Community Forums

roger8070 · 08-19-2013, 06:52 AM

I have been visiting this forum for some time getting a handle on the Newmar product line. I have been impressed with the relative lack of quality issues. That being said, I currently have a Tiffin DP with my share of issues. We have been considering a 2014 Dutch Star, which is admittedly beautiful inside and out. One of the concerns we keep coming back to is the interior storage in the front area. While Newmar seems to excel in many areas, storage does not seem to be one of them, especially as compared to Tiffin. As an example, the front PS cabinets seem to have a electrical(?) chase running through them which limits the inside height to 12" or so and 7-9" deep. Same over the DS dinette. And with a residential refer there is a tiny side pantry or no pantry at all. For some inexplicable reason the windows and valance (above the dinette and televator) on the 2014's go behind the cabinets, also limiting their depth. If there is a dishwasher 2 additional drawers are eliminated.

I say all this to find out from those with 2013 or 2014 Dutch Stars how do you find kitchen storage for dishes, pots & pans, appliances, food containers, etc. in the realm of actual use. We are looking at a 37' or 40' and expect to keep it for some years and do not want to make a mistake. This seems like a small thing but with longer trips maybe not. Thanks for your input.

Mahlon · 08-19-2013, 08:26 AM

I suppose it boils down to individual taste.

When we traded from a 36' gasser to a 39' diesel we surprisingly lost quite a bit of interior cabinet storage space, but the new layout is really quite a bit better if somewhat smaller (got rid of most of the head-bangers, can see through most of the windshield since the TV isn't there, etc. etc.). The loss of the pantry in favor of the four-door refrigerator is the worst of this; I guess we'll just re-think food storage.

A washer/dryer takes up space in what would ordinarily be a tall linen/hang-up cabinet. We thought that a washer/dryer in the coach would be something of a luxury; we were very wrong, it's a big timesaver to not have to run back 'n' forth to the park laundry, even on short trips.

I wouldn't get a dishwasher unless you're going to live in the coach. We found that the drawer pack under the gas cooktop (where the dishwasher would ordinarily be installed) solved a lot of our pot/pan cookware storage problems.

<soapbox>
Personally I don't like any intrusions in the forward seating area that you can run into or block the view. I've lost count of the number of floorplans I've seen where the front cabinets intruded into the front entrance area, partially blocking the entrance stair area. And front-mounted TVs and cabinets block the view through that big expansive windshield; if you're going to have a front glass that's upwards of six feet tall, why block one third of the view with big cabinets and a television?

Tiffin has, or at least had, a nasty habit of placing a big cabinet for electronics right over the passenger's seat; another guaranteed head-banger, and it looks bad too. Tiffin had (perhaps still does) a floorplan where the distance between that side cabinet and the offset-to-the-right flatscreen TV cabinet (which you have to pass through every time you enter/exit the coach) was smaller than my shoulders could comfortably fit through, and I'm not very wide to begin with!
</soapbox>

Sky_Boss · 08-19-2013, 08:35 AM

I did find that there was a distinct difference in the approach to kitchen cabinets between my previous Winnebago and my current DSDP. The Winnebago, if I really think back hard, seemed to have a bit more upper and lower cabinet space. Winnebago didn't have smaller inner shelves that my DSDP has that chop up the space a bit.

roger8070 · 08-19-2013, 08:35 AM

I agree with you completely. I may not have been clear in my post. I wasn't referring to the cabinets above the cockpit, but the cabinets in the slides above the TV and dinette.

JohnT · 08-19-2013, 08:46 AM

Roger8070

Newmar does lack in cab forward storage compared to others. We haven't found anything that required storage there that can't fit in the side storage by each seat. The other overhead cabinets are not as tall as other either. We've found these to be just about the "right" height for most everything. Our experience came for 5th wheelers where the cabinets are taller. We ended up 40% air space after filling them. If you use storgae bins and stack them to maximize the cabinets, then you'll need to rethink what and how you store items.

We like the looks of a clean and unobtrusive front.

itgeekgal · 08-19-2013, 09:18 AM

As fellow Tiffin owners also considering taking the jump to Newmar we agree 100%, where will we put everything?

The 4369 model appears to have a huge pantry and looks like theres extra storage in the rear bath but overall I give Tiffin higher marks for accommodating full timer's storage needs in the galley.

Sky_Boss · 08-19-2013, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itgeekgal

As fellow Tiffin owners also considering taking the jump to Newmar we agree 100%, where will we put everything?

The 4369 model appears to have a huge pantry and looks like theres extra storage in the rear bath but overall I give Tiffin higher marks for accommodating full timer's storage needs in the galley.

Just as a counter thought...

We have learned how to use the space fairly efficiently. It was an adjustment from S&B to semi large Winnebago cabinets to DSDP's cabinets getting smaller as we went.

