Newmar Dutch Star 2000 - love it? hate it? please share

[daretolove]

Hi Newmar owners!

We are a family of 3 looking to buy our first motorhome to tour the country for work and volunteering. We've been looking for several months, and have narrowed down our search to class A approx 32' with slides, low mileage for the age and a strong engine. We are buying within the next few weeks, and found a 34' Newmar Dutch Star (model 3365) near us that looks great and is within our budget. We checked out the company website already. But wanted to see what you all felt about your coaches, especially if you know anything about this year/model in particular. It doesn't seem like they make very many compared to the other big RV makers... or people like them so much / they last so long that they don't re-sell them as much?

Any thoughts, advice or comments very much appreciated. Especially if you have any known issues we should check out about this coach before we buy.

Thanks,

Tony & Andrea

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

Don't know much about 2000! I can tell you that my o6 is great...took a year to work the bugs out...as is the case with any brand, I have Cummins 400 ISL, allison 3000, Spartan chassis.
For the one you are considering:
Tires could be an issue ck Date of mfg
Service records are important
Have a certified technician check it out might cost a couple hundred but worth the investment.
consider a 1 year service contract.

[allynne]

Tony and Andrea,

No they don't make as many as others, but they only make units that are sold and none for spec as many others do. Thats one reason they are still in business and others have folded. They also make an excellent coach.

What is the chassis under the coach you are looking at? Ford or Chevy?

That could have a bearing on comments you might get.

Al Sawyer
'05 MADP

[GaryKD]

Hi Tony and Andrea,
Welcome to iRV2. Ronnie said it all. Floor plan sells the coach. Have certified techs (one for the automotive and one for the coach) check out the workings. Do consider, via Good Sam or equivalent, a 1 year service contract. This will be several thousand dollars, but should get you past the first year with out any big repair bills. After that you'll know the coach well enough to decide if a renewal is needed.

Newmar is as large as they want to be. They are not interested in being the largest manufacturer. It is a family owned and run company. Newmar is known for their overall quality, innovation and factory service.

Newmar also has a great owners club.

[DandS]

If you want to see a quality coach being built, suggest you go to Nappanee and take a plant tour. We did just that and it was enough to convince us to move to a Newmar coach from a Winnebago(one of the better made brands). We subsequently ordered a coach and have not regretted the decision for one moment. Newmar is not one of the biggest, but sure is one of the best !! Go for it - you won't regret it.

[johnnydurok]

Our 2000 DSDP is a real treat compared to other coaches we have owned.

We wanted a diesel so bought this last year. The problems we have encountered
for the most part have been caused by whoever the previous owner had work on
the coach. (Toilet seal in backwards, wiring not hooked up correctly,etc.).

We love the quality of Newmar stuff and is the reason we have the coach we have.

Your chassis will be different than ours and will ride and handle differently as well.
But the coach itself will be of top notch quality.

John

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

Bye the way...We will be in Chula Vista at the KOA from 10 Jan until 10 Feb...so if you make a deal come by and I can show you our add ons.

[Mikeeg]

We have a 3368 2001 34' which I belive is about the same coach.We have had it for three yrs. and love it and have put close to 17k on it in the three yrs. The ford chassie has to be the most popular gas job used by far. Ours has a full Banks system on it which gives it plenty of power but MPG are between 5-8 depending if we travel north or south. The coach itself has great workmanship and you can't find better cabinets and paneling. Ours is natural oak and looks like new after 9.5 yrs of use.The exterior is gel coat finish just as a boat, side walls have a great shine without polishing front cap needs to be polished rear still looks great with little care. I would have it checked out and make sure it is all there and works as built. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Leaving for home from Florida Sat. after 18 days on the road.

[daretolove]

We've since had a chance to read a few posts (re: tires, unplugged horn, pre-purch Qs on Mountain Air) on this very helpful forum, really happy to have found this place! You guys are awesome!

@Ronnie, thanks for that info, saw the post on the tires, will definitely check that out! Glad to hear about the tech, we were planning on it. Will see if we can get service records, and if we buy will definitely come check you out! Thanks so much for the offer.

