In October 2020, with most travel shut down due to Covid, we thought, like many others, we’d give RV’ing a try. Following is a recap of our first RV rental experience.
I grew up camping in my grandparent’s motorhome and my parent’s travel trailer. I have many great memories as a kid exploring campgrounds, trails, riding bikes, going to the beach, and all the things families do while camping. But, at some point, it’s pretty standard that a Mom is yelling, a kid crying about something, and a Dad sitting in his chair drinking a beer. Yup, this is what I remember and love most about RV’ing as a kid.
Fast forward to adulthood, my husband and I have looked at motorhomes for several years. We talk about taking trips all over the country, where to explore, how to escape the Florida summer heat, etc. Then my hubby watched the movie “Paul” and ever since has wanted to go to the desert to see if he can make an alien friend. I’m NOT joking…he talks about it all the time!
As newbies to RV’ing, we have spent countless hours on the internet looking at RVs and driving to various dealerships in the Tampa-Ft. Myers area. Every time we left a dealership, we would feel a little overwhelmed, but even more excited about the possibilities of future trips. After much debate about what we need and don’t need in a floor plan, we thought it would be a great idea to rent before we buy.
Renting various units would allow us to try several makes/models and types of RVs. Again, we’ve done lots of research, visited several local RV dealerships, and talked to many owners. Along the way, we’ve narrowed down our “must-have” list, and while that involved some compromise, we wanted to make sure we had the correct list before making a significant purchase. Two of our “must-haves” were a bath and half floor plan and a king-size bed. I set out to find a Class A rental that had two features. After a quick search, I found one nearby and was pleasantly impressed with the pictures and that it was a new coach (2020) and located only a few miles from where we live. I booked the rental as well as my favorite campground, Fort Wilderness at Disney.
Side note: I grew up camping at Disney, so I have a comfort level here. Since this was our first outing, I knew plenty of people would help us if we needed it.
With the RV rental booked and travel plans made, we eagerly anticipated our upcoming trip. We were hopeful that our maiden voyage would give us clear answers: Are we cut out to be RVers, and should we purchase an RV or just continue to rent as needed.
About 3 weeks before our rental date, the RV owner texted me to say that renters damaged the RV, but it was being fixed and should be back in time for our trip. Three days prior to rental, he texted an update that the RV is back and everything fixed except the awning. We decided to proceed with the rental knowing the awning would be out of commission.
The pick-up date is upon us, and excitement is in the air. We arrive at the RV, and my first reaction was, “oh, what sweet hell have we gotten into.” The RV is scrapped and scratched from front to back on both sides, and several storage doors are stoved in, and molding is broken off. The coach is also filthy dirty, and the awning arms are sprung out from the coach’s side at about a 45-degree angle. What kind of hell has this coach been through?
Hopes for a nice clean interior dashed when the door opened to dirt, sand, and grass all over the steps into the coach. I feel myself cringe as I step further inside. Refrigerator covered in fingerprints, the floor dirty, and generally, the coach is in desperate need of deep cleaning. A thorough cleaning should have been done before our rental as there is a “cleaning fee” added to each rental. Additionally, our rental was in Oct 2020, during Covid, so the owner should have taken extra precautions. But, of course, I knew I could get the coach cleaned to my standards once we got the coach home to load.
During the entire walk-through and delivery inspection, my inside voice is screaming, but I keep a smile on my face. I don’t want to spoil our first RV adventure since we have been looking forward to it for weeks. We ask for a setup and take-down checklist only to be told there isn’t one. I asked about an inventory list of everything on the coach (plates, linens, cutlery, etc.) again, nothing. This should have been a red flag. Given the owner’s lack of attention to detail, it certainly explained all the damage remaining on the RV.
When we questioned the awning arms sticking out from the side of the coach, the owner said it should be fine. I knew better and that it was an accident waiting to happen. Any low-hanging branches would surely catch and rip the awning right off making us responsible for the damage. Not to mention the hazard of driving down the road with large trucks passing us. It was clearly a recipe for disaster. We asked the arms be secured down before we take delivery. Luckily, I photographed the entire outside of the coach and all the damage, including pictures of the awning arms. Duct tape to the rescue! Now with duct tape securing the awning and the previous damage visible down both sides of the coach, we surely will be first in line for some sort of award for the most embarrassing rig.
