Community Forums

Bluehornet · 08-30-2018, 04:41 PM

I’m looking to trade up on a 2019 Dutch Star and I’m very interested in the 3717 since it’s a shorter coach, but more horsepower and greater fuel and water capacities than the New Aire. What puzzles me is that it doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular as the New Aire, or the longer Dutch Stars. Is there something I’m missing? Why do people prefer the 40 and 43 footers? Does the tag axle make that much difference?

willipaul · 08-30-2018, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluehornet

I’m looking to trade up on a 2019 Dutch Star and I’m very interested in the 3717 since it’s a shorter coach, but more horsepower and greater fuel and water capacities than the New Aire. What puzzles me is that it doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular as the New Aire, or the longer Dutch Stars. Is there something I’m missing? Why do people prefer the 40 and 43 footers? Does the tag axle make that much difference?

funny you posted this, as i too have been studying this exact floorplan....

there is a chance, albeit a small one, that we could move to it....

now, is there a difference with a tag ? you bet ya....a big one....

the 40' tag is a sweet ride, and the 43' coach is even more so...wheelbase, and extra rubber on the road (more tires and bigger ones) makes a massive difference....

Mark71 · 08-30-2018, 09:23 PM

I've owned only one class A, our current 2018 Dutch star 4018. We were VERY close to pulling the trigger on a 37', but semi reluctantly got talked up to the 4018

I shudder to think i could have wound up with 3 less feet, sub optimal floor plan, and inferior ride compared to the tag. I

I'd go 40, but every one is different

Good luck

lostinfla · 08-31-2018, 05:29 AM

We have the 37 with the half bath 3736, and absolutely love it. It has more than enough storage and room for two people and a large dog for months at a time. Ours also has most of the options of the NA (except glass dash and camera system). I would love a camera system, but not so much the digital (made to look like analog) dash. I did consider the 40, but I originally wanted to stay around 36, so where do you draw the line?

deaton · 08-31-2018, 05:38 AM

We moved from a 43 foot SOB with tag to a DS 4018. Didn’t want to give up the tag, but wanted shorter coach. I believe Newmar 40 foot Dutch Star’s (and the 4018 Mountain Aire) are currently the only diesel pushers on the market that give you a side radiator and a tag axle. We love the ride.

Aside from the price difference, I can think of a few reasons to go with a 37 foot DS.

1. You can squeeze into a few spots that a 40 footer won’t.

2. When it’s time to get new tires, you’ll save about $1600.

3. One less axle to maintain.

The basement storage is about the same.

With the tag, you get another set of brakes, greatly improved CCC, smoother ride and better stability in windy conditions.

You can’t get a Spartan K2 in a 37 footer, only Freightliner.

And you can’t get a bath and a half floor plan with king bed. That three feet has to come from somewhere.

WoodyS · 08-31-2018, 07:14 PM

Ya know, everybody has different biases and wants and needs and desires and comforts.

I wanted the shortest DP I could get. I know several parks we visit routinely that only have a few of the long sites -- and those are always the first to go. So I wanted a shorter coach so we could get into parks that don't have any or very many long sites. And we wanted a shorter coach so that we wouldn't have to make advanced reservations to make sure we had a site large enough.

I like to travel on some of the more "interesting" 2-lane roads -- and again some of those aren't as friendly to the longer rigs.

And finally, I didn't want to haul around "excess" length and weight if I really didn't need it.

I started looking at older 33 ft. DSDP's, but my wife put her foot down when she saw the no-slide or one-slide bedrooms.

And the next thing I knew we were looking at 37 footers. Again, the wife wanted a King sized bed -- which pretty much limited things to the 3624 floorplan. But when we walked into one, it turned out that except for the King bed, we preferred the 3623 floorplan for our particular "livability." And the wife said she could "live with" a Queen bed -- but with some grumbling.

And so when we found a 3623 floorplan with the convertible desk/table/workstation option in a nice clean well-kept 2008 KSDP 3623, that's what we bought. And the 2008 model has CD -- although it's 1st generation without the knob that varies the CD feel.

