2020 Dutch Star 4326 - new build

[twogypsies]

RE: SIDE WINDOWS BY BED

We never opened them and didn't even open the shades during the day. We, too, like a dark room.

Turning on the Fantastic Fan brought in enough breeze if the AC wasn't running.

[FSU Camper]

Brian,
Your build sheet is looking good! I can speak to the GE Adventum and vent to exterior. We love the combo and would do it again in a heartbeat. On the rare occasion that the vent fan makes noise (usually crosswinds or swift headwind), we just turn the vent on low while cruising and it won’t make a sound. For us, the positives of venting to exterior far outweighs the negatives. Only downside to the GE Adventum is that darn clock only works when using the oven, after that it’s “saving the planet” by turning itself off.

[fsudelt]

Originally Posted by FSU Camper

Brian,
Your build sheet is looking good! I can speak to the GE Adventum and vent to exterior. We love the combo and would do it again in a heartbeat. On the rare occasion that the vent fan makes noise (usually crosswinds or swift headwind), we just turn the vent on low while cruising and it won’t make a sound. For us, the positives of venting to exterior far outweighs the negatives. Only downside to the GE Adventum is that darn clock only works when using the oven, after that it’s “saving the planet” by turning itself off.

Appreciate it, sounds like we should definitely do vent to exterior. Can you or anyone explain why the upgrade over the “stock” microwave?

[kpecks]

Originally Posted by fsudelt

Appreciate it, sounds like we should definitely do vent to exterior. Can you or anyone explain why the upgrade over the “stock” microwave?

The GE advantium has broiler feature that will brown meats and such. We have one at home and its really nice. My wife made mention of the differences several times and wished we had the advantium in our 2018 we sold. The whirlpool installed isn't that bad at all. its just not as baking/broiling friendly as the advantium. It does come at a premium though.

We really liked the vent to the outside special. It did make a difference when we were cooking.

On the adaptive cruise control, I really don't like that at all on any vehicle ive ever owned. Is it worth it practically speaking? I don't think so. Is it going to hurt resale?? I don't think so but it is a pricey item.

One thing that I haven't asked Newmar is if they will install Koni Evo shocks on the chassis. If not, but them from a dealer and have a shop install them. HUGE difference for under $500.

[Akdare]

Just ordered a NADP. I like to cook, and felt like I would miss a “real” oven...I downloaded both the Whirlpool convection manual and GE Advantium manual. It was no comparison to me...the GE won on specs and versatility. I think anyone who even bakes a can of biscuits would prefer it. I also added an external vent, since I’ll probably use it a lot.

[rlott2k]

Originally Posted by Mapnerd

Congrats & a couple of thoughts/comments:



Central vac

As we try to find a convenient place to keep our dyson stick vac, we’re starting to wish we’d gotten this.

Recessed docking lights

I didn’t do my research here and assumed the coach came with docking lights because a coach without them would be pretty stupid. Well, you know what they say about assumptions...Recessed docking lights basically means docking lights. I thought it was just an option to have the recessed into the body and that if I didn’t get this option, I’d just have docking lights that weren’t flush with the body, like the security light. Guess what? I don’t have ANY docking lights and I’m kinda pissed at Newmar about it, but more pissed at myself for not researching it. Now I have to find some aftermarket solution. I’m hoping I can tap into the security lights somehow...

MCD Power Shades

Wife and I were talking about this option (which we didn’t get) the other day. I guess we don’t understand how it works, like can you lower individual shades or is it an all or nothing solution? If its all or nothing, that’d be a hard pass for me. We also figured it’s just another thing to break.

Hot Water line to generator area

If you plan to also use this for a pressure washer, get a GFCI Outlet installed there too as a special. We got this option but didn’t get the special for the outlet and now I’m not even sure what to do with it.

Kitchen Window

Keep in mind that will take away a lot of your kitchen backsplash. We didn’t want to always be cleaning kitchen windows from cooking oil splatter or something.

Specials:

Vent microwave (is this needed, we don't have now so not sure?)

Erm, yeah I would say so. My wife has been cooking up a storm and some of the stuff she’s whipped up, I was sitting outside and could smell it coming out of the vent. She hasn’t cooked anything particularly pungent yet but I couldn’t imagine the entire coach smelling like roasted chicken for a day. It does make noise though because apparently the fix hasn’t made it to production yet. At FPU, I had my tech get up there any add some sound deadening tape to it, which did quiet it down but I can still hear it from time to time. I think I’m going to climb up there, remove the flap and coat it in plastidip and see if that helps. It’s a very metallic flapping noise, like a sheet of tin metal bouncing. Newmar just needs to find a way to deaden that sound or lock the vent for travel.

