Motorhome shopping? Check out the "previously a rental" market.

In the market for a motorhome? There are plenty of manufacturers who'd like you to look their way. Problem is, brand new motorhomes are definitely pricey, and they loose a lot of value the moment you step on the accelerator the very first time and drive them off the lot. For some shoppers this means hitting the used motorhome market.

Among the host of sellers who'd have you buy their rigs are "pre-owned" units that lived their first life as rental units. With a couple of major motorhome rental chains in the U.S. and scores of mom-and-pop operations, there are lots of used rental rigs finding their way into the resale market. Are they worth looking into?

We've poured over experiences of folks who've bought rental units, and from those who've worked in the RV field. Here are some ideas culled from their thoughts and experiences:

Many previous rental units on the market are pretty plain. Don't expect to find a lot with awnings, wheel covers, power steps, 'day and night' window blinds, or much else in the way of upgrades. The rental folks aren't interested in maintaining these items, nor do they feel that they'll gain much in the bargain by providing them. That being said, customers typically said that the money they saved by buying rental rigs more than made up for the cost of having buying the upgrades after purchasing the RV. What's better, you get exactly what you want, and those add-ons are brand new.

One thing to keep an eye on: Many "fleet purchased" RVs are specifically built for the rental outfit. While they may be the "same year and model" as units built for the retail trade, the specifications may be different. One buyer almost signed on the line for what he thought was a choice motorhome, only to find that the black water tank in the rental rig was a miserly 18-gallon capacity. Read the specifications carefully, especially comparing the gross vehicle weight rating and the actual weight of the unit. You may find the actual "net cargo capacity" – the number of pounds for gear, food, etc., far too low for your needs.

In terms of prices, mostly we heard that units purchased from the rental chains were definitely bargains. Compared with NADA book prices, many reported whacking off a third or even more and coming out with what they felt was a good unit.

What about mileage? One observer who checked out a lot of units from Cruise America noted they were all fairly high miles – easily over 120,000 or better. But that wasn't the experience that all buyers had. Depending on the seller, some outfits had rigs with less than 50,000 miles. This caused some to worry: 'If these rigs have such low miles, are they lemons?' Just as you would find when buying from private parties, there are good motorhomes, and there are those that have been beat to death. Regardless of the number of miles on a rental unit, the universal advice is simple: Hire an independent RV technician to look at any rig you're seriously thinking about buying.

Remember, it doesn't pay for a RV rental company to have customers stranded with breakdowns, or units sitting idle for repair work. As a result, most rental firms do keep up with maintenance. It's not always easy to prove. When shopping a used rental rig lot, you may be hard pressed to get the salesman to cough up the maintenance records. Some reported that if they couldn't get the local guy to do it, a phone call to the national headquarters (if dealing with a chain seller) would often yield up the desired results. Much better responses were noted from mom-and-pop rental outfits.

What about extended warranties? The chains will be happy to sell you an extended warranty – for what is often a very hefty price. If the miles are low enough on the rig, you may do better purchasing an extended warranty from someone else, Good Sam for example. Whomever you buy an extended warranty from, look at the contract closely to see what's included, and especially for what's NOT included, and for how long.

Inspect any rig you're interested in closely. Most outfits will promise you that their unit has been "completely refurbished." One buyer got a bit suspicious when the salesman refused access to the roof to inspect the topside. When pressured, they finally got access, only to find that while the edges of the roof – visible from the ground – had been "redone," the rest of the roof was sadly neglected. A loud complaint to the national office had the roof completely redone at the seller's expense. If you find other problems, ask for them to be fixed. Many rental sellers will be happy to comply to make the sale – just get work done before you sign the papers.

One other interesting though: What if you're a "Mr. Monk Germophobe"? Buying any used RV could make you shudder. After all, somebody else has stored their food in the refrigerator, slept in the bed, sat on the throne. If the deal you cut is good, you may be able to buy a new mattress and toilet. In some cases, folks have said that they negotiated a brand-new mattress into their deal, and later tossed out the old "bend over to flush the terlit," replacing it with a new foot-flush model. It's up to you.

Were we in the market for a motorhome, we'd surely look at the rentals-for-sale lots. They may have just what you need.


photo courtesy elmonte rv