Overall, I really enjoyed renting this unit. There were some positives and negatives and I wanted to list them all here so that the next renters can make an informed decision.First, Troy was great with communication and thorough in his guidance of using his rig. He showed me how to do everything needed. Here are some of the positives (The Good):1. The RV itself is beautiful and luxurious. It is not super high end that you feel like you are going to break anything that you touch but you could tell it was not cheap materials and thin plywood construction. It felt solid.
2. The engine was powerful and got us over all the hills with ease.
3. The RV was loaded up with everything a renter could want: grill, chairs, table, dishes, linens, etc.
4. The slides worked perfectly, and all the buttons worked as well.
5. The generator was quiet and easy to use.
6. Large tanks (all of them). Lots of propane, fuel, and water. Great for it you cannot find a site with hookups. We are a family of 6 so it was wonderful to not have to worry that much.
7. Decent gas mileage. We got as high as 10mpg but averaged 6.7mpg. Not bad for a rig of this size. In retrospect, I wish I would have unloaded more of Troy's stuff that we were not going to use to lighten the load so that it would have been a little better.
8. We forgot a few things when we turned the RV back in and Troy was good enough to find them all for us.Here are the negatives (The Bad):1. If you have not driven a Class A, it is not good to start on a 40-foot diesel pusher. The service engine light was constantly on, there were lots of status messages such as low air, thermal warnings, and a few others. When on vacation, it is worrisome to see all those messages while trying to relax. After talking to Troy and doing Google searches, most of them are "normal" and not that critical but still worrisome.
2. Being in a 12-year-old rig and having it rented back to back on Outdoorsy (and other sites) is starting to show its wear and tear on this rig. The earlier renter somehow broke off the passenger mirror and then taped it up, so we had to try and switch lanes with a lot of difficulties. It was really hard to tell how close a vehicle was on the left or if it was safe to move over. There were a lot of minor things too like hinges that were breaking, lights, and switches that didn't work, it came with a sleep number bed but we couldn't adjust it, the sun shades in the front didn't work so the sun blinded us, the curtains didn't fully open or close so it was hard to vent the air well and get circulation, some windows were taped shut from previous renters having broken them. Also, the earlier renter took the propane tank so we could not use the grill. That sucked since we planned our meals around using the grill only!
3. The A/C just could not cool us! We have rented a respectable number of Class C rigs and they could all keep us cool. The larger window in the Class A just made the drive through Arizona and New Mexico unbearable. The vents in the front just blew out hot air. The A/C itself could push air but just could not cool a rig that big. I do not know if it was just how RV's are that big or if the units were not working correctly. Additionally, the passenger fan was broken so there was no reprieve with that.A few more notes (The Ugly):I would be remiss as a renter if I did not note the costs. They were clear and upfront, but they add up quickly so make sure you know what you are paying for. We paid $700 in actual gas to move the vehicle the 3000 miles we drove it then paid another $900 as a fee for our mileage. So, you pay for mileage twice in essence. We knew this and were comfortable with it and it is standard for rentals, but it does hurt your wallet.We drove through a few storms and at one point a water heater panel flew off. It looks like it was being held on with glue and tape. Since it happened on our trip without us doing anything to damage it, we had to pay for it. When pulling into our site, some branches dragged across the side and although the paint did not scratch, the marks needed to be buffed out. We did accidentally scratch the door, so we knew we must pay for that. Finally, my kids spilled something on the rug part that did not just scrub out, so Troy had to have the carpets cleaned. Most of the coach was not carpet but the small part that there was happened to have something spill on it. All these things cost us over $700.Overall, I would recommend renting this for shorter trips where you are going to a destination, setting up, and not moving until you head back home. That is when its amenities shine the best. We went to Yellowstone and a few other places, so we spent a lot of time on the road. The combination of mileage, wear and tear, and broken stuff made it a bit rougher for us. If we had just stayed at one site, the whole time it would have been a lot cheaper and less stressful. I've found that a lot of owners are renting back to back and just do not have time to make repairs to their units before the next renter comes in. I think if there was a buffer it could really help.
4 Photo inviate da Thomas B.
