I informed them that it didn't work. I went away thinking it was an add-on that wasn't covered. The solar panel is installed on top of the A/C unit so it is small and doesn't produce a lot of power if it did work. While up on the roof I saw that the vent seals had not been re-sealed and were full of cracks so I fixed it with some sealant. I think all around it was a good deal. The cost of a 2015 Cruise America motor home like this was about $10K below anything I saw in it's class. They stand behind their product with no hassles. I wasn't impressed with the "refurbishment" process. I think they check a few cursory things without a lot of attention to detail. My unit is a pleasure to drive and tows my 2007 Ford Edge without complaint at about 10/11 MPG.
Wow, thanks for all that information! It's nice to hear that the warranty was honored without any issues. How many of those things do you think you would've caught if you had time to do a proper inspection before driving it home?
My purchase was like this, I bought one with 133,000 miles on it in Las Vegas sight unseen. Nevada has no sales tax to out of state buyers. I personally think the more miles it has the fewer problems it has had over it's life that pulled it off the road. I put a $500 deposit Aug. 15th, 2019 on the 2015 Majestic 28a. I didn't pick it until Sept. 13, they held it almost a month for me. In that time I texted my salesman every few days. My original price $26,985. It already had the chrome hubcaps so they were given free. The awning he threw in for his cost of $500 bucks, brand new installed before pickup! 5 year/100k warranty was $1695, $195 for paper processing fee. I took so long to pick it up they ran a Sept. special on the warranty for $845. When I asked him about it he said I put my deposit in Aug. so I don't qualify. But he knocked off another $500 just because instead. When we got there it was 100 degrees, the A/C fan unit was making a squeaky sound. The saleman didn't like it, he said if it squeaked like that we would hate him for ever and he made the tech. replace the whole unit with a brand new one. My 4000W generator had 459 hours on it. The 4 rear tires were brand new Michelins, the 2 front are Goodyears. Replaced, rented one last time them pulled off the road he said, date code is 3018. My battery on the cab is a brand new stock motorcraft, the engine compartment was spotless, like someone polished it. The dinette cushions and the sofa were brand new replacements, plus half the cutains. Backup sensors work, he says they don't always. Of course a brand new paint job and decals. 1/2 full 55 gal. Gas tank, full 51.72 lbs propane tank. Total cost with everything was $28,884.25 which we paid in full with cashier's check! We didn't finance, but it should be easy due to it being 10k cheaper than anything comparable. The bad items, bathroom vent fan makes a squeaky sound and needs replaced, solar panel doesn't work, my USB charge ports on my side of the queen bed don't charge my phone. The cabinets above the sink, the doors don't line up exactly, but work fine, you must install your own TV. Everything else is "beefy"! After we picked it up, we drove it 5 hours to Tonapah NV and slept for the night. Left Tonapah at 7am, drove 17 hours straight to Portland, Oregon. After crossing the Cascades at Willamette pass, I drove 70 mph up I-5 to get home in Portland by 12 midnight. I love this thing, drives like a sports car!
@Jay Harter absolutely AC! I spent all day yesterday washing (roof and all), winterizing and covering the unit. I love this deal more even today! I cannot recommend it enough. Commpared to 40k for the same thing (not as beefy) and 5 years older on private market it's a no brainer. Maintaining the truck portion is not difficult, as long as I keep with house portion in it's current condition. I will be good for a long time. Bought a 32" TV from Wal-Mart for $118, a beefy mount from Amazon for $20 (modified slightly), I re-inforced the cabinet above dinette with plywood and bam tv that works from all angles.
Thanks to you, we bought our first recreational vehicle from Cruise America. We picked it up in Manassas Virginia. Took our first trip down to North Florida, it handled very well even in high winds. Fuel mileage drop this 6 miles a gallon with high winds, an average between 10 and 11 gallons is normally. Two things I think they could have addressed better, we needed to clean the air conditioner immediately, it had such a pungent stench of mold. The Air conditioner is above the stove and had cooking grease built up in side of it. The second thing the spare tire, looks like something thay took off out of a ditch, it wasn't even properly secured or the hardware for doing it isn't even in there, there was no Jack or lug wrench, this could be because they never had one in the first place. You would think that if they took the time to recondition this RV they would look into every aspect when they were doing it. I will need to buy a spare tire in mediately and have the rim sandblasted and repainted. The grey water line leaks before the discharge cut off. Overall we're very happy with it. We still feel like we got a great value for money. I do not blame the staff in Manassas for the problems, they have a limited amount of time to make delivery, in my opinion this is something that should have been addressed when it was being recondition for sale
We bought a Cruise Canada ex-rental 6 years and it’s been amazing. We added an awning, and are loving the quality of the whole rv. The consistent maintenance records are why we chose to to buy from Cruise Canada.
I absolutely LOVE my Majestic! I've had mine just over 3 years and have had no issues other than regular maintenance stuff. And they make them easy to use for those inexperienced renters which was perfect for me because I was an RV virgin! And being a single woman with limited mechanical skills I couldn't be happier with my purchase!
Nice! We definitely need the 28A for the extra space inside and the tow capacity for our car. Can you think of anything that you wish you knew back before you got it, or anything that was weird when working with CA on the purchase?
@@Five2Go well I was an RV virgin and knew absolutely nothing! lol. Seriously though, I really knew nothing. I had dreamed for years of RVing to the Grand Canyon (I'm in MD) and would look online occasionally. Nothing in my budget appealed to me, it was usually old looking or needed more work than I'm prepared for. One day I happened upon CA and took the plunge! I was afraid of driving the 28A and since it was just myself & 2 teenagers the 23A seemed perfect. I picked it up on a Saturday and Monday we left for Niagra Falls. I figured what better way than to jump in with both feet and figure it out as I go! Thank God for TH-cam teaching me what I need to know along this journey! I didn't have any issues with CA. I only wish it would have came with an owners manual, the renters manual isn't very helpful.
What a great story! We pretty much jumped in head first too, but you learn stuff REALLY fast when you're full-timing! 😂 Have you made it to the Grand Canyon yet?
@@clydeb7713 You run the risk of leaks. Yeah it is nicer with slides (I owned a 2007 31' Conquest with a whole wall slide out) but the point of camping isn't to sit inside and play video games. I'd rather spend my time under the awning!
We rented a 28 foot RV from Cruise America this year for 20 days in late April/early May. We (my wife and our 4 kids ranging from age 11 down to 2) traveled the old Rt. 66 from Chicago to LA with some detours to Roswell, NM, and El Paso, TX then from LA we went to Las Vegas and Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon then on to the musical highway near Albuquerque and headed north along the colorado rockies and on to Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Corn Palace of Mitchell, SD before returning home to Illinois. The experience was amazing! I highly recommend renting a Cruise America Unit and we are also considering buying one ourselves now.
I'm in the UK and thinking about renting an RV in the USA (after COVID-19 has passed) and the level of detail in your video gave a much better idea of what to expect than the official videos on the rental sites . I'm impressed, great video!
If you rent one in the off season it is about half the price. They also have, or had, deals where you could drive them one way for repositioning/delivery to/from their maintenance facilities. For example Arizona to Washington State, where you could see the western USA.
I have this exact same unit, purchased back in 2017. So far it's been a pretty solid unit. I hate that they don't supply the chrome wheel simulators anymore. Mine still came with those and it really adds to the rig's appeal. I've done several mods to mine, like upgrading to Hellwig sway bars, Installing Billstien Shocks all around and adding rear air-ride bags for help the leaf-springs. It's a much nicer ride.
Ok i bought this exact rig in 2005 from cruise canada. I sold it in 2016 and wish I hadn't now. I never had a single days trouble with it. Not one single thing went wrong in all those years, inside or out. My kids were raised holidaying in it and we did thousands of miles over canada and usa. Its a wonderful rig. Well looked after by rental company. Go for it 😄
I interned at Winnebago when they were making a Cruise America order this last year and I can attest that the Cruise America’s have way more upgrades than any other model even the little things you don’t think of like the stove lightbulbs. I know this isn’t a Winnebago but Cruise America is a huge customer for the rv companies so they take great pride in making these rentals right because it is a competition to keep them. Good luck with your search! I have enjoyed watching!
Exactly how I'm planning to hit the road! (except I need the 25 foot rig). We rented this summer. The $1000 I paid for my rental and mileage can be applied to purchasing a used unit from Cruise America if I buy within 6 months. They will also reimburse my travel to the location of purchase up to $300. I was very impressed with my rental experience, looking forward to a possible purchase soon. Thanks so much for sharing! Safe travels.
I like the bedroom configurations and also appreciate the separate bath and toilets. The fact that it didn't have a single pull down hideous blinds. I would replace the sofa to 2 reclining chairs and the dining bench to a solid table and 4 chairs. Just me. Otherwise, the rig looks solid. We bought out class A in 2018 and 3 months after purchasing it, we had a bad toilet leak and the walls started to bow. We were at Fleetwood 3X to fix many disasters. Thank god for extended warranty. We met an older couple that told us never buy a brand new rig. Get something that has been tried true and have many miles on it. Well, your video just confirmed what the couple said. I enjoyed watching it.
I loved traveling in my used cruise America Thor majestic. It was spacious for two and had room for pets and occasional guests. I sleeps 8 in total. All systems were simple to use and held up on the road and on location. The ford 450 engine had no trouble with the mountains in Yellowstone and handled smoothly. There are many options for personalization -which improves value and experience. I had a lot of fun:) thanks for this tour. The laminate floor was a definite plus. It made it durable and more attractive to me.
Carl Schnackel Every car I have rented with Enterprise have given me, a cigarette smelling car, though I told them I was very allergic to it. The last time it had a strong air freshener smell, until I turned on the air conditioner and the cigarette smell came through and I had to return the car.
@@lindapearson3411 yea you never know what's been happening in a rental people say they don't smoke then smoke like a train after leaving the rental place. They will give you another if you go back and tell them usually. Enterprise are good people mostly
I so appreciate your video about buying an ex rental RV as I hadn’t considered this before. I’m with you on it’s former maintenance standards as all rental vehicles are presented in tip top condition. I even know a dealer that buys his stock this way but I didn’t understand it was open to the public. You can only imagine how much their markup is and their claims that they have fully renovated and serviced each motorhome. It’s really given me something to think about when I fly over from the United Kingdom to house hunt. Being immunosuppressed and having cancer we’ve decided to minimise all air travel and hotels in favour of an RV. The only thing that you didn’t mention was air conditioning and heating which I assume is standard for all RVs. I feel really blessed to have discovered this video and it may just change our lives. Thank you both for your honesty and candour 💕🇬🇧💫
That's awesome! How many miles did it have when you got it? We know El Monte sells them earlier than Cruise America does. The El Monte near us only has 2018/19's for sale with fairly low miles but for about double our budget so they're really not an option. How's their warranty? Have you had to use it?
