Looking to buy diesel pusher

[jonnyd]

I am looking to become a full time RVer. I have been looking at everything, any recommendations from anyone ????I am new to the market and I'm very confused. Any preference between the cat and the cummins, or the type of chassis ?? I Really like the Newmar Northern Star, any problems from anyone ?? Anyone like the National, Fleetwood or Winnebago products ?? Any comments would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks !!!

 

[Jim Dick]

I am looking to become a full time RVer. I have been looking at everything, any recommendations from anyone ??? I am new to the market and I'm very confused. Any preference between the cat and the cummins, or the type of chassis ?? I Really like the Newmar Northern Star, any problems from anyone ?  Anyone like the National, Fleetwood or Winnebago products ?? Any comments would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks !!!

Hi Jonnyd,

Welcome to the forum. Don't be overly concerned about being confused. Happens to a lot of people. I think CAT and Cummins are both good but you'll get the biased views from all owners. ;D CAT appears to have more torque/horsepower than Cummins but they both do very well on the road.

We own a 2000 American Dream that suits us just fine. It has a 350hp Cummins that climbs any hill we encounter. So far we have had great support from the company on most issues. Others have had the same support from other brands as well.

I'm not familiar with the Newmar Northern Star but there are quite a few Newmar Dutch Star owners here and they all seem to love their coaches.

Keep asking your questions and I'm sure you will receive your answers.

 

[jonnyd]

Hey Jim- Thanks for the imput. I've been reading some of the other posts and I'm getting some good information. I hope someone will be able to reply about the Northern Star because it has some nice features especially the high ceilings, cause I'm pretty tall, but I wonder if this effects the ride. I guess I will be spending a lot more time test driving these coaches as suggested by other members. Thanks again.

 

[Tom]

Jonnyd,

I'll seconnd Jim's comments. The Cummins 350 hp in our Monaco has all the power we need, although a heavier coach would benefit from a larger engine. We've had good support from Monaco service centers in Indiana and Oregon. We haven't yet needed support from Cummins but, from everything I've read, I don't anticipate any problems in that area. We also have a pair of CATs in our boat and have had excellent support from CAT when we needed it.

We have forum members who own, or have owned, one or more of the motorhome brands you mention and hopefully they'll share their experience. We previously had a Fleetwood and were very happy with it. The one problem it had was a design issue with the roof, but that design has long since been improved.

 

[caltex]

Newmar and Winnebago were my short list in my research - with very little difference to recommend one or the other. I made the final selection based on foorplan. I have a 34' Winnebago with a 350 HP Cat. So far I am satisfied with the unit, and have had no major problems (18 months).  But since it's my first RV I have no comparsion experience to provide. From reading the forums over the past couple of years, it's my guess that Newmar owners are a tad more satisfied than Winnebago owners.  Until recently, Newmar had a 3 year warranty verses the 1 year for Winnebago. It also seems that the quality of the dealer, in many cases, is far more important than than the difference between the two brands.

 

[jonnyd]

Thanks caltex- I just looked at the 34' Winnebago Journey and thought it was pretty nice, but a bit pricey. Can I ask what you paid?

 

[Ron]

Welcome to the RV Forum.  You have found the right place to get answers to your questions relating to the RVing Lifestyle.  Good luck on your search for the perfect RV for you.  We have an American Eagle and really like it.  There are several in the Framily that have Newmar products too.  My suggestion is to look at as many as you can and test drive them.  Some rigs handle much better than others.  Personally if we were ever to start looking at RV/s again anything that does not have Independent Front Suspension (IFS) would not even be considered.  I believe IFS is available on both Spartan and Freightliner chassis.

 

[Jim Dick]

Hey Jim- Thanks for the imput. I've been reading some of the other posts and I'm getting some good information. I hope someone will be able to reply about the Northern Star because it has some nice features especially the high ceilings, cause I'm pretty tall, but I wonder if this effects the ride. I guess I will be spending a lot more time test driving these coaches as suggested by other members. Thanks again.

Hi Jonnyd,

I just tried looking up the Northern Star on Newmars web site. It isn't listed! It could be they haven't updated their site. Are you looking at a 2006? I'd be sure they still make the unit as some manufacturers build a model and find it doesn't sell well or there are design problems and drop it. We have friends that bought a Country Coach Mystique. They call it the Mistake since it is one of very few on the road and no longer manufactured.

As far as ceiling height I would doubt it would affect the ride but what is the overall height? It should be around 12' 6" or so. If that's the case the air conditioners might be in the basement which takes up a lot of storage. If they are on the roof then they might have shortened the height of the storage bays. Either case could create problems with storage outside.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If you want a motorhome with high interior ceilings, consider the Alfa line.  The "Founder's edition" is a nicely equipped model for about $179K and the other models are fancier (more gadgets) and pricier, but all have high ceilings.

All the Newmar products are well-regarded, but every manufacturer seems to build their share of lemons.

 

[Jim Godward]

The North Star is no longer made but some of the dealers still have a few.  Check the internet.  To the best of my knowledge, all of the Newmar product line now have 84 inch ceilings.

The Kountry Star should be the entry level Newmar Diesel pusher.  Newmar also makes some gas models.

 

[caltex]

Jonnyd, I bought for 23% off the List which maybe not as good as some claim.  You hear 25% as a minimum discount you should get, some suggest you can get 30%.  I ordered mine in order to get the options I wanted, you might do better if you find one on the lot that the dealer wants to move.