A note of caution if you're planning to rent a RV from Cruise America in Manassas VA.  Upon returning from my trip, I was accused of denting the top corner of the RV simply because it was not recorded on their checkout form (manifesto), which Cruise America conducted on the day of departure. 

After checking my trip photos and videos, I can clearly see the dented area in question was there all along.  In fact, the damaged area in question had about a tube of caulking applied to it to seal previous damages.  Furthermore, I did not see any evidence of fresh paint damage or scuff mark from a tree branch etc.  So, the area looked like it was clearly patched and painted before.  Who knows how many times? 

The RV I rented had over 107K miles with poorly repaired body damage all around the motor-home.  At the time, I did not think much about it.  Apparently, the agent who went over the vehicle the day of checkout neglected to note all existing dents.  I am still not 100% certain if this was done intentionally or not.  So, the manger, George, put the burden of proof on me on my way out. 

The way I was presented with the issue was also odd.  Upon notifying me of the damages, the manager tried to console me by saying it would be much more than a $100.  The amount in itself was a red flag.  First of all, I don't know of any body shop that can repair anything for less than $1,000 these days.  Not even a scratch.  In short, since I did not have any other extra charges, I was being hit for part of my $500 deposit.  I did not rent any of the extras on the day of departure and returned the RV with a full tank of gas, no use of the generator, and no propane refill.  I guess from Cruise America's perspective, their unit profit margin was too low on my trip.

I would NOT recommend using Cruise America.  Certainly not from the Manassas Virginia location.  Whether you're planning or renting a RV from Cruise America or other agency take the following precautions:

1. On your day of departure make sure you take a video camera or digital camera and shoot both the exterior and interior of the RV.  Make note (photos) of existing damages, repairs, etc.  Preferably with the manager / agent in the background.

2. Based on my bad experience, I would not rent an older RV.  Certainly not one with 107K miles.  A newer RV will likely have fewer existing damages and things that are not working.

3.  I would insist that you test drive the vehicle and test all the appliances that are dependent on the hookup services (electricity and water) before you sign the contract.  Our vehicle had a number of peculiar mechanical issues that we found out about during our trip.  Other than some cleaning, I don't think anyone really test drives or thoroughly inspects the returned RVs.

4. Ask Cruise America to show you previous damage records for the RV assigned to you.  This way, you will know of any repeat claims being passed along to the next RV renter.

5.  In general, you should ask these questions from Cruise America before you make a reservation / sign a contract.  Ask them how they would resolve these issues...should they happen. Apparently, Cruise America's policy is to find you guilty of damages and put the burden of proof on you.  I felt like I was being called a liar in front of my 12 year old son.

I may not see my security deposit back. However, I plan to bring some transparency to Cruise America's faulty policy and scheme.  In this day and age, why is it that rental companies don't use their own multimedia process (video / photo) during the checkout process?  In my opinion, Cruise America continues to use a "paper check-out manifesto" to make sure renters cannot look back at every aspect (condition) of the RV upon return.  As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Good luck and I do NOT recommend renting from Cruise America.



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