I went to El Monte in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. I viewed a 2018 24-foot unit with 48,000 miles on it for $45,000; a 2018 28-foot with 51,000 miles $55,000. Both prices included tax, tag and registration. My budget is about half of that amount 😥!
That is really nice. Thanks for sharing. We’re in the market for a smaller RV. Never thought about looking at a Rental. Great idea! That is a great looking RV!
I'm sure he doesn't even realize it. Simply habit. I have some pretty annoying one's too..however, my 3 daughters never have an issue pointing them out to me...lol...
We rented this EXACT RV this summer from an individual who had purchased the coach from CruiseAmerica. we had a great time. everything worked. we went the middle of July so the a/c struggled a bit to keep up but still worked well. the only complaint was from my wife and daughter about the toilet position. the stool sits up on kind of a pedestal leaving shorter legged folks dangling while using the service. the queen bed was very comfortable, lots of storage and drove out nice. it was in great shape for a 2015 coach. Great video description of the RV.
We bought a 28 foot Majestic from Cruise America. It was a 2005 model. It was a good experience for us. The price was very good and the vehicle was well maintained. We took it on several long distance trips and it always performed well. My only complaint was that the V-10 engine in that year was still the 2 valve per cylinder instead of the later 3 valve. So it was a little on the gutless side.
That's the cleanest used RV I have ever seen. I know it's a little more upfront cost but I think it makes so much sense. You'll have all the maintenance records which will tell the story of it's life.
Just stumbled upon your video and it's great. I remember looking at these when I was stationed in San Diego in the Navy in the 1980's. I think they sold them in Phoenix but the organization appeared to be very efficient and knowledgeable on what worked and what didn't. One thing I specifically remember is that they told me that the coach body was removed from the chassis, refurbished and installed on a new cab & chassis at a certain mileage with the old chassis being sold off for conversion into a box truck. I don't know if they still do this but Cruise America definitely knows the equipment!
We did 18000klm. From Montreal to SanDiego,and back, Nov. to March,no issues similar rig as the vid. We loved it waiting to hit the road again . Great camper lots of room,storage and very comfortable to sleep, eat, and drive.
I bought an older 2004 that was a 23 foot version but was a F350 Truck instead of the E350 version and we have actually loved it. For me and the wife and 2 dogs it is perfect. We actually baught ours from a used car dealer (it was his personal one) and he bought it from an older couple who bought it from cruise america. We love its durable simple design. Get one you will love it. Have not had any issues.
I bought a Cruise America "Majestic" a few years back and am very happy with it. They make for a great buying experience without the hassle of having to talk to a used RV salesman. The unit is well built (by Thor), was well maintained (I got the service records with mine) and have had no issues other than normal wear and tear kind of stuff. They even offer extended warranty plans for the coach and chassis at a fraction of the cost your dealer would sell you for the exact same plan. Highly recommend anyone interested in a used rv check these out!
That's great to hear! We're noticing that all of the comments from actual owners have been positive and the only negative comments have been from renters or people that think rentals are junk no matter what. Comments like yours are very encouraging!
Ha.....I remember we left our blinds partially open with the dog in the rig. When the neighboring site folks came back to their site (with a dog), our dog tried to say hello...…….and then we had bent blinds. We started just making sure they were closed and never had a problem again (along with the radio making some noise). Yes....I am down for curtains too!
If you want more privacy on the shower door, there is an Adhesive Window Tint you can but in rolls and stick it on! Young Drivers use it on Car Windows, and I use it on my Bedroom Window.
I previously owned a used Cruise America RV. It was the best RV unit I ever owned. Never had any problems with it. I did upgrade to have a rear view backup camera installed. Thank you for posting this. Was recently looking to purchase another RV. I didn’t even think to go back to a used rental. I now know where I’m going next.
Two years ago we bought a 2016 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 27Q from a company in Anchorage that is Winnebago dealer but their primary mission is renting RVs to tourists visiting Alaska. After three seasons they pull rigs out of the rental fleet, spruce them up, and sell them for about 60% of their original MSRP. We are extremely happy with the rig we bought. It looked like it was exceptionally well taken care of and all systems worked as advertised. The only things I found that needed attention were some drawer slides that needed adjustment or repairs, which I did myself. The chassis was 2000 miles beyond factory warranty, but again the engine and entire under hood area were immaculately maintained. After 2 years and nearly 20,000 miles (most of which were 2 trips from Alaska to the Lower-48 and back via the Alaska Highway) we have had no significant problems with either the coach or chassis. While I would agree in a heartbeat that buying a rental unit could be a potential nightmare, we are proof that buying a well-maintained rig from a reputable dealer can be a great experience.
That's great to hear! We're sure that not all of the rigs that CA sells are in as great of shape as the one we looked at, but that's what the inspection is for! We really like the idea of a warranty and service paperwork too - no other used rig we'd buy would come with either of those things...
I really think it would just stay empty for us with the two littles always getting into things. They're not too bad about drawers, out of sight out of mind and all that, but if they can see and grab something they will! 😂
I have been looking at the one smaller the 23a, and other used corner bed units. I am leaning towards Cruise America. At that price point the choice is low miles and very old, or newer with high miles. Even compared to other Thor Majestics the Cruise America version just feels better to me. Without the valances, printed fabrics, and with the floor it just seems more functional, stylish and modern to me. I like they provide at least a minimal warranty and they have an option for an extended warranty which is on special right now. They are happy to install a ladder and awning for you at a price that seems very reasonable to me.
CA is definitely the only option for a newish rig around 30k, that's why we're thinking so hard about it. All of the upgrades and enhancements just make it that much better... I haven't dug into the extended warranty to see if it's worth it though, have you?
I have rented Cruise America and had deals going on way to Orlando and found not all units are maintained as well as you folks were lead to believe! Our DC solenoid was bad and lost power in the rig, also, had a generator problem too on a separate time down. Basically, what we were told that we were getting a fabulous rate and they new of the problems ( which we weren't told) which were going to get fixed in Orlando before they were sold. Just an other perspective of our experience!
We absolutely understand that the quality and condition of these things when you rent them is going to be all over the map, but we were told about the refurb process when they get put into the sales inventory and we're pretty sure most things would be caught. Your situation is interesting though in that they knew what was broken and were sending it to be fixed. I'd think they should have told you up front what was wrong, especially if it was going to impact your trip. A discounted rental is great, but all the information is even better!
We purchased a 2014 28A in May of 2018. We have put on several thousand miles with absolutely no issues! The unit had 136,000 on it when we bought it so we bought the extended warranty on the chassis. The V10 Ford engine has really surprised me. The power going through the Smokies on our way to Florida was more than I expected. I have read of many of these engines going 300,000 miles with no issues. I can believe it. I'm over 3000 miles the oil level on the dip stick has barely gone down. We have done several interior updates to ours, including replacing to floor. Not because we had to. Just wanted a little less wood look. I added cove molding around the perimeter where it was needed. I pulled all of the benches and bed area box up so the flooring runs under it. I also rolled the flooring up into the short wall below the shower so I would not have a seam for water to get into when exiting the shower. I have recovered the laminate counter tops with a white marble look Formica and also added 2 counter tops next to the bed at the lower area where the flooring comes up. This really lightened up the interior of the unit. We also replaced all of the curtains with blackout curtains in a light blue color. I replaced the black cabinet handle and hinges with brushed stainless. I removed the black metal corner protectors and used 90 degree trim to go around the corners. I also added trim around the outside of the bathroom door frame to cover the black metal frame. We also added a decorative lamp above the table for better ambiance. Our unit came with S/S wheel covers which really adds to the look of the body. I also added front and rear wireless cameras with a cab monitor. These units are a great value. Since it was our first RV, we didn't want to put a lot of money into a new one, in case we didnt enjoy our experience. Many people who have spent a lot more money on other motorhomes are surprised to see what these are made of. I would say with all of the upgrades we have done on the unit it only cost around $500. We opted for the awning installation when we decide to purchase. It is a well built manual unit. Cruise America has many locations around the country where you can pickup the refurbished models. We picked ours up in Manassas Virginia. Cruise America will also pay up to $300 for your travel to pick up the RV. We loaded an SUV up with a bunch of things that we thought we might want for our camping trip back to Ohio. So after renting the SUV and driving it to Manassas, we were sent a check a week later for $300. Covered the cost of the SUV and then some! Our pickup experience was also very good. We had purchased the RV site unseen. After placing a small down payment a week or so earlier. We got to test the RV before completing our purchase. If we would have decided not to purchase it, they would have given us the down payment back. Our experience has been very good. I would not hesitate to recommend these RV's to anyone. By the way, the vehicle goes through a very thorough cleaning inside and out. It smelled fresh when we picked it up. When we were loading it after we got home we found little red, signed inspection cards in every possible location to assure that the RV was very clean. Question? If you're interested in seeing pictures of the upgrades, please let me know.
Wow Tom, that's awesome! We'd love to see pictures! Please send them to us at hello@five2go.com so we can check them out. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your rig with us. We've honestly heard nothing but good things from actual owners of these rental units - the only negative comments have come from people who think they can't possibly be a good purchase but haven't had any experience with them. This is encouraging!
@@VannaMae I could have purchased both, but I only chose the chassis. I worked for an ambulance manufacturer for 20 years and have experience if anything on the house needs repaired or replaced. They are similar builds.
Tom Jasiewicz My family also lives in Ohio and we are going to buy one of these units in a few months. Would you care to answer a few questions? 1) Did you have a good experience with the purchasing? 2) Is there room negotiate on things like new dining seat cushions or maybe a new table top (the pics we got from the salesman show a very small damaged spot on the dining table). Did you get the sense you can you talk them into replacing such things? 3) If we buy the warranty, do you have to return to Virginia to get it fixed or do they have agreements with places here in Ohio? Thank you for commenting, it is so nice to see such a great experience from someone else!!
