BoxinTheCompass
Florida
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Great thread here been monitoring here but have some questions that perhaps the kind folks who are owners of previous rental units can advise:
1. On the control panel (tank levels, water pump, etc) there is an indicator that states "Solar Charging When Lit". I think there is a small solar panel on top that charges the house battery to keep it charge. Anybody have any details on this circuit and what its capabilities are?
2. We are seeing some higher mileage Ford V-10's with mileage around 150K... I know it depends on the maintenance history and all, but I am thinking I can still get another 100K of mileage out of the unit before I have to rebuild or replace engine and transmission. What is the expected mileage can one get out of these engine? I am talking like 2007 and higher if it matters.
3. Following up with the above question, how much can you expect to pay for example a refurbished engine and transmission? I couldnt do the work myself and I know alot depends but any rough idea on costs? And who would do this remove and replace a truckstop or would Ford dealer be able to perform this task?
4. Anybody upgrade with chip on the computer for these engines. Seems like someone had mentioned they did this but couldnt find in this thread. If you did what were your results and how much were the costs in doing so?
We are going to Cruise America tomorrow in Kissimee (Orlando) FL just to take a looksee and kick the tires (getting the boss's approval if this is way we want to go) but been curious about this aspect of these Ford V-10's.
Thanks,
Boxin'
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Perick
Indiana
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I haven't had my 2008 Ford 31M long enough to comment on all of these, but I will say the general consensus I saw out there before buying mine was the V10 is pretty solid. The same motor/tranny combo is in so many commercial vehicles that 100k miles on one didn't bother me, as long as it was maintained. And after looking at what local dealerships were offering for $35k+, I've been very happy with our choice. For $26k I got 50+ pages of maintenance documentation on ours so I know what was done and at what mileage. The piddly things like loose hinges and other little things I've gone over were the same things I saw on the expensive ones we saw at dealerships.
I don't think I would ever chip mine, I just don't think you're going to gain much. It's a 14,000lb box going down the road, so I've just accepted the fact the mpg will be 7-10mpg.
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jonthebru
Maui
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I can't help with most of your questions, but a couple. When I rented a 19G in Las Vegas for a seven day drive to Zion, I never once saw the solar charging light on. There was a lot of sun at the time. You can find the price of new engine and transmission easily. There are several businesses that do just that.
My opinion is buying a used rental is buying a higher mileage newer model compared to a comparable older Class C with lower mileage. Because they are bulletproof, some systems, TV antenna for example, are not there or a little more basic. One of the first things I would do is make it mechanically reliable, tires, etc and put a nice efficient solar system on board, That allows cutting the cord on many crowded campgrounds and allowing you to dry camp. For me, that is a good thing. Have fun!
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craz z
Montana
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The solar thing I believe is for CA to keep the house battery topped up during periods of waiting to be rented I did find a manual somewhere I think it came with the air conditioner from coleman it's basically a waste of space at only 5 or 10 watt
I ended up putting 400watt panels on my majestic best upgrade I ever did I also snuck a inverter and 125ah battery under the bed as the one on board battery wasn't enough
Tranny would be a snap to change if paying to do it I'd say 4k to 5k engine would be a bear and would 10k 15k would be my estimate if doing yourself half or less of that
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w3ozwizard
Lacey, Washington
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I told everyone on this list, that I would give an update on my purchase of a Cruise America 28A after having it for a year. When we purchased it, it had about 130,000 miles on it. We have put about 5 thousand miles on it with zero problems. We took a trip and stayed in Arizona for about 2 months and traveled there and back and got an average of about 8.5 miles MPG. Had we drove on the Interstates more, we would have gotten a little over 9,I believe but we took the back roads so we could see more of the areas and visit friends and family. We have also taken several trips around areas in our home state. There were no problems with the motorhome at all. We never felt underpowered or uncomfortable at all. My wife did not like the faucet in the kitchen so I replaced it and when I did, I did not get it tight enough and had a small leak but that was my fault not the MH.
