Arc said:
5. Intent would be to trade in after 5 years and start again.
It sounds somewhat interesting and was wondering if you folks had any thoughts.
Actually, it can be a good way to get into an RV with help on the 1st two years of depreciation. Was the five years your intent or the policy of the rental agency? The agency I was very familiar with in the Sacramento area only kept the rig for two years. At that time, it would have 30 to 40K mileage, and could either be sold to the owner under a refinance that would be more comfortable than a new rig for them -- or sold outright from their used rig lot. IIRC, once a rig reached 40k, they sold it or the owner refinaced regardless.
Some consignment owners may decide to do the same thing again with another new rig for another 2 years. That would be a function of how they did financially -- plus gives them a newer rig when they decide to take it over themselves.
Most will say stay away from rentals because of the abuse they take. That also is not always the case. My experience was that the rental agency I was familiar with took better care of the rig than most actual owners. If one buys a rig from a private party or a used rig from a lot -- they may get a rig that wasn't maintained properly compared to how well the rental agency did the same thing. The agency I worked with was exactly on time with every maintenance item, kept good commercial insurance on the rig, and cleaned from bumper to bumper plus inspection. If anything was amiss, they fixed it and charged it to either the person who rented it, or it was covered under their insurance program.
OTOH, there are the rental agencies that let the rigs go -- so that would be your chore. Find out just what their program is and how they apply their maintenance schedule. My rig was not on consignment, but rather in their fleet while I was not able to drive it. This allowed me to keep up the payments but not out of my own pocket. They removed the hub caps, awning, rear ladder, coffee maker, cigarette lighter, locked the tow hitch -- and place a no smoking sign on board.
The other item I would suggest is if you did this, consign a rig that is popular to renters. The more it rents, the more money you make to cover the loan -- plus any profit. I was lucky in that my rig was a favorite dressing room for musicians and other show folk doing gigs at CalExpo 5 miles from the rental agency. So after two weeks at 130/day, they would only add 10 miles or so to the odometer. The most popular rental is the 24 foot Class C.
And finally, ask the dealer to allow you to chat with a few of the others that have their rigs on that type of rental consignment to get their feedback. Also, ask if the renter breaks down in the middle of nowhere, how do they get help to them and keep the rig in good shape.