BAD EXPERIENCE - DO NOT RENT THIS RVPositives: Alvin is polite, responsive to communication, and flexible with pick up and drop off times. He even dropped us off at our hotel after we returned the RV.NEGATIVES:
⁃ No Maintenance: The Thor Freedom Elite lacked maintenance and was not as advertised. It was dirty, leaked sewage-smelling water all the time, and the majority of the power outlets were not functional. The outdoor awning was not functional despite the owner confirming that it would work when I asked him prior to renting the RV. Most importantly, as we discovered too far into our trip to turn back, the generator’s battery was defective, which meant we did not have power most of the time.
⁃ Dirty: On the surface, it looked clean, but once you started opening drawers, cabinets and moving furniture to make the beds, it was dirty. We had to ask the owner for a vacuum to clean the unit ourselves when we picked up the RV. There were crumbs on the cushions/bedding and on the floor. It took us about 30min to clean the RV upon receipt.
⁃ Sewage smell throughout the trip: As soon as we started driving, the RV started stinking of sewage, which was exacerbated later when we started using the kitchen sink. Immediately after picking up the RV, I texted the owner about the smell. He indicated that we should drop some RV toilet pods in the toilet and that the smell would go way. It did not. We found out later (once we were at camp 4hrs away) that the smell came from the kitchen sink. When we got to our first campsite, we learned that the sink plumbing leaked when the sink was in use. We observed the water gushing outside the RV when the sink was turned on. This would cause a foul sewage smell inside and outside the RV. Very little water, if any, made it into the gray water tank as evidenced by the gray water tank level which was always at empty. Later, at a separate campsite we reserved that had full hookups, we learned that we could not hook up the RV to the city water because of a separate leak at the RV connection point. A few days into the trip, we learned that the sink leaked inside the RV as well, because we parked on a slight slant. Thus, the RV sink plumbing leaked inside and out. When driving, the leaked sewage water sloshes around at the base of the kitchen sink and increases the sewage smell to noxious levels. We had to drive with the windows open all the time. The owner did not offer a fix but instead said to not use the sink. This was very upsetting since the kitchen and sink were one of the primary reasons we rented an RV. It also did not help with the sewage odor that permeated the RV when we were driving. Because of the sewage smell, we were hesitant to use the shower and toilet in the RV and ended up using camp facilities for cooking, washing dishes and showering. We used the restrooms at the camps almost exclusively. We also had to pay for showering at the camps. This was very upsetting since we had paid a hefty premium for our RV.
⁃ Dead battery for the generator. The generator was not functional. We noticed this mid-trip since we reserved campsites with electrical hookups for our first two stops. Once we arrived at our third stop (the fifth day into our trip), in the morning when we tried to retract the rooms in the RV, we noticed that there was no power. We had to find a place to plug in so that we could charge the generator battery so we could retract the RC and proceed to our next destination. From this point on, we had to be judicious with our use of power. This impacted our ability to charge phones, cameras, keep warm (it was cold at night), use the water pump, watch tv and to retract the RV slides. In fact, at our fourth stop (which was just a site with no hookups), we had to walk around camp looking for someone to jump start the battery just so we could we retract the RV slide extensions and be able to drive the RV on the road. By that time, because the generator battery would not hold a charge, our refrigerator and freezer would no longer remain cool. Everything in our freezer melted and we had to throw away food. The owner indicated that the battery was just a year old and did not offer any help. When I returned the unit, he checked the battery and admitted that it was dead.
⁃ False advertising: The advertisement states that the RV sleeps 8 and seats 9 people, but it only has six seat belts. This did not affect us, but it is worth noting. As stated above, I also had confirmed that the unit had a working awning with the owner prior to rental. The awning did not work when I picked up the unit and the owner simply said that the last renters had broken it. This was something I checked on prior to renting because it was a feature that was important to me. Lastly, the majority of outlets in the RV were taped up and could not be used. There was a single outlet under the TV and one in the bathroom available and would only work when the RV was connected to shore power. This was of little help since generator would not turn on due to the dead battery.As stated above, Alvin was polite and responsive though he couldn’t fix any of the issues we had while we were on the road. I spent more time than I would have liked while on vacation, trying to troubleshoot the water and power issues with him. When we returned the RV and confronted him with these issues, he stated that everything was working before he turned it over to us. He said that he was not required to drive the RV around and in cold conditions to test the battery. He said that he was not required to leave the RV on for an extended period of time to make sure the generator worked. He acted surprised with the plumbing issue and sewage smell which was pretty obvious if you turned on the sink. The RV just needs maintenance and Alvin is not providing it.BOTTOM LINE:
The owner does not maintain this RV. This RV is good for you if you wish to camp in a hard-top tent with limited amenities, love the smell of sewage and would like to pay a premium RV price.
2 fotos enviadas por Hector G.