A did as complete a job of inspecting the motorhome on the lot before I sighed the papers. CA let me do that over a 2-day period and provided employees to help me and answer questions. But even with doing as good of an inspection as I could I have found that apparently someone made a tail swing error and the left corner of the coach must have been damaged as I can see signs of repair inside the storage compartment and the storage door on that side is obviously new.
HERE is what I consider the down side of a motorhome like this. And please remember that this is just me, my wife and dogs and our life style. So what I am going to say may not be pertinent to you or your family. If you are a person that travels from camp site to camp site maybe staying only a day or two in one place, then the CA motorhome will be great for you. It is designed to be idiot proof. No awing to remember to take down, no steps to remember to bring up, no TV antenna to take down, no sliders to bring in, no leveling jacks to bring up. The amenities are pretty Spartan so you do not have to worry about over wearing the furniture, carpets, or other things like that, as they are selected for durability, not particularly for style. The rig is manufactured to be used hard by beginner MH users who do not understand all the things you need to do to manage a modern MH and to be blunt idiot proof.
BUT BUT if you are a family or person who wants to stay put for a longer period of time, let’s say 2 months in Arizona like we did. The walls are going to start coming in on you with no sliders. If you travel with pets, they have to sleep somewhere and unless you have them in bed with you they are going to be in the way when you are trying to cook or just move inside the MH. I know get rid of the pets. That is not going to happen. With a slider you would have a lot more room. An awning would also help in this regard, but in some places like Arizona it is just too **** hot for us Northerners to sit outside even with an awning. Motorhomes without at least one slider seem to us to be very scarce unless you are looking at a rig that is very old. You kind of feel out of place.Many other MH owners know that a Majestic is a name for a USED CA renter motorhome and make comments like “Oh that is one of THOSE old high mileage rental returns, isn’t it?” Kind of looking down their nose like you are some kind of trailer trash or something. Of course you have to go into some kind of tirade to defend your purchase. Maybe this kind of snobbery does not bother you but if you stay someplace for a time, you may hear it. We did in Mesa Arizona. So be warned.
I have made many upgrades to the unit I have. I did not like the very cheap curtains that come with the MH, so I upgraded them to better quality blinds. We got tired of pulling them back each day. The modesty panel in the front was a pain so we bought one of those aftermarket panels that goes over the windshield and connect with magnets. That was much better and did not get in the way of us watching the TV we put in the upfront area. We put in a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) in the MH. 9 miles out a tire valve extender started to leak and the TPMS gave us enough warning to allow us to find a safe place to check it out. As I had roadside insurance and it was raining hard I called them and it was taken care of. Without the system I may have had to stop on the freeway in an unsafe place. Well worth the money in my opinion. I installed a TV and DVD system so that we can watch TV. I have a Garmin GPS system that is wonderful as you can customize this one to the size of your motorhome and with the aid of the traffic warning system is was just great in guiding us through places like LA. Without it I may have still been there wondering around the many highways out there that seemed to intersect with themselves. Upgraded the mattress and bedding. What comes with the MH in our case was a new queen size mattress (the RV industry says is queen size but not close to the one you may have in your home), to a much better mattress. Sleeping on the **** they gave us, was like sleeping on a rack. And don’t think because there is a bed in the rear that it will be easy to make. You have to be just about a person with 10 foot arms to make the bed. My wife is a NAZI on making the bed but had to just fluff it up many times which did not make her happy. There is just not enough space to get around the bed on both sides and still tuck things in as you may like. Many MHs have slides in the bedroom and makes this activity much easier. And in my case my wife much happier. I also put in a wireless back up camera system. It helps like it is supposed to in baking into some of the tight camping places.
NOW here is my point in listing some of the upgrades I have done. They can all be removed and moved to another MH if you don’t get them on the newer rig you may want to buy. That is one reason I would NOT put an awning, car towing package or solar system on this MH or any MH until I am SURE I am going to keep it a long time, as removing them would be almost be impractical and may cause damage to the MH in doing so. In our case we are going to spend much of our time in Arizona not because only that the weather there is better than it is here in Washington state but one of our daughters lives there with grandkids so we enjoy being with them.
