LUV2RV - 1999 Mountain Aire 3758, F53 V10

[LUV2RV-MN]

Hi All,

We bought our rig with 13,500 miles on it a month ago. We could have bought 5 of these rigs for what we paid for a new 2004 Fleetwood Discovery 39S. We miss the diesel torque just a wee bit but the Mountain Aire is phenomenal. We love the floor plan. The quality is unbelievable. The oak cabinet work still looks brand new.

The layout of light switches is superb. The fan in the bedroom is super. The number of drain points for winterizing is superb. Our used rig came with an ice maker - separate option. That thing really cranks out the ice. The Magic Bed couch is super comfortable. The storage and ward layout in the bedroom is phenomenal. We absolutely love the center entry - great for bringing groceries right into the kitchen.

We have the small driver door in addition to the starboard door which is nice for fueling. The utility compartment for water and sewer hook up is spacious, big enough for a water softener. The basement storage almost seems endless and we have the one partial pass through compartment which takes my 8 foot ladder.

The only 2 pet peeves are the carpet around the toilet and the fresh water hook up is a piece of plastic that has cracked and is pretty flimsy but both of those will get fixed soon. We discovered one new leak on the driver side triangle window, the inner seal is leaking at the bottom. Anyone know how to remove the auto style glass and put in a new seal or seal the old one with silicone? Someone pulled the whole frame out, the ones with the metal screws and tried to fix the leak but I think they sealed the wrong area.

We just can't say enough about Mountain Aire and this floor plan. I will advise anyone looking to buy a rig to look hard at an older used Mountain Aire. What luxury at a used RV price.

[Mr_D]

Quality of construction is why we're sold on Newmar's. Had a '98 Santara 35' gas unit, every time out (literally) I had to use glue and a matchstick to fix a stripped out screw in the cabinets. When we ordered the 2000 (and the 2002) we ordered the hardwood cabinet option. After 9 years we are having to replace the front TV, the screws are in to the hardwood so well I had to cut a new slot in the screw head with a Dremmel tool. A hacksaw wouldn't cut the slot in the screw. Even the square head cammed out of the hole.
You will need to find the source of the leak and fix it correctly, don't use silicone to do it, Newmar doesn't use it as the main sealant. They do use it to cover the sealant and protect it from the elements. Remember that a leak can be along ways from where water comes out. You might find a place the pressure tests the rig to really get it right.

["007"]

Hi Ray, I think any of the older Newmars had some better quality when built.
We enjoyed our 99 MA 3758 also just had a issue with the Ford suspension in keeping the Newmar box riding correctly.
Your window may need to be pulled to seal correctly and the old sealant replaced with a ribbon caulking around behind the window lip.
If you were to pull out window maybe a AUTO Glass outfit could look at the glass seal for a replacement if its needed.
In Quick Tips there maybe some information on doing that, there so much in there that it is hard to remember everything in there.
The thin walled water closet I placed a 2x4 and 2x1 crossway's to make that more ridged.
The raised toilet box removed carpet and placed a good quality tile with small scatter rug on floor to take care of that area.
Continue to enjoy and many safe travels.