Construction diff from late 90's to now?

[boat4life Kurt]

At shows ans showrooms it is good to see todays build and technology. So in our research we have found Newmars to be a great coach in many ways, one big one is the build quality. So since I was not looking at DP's back in the 1998 to 2000 time frame how much of a difference is there between the DP's of that time frame to now?
Thank you!

["007"]

Welcome Kurt to the Newmar forum and irv2.
Newmar construction has been pretty much the same over the years, back in 90's they use to stretch the chassis on Fords that I know, because I owned 2 of them, never had any problem,but with newer chassis's I'd say its in the pass.
This link from LEE LITCHFIELD has a video link click on it and pick "Newmar Factory Tour" that will show a pretty detailed construction video.

[soricobob]

As the number of components grows, so does the number of sub-contractors who supply them. Each new part needs knowledge of installation. It is a challenge for any industry to keep up with all the new parts which designers dream up, and the RV industry is no exception. As the RVs rumble down the road there are squeeks, moans and groans. Wires work their way loose, metal rubs, and wood rubs. Taking eveything into account I would say that it is an amazing fact that things work for as long as they do. You have to understand that this has been a terribly competitive industry, and new features are sometimes in great demand before they are thoroughly tested. If they are tested it is sometimes in the office, not on the road. Maybe a year or so of cooling off will be good, because they can refine the products with which they are working.

[read & learn]

I agree with soricobob about new venders and sub-contractors, but what many of us do not understand is why, 2 coaches built the same have different problems. Some examples
Speed: RV-1 travels the highways 58-62 mph RV-2 70-75 mph
Speed and road conditions will cause all types of movement in a RV. The faster you go, the more damage that can happen.
Tires: RV 1 is a full timer and who moves his RV about every 2 weeks keeping his sidewalls flexing and lubicated and tires last 8-10 years as per tire Co. RV 2 uses his RV maybe 4-6 trips per year with only 1 trip more than a weekend trip. Less flex, tires dry out and crack after 4-5 years.
Maintenance: Is not a yearly chore, but a daily chore when using the RV
What I am trying to show you is that no 2 RVs will wear and run the same. It is up to you how your RV will hold up.

[DonnaB]

Hi Kurt,

We owned a 1992 Kountry Star DP purchased used in 2003 and now have a 2007 Dutch Star DP purchased new with custom changes on the build.

I have heard others say that "those built pre-2003 are better built". However in our experience we don't see a difference. The individual suppliers for many small parts change over the years, but many players are the same. The larger items come from Dometic, Norcold, Atwood & Suburban in both the 1992 we had and the 2007. Newmar's warranty in 1992 was one year and so was our 2007. Newmar did at one time fix an item for us after warranty because "it was the right thing to do", but I believe they would do that across the years.

We have had some small issues with the 2007, but truly nothing significant. We live in it every day of the year, so maintenance is ongoing, just like in any home. Prior to purchasing we looked at every manufacturer active at the time and had narrowed our selection to 3 manufacturers. One is no longer in business and Newmar was the only one that would customize for us in the build so won our business because of that. However the quality they provide in the product was always the prime consideration.

[clubmed98]

i don't think as much as you would think..look in some of the new newmar dp's water and electric compartments and look at older ones like mine and not much has changed..improved a little but still set up the same..my 98 bought 6 years ago is still a great coach and pretty much trouble free