And now that we've had it for a few months, I still wish we had a shorter one. Even at 37 ft. we have to make a whole lot more advanced reservations than we ever had to make with the 24 ft. Chinook. So we're having to change our travel style because of the longer rig.

Bottom line -- I can't imagine having a 40+ ft. rig!

Newaire1 · 08-31-2018, 10:40 PM

Luxury is no longer dictated by the length of a coach. People like us have found the most luxurious thing we can do is actually fit in places that we want to go. A rig the size of a grayhound bus was my dads generations idea of luxury. Now we have the New Aire with its
King Aire electronics and Mountain Aire interior on a 34foot Chassis with 60 degree wheel cut and over a 48,000lb cgvw rating, Side radiator, 305 tires, no carpet anywhere, what’s not to love. We don’t get into having the biggest, we are comfortable with what is sufficient. Everyone has a philosophy of what works for them. Silverleaf and the 360 camera system is just amazing on any coach and that works for us.

saddlesore · 08-31-2018, 11:37 PM

And Foretravel is coming out with a 37' non tag on the Foretravel spec'd K-2 chassis, I believe .... supposed to be not as tall as the IH-45 or the Realm, with 1 or 2 slides..... Priced somewhere around $500K/$550K.......will be interesting..

TUCSONRAIL · 09-01-2018, 04:28 PM

Does the 3717 have a king bed? We also looked at the 2018 37' Dutchstars, but the wife wanted a king bed. Ended up with the DS 4002.

Granite17 · 09-01-2018, 07:03 PM

Yes, the 3717 has a King bed.
If you go to the Newmar website you will be able to see the floor plan.

Dizzee2020 · 09-02-2018, 09:38 AM

We love everything about this floorplan except the bathroom. We'd love to see one in person. It has, basically, a Ventana 3412 bathroom. So, we found a Ventana LE 3412 plan on the ground and took a look at the bathroom. We found that there's not much usable counter space (think DW with blow dryers, straiteners, curling irons, etc.) and the sink/vanity/mirror area seemed unusable for shaving.

The New Aire 3343 and 3345 plans have small baths too but with larger sinks and more counter space. These plans are doable for us. That said, we would have to give up our king bed with either of these plans.

We'd really love to be in a 37 ft. DSDP for many of the chassis features, overall size, and additional horsepower. However, our decision to keep the king bed and have a usable bathroom will keep us in a larger coach, a DSDP 4369 (the Newmar radius showers are not comfortable for me).

JakenJo · 09-06-2018, 07:09 AM

When we got our Ventana I wanted 4037 but DW said 37 max. We got the 3715 . We wanted King Bed but was not available until now a year later in 3717. We like the 4 slide layout (no FWS). Big enough opened up. The bath is small but we are not FT and both spend little time in it so it works for us. We love the rest of our coach. It has handled fine going down road with no tag even in some big wind thanks to CD I assume. This is the only Coach I have driven more than an hour. Big potholes shake things up so I guess an IFS would be nice but life is a compromise and we are very happy with ours.

Stuart W · 09-06-2018, 07:25 AM

I think a lot of people opt for the 40 foot tags because they are pretty unique, most other manufacturers only put tags on above 40 foot floor plans. We chose the 43 foot tag for the following main reasons; larger rear bathroom, extra pass through storage bay, larger 365 front tires, 3rd AC option and 15O gallon fuel capacity. The Tag and Comfort Drive are an amazing team. All this being said, the 37 footer with much less weight and the same powertrain definitely has some advantages. Good luck on your decision they are all very nice.

TJ · 09-06-2018, 09:12 AM

If the New Aire had been a foot longer to incorporate a king bed, we might have gone that route. As it turned out, the 40' MADP 4047 met ALL of our wants and needs...PLUS...so we went that route. When Newmar stretches the NA to about 35', it will be a great coach, though don't look for a tag at that length.

TJ