We just wanted to say this is the only walkthrough that you BOTH seem very relaxed, happy and peaceful looking over a rig. Perhaps being a little over budget is NOT a bad thing in this case. Hoping this all works out for your best. Jim and Gina
I bought my 23a from Cruise Canada. Absolutely no regrets!!!! Great service ☑️ Good quality ☑️ Good warranties ☑️ My only complaint is that it’s not a 4 season vehicle. But I knew that when I purchased it for full time RV life. So…I’ll just have to head south for better weather. 👍🏼👍🏼 BUT…first thing I did was change out all of those horrible navy drapes. Just saying! 😂😂 THEN recovered the dinette seats. OH…and added an awning and generator since they aren’t standard in Canada. 👍🏼👍🏼 Six months in and still happy.
I actually rented an RV at that exact Cruise America. I’m surprised at how good of condition the one you looked at was. They must’ve done a lot of refurbishing. Because the one we rented was pretty busted up. Didn’t realize til we got on the road that the door lock was broke. The ac barely worked. A lot of the trim and cabinets were busted up. It was fine for our trip and the experience was overall good. I’m just really surprised this one you showed was like new.
did you say "generator and solar charging" at about 11:30 in the video? I would LOVE to have something like this with an offgrid solar set up on the roof
They come with generators but the solar panel is super small and just powerful enough to trickle charge the house batteries. You could always load the roof up with as many as you could fit though!
Thank you for making this video. I had never considered going this route as I'm deciding between a spiffed up van or an rv as my retirement vehicle. These look so much better inside than the cheap feel that most regular rv's have.
I, like you said, thought that an RV that had been rented out would be trashed!! However, you just gave me something else to consider. Another resource other than just new or used. Thanks for sharing this possibility, seems like a really good option, as long as they are maintained this well and the price is kept low. Thanks again, fellow travelers!! Gloria
I bought a 2021Thor Four Winds 28A that was used by General RV as a rental. Got a great deal. It had roughly 10k miles on it. We have had no major issues, and we live full time in it. 3 years going strong.
We bought from CA and we love our RV. They had done lots of work, new tires, new upholstery, and we bought the extra warranty just in case. It's been across the country twice. So glad we did it. And you're right, all maintenance was done by Ford mechanics in a timely manner.
We bought our very first RV that way. A Majestic 23 footer. It served us very well and when we sold it for another newer unit five years later we got five grand less than we paid. So $1000 per year for RVing. Not bad I would say. Yes clean and sanitize everything but in the end a hotel room can be even more of a risk at times. So, due diligence. Oh, and yes we are still RVing and are currently a month into a four month odyssey from west to east and back.
It looks like it is a well kept and maintained unit. Nice to see that it is very clean and with the new paint and graphics. No one would guess that it was a rental unit. I would like to know some of the other details like miles per gallon considering that it is not a diesel engine. I know that it is more about smiles per gallon than miles but still something that is nice to know especially if you are planning to travel across many states. Perfect for a family of 4 with 2 smaller children. I had a 32 foot RV and 2 teenage boys and thank God they were explorers and we were blessed with 10 days of sunshine. Oh and the 4000 watt genset is a great thing for the hotter days. They can get hot even parked in the shade. 👍👍
We bought a rental and we were told the same things about care it wasn’t true. We had to replace the engine within a year. It looked good on paper and in in person, cheap paint and new cushions cover a bunch of problems. Steam cleaning works wonders on engines
They seem like a good option but looking on their website, my only gripe is that all of them for sale have 120-150k miles and that’s just too many for my liking
I guess then you have your high mileage, commercial grade, vs lower mileage, domestic grade. Another thing to consider, is the lower the mileage, the longer it's been sitting unused, which can create its own issues.
Highway miles aren't as painful as a rig sitting forever. I've seen 2004 models with 34,000 miles. I'd rather a 2017 with 130k miles myself. The E-450 V10 Triton engine can last 300k miles if taken care of.
Great walk thru. Love the no carpet and lots of storage. On the bedroom curtain, the wall looks long enough you could put a slider door or barn door type there for privacy. My friends purchased a Cruise America class C years ago with 45,000 miles on it. They drove it coast to coast and over 40,000 miles with no issues. They kept it maintained and it was still in great shape when they sold it due to health reasons. Enjoy your search. Loving your videos.
Great idea on the sliding door! That would be pretty great in that area and I think the wall was wide enough. These units have a lot more than 45k miles - I'd love to find one with that few!
Multiple suggestions of a "barn door" added to the bedroom. As a 20 year + RVer, with several years of full timing, I can't imagine an "upgrade" that's more likely to fall apart, rattle, make noise, and irritate you, than a door that's loosely hung on a track by a couple of small rollers. Great for the sticks n' bricks, not so much for bouncing down the road.
Appreciated your tour. I'm in St. Louis and Cruise America advertises all the time on our local Craigslist. Nice to see they are legit! Beautiful RV on the inside. Hope the engine matches it!
Thanks for watching! We think the drivetrain should be in pretty good shape because of the fleet maintenance, but we'll take a closer look before buying anything.
Rented these a few times. Basic but well built. Lots of storage. No slide is both a plus and minus. Solar charger didn't do much. Need larger house batteries and 200 watts or more of solar to keep house batteries charged, especially important in a boondocking situation. We had one issue with the generator being hard to start, but probably had something to do with our 15 mile trip down a bumpy dirt road. Essentially with a former rental you are getting a basic newer rv with higher miles compared to an older rv with lower miles for similar costs.
Hello. I bought a 2015 like the one in the video. Every employee went overboard in customer services. Truly. I have even texted the dealer in Orlando and received help via text...and friendly. I always wonder about service after you buy. No complaints. My unit unfortunately refuses to deliver hot water. Never did for me. Orlando has given me text assistance twice but I just can't get hot water. First off, my 30 footer was painted by my son and the couch removed for a desk area. I will never need a couch and I will never have use it for extra beds. I have no regrets. Zippo! Ty Cruise America for selling me my first RV.
That is the same unit we rented out of Florida to pa. 2 grands 7/8. The kids loved it the over the cab bed it was Hugh. I brought a queen size sheet which didn’t fit it was too small I think a king might be better. We used the back bed but I couldn’t get in and out because I have mobility problems can’t climb on my knees. I used the jackknife for sleeping 😴. Check the bathroom for height of toilet can’t reach without a stool to be able to sit on the seat. We did notice it was extremely noisy riding on the road. The storage in the back was was very nice for my mobility scooter. We found it was one of our best memories our grandson said it was the best trip he has every been on !! He helped out a lot with the set up and tear down he watch the video so he could do what they said to do. They played games and enjoyed the whole trip with their seat belts on in the dining area. Our grandson also sat up front buckled in and loved it because he was a big boy!! I mainly sat on the jackknife coach with my belt on with my granddaughter. I think that the price is good for what you get. Make sure you drive it on an interstate or bumpy road trip it see if you can tolerate the rattling. It’s not the things we brought it’s the coach itself.
I think all motorhomes are noisy and it's more about how you pack things to dampen it all. We're expecting it and will do what we can to button things up. That trip sounds awesome by the way! RVing is hard to beat!
@@Five2Go yes cut to size foam padding under the range grate for traveling really helps with the annoying grate rattle...and close the entry door really tight as even when they feel latched sometimes they arent completely and youll get rattle there...those are 2 of the notorious locations for rattle...
Had a used Cruise American for 8 years. Loved it. They are better built than anything off the lot otherwise. We were not disappointed. Request a print out of the service records if you have doubts to what you are buying.
I’ve heard it mentioned that the reason RV’s & such have those funky patterned fabrics is that the RV manufacturers get great bulk deals on the extra fugly stuff from the textile companies. Cheaper option for more profit would be my guess.
I bought mine from them and have had no trouble for 14 years, I love it. Only thing I have done is normal wear and tear , tires,brakes, exhaust rusted but everything else is still goin strong. If it blew up today I would walk away smiling, mine is 30 years old now and looks like new still. Now you can get a good deal cause of coronavirus caused em to sell a bunch
I was so happy to have stumbled across this video. I have been considering taking a look at the 23A from Cruise America. It was nice to see a walk through of an actual unit (albeit a different model/length).
The 23A has all the same upgrades and whatnot, it's just a slightly different layout. We really like it and would definitely opt for the smaller rig if we didn't have the kids. One day maybe... 😂
I was just looking at CruiseAmerica's website yesterday to consider renting a unit, and what they were showing was *considerably* less attractive than this rig. It's nice to know about the upgrades, and that the fabrics used are at least possibly much nicer. Thanks for the tour!
Wow, Brilliant idea given to you from a caring subscriber. We’re certainly sure Cruise America being a reputable company maintained and serviced their inventory which would be an enormous plus for you folks. So happy for you guys, we are waiting with baited breath to see how this works out.
I would be a bit leery about the oil change/service side of these units. People on a cross country trip are not going to stop somewhere for a oil change. Lots of people also on a hill, put the pedal to the metal as it is not theirs. BEWARE PEOPLE!
steve senchuk In a perfect world people would respect something they rent. This helps keep the costs down for the next time they decided to rent another. But in reality, there are people who just don’t care and I believe you do bring up a valid point regarding oil change interval as well as not letting off the gas and having the engine labor, or “over rev”. But in retrospect, a corporation would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not have a service plan to deal with the non caring idiots. Since they invested in something they intend to make profit off of, it would be to their advantage to service the unit as well as keep very accurate service records. I do believe a fluid analysis would surly go a long way in determining if there is excessive wear on the engine as well as the transmission. Main reason why and if possible for these folks to have a Level 2 NRVIA certified inspector take a look at the unit especially if service records are non existent or incomplete. If that is not possible to schedule, a competent mechanic could preform an inspection on the drive tran and engine as well. I just paid a visit to the cruise America website to have a look at what inventory they have on hand and the first question I thought of was the mileage for these units as it was not listed in the sales listing for each unit. I showed one of them to my husband and he said the very same thing you posted regarding oil change intervals. We have been fortunate our last two used RVs we purchased have been trouble free mechanically as well as structurally. I do believe it was the vast amount of research and time invested as well as the insistence that all service records from the seller were present before the sale. Also important was the sale was null and void if the RV didn’t pass a full inspection.
Five2Go seriously clean compared to what I see listed on RV trader. I’m so curious as to the mileage on the unit? I mentioned below I paid a visit to their sales site and they have some good looking units for sale, but in all the sales pitch, nowhere is the mileage of the unit mentioned. Not that it’s a deal breaker by no means as I do believe they would not be in business for too long if they didn’t perform maintenance.
We rent 19 feet one from Cruise America and liked it so much. Very compact (can park in the normal parking lot) and had what we need. And it's hard to find the RV (class C) this small size.
