Cruise America RV Rental Tips [video included]

Cruise America RV Rental is very well established, with a history that dates back nearly 50 years. In this post and video I will share a number of tips, tricks and expectations when renting a Cruise America RV. BTW, everything contained within this post is related to their standard size unit.

Cruise America RV has three C-Class options (small, standard and large), which are all essentially the same, except for the space and ability to accommodate more people. Cruise America also has a pickup truck with a camper in the bed as an additional option for customers.

Locations

Cruise America is headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, however they have over a hundred locations around the U.S. as well as operations in Canada.

Checkout Process

The check out process is quite straight forward, similar to renting a car, with the exception of a tour and explanation of how to operate the unit, which is quite easy. Cruise America has made RV’ing very simple for the newbie. If you ever have any issues, they have a hotline you can call with any questions.

At first you may find driving such a large vehicle intimidating, but you will quickly get used to it, at least I did.

RV Interior

This is what you can expect from the interior of the standard size Cruise America RV. [Click the following link for a downloadable RV Rental Packing List.]

• There is a 3 burner stove and good size refrigerator and freezer, both work really well, but one tip is to make sure you hear the door(s) click to insure they are properly closed so they don’t fly open while driving.

• Speaking of which, be sure to go through the RV and make sure everything is batten down before driving.

• You’ll find plenty of storage, both inside the unit, as well as down below in the rear of the RV.

• The mattress is not the highest quality, and because it is lined with vinyl, you may tend to sweat at night. To prevent this, bring an extra blanket to create a barrier between the sheets.

• There is plenty of lighting on board, just make sure to shut them off when not in use if you’re not connected to shore power. The lights are one of the only things that run off of the batteries.

• There are plenty of outlets, some have USB charging integrated. Unfortunately, the outlets don’t work unless you are plugged into shore power, or, the generator is running. They don’t work with the vehicle running, which is a real shame when you are driving for hours and can’t charge anything. If you want to charge a phone (or equivalent) bring a cigarette lighter adapter with USB. Or, you could also plug in a small inverter.

• The dining area can be folded down for extra sleeping accommodations. Standard RV sleeps 4-5 in three different areas.

Suggestions & Information

• Highly recommend bringing a small broom and dust pan so you can sweep the unit out once in a while, because you will track in dirt and debris.

• Beware that the space between the door and cab of the RV is narrow, so when opening and entering the vehicle, take care not to bang your knee or shin. While in a hurry I pinched myself in between the door and cab on more than one occasion.

• When taking a shower, be sure to give the water heater about 10 minutes to warm up before jumping in. If you are boon docking, but sure to use the water sparingly by wetting yourself down, then soap/shampoo, then turn back on to rinse.

• The control panel shows the various levels of water, take capacity, etc. For example, the first button shows LPG, which is the propane level. The next one is the battery level, the 3rd level is fresh water, the next one is black water or sewer, and the last one is the grey water tank, which is from the sinks and shower.

• At a campground hooking up or unhooking is quick and easy, just a few things to do, such as hooking up to water and power. Some campgrounds have sewer at your spot, others have a station near the exit.

• All you have to do is take the large black (sometimes grey) hose from its storage area and hook it up to the sewer. You want to make sure to pull the black handle first, which is the black or toilet water. Next, to clean out the hose, pull the grey handle, which is water from the sinks and shower.

• You can fill up the fresh water tank on the passenger side of the RV.

• Make sure the valves are closed, stow the hoses and you’re on your way. While it may look intimidating, or even disgusting, it’s actually quite easy.

Cruise America RV Rental Final Thoughts

• While the Cruise America RV rental units lack the luxury of some other rental companies, they are good for the first-timer as they are designed with simplicity in mind.

• If you’ve never been RV’ing before, this is the perfect time to do it as most couples and families are looking for vacation options closer to home due to the pandemic.

If you’d like to get some road trip ideas, have a look at part one of our Cruise America RV Southwest Road Trip.

If you have any questions about a Cruise America RV rental, leave a comment below. Until next time, we’ll see ya on the road…