Community Forums

bdk · 11-03-2006, 05:10 AM

Hello
I'm close to purchasing a 99 3852 dutchstar with a 7litre cat motor. I'm curious if anyone has any information on problems I may want to look for.I would guess after these units have been on the road for 8 years problems are going to show up .
bdk

"007" · 11-03-2006, 06:26 AM

bdk, welcome to irv2 and the Newmar forum

Your chassis should have minor problems as to compared to some of the newer coachs. Age of tires would be of concern if over 5 years. As long as it has been maintained you should have a good chassis. The maintinence book may give you info as to what should be looked at with the milege you have. DP people will follow up with info you may need so stay tuned.
If you have a problem with your Newmar coach we can help you on that.

clubmed98 · 11-03-2006, 02:12 PM

i bought a 98 with cummins 2 + years ago and no problems..just breaking in..did have to replace tires..you might want to do a full service..filters and fluids.. the next time its due if not sure about filter changes and such..might set you back a grand or so but then you have a base line to work from

Ed-Deb · 11-05-2006, 09:04 AM

What is the mileage on the unit? How well has the owner maintained it and have they performed all required services? Is there any outward appearance of abuse?

If it has low mileage and has been maintained well with no abuse then it probably does not have any chassis / engine / drive train issues.

A diesel engine is completely broken in supposedly in the 25k to 50k mileage range. If it has an Allison transmission with Transynd then you probably have nothing to fear there.

Of concern would be all of the other coach items. Do the slides, refer, stove, water heater, water pump, etc. all work properly?

Any signs of leaks inside the coach?

A PDI list would be helpful during an inspection before purchasing.

bdk · 11-07-2006, 04:39 PM

thanks everybody for the comeback on my 99 dutchstar, will be picking it up this coming weekend. This unit has 35000 miles on it . It would seem that when coming to a stop sign or stop the transmission seems to be still pushing, I'm concerned the torque convertor is not working correctly. It would be nice if its a simple matter of brakes. Being a driver for a living for the past 30 years I'm guessing that its not the brakes.
Thanks Again
bdk

"007" · 11-07-2006, 04:52 PM

Good for you Bruce and congrats

on your new to you DSDP.

Now I can offer you a membership in this Newmar forum with some KARMA just say the word and you will no longer be just a "new member".

Many safe miles in your future.

Fillitup · 11-12-2006, 02:10 PM

It is probably a solid coach. One area I would closely inspect is the caulking. Check the seam on the roof, check the seam above the gutter area, check the caulk above the windows. It is not too bad to replace and it would not be a deal breaker because it is fixable. But be sure to note it and be ready to do a little work if it is chalking and cracking BEFORE it leaks. I would also want to see the maintenance records and check for oil and filter changes and other regular maintenance for your maintenance record files. I have a maintenance shedule you can use as a check if you need it.

Lug_Nut · 11-12-2006, 03:15 PM

I'm not sure about messing with the caulking on the roof. My '02 DSDP never had a leak ever. Last spring, before leaving Fort Myers, I had some service at North Trail. They told me the roof needed resealing and should be checked and done every year. I told them to go ahead and do it. Next rain it leaked like heck. We resealed it ourselves. They will never touch my roof again. If it aint brken, don't fricken fix it.

Peter