Love the Navy and fabrics. Great option we had never thought of. Only drawback is Thor reputation, but maybe all the bugs have been worked out by now. Good luck to you 5
It is a Thor, but if the bugs we've heard of over and over haven't been worked out in 100k miles, I don't think they exist. Judging by the volume of RVs that these guys buy and how they customize them, I'd be willing to bet they aren't coming through the normal retail factory.
Thoroughly impressed! 😁😁😁😁😮😮😮😮😮 Had no idea or even thought about purchasing one. I thought the same thing it would be worn out and not worth getting one. They did amazingly.refubishing and reinforcing everything. Might be an option 🤔
Wow…as you pointed out the care and maintenance stands out. If I were to upgrade this definitely would be a nice option for me. I currently own an older model, 32’, Class A but have been considering something a tad shorter. I like the layout of this Class C. Although I do prefer a large double sink that deeper round style is doable. Thank you for sharing a walkthrough. 🚌 PS: The bathroom door when opened becomes the privacy door, from front of unit back, for bathing and changing.
I just saw one today at the bank parking lot. It looks really nice and the guy seemed really happy with it. He bought it in California about a month ago and was driving across country.
Thank you so much for this video! Like you, I thought this was a cheap rebuild. I will definitely consider buying one when I retire in three years. I was also happy to read another comment that you could buy an extended warranty. I would definitely do that.
Thanks Patricia! We haven't had a chance to look at the extended warranty paperwork yet, but a few other comments on this video have sounded *really* positive about it.
I'm going back to work to be able to buy one and another toy then retire again! But I've already checked them out here in Phoenix and am having a few things not done like the couch, I'll remove the dinette and putting in my desk after relocating the inverter and adding a few extra batteries and 400w panels, no Majistic sticker but the sooch is fine and an awning! I'll get a leveling system later to put on. But for a rental unit they do them up better than most used units from a private seller or many dealers.
I've been watching rv videos for about a month now thinking I might go this route when I retire. After watching this I am about 80% sure this is what I want to do. My biggest concern was price and I think 30k would be a great place to work towards. This looks very solid and I can put the comforts in that suits me with no problems at all. Thank you for your time and help. I've learned a lot and I'm even more excited to think about rv living ✌️
They actually had no trouble getting into the rig! We're not worried about the lack of an outside step - if anything it was nice not stepping on a springy/droopy step and going straight to a solid one. 👍😋👍
I bought a used 2008 Bigfoot truck camper from CanaDream in 2013 for half the price of new. Totally satisfied with my purchase. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Just beware it can take a week or more for bank wire transfers between the USA and Canada. Maybe TransferWise is a better payment option now. Been living in it half the year since 2015. CanaDream built the mounting plinth to match my truckbed, added new Happijack lifts, truck belly bars and FastGun tiedowns. Total quality job.
We bought a 2014 23A from cruise Canada last summer in Ontario, could not be more pleased with the purchase as the overall savings was hugh compared to what others was asking
Very informative and well presented !!! I have been watching for years RV and travel trailer reviews and you did a great job explaining the ins and out of buying a rental. Thanks
They didn't explain what the steel plate covering a steel box in front of the queen bed is used for. I have the same unit 2013 still don't know what it's for. Seems the only Cruise America put these in but can't seem to get any answers and I'm not alone on this many others have asked
@@scotsmanofnewengland7713 it's in the video when she walks in the bedroom to show pulling back the cameras it's right there in front of the bed same as mine. I have called Cruz America and unless you know the person's extension you're calling you have to dial zero for operator. And you'll get a recording saying this is the reservation line it'll just keep repeating that recording. I also called Thor and spoke with a very nice lady but she couldn't seem to find anything on it but I did send to the picture of mine. And all Cruise America units have these as far as I can tell. Some are in a different place because not all have the rear bedroom the smaller ones don't have that
@@scotsmanofnewengland7713 the steel cover over the box is right at 5: 19 into it in the video Right where he is pointing out passage lights in the hallways
@@darlenejohnson3845 I think it’s an access panel to something underneath. Look under the camper in that area and you should see what is there. If you can remove the plate. it could have been just a plate to reenforce that area due to a weak spot. I’d look underneath. Good luck
Those floors always feel dirty and the floor in the cab gets incredibly hot. There is no ac in the back and it’s very warm in the middle belt area. The refrigerator didn’t work well, yes we opened it a few times going down the road and dry camping but I thought the point of the propane was to keep it cold. It rattles horribly, not sure if normal
We have rented from Cruise America for about 15yrs their units have always been really great. Thanks for doing this gives you many options. Rent from Ohare area the nicest folks. Chris from Chicago
I'm buying from Cruise America based on this review you guys did. What was funny was that the saleman knows who you all are. I'm a solo retired female with multiple health issues but I don't want to have the "shoulda, woulda, couldas" later in life and regret not trying to live my dream. Thank you
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These units are running from the low $40k -$50k and they're practically new inside. Cruise America orders them with certain deletes due to failure potential (Rear window, front window (leak and/or damage), ladders, awning, etc. As of today, they list 29 units available for sale in the U.S. Looks like a great way to start RVing without shelling out $100k+. This unit was very clean and well equipped. Thanks for the review!
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I bought a 2015 Cruise America Thor Majestic 28A with 120K miles. EXCELLENT experience so far (two years) with no problems at all. Travelled last year from Utah to South Carolina, lived in it from May to Sept, and this year have been camped in Oceanside CA from June to end of August. NO ISSUES, great unit, runs great, have only had two maintenance items (replaced the front roof vent and a furnace relay/thermostat). Highly recommend checking out their units for sale. I got a great deal, and could actually sell it for $10K more than I paid for it!
I'm really really considering this as an option! Thanks for sharing your experience
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I worked for Thor Motor Coach from 1991 - 2015. This video was a like a trip down memory lane. In addition to things not touched in this video, the water lines were set up with an air chuck for winterizing. The fresh water tank was equipped with 1" PVC drains for quicker and more thorough emptying. Unless Cruise upgraded the floors for resale, which it doesn't look like it, it's just linoleum over an OSB insulated floor system.
And for what it's worth, Thor also built a 23' and 19' model for Cruise America.
Thanks for this information. I just bought the 19g and rented out for awhile and loved it!
@@VannaMae What's your experience and opinion a year further into owning/operating it?
Wow. Thanks much!
The 24 and most of their other units use the awful corner bed design with small bathroom
They now have added a 21 ft to the lineup. It's a great little rv. Too new to be available for sale.
I bought a rental rv from General RV. Have been in it full time for three years now. Had a bigger ac, and air shocks put on. No regrets.
That's awesome!
How much did u pay compared to non-rental ?
@@ruanorafa Over 15 thousand.
@@ka9vmp can you provide more detail to understand the value you got and how it compares to what was decided in this video which can coat 35k plus or minus 10k in $500 incriminates based on milage
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Two other important things about Cruise America's RVs'
No awnings
No slide outs
Basically what Cruise America did with their RVs was that they made a list of the things that most often fail in RVs and didn't include them in the vehicles that they order
By fail you mean things people often break . 😀
So they don't have any with slideouts and awnings
I wouldn’t Want a slide out I want to keep my rig as simple as possible. As far as an Awning I’m sure they’re not that expensive.
@@laureljaneg I'm with you, keep it simple, less things for maintenance also, I'm on a budget and don't need to fix a slide out or anything expensive.
Rather than things that fail, these are things that require care. With care, they aren't going to fail.
We bought one as our first Class C, 29 ft. It was great and lasted us several years. We sold it as our needs changed, but never had any issues with it.
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I bought a 28A from Cruise America about 3 months ago and here is my experience. I bought a 2015 model sight unseen from Cruise America in Everett WA. I did this because watching the promotional video by Cruise America gave me the confidence that I was getting a fully refurbished coach. When you shop at Cruise America using the website it shows what units are available with the mileage listing which affects the price of the unit. Less miles cost more but it doesn't seem to mean much if you buy a higher mileage unit because the power train warranty doesn't care how miles you have on the unit when you start the coverage.
This video shows the same unit I bought with all the same features. It was raining when we arrived to pick up the coach. One of the goofy things we noticed right away was that the roof drip rail stops right over the middle of the driver and passenger doors so when opening the doors to get in or out you get a nice stream of water down your neck. You would of thought they would have extended the drip rails far enough forward that this wouldn't happen. We inspected the coach and saw water on the floors under the vents and we thought it was because the vents were up and opened. All in all things looked pretty good so we left for home which involves a trip on a ferry boat to cross Puget Sound to get to the Olympic Peninsula side. It was late in the day as I drove out and the first thing I noticed was the extreme pull to the right as driving. I also noticed that the front vent over the cab bed wouldn't close all the way. The ratchet teeth on the unit were all broken. When I got home I contacted Cruise America and they said they would fix these problems, just take it to a shop and have them send them the bill. They did this for me no questions asked, really up-front stand-up guys.
These units don't come with an awning but Cruise America will install one on your unit, get this, for about $1100.00! This deal saved me over $700.00 as realized by a quote from a local RV dealer. The awnings are good quality Dometic units, not cheap stuff. I had to bring the unit back to the dealer for the install of the awning and on the way home from the install the unit developed a problem where the engine wouldn't work right and I had to have the unit towed home. As background info I bought in addition to the standard 3K/3month power train warranty a 5year/100,000 mile power train warranty complete with trip protection. This was offered at time of sale for 800 bucks, half the normal price. Cruise America stepped up to the plate and paid for everything, including non-power train items. They must have spent over $5000.00 in repair work fixing the alignment problem and front wheel bearings, replaced the radiator that leaked, roof vent problems, and replaced the catalytic converter. The solar power charger never worked and I didn't press it when I informed them that it didn't work. I went away thinking it was an add-on that wasn't covered. The solar panel is installed on top of the A/C unit so it is small and doesn't produce a lot of power if it did work. While up on the roof I saw that the vent seals had not been re-sealed and were full of cracks so I fixed it with some sealant.
I think all around it was a good deal. The cost of a 2015 Cruise America motor home like this was about $10K below anything I saw in it's class. They stand behind their product with no hassles. I wasn't impressed with the "refurbishment" process. I think they check a few cursory things without a lot of attention to detail. My unit is a pleasure to drive and tows my 2007 Ford Edge without complaint at about 10/11 MPG.
Wow, thanks for all that information! It's nice to hear that the warranty was honored without any issues. How many of those things do you think you would've caught if you had time to do a proper inspection before driving it home?