GE advantium microwave

Why do so many folks want this particular microwave? What’s wrong with the standard whirlpool one?

Undermount sink in 1/2 bath

Easily one of our favorite specials. Consider deleting the cabinet that sits on the counter above the sink to the right of the toilet when facing it. Makes the small 1.2 bath room feel an awful lot bigger.

Add wiring from 1/2 bath to wetbay

If you’re doing this for the automatic dump valves mod, your wet bay is going to be on the other side of the coach (half bath is on passenger side, wet bay is on driver’s side) so running those wires to the 1/2 bath won’t allow you to monitor the dump process. Another option might be the dinette, but you might accidentally trip it there. If I were doing it, I’d add them at the Driver’s chair because you can monitor it from your side view mirror.

For bunk wardrobe: delete clothes rod, in bottom half add 4 faced pullout drawers and in top half add 3x adjustable shelves that run full depth of wardrobe

If you’re a handy woodworker, consider doing this yourself and just tell them to leave the bunk wardrobes blank. The more I look at it, the more I feel I could have done just as good or a better job. Shelves are flimsy, drawers are shallow (same depth as those in the pantry). Alternatively, consider asking your carpenter who is going to do your triple bunks. You could also just be more specific with how you word the special when requesting it, giving them sizes and dimensions of drawers. I can send you better pictures if you like.

Delete windows by head of master bed on each side

We actually like these windows. they create a nice cross breeze for us at night, giving us fresh air while we sleep. I can also see if anyone is standing at my driver’s door from there

I can suggest anywhere you can store the clumsy built in vac tools, wand and head...you can store a dyson.

[jrs]

Nice setup and list. Good luck with your order!
We like the windows at the head of our bed. During factory PU, we met another couple that paid to add the windows to their 2019 DS....
We added and like the Newmar carpet between the passenger/driver seats. This might be a better option vs adding floor heat to this area?
Michelle Howard at Newmar suggested not to add the microwave vent and we don't miss it. When needed, here is a fantastic fan in the ceiling very near to the microwave which works for us.
Consider adding a conduit from the roof to the front overhead cabinets? The conduit is roughly 1" in diameter. We added our cellular antenna to the roof and ran the wires to our router with SIM card in this area

[Brandon_p]

Hi, I’m new here but looking at a 4326 as well. I have 4 kids (8,6,5 and 2 months) and was considering Making a triple bunk stack.

My plans for the rv include longweekends at the beach, lake, dunes, spring break/vacation trips all over the west; and if I can unload the family business, take summer vacations all over the country.

Do you know what the planned spacing is between the triple bunks? I was told there is 60” vertical space, plus 9” underneath where drawers would go.

My concern is its going to feel like a submarine rack at that point, which the kids won’t notice now but as they grow will be an issue.

[RHoop]

Central vac - don't have it and don't miss it. Store a stick vac in the bottom of the New Aire pantry.

Freezer in storage bay - don't have it, prefer to have the storage space. We do keep a small cooler for supply runs and tailgating. The residential fridge is plenty large.

Xcite radio - if there were another option, I would delete this in a heartbeat and get something else. This is really not a fit for purpose device.

Power storage tray - you didn't say "power". We love the power storage trays.

Happy trails.

[Chargerman]

I don’t have a Newmar but our Monaco has adaptive cruise and it is awesome. So nice to set it and not have to worry about bumping it down when approaching a vehicle and back up to pass, etc. makes the drive a lot more enjoyable for sure.

[RandDescape]

Originally Posted by Brandon_p

Hi, I’m new here but looking at a 4326 as well. I have 4 kids (8,6,5 and 2 months) and was considering Making a triple bunk stack.

My plans for the rv include longweekends at the beach, lake, dunes, spring break/vacation trips all over the west; and if I can unload the family business, take summer vacations all over the country.

Do you know what the planned spacing is between the triple bunks? I was told there is 60” vertical space, plus 9” underneath where drawers would go.

My concern is its going to feel like a submarine rack at that point, which the kids won’t notice now but as they grow will be an issue.

Remember that there is also framing 1.5 - 2" and a mattress of 4-6" per bunk coming out of that vertical space too. My two youngest are 14 and 16 and they will escape to their bunks when we are parked for privacy reading etc. I don't think they would be as happy if it were a triple.