SO I am sorry for this long rambling post but I promised to give you all an update after my first year, so here it is. I am very happy with the MH it was as advertised and I may keep it until the wheels fall off or I am on the other side of the grass. But in our life style we feel we need more space and creature comforts. I hope this helps anyone trying to decide on buying a CA used motorhome. The company is honest and very helpful in my experience. I visited the remanufacturing facility while I was in Mesa. They do a great job in bringing the used MHs up to what they were like new as can be expected.
2009 Four Winds Majestic 28A
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BoxinTheCompass
Florida
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Thanks Wiz (and others too) thats a great honest reply.
One thing surprising that I thought you would advise as a con versus pro is the wardrobe space.... any suggestions on clothes storage and how you did that?
Crazy what solar brand equip did you use?
Thanks!
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CatchinBluegill
United States
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BoxinTheCompass wrote:
One thing surprising that I thought you would advise as a con versus pro is the wardrobe space
Thanks!
Storage space is always at a premium in a Class C, which was one of a number of factors that led me to buy a rental Class A, with driver comfort being the other major one.
Last summer, we rented a large Class C (Jamboree 31 bunkhouse, which is actually 32 feet long), and while it had sleeping space for our family of 6, it was pretty short on storage space, and the fridge was small enough that we had to bring both an ice chest and a small 12-volt car cooler. Those were secured in the step well and under the table, since the ice chest wouldn't fit in the small external storage compartments.
Wardrobe space was adequate (just) for our 1-week trip, and large Class C vehicles like that are pretty generous on wardrobe space by Class C standards. Even then, some extra clothes, as well as dirty laundry, were kept in external compartments.
The Bounder we bought has a lot more wardrobe space, a bath-and-a-half floor plan (convenient when 4 out of 6 are girls) with a big shower (convenient for my dad, who is mobility-impaired) and more external storage space than I think I'm likely to ever fill. In terms of driver comfort, the worst Class A I've ever sat in (and I tried a lot) is still better for me than any Class C I've ever sat in.
Other factors: the two slides are much deeper than Class C slides, so the inside is far roomier than a C. Even with the slides in, the aisle is wider. The bed is a standard queen (60 x 80), and the 12 cubic foot fridge is twice the size of the 6 CF one in the C we rented. The power awning, 5KW generator and 50-amp power system are also nice. The 22.5 inch wheels and real truck suspension give a better ride than a Class C.
The downsides?
At 36 feet, it's bigger than any C except a Super C, which means it's heavier with the same engine and it maybe slower on hills (OTOH, it has a 5.38 final drive, which may be lower than a Class C's, not sure) and it's not bad on hills. Definitely will get lower mileage than a C. 22.5 inch tires cost a lot more, and the ones that were on it when I bought it had good tread, but were old enough to have severe dry rot on the inner sidewalls on 5 of the 6. It's very first trip after I bought it was to the tire shop to have them all replaced.
Also, because of the size, it's less practical to try to use it as a sightseeing vehicle, so I plan to tow our minivan behind it. Getting the pieces in place for that. Just need to get the base plate in, and I'm done. Towing is some added expense of course, and some extra work. It may also lead me to chip it and possibly go the full Banks Power Pack route, depending on how it performs this summer.
A smaller family can probably get by with a smaller Class A, and just a couple can get by with a much smaller one. Even at the same length, they typically have more storage space than any Class C. Those who can do that may be able to get by without towing a vehicle behind. Of course, many Class A owners do forego towing either much of the time or completely, so you _can_ live without a toad. It's just nice to be able to leave the RV a the campground and sightsee or grocery shop in the passenger vehicle.
It also can prevent what happened to me last summer at the Kaibab Lake forest service campground. We took the motorhome up to the Grand Canyon, and when we got back in the late afternoon, another RVer had removed our reservation paper from the post, presumably thrown it away, and taken our lake-view site. The campground host have me a nearby double-sized pull-through at no extra charge, but it didn't have a view. I still half regret not asking him to call a ranger and make the guy move, but it probably wouldn't have been worth the delay and conflict. The campground host told me that happens all the time when people don't have something they can leave behind in their site.