My purchase was like this, I bought one with 133,000 miles on it in Las Vegas sight unseen. Nevada has no sales tax to out of state buyers. I personally think the more miles it has the fewer problems it has had over it's life that pulled it off the road. I put a $500 deposit Aug. 15th, 2019 on the 2015 Majestic 28a. I didn't pick it until Sept. 13, they held it almost a month for me. In that time I texted my salesman every few days. My original price $26,985. It already had the chrome hubcaps so they were given free. The awning he threw in for his cost of $500 bucks, brand new installed before pickup! 5 year/100k warranty was $1695, $195 for paper processing fee. I took so long to pick it up they ran a Sept. special on the warranty for $845. When I asked him about it he said I put my deposit in Aug. so I don't qualify. But he knocked off another $500 just because instead. When we got there it was 100 degrees, the A/C fan unit was making a squeaky sound. The saleman didn't like it, he said if it squeaked like that we would hate him for ever and he made the tech. replace the whole unit with a brand new one. My 4000W generator had 459 hours on it. The 4 rear tires were brand new Michelins, the 2 front are Goodyears. Replaced, rented one last time them pulled off the road he said, date code is 3018. My battery on the cab is a brand new stock motorcraft, the engine compartment was spotless, like someone polished it. The dinette cushions and the sofa were brand new replacements, plus half the cutains. Backup sensors work, he says they don't always. Of course a brand new paint job and decals. 1/2 full 55 gal. Gas tank, full 51.72 lbs propane tank. Total cost with everything was $28,884.25 which we paid in full with cashier's check! We didn't finance, but it should be easy due to it being 10k cheaper than anything comparable. The bad items, bathroom vent fan makes a squeaky sound and needs replaced, solar panel doesn't work, my USB charge ports on my side of the queen bed don't charge my phone. The cabinets above the sink, the doors don't line up exactly, but work fine, you must install your own TV. Everything else is "beefy"! After we picked it up, we drove it 5 hours to Tonapah NV and slept for the night. Left Tonapah at 7am, drove 17 hours straight to Portland, Oregon. After crossing the Cascades at Willamette pass, I drove 70 mph up I-5 to get home in Portland by 12 midnight. I love this thing, drives like a sports car!
@Jay Harter there's definitely an AC unit up there.
@Jay Harter absolutely AC! I spent all day yesterday washing (roof and all), winterizing and covering the unit. I love this deal more even today! I cannot recommend it enough. Commpared to 40k for the same thing (not as beefy) and 5 years older on private market it's a no brainer. Maintaining the truck portion is not difficult, as long as I keep with house portion in it's current condition. I will be good for a long time. Bought a 32" TV from Wal-Mart for $118, a beefy mount from Amazon for $20 (modified slightly), I re-inforced the cabinet above dinette with plywood and bam tv that works from all angles.
Don Luce q
The salesman needs to give you the commission. :) Thanks for the tour!
Just bought this model about a month ago . We're retired and children are all adults so perfect size for us . Love it !
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Thanks to you, we bought our first recreational vehicle from Cruise America.
We picked it up in Manassas Virginia. Took our first trip down to North Florida, it handled very well even in high winds.
Fuel mileage drop this 6 miles a gallon with high winds, an average between 10 and 11 gallons is normally.
Two things I think they could have addressed better, we needed to clean the air conditioner immediately, it had such a pungent stench of mold.
The Air conditioner is above the stove and had cooking grease built up in side of it.
The second thing the spare tire, looks like something thay took off out of a ditch, it wasn't even properly secured or the hardware for doing it isn't even in there, there was no Jack or lug wrench, this could be because they never had one in the first place.
You would think that if they took the time to recondition this RV they would look into every aspect when they were doing it. I will need to buy a spare tire in mediately and have the rim sandblasted and repainted.
The grey water line leaks before the discharge cut off.
Overall we're very happy with it.
We still feel like we got a great value for money.
I do not blame the staff in Manassas for the problems, they have a limited amount of time to make delivery, in my opinion this is something that should have been addressed when it was being recondition for sale
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For an RV, especially of moderate size, that shower is spectacular.
We bought a Cruise Canada ex-rental 6 years and it’s been amazing. We added an awning, and are loving the quality of the whole rv. The consistent maintenance records are why we chose to to buy from Cruise Canada.
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I absolutely LOVE my Majestic! I've had mine just over 3 years and have had no issues other than regular maintenance stuff. And they make them easy to use for those inexperienced renters which was perfect for me because I was an RV virgin! And being a single woman with limited mechanical skills I couldn't be happier with my purchase!
That's awesome to hear! How many miles did it have when you bought it?
@@Five2Go she had 140k. I have the 24A model which is on the F350.
Nice! We definitely need the 28A for the extra space inside and the tow capacity for our car. Can you think of anything that you wish you knew back before you got it, or anything that was weird when working with CA on the purchase?
@@Five2Go well I was an RV virgin and knew absolutely nothing! lol. Seriously though, I really knew nothing. I had dreamed for years of RVing to the Grand Canyon (I'm in MD) and would look online occasionally. Nothing in my budget appealed to me, it was usually old looking or needed more work than I'm prepared for. One day I happened upon CA and took the plunge! I was afraid of driving the 28A and since it was just myself & 2 teenagers the 23A seemed perfect. I picked it up on a Saturday and Monday we left for Niagra Falls. I figured what better way than to jump in with both feet and figure it out as I go! Thank God for TH-cam teaching me what I need to know along this journey! I didn't have any issues with CA. I only wish it would have came with an owners manual, the renters manual isn't very helpful.
What a great story! We pretty much jumped in head first too, but you learn stuff REALLY fast when you're full-timing! 😂 Have you made it to the Grand Canyon yet?
I love all the storage, no slides and no carpet. Solid colors are great! Add pillows with patterns of your choice to customize.
Those are all great things that we wouldn't have to worry about!
Major plus, no slideouts to worry about.
RVs are Soooooooo much nicer inside with slides! Are you kidding? Dont most come with a manual crank if it fails?
@@clydeb7713 You run the risk of leaks. Yeah it is nicer with slides (I owned a 2007 31' Conquest with a whole wall slide out) but the point of camping isn't to sit inside and play video games. I'd rather spend my time under the awning!
@@imnitguy All RVs leak eventually. Most times an easy seal.
We rented a 28 foot RV from Cruise America this year for 20 days in late April/early May. We (my wife and our 4 kids ranging from age 11 down to 2) traveled the old Rt. 66 from Chicago to LA with some detours to Roswell, NM, and El Paso, TX then from LA we went to Las Vegas and Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon then on to the musical highway near Albuquerque and headed north along the colorado rockies and on to Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Corn Palace of Mitchell, SD before returning home to Illinois. The experience was amazing! I highly recommend renting a Cruise America Unit and we are also considering buying one ourselves now.
You would have spent that or more for a week at Disney staying on premises. Sounds like a great trip.
I'm in the UK and thinking about renting an RV in the USA (after COVID-19 has passed) and the level of detail in your video gave a much better idea of what to expect than the official videos on the rental sites . I'm impressed, great video!
Thanks Martyn! Be prepared for a LOT of driving - it's pretty big over here 🤣
If you rent one in the off season it is about half the price. They also have, or had, deals where you could drive them one way for repositioning/delivery to/from their maintenance facilities. For example Arizona to Washington State, where you could see the western USA.
@@wes326 I checked out rentals they want 200.00 a day plus 35cents a mile across the country is 3,000 miles.
2,000
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The little open space above the drawers can be used for spices with a small tension rod to keep them in place
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I have this exact same unit, purchased back in 2017. So far it's been a pretty solid unit. I hate that they don't supply the chrome wheel simulators anymore. Mine still came with those and it really adds to the rig's appeal. I've done several mods to mine, like upgrading to Hellwig sway bars, Installing Billstien Shocks all around and adding rear air-ride bags for help the leaf-springs. It's a much nicer ride.
Awesome, great to hear!
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Ok i bought this exact rig in 2005 from cruise canada. I sold it in 2016 and wish I hadn't now. I never had a single days trouble with it. Not one single thing went wrong in all those years, inside or out. My kids were raised holidaying in it and we did thousands of miles over canada and usa. Its a wonderful rig. Well looked after by rental company. Go for it 😄
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I interned at Winnebago when they were making a Cruise America order this last year and I can attest that the Cruise America’s have way more upgrades than any other model even the little things you don’t think of like the stove lightbulbs. I know this isn’t a Winnebago but Cruise America is a huge customer for the rv companies so they take great pride in making these rentals right because it is a competition to keep them. Good luck with your search! I have enjoyed watching!
That's a cool internship! It's neat to hear a bit from the other side of the industry, thank you so much! 👍😉👍
Exactly how I'm planning to hit the road! (except I need the 25 foot rig). We rented this summer. The $1000 I paid for my rental and mileage can be applied to purchasing a used unit from Cruise America if I buy within 6 months. They will also reimburse my travel to the location of purchase up to $300. I was very impressed with my rental experience, looking forward to a possible purchase soon. Thanks so much for sharing! Safe travels.
The rent-to-buy and travel rebates are pretty great programs! Thanks for watching and commenting, we really appreciate it! 👍😉👍
That's awesome!! i may want to do that myself!!
I like the bedroom configurations and also appreciate the separate bath and toilets. The fact that it didn't have a single pull down hideous blinds. I would replace the sofa to 2 reclining chairs and the dining bench to a solid table and 4 chairs. Just me. Otherwise, the rig looks solid. We bought out class A in 2018 and 3 months after purchasing it, we had a bad toilet leak and the walls started to bow. We were at Fleetwood 3X to fix many disasters. Thank god for extended warranty. We met an older couple that told us never buy a brand new rig. Get something that has been tried true and have many miles on it. Well, your video just confirmed what the couple said. I enjoyed watching it.
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I loved traveling in my used cruise America Thor majestic. It was spacious for two and had room for pets and occasional guests. I sleeps 8 in total. All systems were simple to use and held up on the road and on location. The ford 450 engine had no trouble with the mountains in Yellowstone and handled smoothly. There are many options for personalization -which improves value and experience. I had a lot of fun:) thanks for this tour. The laminate floor was a definite plus. It made it durable and more attractive to me.
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I've bought two cars from Enteprise Rent a Car. Both were in excellent condition. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a rental motor home.
Carl Schnackel Every car I have rented with Enterprise have given me, a cigarette smelling car, though I told them I was very allergic to it. The last time it had a strong air freshener smell, until I turned on the air conditioner and the cigarette smell came through and I had to return the car.