We have 5 kids and 3 of them are adults and different combos of the adult kids and their friends come with us on different trips. The loveseat in the 4310/4326 is smaller than floorplans like the 4369 - but it is big enough for anyone up to about 5' tall. So two younger kids can easily fit on there - if they aren't the type to sleep sideways (my middle kid always rotated 90 degrees much to his older brothers ire).

The sofa bed does make up to a queen pretty nicely and two can sleep there if you make it up - or just one if you wanted to leave it in sofa format.

I have also been successful at turning the comfort booth into a queen bed. If you remove all of the cushions and drop the table top to the seat height then you can set the ottomans at the end of the booth seats and lay a queen bed perpendicular to the isle. There is about 18" of space around a bed in that config so you would have to put it together and take it apart every night - just like the sofa bed and the loveseat. We can put all 3 of those together / take them apart in about 10min. It isn't ideal - but we've had a good luck with that with up to 8 adult sized folks and 4 dogs for a multi-day trip without any complaints on the beds.

You can also look at the bunk sofa which probably works well for smaller kids - but it again has headroom issues which starts to minimize what older kids will use.

Also we did install bunk curtains - good and bad there. I'm having to add USB powered fans so the air circulates better is the bad. But the good is the teens think of it as their private space much more than the it was open. And when we are parked for a week at the beach like all good teenagers they will stay there in those bunks until 11am if you let them sleep as late as they want.

Good luck - bed surfaces in an RV are always a compromise and every family is different. In our CS 3921 with the double queen beds that dropped from the garage ceiling we had more beds that were setup permanently while we were parked - but less living room space while we were parked. For us the living space was more important (4 dogs sprawled on the floor probably contributes).

- Richard

[fsudelt]

Originally Posted by Brandon_p

Hi, I’m new here but looking at a 4326 as well. I have 4 kids (8,6,5 and 2 months) and was considering Making a triple bunk stack.



My plans for the rv include longweekends at the beach, lake, dunes, spring break/vacation trips all over the west; and if I can unload the family business, take summer vacations all over the country.



Do you know what the planned spacing is between the triple bunks? I was told there is 60” vertical space, plus 9” underneath where drawers would go.



My concern is its going to feel like a submarine rack at that point, which the kids won’t notice now but as they grow will be an issue.

Next on my to do list is reaching out to carpenter who would be doing the work. I’ll post on here measurements once I get them.

[fsudelt]

Originally Posted by Brandon_p

Hi, I’m new here but looking at a 4326 as well. I have 4 kids (8,6,5 and 2 months) and was considering Making a triple bunk stack.



My plans for the rv include longweekends at the beach, lake, dunes, spring break/vacation trips all over the west; and if I can unload the family business, take summer vacations all over the country.



Do you know what the planned spacing is between the triple bunks? I was told there is 60” vertical space, plus 9” underneath where drawers would go.



My concern is its going to feel like a submarine rack at that point, which the kids won’t notice now but as they grow will be an issue.

I found a picture of triple bunks someone had built into a Dutch Star, no measurement yet but this gives you an idea of size.

[RandDescape]

I just went out and measured my '19 Ventana 4310. I assume it's pretty close to the '20 DS but the tile vs carpet may make a difference so there is some risk using my numbers.

From floor to ceiling in the slide is right about 70". The 9" lower measurement quoted above is accurate the drawers are only about 4" deep, there is an inch below and above them because Newmar has full face frame cabinetry. There is also 2" or so of support framing for the bottom bunk in that 9".

So assume you have 70" clear for a triple bunk - and you will take out 3 mattresses (say 4" x 3 = 12") and 2 support beams floors/ceilings (say 2.5" x 2 = 5"). That leaves you with about 70-12-5 = 53" for humans to occupy on 3 levels.

Divided equally is 53/3 = 17.6" of space from the mattress to the ceiling of that bunk. I could easily be off by an inch or more due to different mattress thickness etc.

Just for comparison to what is "stock". I have 60" with 2 mattresses (say 4" x 2 = 8") and 1 support beam (say 2.5). That leaves 60-8-2.5 = 49.5 for 2 levels which is a bit over 24.75 on each level. Or roughly 7" more for each bunk than the triple.

Hope that helps. Anything you can do to find a decent mattress at a higher price that is not as tall will help you out. You may also be able to find a more expensive but thinner framing too. All of that could buy you 2-3" per bunk if you are lucky.

- Richard