Mountain Aire vs Dutch Star

[Lundman]

I am getting close to ordering a Mountain Aire or a Dutch Star. I have a couple of questions for current owners. One, does the 500hp use a lot more fuel, and is there a real noticeable difference in power between the two coach’s. Does the Hadley air level make a big difference. Also, it is hard to find out what the silverleaf does for you beside tank levels, hvac, and auto gen start. Any info that would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance, Jon

[Soniccruzer]

Here is a little video on silver leaf. May be a couple of years old but it will give an idea of what silver leaf can do. Silver leaf is not available on the Dutchstar.

Mountain Aire SilverLeaf Basic Operation from Newmar Corporation on Vimeo

[TJ]

We went through just that decision process a few months back before deciding on the MADP. It was an interesting process.

From the DW's perspective, the differences were in the fit, finish and interior design aspects; "little things," as she put it, that made it more appealing to her.

My perspective was more in the mechanical aspect; chassis, additional torque of the ISX 500 HP and heavier-duty Allison 4000MH transmission. With the MADP 4047, we didn't have a chassis choice; it is only available on the Spartan K3. That said, I would have chosen the Spartan chassis on any other model as well because of the disc brakes all around and a slightly heavier frame.

As for fuel mileage, I don't think there will be much difference between the Dutch Star ( 450 HP/1250 fp torque) and the Mountain Aire (500 HP/1645 fp torque). I'm hoping that there will be a slight advantage to the MADP in pulling power in the mountains.

Overall, I think the decision between the two comes down to which floor plan fits your needs best.

TJ

[deaton]

I own a DS and I’ve only test drove a MA once on level ground. That said, some on this forum have speculated that the higher weight of the MA may just offset the extra HP.

But the key is probably in the torque rating, not just the HP. If I were to seriously consider upgrading, it would be to the 4047.

There are folks here who have recently owned both and hopefully they will weigh in.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by deaton

I own a DS and I’ve only test drove a MA once on level ground. That said, some on this forum have speculated that the higher weight of the MA may just offset the extra HP.

But the key is probably in the torque rating, not just the HP. If I were to seriously consider upgrading, it would be to the 4047.

There are folks here who have recently owned both and hopefully they will weigh in.

Give me a couple of months and I'll be able to, at least, give some feedback on the performance of the MADP 4047 vs a Ventana LE 3436 with 340 HP. The VLE has had "acceptable" performance towing the 2014 CR-V; we'd like to think the higher torque of the ISX 500 would be even better.

TJ

[Lundman]

Thanks for all the input. I am still in debate on the 2 coaches and if the mountain aire is worth the extra money to us or not. I do want this to be our last large coach so that pushes me towards the mountain aire. I don't want to get the dutch star and not be happy with the performance. I have a dutch star 3736 with a 450 that I have for sale, and that has plenty of power but is also quite alot lighter than a 43 foot Dutch Star. still would like to know more about the silverleaf, and if it is worth getting.

Thanks again for all the comments

[simplexguy]

It is funny how different people look at the same options with different opinions. Other than the price difference, the Silverleaf system is why we chose a Dutchstar. It really is a cool High Tech system. We figured that this also would be our last coach, as we try to keep them 10 to 15 years. My fear is that the high tech stuff bounces up and down the road long enough that could cause serious dollars to be spent to repair it some day. I am certain that I am a minority on this but some of this technology worries me.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by simplexguy

It is funny how different people look at the same options with different opinions. Other than the price difference, the Silverleaf system is why we chose a Dutchstar. It really is a cool High Tech system. We figured that this also would be our last coach, as we try to keep them 10 to 15 years. My fear is that the high tech stuff bounces up and down the road long enough that could cause serious dollars to be spent to repair it some day. I am certain that I am a minority on this but some of this technology worries me.

I do understand the concern about all the high-tech stuff in the new coaches. It's a trade-off between ease of use and maintenance complexity. While we see it in motorhomes because that's our interest area, all the same complexity is invading the sticks-and-bricks homes too. We just need to learn how to use all this stuff productively.

TJ

[zman62]

Having had the 450,500 and 600 in past coaches that all towed the same stacker trailer the 500 is the best bang for the buck. Big difference towing up an incline between the 450 and 500 however didn't notice as big a difference if any between the 500 and 600. Then with the bigger Alisson, silverleaf and K3 it puts even more value on the MA

[Jtrving]

I am certainly biased because I own a MA, but I think the extra $$ is worth it. The K3 chassis is a nice upgrade, the Allison 4000 and the extra torque will serve you well if this is going to be your last coach. Don’t get me wrong, Dutch Stars are beautiful coaches but if I would have bought one, I know I would have always wished for the features in the MA. Plus, for me, the front and rear caps in the MA are much more appealing cosmetically. Just my two cents. Either way, you will be getting a very nice Newmar!!!!

[Lundman]

Originally Posted by Jtrving

I am certainly biased because I own a MA, but I think the extra $$ is worth it. The K3 chassis is a nice upgrade, the Allison 4000 and the extra torque will serve you well if this is going to be your last coach. Don’t get me wrong, Dutch Stars are beautiful coaches but if I would have bought one, I know I would have always wished for the features in the MA. Plus, for me, the front and rear caps in the MA are much more appealing cosmetically. Just my two cents. Either way, you will be getting a very nice Newmar!!!!

Thanks for the comments. I really liked the 4531 but they have discontinued it for 2019. They have a new model coming out that is really similar to the Dutch star 4362.
It could be a possibility that I might think why didn't I go for the mountain Aire. If you don't mind telling me, what kind of fuel economy are you getting?

[kdnash]

After a lot of research we determined a DS 4369 would be a great coach for us. I am with the "low tech" crowd when it comes to motorhomes and the DSDP seems to fit our level of complexity tech wise. Then we took one for a test drive and I was extremely disappointed in the performance of the 450 in that coach. My current coach is a 40' with a 380 and it performs a lot better than the coach we drove even when pulling our jeep/trailer combo. Maybe that's just the nature of the beast but I had figured the 450 would compensate for the increased weight. We don't want to move up to a MADP just for performance since we really like the DS. We plan to test drive another DSDP just to see if the first one was a fluke. Would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience.
Thanks
David

[willipaul]

if the budget can do it, go with the mountain aire....

just like the DS is a totally different coach than the ventana, even loaded up, the MA is a totally different coach than the DS, even loaded up.....

i would have done it, but 100K is 100K....and was a bridge too far....

as for tech, yes, low tech is beautiful in many ways....but if you are full timing, or mostly - timing, then it's not an issue, as you will more likely be glad you have it then not.....

[Canuck53]

Is the lack of power in the 4369 a safety issue or is there some other need?