My friend did too and saved thousands of dollars. He paid thirty compared to car dealer who wanted fifty thousand fora 2019 truck.
@@lindapearson3411 yea you never know what's been happening in a rental people say they don't smoke then smoke like a train after leaving the rental place. They will give you another if you go back and tell them usually. Enterprise are good people mostly
I purchased my current car from Hertz. Super easy process to buy a previous rental car too.
I so appreciate your video about buying an ex rental RV as I hadn’t considered this before. I’m with you on it’s former maintenance standards as all rental vehicles are presented in tip top condition.
I even know a dealer that buys his stock this way but I didn’t understand it was open to the public. You can only imagine how much their markup is and their claims that they have fully renovated and serviced each motorhome.
It’s really given me something to think about when I fly over from the United Kingdom to house hunt. Being immunosuppressed and having cancer we’ve decided to minimise all air travel and hotels in favour of an RV.
The only thing that you didn’t mention was air conditioning and heating which I assume is standard for all RVs.
I feel really blessed to have discovered this video and it may just change our lives. Thank you both for your honesty and candour 💕🇬🇧💫
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I bought a 25 foot Coachmen from El Monte RV, and you’d never know it was a rental ! I’ve had it for a year, and no problems..
That's awesome! How many miles did it have when you got it? We know El Monte sells them earlier than Cruise America does. The El Monte near us only has 2018/19's for sale with fairly low miles but for about double our budget so they're really not an option. How's their warranty? Have you had to use it?
I went to El Monte in Orlando a couple of weeks ago. I viewed a 2018 24-foot unit with 48,000 miles on it for $45,000; a 2018 28-foot with 51,000 miles $55,000. Both prices included tax, tag and registration. My budget is about half of that amount 😥!
Where is Elmonte RV?
That is really nice. Thanks for sharing. We’re in the market for a smaller RV. Never thought about looking at a Rental. Great idea! That is a great looking RV!
Every time I heard the word "beefy", I took a shot. I woke up two days later naked in the garage
Beefy floor lights
🤣🤣🤣
That wasn’t YOUR garage!
I'm sure he doesn't even realize it. Simply habit. I have some pretty annoying one's too..however, my 3 daughters never have an issue pointing them out to me...lol...
WHO's garage? Any police report to verify your adventure? On Utube?
We rented this EXACT RV this summer from an individual who had purchased the coach from CruiseAmerica. we had a great time. everything worked. we went the middle of July so the a/c struggled a bit to keep up but still worked well. the only complaint was from my wife and daughter about the toilet position. the stool sits up on kind of a pedestal leaving shorter legged folks dangling while using the service. the queen bed was very comfortable, lots of storage and drove out nice. it was in great shape for a 2015 coach. Great video description of the RV.
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We bought a 28 foot Majestic from Cruise America. It was a 2005 model. It was a good experience for us. The price was very good and the vehicle was well maintained. We took it on several long distance trips and it always performed well. My only complaint was that the V-10 engine in that year was still the 2 valve per cylinder instead of the later 3 valve. So it was a little on the gutless side.
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That's the cleanest used RV I have ever seen. I know it's a little more upfront cost but I think it makes so much sense. You'll have all the maintenance records which will tell the story of it's life.
That's definitely what we're thinking! It was almost like looking at a brand new rig compared to the other used ones we've been touring...
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I spent $58K on my Silverado pickup! So that makes this disposable! Never thought about a used one. THX for video
Just stumbled upon your video and it's great. I remember looking at these when I was stationed in San Diego in the Navy in the 1980's. I think they sold them in Phoenix but the organization appeared to be very efficient and knowledgeable on what worked and what didn't. One thing I specifically remember is that they told me that the coach body was removed from the chassis, refurbished and installed on a new cab & chassis at a certain mileage with the old chassis being sold off for conversion into a box truck. I don't know if they still do this but Cruise America definitely knows the equipment!
We did 18000klm. From Montreal to SanDiego,and back, Nov. to March,no issues similar rig as the vid. We loved it waiting to hit the road again . Great camper lots of room,storage and very comfortable to sleep, eat,
and drive.
I bought an older 2004 that was a 23 foot version but was a F350 Truck instead of the E350 version and we have actually loved it. For me and the wife and 2 dogs it is perfect. We actually baught ours from a used car dealer (it was his personal one) and he bought it from an older couple who bought it from cruise america. We love its durable simple design. Get one you will love it. Have not had any issues.
I bought a Cruise America "Majestic" a few years back and am very happy with it. They make for a great buying experience without the hassle of having to talk to a used RV salesman. The unit is well built (by Thor), was well maintained (I got the service records with mine) and have had no issues other than normal wear and tear kind of stuff. They even offer extended warranty plans for the coach and chassis at a fraction of the cost your dealer would sell you for the exact same plan. Highly recommend anyone interested in a used rv check these out!
That's great to hear! We're noticing that all of the comments from actual owners have been positive and the only negative comments have been from renters or people that think rentals are junk no matter what. Comments like yours are very encouraging!
I have bought cars from car rental places and I have to say they were so well maintained, I have never had an issue.
No automatic stairs is a great idea, more companies should go that route. The curtains are an excellent upgrade over blinds.
Ha.....I remember we left our blinds partially open with the dog in the rig. When the neighboring site folks came back to their site (with a dog), our dog tried to say hello...…….and then we had bent blinds. We started just making sure they were closed and never had a problem again (along with the radio making some noise). Yes....I am down for curtains too!
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If you want more privacy on the shower door, there is an Adhesive Window Tint you can but in rolls and stick it on! Young Drivers use it on Car Windows, and I use it on my Bedroom Window.
I previously owned a used Cruise America RV. It was the best RV unit I ever owned. Never had any problems with it. I did upgrade to have a rear view backup camera installed. Thank you for posting this. Was recently looking to purchase another RV. I didn’t even think to go back to a used rental. I now know where I’m going next.
That's good to hear! Thanks for watching Jean!
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Two years ago we bought a 2016 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 27Q from a company in Anchorage that is Winnebago dealer but their primary mission is renting RVs to tourists visiting Alaska. After three seasons they pull rigs out of the rental fleet, spruce them up, and sell them for about 60% of their original MSRP. We are extremely happy with the rig we bought. It looked like it was exceptionally well taken care of and all systems worked as advertised. The only things I found that needed attention were some drawer slides that needed adjustment or repairs, which I did myself. The chassis was 2000 miles beyond factory warranty, but again the engine and entire under hood area were immaculately maintained. After 2 years and nearly 20,000 miles (most of which were 2 trips from Alaska to the Lower-48 and back via the Alaska Highway) we have had no significant problems with either the coach or chassis. While I would agree in a heartbeat that buying a rental unit could be a potential nightmare, we are proof that buying a well-maintained rig from a reputable dealer can be a great experience.
That's great to hear! We're sure that not all of the rigs that CA sells are in as great of shape as the one we looked at, but that's what the inspection is for! We really like the idea of a warranty and service paperwork too - no other used rig we'd buy would come with either of those things...
At 11:40 the open space compartment. I would use that for spices.
I really think it would just stay empty for us with the two littles always getting into things. They're not too bad about drawers, out of sight out of mind and all that, but if they can see and grab something they will! 😂
Makes sense since that's what it's for. It actually is a spice rack.
i like mine, bought it 4 yrs. old, well designed-turn key! 12mpg., 19 foot thor majestic.
That's great!
How do you like the 19 foot? I’m interested and wonder if it’s big enough for 2 adults and two teens. I like the idea of it being smaller.
I have been looking at the one smaller the 23a, and other used corner bed units. I am leaning towards Cruise America.
At that price point the choice is low miles and very old, or newer with high miles. Even compared to other Thor Majestics the Cruise America version just feels better to me. Without the valances, printed fabrics, and with the floor it just seems more functional, stylish and modern to me. I like they provide at least a minimal warranty and they have an option for an extended warranty which is on special right now. They are happy to install a ladder and awning for you at a price that seems very reasonable to me.
CA is definitely the only option for a newish rig around 30k, that's why we're thinking so hard about it. All of the upgrades and enhancements just make it that much better... I haven't dug into the extended warranty to see if it's worth it though, have you?
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I have rented Cruise America and had deals going on way to Orlando and found not all units are maintained as well as you folks were lead to believe! Our DC solenoid was bad and lost power in the rig, also, had a generator problem too on a separate time down. Basically, what we were told that we were getting a fabulous rate and they new of the problems ( which we weren't told) which were going to get fixed in Orlando before they were sold. Just an other perspective of our experience!
We absolutely understand that the quality and condition of these things when you rent them is going to be all over the map, but we were told about the refurb process when they get put into the sales inventory and we're pretty sure most things would be caught. Your situation is interesting though in that they knew what was broken and were sending it to be fixed. I'd think they should have told you up front what was wrong, especially if it was going to impact your trip. A discounted rental is great, but all the information is even better!
Oooohhhh I could do this for escaping Ohio winters...as a solo female (with my cat) there were no slides...easy to make a quick getaway
I was checking in the video where a litter box would go...? Under the table?
Hi Dawn..I was thinking similar..I'm solo male in southern michigan.wanting to leave Michigan winters with my cat marley.😊😺
Uncle Billy had one with 80k miles on it. Was a great unit. Shocked by how well it had been kept despite the rental history.
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We purchased a 2014 28A in May of 2018. We have put on several thousand miles with absolutely no issues! The unit had 136,000 on it when we bought it so we bought the extended warranty on the chassis.
The V10 Ford engine has really surprised me. The power going through the Smokies on our way to Florida was more than I expected. I have read of many of these engines going 300,000 miles with no issues. I can believe it. I'm over 3000 miles the oil level on the dip stick has barely gone down.
We have done several interior updates to ours, including replacing to floor. Not because we had to. Just wanted a little less wood look. I added cove molding around the perimeter where it was needed. I pulled all of the benches and bed area box up so the flooring runs under it. I also rolled the flooring up into the short wall below the shower so I would not have a seam for water to get into when exiting the shower.
I have recovered the laminate counter tops with a white marble look Formica and also added 2 counter tops next to the bed at the lower area where the flooring comes up. This really lightened up the interior of the unit. We also replaced all of the curtains with blackout curtains in a light blue color. I replaced the black cabinet handle and hinges with brushed stainless. I removed the black metal corner protectors and used 90 degree trim to go around the corners. I also added trim around the outside of the bathroom door frame to cover the black metal frame. We also added a decorative lamp above the table for better ambiance.
Our unit came with S/S wheel covers which really adds to the look of the body.