@Al, re: building sold coaches - ok great, that explains it! The model we are looking at is a Ford V10, sorry forgot to post that. Wish we could afford a diesel pusher, but someday! I'd like to see about converting a future coach to veggie oil, heard about it on the LiveLightlyTour.com site

@Gary, thanks for the welcome, never thought of a certified tech checking out the coach too, will see if we can find any here in San Diego. Makes sense, since you pay for a house inspection why not the coach too? Glad to hear about the Newmar quality. Owner's club? Is that only for buyers who purchase new? And will definitely check out the service contract from GoodSam, we were planning on buying an extended warranty, is that the same thing? (we're actually waiting on a quote from a company we contacted yesterday)

@DandS - if it were in the budget a factory tour would be awesome. I'm sure the end result would be exactly the conclusion you came to: switch from Winnebago. Since that was the other company on our short list, we'll just save the $ and take you guys' word for it! Thanks!

@John & @Mike - awesome to know thanks so much for your input! Your posts make us feel really good about this company/coach, thank you!

Two other things we wanted to ask about are the overall handling and stability of this coach (assuming it's got the proper front tires installed), and the engine performance. Is it recommended to add banks power pack to it, what's the approximate cost and power improvement...

Thank you all for your feedback and have a Wonderful New Year.

Tony & Andrea

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

Newmar Kountry Klub is for owners of any Newmar product M/H or 5th wheel!

[DandS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daretolove The model we are looking at is a Ford V10, sorry forgot to post that. Two other things we wanted to ask about are the overall handling and stability of this coach (assuming it's got the proper front tires installed), and the engine performance. Is it recommended to add banks power pack to it, what's the approximate cost and power improvement...

Believe you said you're looking @ 2000 model year coaches? With a coach that old, obviously there will be some wear and tear on suspension parts. Only you can tell how it handles by test driving it. Having owned two coaches now with the V-10 I can assure you, if it has had proper maintenance, you will have all the power you will need unless you spend all your time driving on steep grades or mountainous terrain. I believe the Banks system to be a waste of money, but have read enough to know it would improve the power curve of the engine but probably not the mileage. You are talking several thousand dollars for a complete system.

Good luck with your pursuit of the ideal coach.

PS: I suggested a factory tour to assess how Newmar's are built, not necessarily as a precursor to buying a new coach. If you live anywhere in the midwest, I would still strongly recommend a visit to Nappanee.

[GaryKD]

Hi Tony and Andrea,
The Newmar Owners club is called the Newmar Kountry Klub. Any owner of a Newmar product can join the Klub.

Service contracts, extended warranty contracts are all basically the same thing. Get a copy of the contract and price from several suppliers. Post here who you are considering. The contracts may be similar, but their service may vary greatly.

As to the handling and power. There are many threads on this subject. It is very difficult to determine. These two items are very subjective. The tech inspecting the automotive part of the coach will tell you if any suspension components are worn out. Beyond that, it is all up to you. What is okay for one driver is horrible for another driver. I've invested around $8K in my coach's suspension. It is now the way I like it. Others who have an identical coach are okay with the way it came from the factory. For power, my Cummins ISC 330 hauling 37.5K lbs (coach and toad) is not the fastest coach up the hill, but it is not the slowest.

[daretolove]

Hey Guys! Just a quick update & thanks for additional information. We are so appreciative of your help.

The coach has 24,000 miles... forgot to post that earlier.

@DandS We are in San Diego... and on your signature abt the model year of Wife!

@Gary thanks so much, great suggestion will do

@Ronnie ok will check it out if we buy this one!

Have a great day all!

[allynne]

Tony and Andrea,

On your last items, On my Ford Chassis I needed a suspension addon to assist steering to prevent being blown all over the road either by wind or semi's.

I added a Banks system to my Ford chassis and it improved performance markedly, before the Banks it was a "Dog" and couldn't get out of it's own way especially on grades.

I would say both are essential on a gasser.

Al Sawyer
'05 MADP