El Monte RV - Victorville Avis 

Overall, it was a good experience. The RV was reasonably well maintained, although there is still room for improvement in maintenance.,

We chose El Monte RV over Cruise America because of its reputation for having a newer fleet and providing a higher standard of service. Unfortunately, our experience was the exact opposite.

Our RV had a serious ventilation/HVAC problem from the beginning of the trip. Whenever the engine was under load, the airflow almost disappeared from the dashboard vents, leaving the rear of the RV hot and stuffy while the driver was left with freezing cold air blowing onto his feet. During engine braking, the airflow briefly switched for a few seconds before changing again. This happened continuously for 21 days and more than 7,000 km (almost 5,000 miles).

This was not a minor inconvenience—it affected every single day of our journey across the United States.

To make matters worse, the shower curtain had apparently been contaminated by animal urine before we picked up the vehicle. This should have been identified during cleaning and inspection, but it wasn't. We spent almost three weeks with an unpleasant smell in the bathroom.

When we reported the ventilation problem, El Monte's solution was for us to interrupt our vacation, find a service center ourselves, and spend our own holiday dealing with repairs.

We had planned a 21-day cross-country trip with campgrounds, attractions, and reservations booked months in advance. We were paying approximately USD 310 per day for the RV. At that price, I did not expect to become part of El Monte's service department or spend my vacation organizing repairs for their vehicle.

I expected El Monte to arrange roadside assistance or replace the RV. Neither happened.

What disappointed me even more was how the complaint was handled at the end of the trip.

I asked to speak with a manager, but no manager ever met with us. Instead, a staff member repeatedly walked back and forth asking management what they were willing to offer. It did not feel like anyone was genuinely interested in solving the problem or even listening to the customer.

The final resolution was:

waiving the cleaning fee, and
offering USD 100 as goodwill compensation.

Considering that we spent 21 days with a defective ventilation system, endured an unpleasant smell throughout the trip, and paid thousands of dollars for what was supposed to be a premium RV vacation, this compensation felt completely disconnected from the inconvenience we experienced.

The amount itself is not the point.

This trip cost our family many thousands of dollars and was a once-in-a-lifetime vacation from Europe. We did not expect perfection—mechanical problems can happen. What we expected was a company willing to take responsibility and genuinely care about its customers when something went wrong.

Instead, I felt that the priority was simply to close the case as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

I accepted their offer only because I live in Europe and extending the dispute in the United States was simply impractical.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend El Monte RV. If I were planning another RV trip across the USA, I would choose a different rental company.

Premium prices should come with premium customer service. Unfortunately, that was not our experience with El Monte.

I had absolutely no problem with EL monte RV. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

I specifically reserved the smallest Class-C motorhome. When I went to pick it up, I was informed none were available. While I was offered a larger vehicle, even at reduced cost, it is not what I wanted. I was very specific about wanting the smallest Class-C motorhome.

I would like to rent from you again this coming September, how can we ensure I actually get the type of vehicle I specifically ask for?

On the brighter side, Marissa was an absolute delight to work with.