We get the RV back home. I spent several hours cleaning it to make it suitable for our trip. Then, with our stuff loaded for the weekend, we set off for Disney. It’s only about an hour and a half away, which is more than enough time to realize that this 2020 Thor Hurricane is a piece of garbage. Upon arriving at Disney, my voice is hoarse from having to yell over all the engine noise. The entire unit creaked and rattled over the slightest minor imperfection in the road.
We look like the poor relations when we pull into Fort Wilderness at Disney. Similar to the movie scene when Cousin Eddie shows up at The Griswald’s house in Christmas Vacation. We, too, hoped that no one would fall in love with our coach. Hahaha.
Arriving at our site, I hopped out of the RV and directed my husband into the site flawlessly. Yeah me! Of course, I have to admit that my husband is pretty badass behind the wheel and nailed the parking on the first try. My assistance probably wasn’t needed, but we did revel in our teamwork and parking skills. We were set up and having cocktails in less than 10 minutes and feeling very smug about our RV’ing abilities. A little too smug.
The RV that we rented was a bath and a half model. After our congratulatory cocktails, we decided to take a walk around the loop. Fresh cocktails made, my hubby decides to take a quick bathroom break in the mid-coach half bath. He flushes the toilet, and the smell that filled the entire coach is one I won’t ever forget. When he exited gagging and sputtering, I asked if he needed a doctor or a priest.
We grabbed our drinks and sprinted out of the coach, gagging for fresh air. My husband assured me that he only did a #1, and the stench was coming from the tank. As we gasped for fresh air outside of the coach, we met our lovely neighbors a few sites down. After introductions and telling them we are newbies with a rental unit, and appears we have black tank issues. They were so sweet and offered to help and gave us an enzyme packet to treat the tank.
After an appropriate amount of time to let the sewage smell dissipate and several cocktails later, we headed back to the offending vehicle. Armed with an enzyme pack in hand and hopeful, this would solve the problem. We filled the toilet bowl with water, let said enzyme packet dissolve, and hand-in-hand (a show of solidarity), we flush the toilet. Unsuccessfully. Toilet bubbles. Something terrible is about to happen. Foot still on the flush peddle. A few more bubbles and then a swell of nastiness emerges from the pipe. It bubbles again, and an offending blockage enters the bowl. I can only say at this point that the “blockage” is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen and smelled—an assault on all the senses.
The toilet bowl, now filled with a previous renter’s recycled dinner, is every RV’ers worst nightmare. I quickly snapped a picture of the swirling cauldron of poop to send it to the RV owner. After all, nothing quite describes this situation, but a picture can quickly summarize. I won’t share the image, but I’m sure your imagination can get you pretty close to our position.
Scared to do anything further with the toilet, we leave the half bath immediately, close the door and text the owner with a picture of the offending issue. A very long story cut short, a mobile RV repair service finally showed up just after midnight (the ordeal started about 5 pm), fixed the issue, and flushed the tank. Unfortunately, it was during the flushing process that another terrible sound came from the half bath. The tech opened the door, closed it immediately, turned to us, and said, “do not ever open this door again.” That was all we needed to know that our first foray into RV life was going to be cut short. We texted the RV owner that we would be returning the unit the following day and expected a full refund. He agreed.
We indeed returned the coach after a sleepless night. Once back at home, we kept laughing and crying in equal parts, thinking this would surely be the end of our RV career. Convinced that we would suffer PTSD from what we had seen and smelled the day prior, I wasn’t sure we would step foot back into an RV. However, each time we told this story to friends and family, we started to find humor in all of it. That’s when we knew it was time to try again, but hopefully without the sewer drama.
As any experienced RV’er will tell you, there will always be sewer drama at some point. We just didn’t expect it to be on our first trip and someone else’s that we would encounter. But, as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. My husband and I both agreed that it could only get better since we survived the worst the first night imaginable. So, back onto Outdoorsy to find another rental.
I am happy to report that our second rental was a 2015 Winnebago Tour, and everything went perfectly. We then rented a 2019 Tiffin Allegro Red, and we fell in love with RV’ing. We quickly learned the benefits of a diesel pusher and ended up purchasing one in Spring 2021. Hooked on RV’ing, we love all the freedom and adventures.
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