I also added front and rear wireless cameras with a cab monitor.
These units are a great value. Since it was our first RV, we didn't want to put a lot of money into a new one, in case we didnt enjoy our experience. Many people who have spent a lot more money on other motorhomes are surprised to see what these are made of.
I would say with all of the upgrades we have done on the unit it only cost around $500.
We opted for the awning installation when we decide to purchase. It is a well built manual unit.
Cruise America has many locations around the country where you can pickup the refurbished models. We picked ours up in Manassas Virginia.
Cruise America will also pay up to $300 for your travel to pick up the RV. We loaded an SUV up with a bunch of things that we thought we might want for our camping trip back to Ohio. So after renting the SUV and driving it to Manassas, we were sent a check a week later for $300. Covered the cost of the SUV and then some!
Our pickup experience was also very good. We had purchased the RV site unseen. After placing a small down payment a week or so earlier. We got to test the RV before completing our purchase. If we would have decided not to purchase it, they would have given us the down payment back.
Our experience has been very good. I would not hesitate to recommend these RV's to anyone.
By the way, the vehicle goes through a very thorough cleaning inside and out. It smelled fresh when we picked it up. When we were loading it after we got home we found little red, signed inspection cards in every possible location to assure that the RV was very clean.
Question? If you're interested in seeing pictures of the upgrades, please let me know.
Wow Tom, that's awesome! We'd love to see pictures! Please send them to us at hello@five2go.com so we can check them out. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your rig with us. We've honestly heard nothing but good things from actual owners of these rental units - the only negative comments have come from people who think they can't possibly be a good purchase but haven't had any experience with them. This is encouraging!
I have a question, did you get the warranty on the house and the engine? Was it worth it?
@@VannaMae I could have purchased both, but I only chose the chassis. I worked for an ambulance manufacturer for 20 years and have experience if anything on the house needs repaired or replaced. They are similar builds.
Tom Jasiewicz My family also lives in Ohio and we are going to buy one of these units in a few months. Would you care to answer a few questions?
1) Did you have a good experience with the purchasing?
2) Is there room negotiate on things like new dining seat cushions or maybe a new table top (the pics we got from the salesman show a very small damaged spot on the dining table). Did you get the sense you can you talk them into replacing such things?
3) If we buy the warranty, do you have to return to Virginia to get it fixed or do they have agreements with places here in Ohio?
Thank you for commenting, it is so nice to see such a great experience from someone else!!
This is awesome. I never new they sold their units. However, it makes sense because most rental cars places, sell their cars. Loved the walk through.
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We just wanted to say this is the only walkthrough that you BOTH seem very relaxed, happy and peaceful looking over a rig.
Perhaps being a little over budget is NOT a bad thing in this case.
Hoping this all works out for your best.
Jim and Gina
Haha, you noticed! There were no water spots to look for! Budgets are meant to be broken, right? 😂😂😂
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I bought my 23a from Cruise Canada. Absolutely no regrets!!!! Great service ☑️ Good quality ☑️ Good warranties ☑️
My only complaint is that it’s not a 4 season vehicle. But I knew that when I purchased it for full time RV life. So…I’ll just have to head south for better weather. 👍🏼👍🏼
BUT…first thing I did was change out all of those horrible navy drapes. Just saying! 😂😂 THEN recovered the dinette seats. OH…and added an awning and generator since they aren’t standard in Canada. 👍🏼👍🏼 Six months in and still happy.
This looks like a really good option for a new traveler. Thanks for the info!!
I used that little rack for spices. They fit perfectly.
I actually rented an RV at that exact Cruise America. I’m surprised at how good of condition the one you looked at was. They must’ve done a lot of refurbishing. Because the one we rented was pretty busted up. Didn’t realize til we got on the road that the door lock was broke. The ac barely worked. A lot of the trim and cabinets were busted up. It was fine for our trip and the experience was overall good. I’m just really surprised this one you showed was like new.
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did you say "generator and solar charging" at about 11:30 in the video? I would LOVE to have something like this with an offgrid solar set up on the roof
They come with generators but the solar panel is super small and just powerful enough to trickle charge the house batteries. You could always load the roof up with as many as you could fit though!
Thank you for making this video. I had never considered going this route as I'm deciding between a spiffed up van or an rv as my retirement vehicle. These look so much better inside than the cheap feel that most regular rv's have.
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You guys are really good going over everything! Thanks
I, like you said, thought that an RV that had been rented out would be trashed!! However, you just gave me something else to consider. Another resource other than just new or used. Thanks for sharing this possibility, seems like a really good option, as long as they are maintained this well and the price is kept low. Thanks again, fellow travelers!! Gloria
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I bought a 2021Thor Four Winds 28A that was used by General RV as a rental. Got a great deal. It had roughly 10k miles on it. We have had no major issues, and we live full time in it. 3 years going strong.
We bought from CA and we love our RV. They had done lots of work, new tires, new upholstery, and we bought the extra warranty just in case. It's been across the country twice. So glad we did it. And you're right, all maintenance was done by Ford mechanics in a timely manner.
Pooky hi, which dealer did you use in California? We’re looking here. Thanks
We bought our very first RV that way. A Majestic 23 footer. It served us very well and when we sold it for another newer unit five years later we got five grand less than we paid. So $1000 per year for RVing. Not bad I would say. Yes clean and sanitize everything but in the end a hotel room can be even more of a risk at times. So, due diligence. Oh, and yes we are still RVing and are currently a month into a four month odyssey from west to east and back.
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It looks like it is a well kept and maintained unit. Nice to see that it is very clean and with the new paint and graphics. No one would guess that it was a rental unit. I would like to know some of the other details like miles per gallon considering that it is not a diesel engine. I know that it is more about smiles per gallon than miles but still something that is nice to know especially if you are planning to travel across many states. Perfect for a family of 4 with 2 smaller children. I had a 32 foot RV and 2 teenage boys and thank God they were explorers and we were blessed with 10 days of sunshine. Oh and the 4000 watt genset is a great thing for the hotter days. They can get hot even parked in the shade. 👍👍
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Just realized this guy sounds like Milo Hamilton a guy that announced for the Atlanta Braves back in the 70's
We bought a rental and we were told the same things about care it wasn’t true. We had to replace the engine within a year. It looked good on paper and in in person, cheap paint and new cushions cover a bunch of problems. Steam cleaning works wonders on engines
You are that 1% that got unlucky.
They seem like a good option but looking on their website, my only gripe is that all of them for sale have 120-150k miles and that’s just too many for my liking
I guess then you have your high mileage, commercial grade, vs lower mileage, domestic grade. Another thing to consider, is the lower the mileage, the longer it's been sitting unused, which can create its own issues.
Highway miles aren't as painful as a rig sitting forever. I've seen 2004 models with 34,000 miles. I'd rather a 2017 with 130k miles myself. The E-450 V10 Triton engine can last 300k miles if taken care of.
Oh my goodness. Thank you so much. This was very helpful. I didn't even think about buying used rental.
You guys are great! Like the others have said, you should get the commission for the sales. God willing I will be purchasing one next year!
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Great walk thru. Love the no carpet and lots of storage. On the bedroom curtain, the wall looks long enough you could put a slider door or barn door type there for privacy. My friends purchased a Cruise America class C years ago with 45,000 miles on it. They drove it coast to coast and over 40,000 miles with no issues. They kept it maintained and it was still in great shape when they sold it due to health reasons. Enjoy your search. Loving your videos.
Great idea on the sliding door! That would be pretty great in that area and I think the wall was wide enough. These units have a lot more than 45k miles - I'd love to find one with that few!
Multiple suggestions of a "barn door" added to the bedroom. As a 20 year + RVer, with several years of full timing, I can't imagine an "upgrade" that's more likely to fall apart, rattle, make noise, and irritate you, than a door that's loosely hung on a track by a couple of small rollers. Great for the sticks n' bricks, not so much for bouncing down the road.
Very informative!! I have wondered about these motorhomes, and kind of assumed they'd be pretty rough. But, wow. Impressed. Thanks.
We thought exactly the same thing and were really surprised!
Appreciated your tour. I'm in St. Louis and Cruise America advertises all the time on our local Craigslist. Nice to see they are legit! Beautiful RV on the inside. Hope the engine matches it!
Thanks for watching! We think the drivetrain should be in pretty good shape because of the fleet maintenance, but we'll take a closer look before buying anything.
Thanks for the info..much appreciated !!
Rented these a few times. Basic but well built. Lots of storage. No slide is both a plus and minus. Solar charger didn't do much. Need larger house batteries and 200 watts or more of solar to keep house batteries charged, especially important in a boondocking situation. We had one issue with the generator being hard to start, but probably had something to do with our 15 mile trip down a bumpy dirt road. Essentially with a former rental you are getting a basic newer rv with higher miles compared to an older rv with lower miles for similar costs.
I bought one in May of this year, and i'm living in it. Designed very practical, So far, no complaints.
That's great! Which model did you get? Have you had to use the warranty at all?
Cost
Bought it for 24, similar are selling for late 30s not. Never used the warranty, but I don’t drive much
*Selling late 30 now
Hello. I bought a 2015 like the one in the video. Every employee went overboard in customer services. Truly.
I have even texted the dealer in Orlando and received help via text...and friendly. I always wonder about service after you buy. No complaints.
My unit unfortunately refuses to deliver hot water. Never did for me. Orlando has given me text assistance twice but I just can't get hot water.
First off, my 30 footer was painted by my son and the couch removed for a desk area. I will never need a couch and I will never have use it for extra beds.
I have no regrets. Zippo! Ty Cruise America for selling me my first RV.
Maybe I missed it but you didn't mention how old it was, the mileage and the price, those are very big factors.
Model year 2015. Listed on red sticker by the door. Price about 30k. No mileage listed.
2015 was on the back passenger side outside.
Had it in Red writing on the rv side
You missed it
@@dw5878 so what was the mileage? :)
That is the same unit we rented out of Florida to pa. 2 grands 7/8. The kids loved it the over the cab bed it was Hugh. I brought a queen size sheet which didn’t fit it was too small I think a king might be better. We used the back bed but I couldn’t get in and out because I have mobility problems can’t climb on my knees. I used the jackknife for sleeping 😴. Check the bathroom for height of toilet can’t reach without a stool to be able to sit on the seat. We did notice it was extremely noisy riding on the road. The storage in the back was was very nice for my mobility scooter. We found it was one of our best memories our grandson said it was the best trip he has every been on !! He helped out a lot with the set up and tear down he watch the video so he could do what they said to do. They played games and enjoyed the whole trip with their seat belts on in the dining area. Our grandson also sat up front buckled in and loved it because he was a big boy!! I mainly sat on the jackknife coach with my belt on with my granddaughter. I think that the price is good for what you get. Make sure you drive it on an interstate or bumpy road trip it see if you can tolerate the rattling. It’s not the things we brought it’s the coach itself.