HOWEVER...The side bar advantage is that our stuff in the cabinets is more tightly packed and we see a lot less shifting in transit even after some rather intense brake actions.

Also...I think that also means less stuff flying around in case of an accident. It has caused us to use a bit more basement for general storage but that seems to be working out just fine.

Too much silver lining?

FLSteve · 08-19-2013, 11:41 AM

roger8070,

I can tell you have done your research!

Here are just some personal observations from me and the DW on this subject. We are now on our 3rd coach and each time we have switched, it has caused us to "redo" the way we store things. And each time DW just keeps getting better and better on the inside stuff (her area). I am in charge of the outside. We are also gradually leaving some stuff out that we thought we really needed … but in three (3) years have never used. It has taken me that long to force myself to do this as it a hard thing to take stuff out!

We did like the pantry in the Ventana better than the one in the Dutch Star as it was bigger, but we just moved some stuff to the side overheads and all is good again. The side cabinets really hold a lot and are easy to get into. We also find that using plastic bins really helps stuff stay organized. We do not have the dishwasher so have the drawers there and they hold the big stuff.

I think the bottom line is that once you get moved in … you will adjust to whatever space you have but will constantly keep tweaking it … well until you “upgrade to the next one”.

One thing is for sure … your next move from the 32’ Tiffin Breeze into any one the coaches you mentioned above will have you standing in the coach wondering how you will fill up all the space you now have! That is the way it was when we went from the 28’ Tiffin Breeze to the 34’ Ventana.

Happy hunting!

Steve

Sky_Boss · 08-19-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skmwalden

...
One thing is for sure … your next move from the 32’ Tiffin Breeze into any one the coaches you mentioned above will have you standing in the coach wondering how you will fill up all the space you now have! That is the way it was when we went from the 28’ Tiffin Breeze to the 34’ Ventana.

...

I have to agree a lot with this! This weekend Sandee and I did a MASSIVE re-organization of storage through out the MH. Part of it was to put into practice some things we learned and also to further weed out the things we don't really need. We have to hold back on deep weeding because we haven't retired yet but soon we will be reducing our weight and storage space a bit more.

The DSDP has a pretty massive amount of storage in the rear and ample dressers space too. I know that is a little off the OPs point that seems to be mostly about the front area but is still important in the big picture. After we did that I was amazed at how much we could put upstairs and how much room we currently have left of more stuff in the basement.

What we are learning is how to use our space more efficiently and we are starting to get the hang of it. Yes, regardless of how much kitchen cabinet space you have in any MH there is an adjustment time. At first, we thought it was going to be a PIA but now it isn't so bad.

Yes...it takes some effort but in the end we get all we need and a big window with a moving view for that little bit of effort. We have it on a chassis we like and in a MH that makes us happy. Not a bad trade.

Sorry...I just went a bit esoteric but it feels good anyway.

GaryKD · 08-19-2013, 12:24 PM

Consider contacting Newmar and determine if they will do something to accommodate your concern. They mass produce coaches in quantities of one.

saydiver · 08-19-2013, 12:28 PM

Newmar is one of the few manufacturers who will modify a floorplan for you. Can you do without a couch? If so, you can have then add a cabinet for storage or perhaps put in a shorter couch and add a small cabinet. Of course the modifications are not cheap, but they will do it. Some friends of ours had Newmar leave out the couches when their coach was built and then went to one of the local craftsman and had then make cabinets for them. Cheaper than Newmar for sure, but more time is involved.

There's even less storage in the high line coaches, especially if one is planning to full-time, so when we ordered our King Aire in 2008, we had Newmar do the following modifications:

Interior Modifications

Sue

JohnT · 08-19-2013, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryKD

Consider contacting Newmar and determine if they will do something to accommodate your concern. They mass produce coaches in quantities of one.

Now that is the correct answer!

roger8070 · 08-19-2013, 12:44 PM

These are all great responses with a valuable "users" perspective. We know that Newmar will customize most anything that you are willing to pay for, but we are not looking for a major redo of the cabinets. Some of this was just an observation that the Newmar DS 2014 videos make a big deal of changes to create full depth cabinets and moving the valences under the cabinets, yet in 2 areas that I found it is not the case. This just made shallow cabinets even more so. Didn't make sense to me and my e-mail to Newmar did not answer the question either.

"007" · 08-19-2013, 03:14 PM

Because of wife's arthritic problems and getting under kitchen cabinets I added cabinets both sides of kitchen table.

My wall cabinets are deep the window valence does not go behind them as seen in picture, they butt to bottom of cabinet as all my coach's did..

An as to storage in my KS I just remove 10 years of storage into house and its a bit much in my dinning room now, need to have a yard sale I would guess.