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Bea PA
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Our 24 foot rental did not come from CA but from a private dealer so it has electric steps a hitch and an awning. It also only had 14,000 miles. It all depends on what you are going to use it for. We had a pusher with all the bells and whistles and lived in it in the winter. Now all we want to do are camping trips and cross country trips so we can handle small quarters and don't mind leaving it sit for months at a time. We don't miss all the maintenance that we had on the big rig so there are pros and cons depending on what you plan to do. I'm sure on a rainy day with 3 of our great grands it will seem really small. lol I'm looking forward to see how it tows our Vue this summer with the tow-haul I hope it will have enough power.
Bea PA
Down sized Winnebago 2012 24V Class C
2003 Gold Wing 1800 recently triked (Big Red)
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BoxinTheCompass
Florida
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Thanks for the info Bluegill, El Monte sells a variety of rentals including both class A and C. We may drive over there next weekend for another looksee but this weekend we drove over from Daytona to Orlando to see Cruise America.
We saw a 28A that had been painted but not really refurbished as of yet and then we saw a couple of the other models that were fully refurbished. You could tell the difference between fully refurbished and not. Much cleaner in and out in both engine compartment and storage and in the coach.
We didnt see a fully restored 28A unfortunately
One thing that even the fully refurbished ones that stand out is the captains chairs (driver/pass seats) were a little worse for wear. .... saw some noticeable stains... CA said they would not replace them or the jacknife sofa but mentioned the dinette and mattress could be replaced. So I may consider either seat covers or replacing with new seats (ref Shop4Seats.com from IAMICHABOD)
Another thing is we met a very nice couple who were looking at the 19G as a cheaper alternative than a Class B .... I never thought of it that way and comparing prices to class B it seems smarter alternative unless you are stealth camping in the city. They had a travel trailer and were tired of the extra work with that (they looked younger than us!)
Seems newer models make appearence after labor day according to salesman. He said that at 5 years they are then refurbished and put up for sale and the newer model years start in Sept-Oct
One thing to note, driving south on I95 every 1/4 mile was an RV heading north.... it must be the annual migration. About 60% had dinghys with 4 down (the rest did not) and I didnt see one tow dolley
* This post was
edited 04/10/16 03:32am by BoxinTheCompass *
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socal77
Redlands, CA
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Love this thread! We joined the Ex-Rental RV club a couple weeks ago. Picked up a former CA 2009 Majestic 28A. I bought it from a company that purchased directly from CA a year ago. The seller distributes kid's razor-type scooters and skate boards. They sent 5 of their employees on a 9,000 mile cross-country promotional trip for 30 days in the RV.
When the trip was completed they had no more need for it and had it sitting outside their offices. I found it when they posted it for sale on RVTrader.com.
It had 152,000 when they bought it from CA. When I got it, the mileage was 161,700. It was dirty inside and out and had a couple issues (broken driver's side mirror) they told me they'd fix before I purchased it. I offered $16,000 Cash AS IS. They accepted it. They can use the loss on their corporate taxes.
I knew I was taking a risk but I'd looked it over prior to my offer. I have owned another Class C in the past so knew what to watch out for. I also figured I was getting it at such a low price point I could afford to put some money into it. The low NADA value with that mileage is $32,000.
I paid a certified RV guy to go over it last week. I was happy when he said no serious issues. There was a 6 inch tear on the roof from a branch most likely. He's fixing that. Said rest of the roof in great condition. Onan 4000 generator runs rough so needs some TLC.
I have it at an alignment shop this weekend. Pulls to the right. The tires are like new though so I'm glad about that.
Anyone have an idea of what type of costs to expect to service the Onan 4000? I does start right up but runs rough. He did say the oil was low in it.
* This post was
edited 04/10/16 07:19pm by socal77 *
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