Cruise America RV rental

We rented the RV in Salt Lake City as this size is not available in all Cruise America locations.  Salt Lake City allowed us to keep the total mileage under 1100 miles which was our 'free' allotment due to a 'special offer.'  Special offers are only available in the off seasons which included May.  We made our reservation about two weeks before our trip, again easy because it was still 'off' season.  The Salt Lake City location had about five parking spots and we were able to leave our car there for the entire 11 days at no charge!

We arranged to pick up the RV early (around 10:30 instead of the normal 1:00-3:00) as they were not busy.  The paperwork and minimal orientation along with transfer of luggage, cookware, sleeping bags, hiking equipment, and toys/books/computers took about an hour.  The clerk was obviously new and had to ask the manager many questions when using the computer.  He was not there when we returned 11 days later. 

The 19' motor home at Capitol Reef National Park

There was a table and two benches.  The lower cushions tended to migrate away from the back of each seat, but this seems typical as it happens in our pop-up camper too.  When connected to electricity the overhead outlet was handy for the radio and computer.  The iPad usually got charged at a different outlet, either by the sink or in the cabover space.

 The kitchen area was compact but worked better than expected.  The microwave worked only when connected to electricity.  We used it only twice for two reasons: 1) We spent more nights without electricity than with it, and 2) It was way too high.  The RV is advertised as having enough headroom for six-footers, but that makes for problems when the cook is less than five feet tall.  I had to stand on the bench seat to use the microwave!

Along that same theme, I had to stand on the bench seats to open and close the roof vents.  At least twice we drove off without closing them.  Oops.  I doubt we were the first to do that!

The was plenty of storage and the cabinets above the sink and stove had built dish and cup holders.  This avoided falling dishware upon opening after driving.  There was an additional cabinet between the microwave and the visible upper cabinets in the photo below.  We put food in the drawers below the stove and cookware below the sink.  The only problem there was the clever mouse who decided to visit us two nights in a row at Squaw Flat Campground in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.

The refrigerator had an automatic setting and used either electricity or propane so we never had to remember to switch back and forth.  It did a great job of keeping food cool and the freezer was excellent. We should have taken an ice cube tray!  It froze a package of hot dogs overnight and kept ice cream firm.  The size was more than adequate - and larger than the one in the Pleasure Way we rented last year.

 Here you can see the cab area, the 'easy' chair, and a glimpse of the sleeping area in the cabover area.  The first night we tried to sleep with our feet towards the engine and our heads towards the living space.  It was enough room for Marilyn but not for John.  After that we slept with our heads towards the passenger side and feet over the driver's side.  There were little windows with curtains that were great for early morning views.  There was a light for reading but the whole set up got old after a few days.  You had to step on the back of the bench seat to climb up and down.  Marilyn could sit up comfortably in the sleeping space but since John was farther forward, there wasn't quite enough height available for him to sit up comfortably.  Marilyn slept on a seam between cushions.

The 'easy' chair locked into place as shown but it was possible to release that and swivel it a bit.  Right above that chair was a small cupboard that we used as our library.  Above the table were two cupboards that easily held all our clothes.  Usually I had to stand on the bench seat to rummage around and find what I needed. We found that we had plenty of storage.  There was a small area accessible outside where we kept hiking equipment, a hose, and a bucket.

The bathroom was actually a decent size.  It had a very small sink that was fine for brushing teeth but not much more.  There was a medicine cabinet but the latch was so tight it was easier to just keep our toilet kits with our clothes.  Actually, when we were in a campground, I hung my kit from my clothes cupboard and it worked just fine.  You can see it hanging to the left of the broom in the second picture above.  There was a shower which we used only once or twice.  In our minimal orientation we were not shown how to work it.  Of course, we didn't know that until I was standing there naked and frustrated!  Who knew you had to pull up on the connector and slide another tab.  Just one of those was described in the manual we were given!

The RV had the usual RV type furnace.  It was noisy and had a warning that the fan drained the battery with about two hours of use.  We used it sparingly in spite of the abnormally cool weather.  It was most helpful in taking off the early morning chill. A nice addition was the solar panel on the roof.  It kept the battery charged even though we had a lot of cloudy weather.  There was a light on the control panel that indicated when it was charging - which was most of the time, except at night, of course!  We used the interior lights without worrying about the battery!

The fresh water tank held about 20 gallons which we found to be adequate for 3-4 nights, without showers.  When connected to city water it was easy to use enough water to fill the gray water tank.  We used the toilet mostly for late night or early morning but found it handy on the road when no gas station was nearby.  Yes, we did pull off the road for that!

Driving the RV took total concentration.  The driver didn't get to do much sightseeing.  I only drove it one day (thanks for all that driving, John!) and I spent a lot of time checking the center line and the white line!  We probably got about 14 miles to the gallon and, of course, gas was $3.69-$3.89 per gallon.

The RV had to be returned between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.  This meant spending the last night fairly close to Salt Lake City.  We stayed in a campground that we wouldn't recommend in Draper, UT.  Next time I would suggest the very large KOA on North Temple as it was closer and probably used to Cruise America renters.  The gas tank was 3/8 full when we picked up the RV and worked to return it at the same level.  The gray and black water tanks had to be empty and the valves open upon return.  Even though we emptied both tanks, a bit sloshed around as we drove and we needed that bucket when we opened the valves.  We expected a detailed inspection and had really cleaned every surface we could but the manager was in a bit of a hurry (maybe short-handed?) and gave us the okay in about 30 seconds.  The $500 damage deposit was refunded to the credit card before we left the office.

It was a good idea to rent this size of RV.  While it was the same length as a class B Roadtrek or Pleasure Way, it felt larger, especially when driving.  It was almost three feet taller than a typical class B which was too tall for me.  We both decided that we prefer a class B van conversion.  They are more compact, the seats in the living area are more comfortable, and all storage is accessible for short people!  We hope to find a used one some time in the future.