I think all motorhomes are noisy and it's more about how you pack things to dampen it all. We're expecting it and will do what we can to button things up. That trip sounds awesome by the way! RVing is hard to beat!
@@Five2Go yes cut to size foam padding under the range grate for traveling really helps with the annoying grate rattle...and close the entry door really tight as even when they feel latched sometimes they arent completely and youll get rattle there...those are 2 of the notorious locations for rattle...
Had a used Cruise American for 8 years. Loved it. They are better built than anything off the lot otherwise. We were not disappointed. Request a print out of the service records if you have doubts to what you are buying.
We would definitely look at all the service records before buying one, absolutely!
Looks like a bargain to me, would consider it. I like the idea of all the upgrades and fixes.
Hi from Australia
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
I like the navy so much more then all those crazy prints they use on rv's. Wow how nice to not have to change all the fabrics!
Right!
Totally agree, it reminds me of some of the sailboats I have been on.
Personally I can't say the dinette seating is comfortable though. That goes for all dinettes, everywhere.
I’ve heard it mentioned that the reason RV’s & such have those funky patterned fabrics is that the RV manufacturers get great bulk deals on the extra fugly stuff from the textile companies. Cheaper option for more profit would be my guess.
@@rickg3994 LOL Rick they must...
I bought mine from them and have had no trouble for 14 years, I love it. Only thing I have done is normal wear and tear , tires,brakes, exhaust rusted but everything else is still goin strong. If it blew up today I would walk away smiling, mine is 30 years old now and looks like new still. Now you can get a good deal cause of coronavirus caused em to sell a bunch
I was so happy to have stumbled across this video. I have been considering taking a look at the 23A from Cruise America. It was nice to see a walk through of an actual unit (albeit a different model/length).
The 23A has all the same upgrades and whatnot, it's just a slightly different layout. We really like it and would definitely opt for the smaller rig if we didn't have the kids. One day maybe... 😂
Hi from Australia🇦🇺
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
I was just looking at CruiseAmerica's website yesterday to consider renting a unit, and what they were showing was *considerably* less attractive than this rig. It's nice to know about the upgrades, and that the fabrics used are at least possibly much nicer. Thanks for the tour!
Hi from Australia🇦🇺
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
Wow, Brilliant idea given to you from a caring subscriber.
We’re certainly sure Cruise America being a reputable company maintained and serviced their inventory which would be an enormous plus for you folks.
So happy for you guys, we are waiting with baited breath to see how this works out.
We were really shocked by how nice their used units are. They're seriously making us think about stretching our budget a little bit...
I would be a bit leery about the oil change/service side of these units. People on a cross country trip are not going to stop somewhere for a oil change. Lots of people also on a hill, put the pedal to the metal as it is not theirs. BEWARE PEOPLE!
steve senchuk In a perfect world people would respect something they rent. This helps keep the costs down for the next time they decided to rent another. But in reality, there are people who just don’t care and I believe you do bring up a valid point regarding oil change interval as well as not letting off the gas and having the engine labor, or “over rev”.
But in retrospect, a corporation would have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not have a service plan to deal with the non caring idiots. Since they invested in something they intend to make profit off of, it would be to their advantage to service the unit as well as keep very accurate service records.
I do believe a fluid analysis would surly go a long way in determining if there is excessive wear on the engine as well as the transmission. Main reason why and if possible for these folks to have a Level 2
NRVIA certified inspector take a look at the unit especially if service records are non existent or incomplete. If that is not possible to schedule, a competent mechanic could preform an inspection on the drive tran and engine as well.
I just paid a visit to the cruise America website to have a look at what inventory they have on hand and the first question I thought of was the mileage for these units as it was not listed in the sales listing for each unit. I showed one of them to my husband and he said the very same thing you posted regarding oil change intervals.
We have been fortunate our last two used RVs we purchased have been trouble free mechanically as well as structurally. I do believe it was the vast amount of research and time invested as well as the insistence that all service records from the seller were present before the sale. Also important was the sale was null and void if the RV didn’t pass a full inspection.
Five2Go seriously clean compared to what I see listed on RV trader. I’m so curious as to the mileage on the unit?
I mentioned below I paid a visit to their sales site and they have some good looking units for sale, but in all the sales pitch, nowhere is the mileage of the unit mentioned. Not that it’s a deal breaker by no means as I do believe they would not be in business for too long if they didn’t perform maintenance.
We rent 19 feet one from Cruise America and liked it so much. Very compact (can park in the normal parking lot) and had what we need. And it's hard to find the RV (class C) this small size.
Those little things are pretty awesome!
Love the Navy and fabrics. Great option we had never thought of. Only drawback is Thor reputation, but maybe all the bugs have been worked out by now. Good luck to you 5
It is a Thor, but if the bugs we've heard of over and over haven't been worked out in 100k miles, I don't think they exist. Judging by the volume of RVs that these guys buy and how they customize them, I'd be willing to bet they aren't coming through the normal retail factory.
These are built specifically as rentals. Basic and sturdy, sort of "sailor proof", meaning sturdy, basic and easy to operate.
Thor has not worked bugs out, still terrible QC
@@jonthebru In the airline industry they call it "pilot proof".
Thoroughly impressed! 😁😁😁😁😮😮😮😮😮 Had no idea or even thought about purchasing one. I thought the same thing it would be worn out and not worth getting one.
They did amazingly.refubishing and reinforcing everything. Might be an option 🤔
I remember way back when Homer and Marge went to the same place.🙂
Wow…as you pointed out the care and maintenance stands out. If I were to upgrade this definitely would be a nice option for me. I currently own an older model, 32’, Class A but have been considering something a tad shorter. I like the layout of this Class C. Although I do prefer a large double sink that deeper round style is doable. Thank you for sharing a walkthrough. 🚌
PS: The bathroom door when opened becomes the privacy door, from front of unit back, for bathing and changing.
Hi from Australia
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
Air fryer and instant pot... What more do you need?... 💘 it...
I just saw one today at the bank parking lot. It looks really nice and the guy seemed really happy with it. He bought it in California about a month ago and was driving across country.
Thank you so much for this video! Like you, I thought this was a cheap rebuild. I will definitely consider buying one when I retire in three years. I was also happy to read another comment that you could buy an extended warranty. I would definitely do that.
Thanks Patricia! We haven't had a chance to look at the extended warranty paperwork yet, but a few other comments on this video have sounded *really* positive about it.
I'm going back to work to be able to buy one and another toy then retire again! But I've already checked them out here in Phoenix and am having a few things not done like the couch, I'll remove the dinette and putting in my desk after relocating the inverter and adding a few extra batteries and 400w panels, no Majistic sticker but the sooch is fine and an awning! I'll get a leveling system later to put on.
But for a rental unit they do them up better than most used units from a private seller or many dealers.
Hi from Australia🇦🇺
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
I've been watching rv videos for about a month now thinking I might go this route when I retire. After watching this I am about 80% sure this is what I want to do. My biggest concern was price and I think 30k would be a great place to work towards. This looks very solid and I can put the comforts in that suits me with no problems at all. Thank you for your time and help. I've learned a lot and I'm even more excited to think about rv living ✌️
My thoughts exactly
Hi from Australia🇦🇺
I just read your comment and thought you might like to look at some Australian content and camp cook ups.
Cheers
Out There Touring
You could always pack a small step stool to help with the littles and those big beefy steps
They actually had no trouble getting into the rig! We're not worried about the lack of an outside step - if anything it was nice not stepping on a springy/droopy step and going straight to a solid one. 👍😋👍
Folding steps are better any way wider and height adjustable. I use ares all the time just dont forgot to pick it up when leaving/ like I did.
I bought a used 2008 Bigfoot truck camper from CanaDream in 2013 for half the price of new. Totally satisfied with my purchase. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Just beware it can take a week or more for bank wire transfers between the USA and Canada. Maybe TransferWise is a better payment option now. Been living in it half the year since 2015. CanaDream built the mounting plinth to match my truckbed, added new Happijack lifts, truck belly bars and FastGun tiedowns. Total quality job.
We bought a 2014 23A from cruise Canada last summer in Ontario, could not be more pleased with the purchase as the overall savings was hugh compared to what others was asking
That's great to hear!
Great video, they've just gone up so much! $46k for a similiar model now.
Very informative and well presented !!! I have been watching for years RV and travel trailer reviews and you did a great job explaining the ins and out of buying a rental. Thanks
They didn't explain what the steel plate covering a steel box in front of the queen bed is used for. I have the same unit 2013 still don't know what it's for. Seems the only Cruise America put these in but can't seem to get any answers and I'm not alone on this many others have asked
@@darlenejohnson3845 I didn’t noticed it in the video. I would call Cruise America and ask them if you already haven’t.
@@scotsmanofnewengland7713 it's in the video when she walks in the bedroom to show pulling back the cameras it's right there in front of the bed same as mine. I have called Cruz America and unless you know the person's extension you're calling you have to dial zero for operator. And you'll get a recording saying this is the reservation line it'll just keep repeating that recording. I also called Thor and spoke with a very nice lady but she couldn't seem to find anything on it but I did send to the picture of mine. And all Cruise America units have these as far as I can tell. Some are in a different place because not all have the rear bedroom the smaller ones don't have that
@@scotsmanofnewengland7713 the steel cover over the box is right at 5: 19 into it in the video
Right where he is pointing out passage lights in the hallways
@@darlenejohnson3845 I think it’s an access panel to something underneath. Look under the camper in that area and you should see what is there. If you can remove the plate. it could have been just a plate to reenforce that area due to a weak spot. I’d look underneath. Good luck
Those floors always feel dirty and the floor in the cab gets incredibly hot. There is no ac in the back and it’s very warm in the middle belt area. The refrigerator didn’t work well, yes we opened it a few times going down the road and dry camping but I thought the point of the propane was to keep it cold. It rattles horribly, not sure if normal
I like Throw rugs or long runners for cold mornings I bought a break and it has linoleum floors and it is absolutely not insulated worth two cents
We have rented from Cruise America for about 15yrs their units have always been really great. Thanks for doing this gives you many options. Rent from Ohare area the nicest folks.
Chris from Chicago