Hello all, I'm looking very seriously at buying a 2016 Newmar Dutch Star. This will be my 2nd motorhome, but my 1st brand new coach and first diesel pusher. I currently have a 2009 Fleetwood Southwind 34G (Ford V10 gasser). Before the Southwind I had toy haulers, most recently before going RV I had a 48' Weekend Warrior.
In short I'd like to know:
- How do you like your 2016 Dutch Star?
- Have you had any issues?
- What would you do differently (different floorplan, different options)?
- If you had it to do it all over again would you get a 2016 Dutch Star again?
The slightly longer version...
My girlfriend and I (and our two Boston Terriers) love our Southwind, and it was the right coach at the time on the budget we had to work with. We love the floorplan and King Bed especially and we use it a ton. Like I mentioned, it was our first actual Motorhome (vs. the trailers we had before) and we didn't want to go "too crazy" before we determined if we'd really use a coach enough to justify the cost.
We're finding we're staying in the coach at least 100 nights a year, which I think justifies moving up-market a bit.
We have a big V8 sand rail and 2 RZRs and spend a lot of time during the winter in the sand dunes and at various RZR destination during the summer. I have a 28' enclosed trailer that fits the big rail and one RZR, or both RZRs and also carries 100 gallons of water and 60 gallons of fuel (plus all the tools etc.) so it's rather heavy. Currently I do not tow this with my gasser, which starts to become a real PITA.
We also live 12hrs from our usual dune spot (Glamis) and do lots of other longer trips so I spend a lot of time behind the wheel of the Southwind. It's a great coach, but being a leaf-sprung gasser the ride and drive just can't compare to nicer pushers. It gets blown around a good bit (and I have all the chassis upgrades you can get) especially without a trailer on it which can make for a stressful drive.
When we're not doing motorsports things, we also like to go to RV parks out in the woods or at the beach. And some of our RZR spots can be a bit tight too. As such we decided we don't want to go with a full-on 45' coach.
We've landed on a 4018 Dutch Star as the best coach for us right now based on a few things:
- I really like the quality and style of Newmars - I looked very closely at Tiffin Allegro Bus coaches in the same size/price range, but I was a bit more impressed with the finish of the Newmars.
- Comfort Drive - a Newmar exclusive and really appealing for my longer drives that can be rather windy.
- The availability of a 40' coach with a tag axle - as I mentioned I have a pretty heavy 28' trailer right now, and might trade that for a stacker-style trailer once I get a DP. The towing capacity and stability of a tag is really appealing, however I we are trying to stay with a 40' or under coach. The 40' Dutch Stars are the shortest coaches I'm aware of with a tag.
- Floorplans - I really like the 4018 floorplan. I like it's functionality and layout and massive space open, but also that is seems pretty usable with only the full-wall slide out for tighter parks. Also, with all slides in it's still reasonably functional going down the road. For comparison the Tiffin Allegro Busses were very tough to get around when closed up.
- Unique slides providing full-floor tile - when you spend a lot of time in the sand carpet is not your friend.
Of course the 450HP/1250TQ ISL is a big factor, but it's available in the competition (like the Allegro Bus). There are a few things I like better on other coaches (I would prefer a coach that levels on air or the hydraulic jacks) but they are minor.
As you can probably tell my mind is pretty made up...
...but I'd still love to hear from 2016 owners to know the real story!
Thanks,
TJ
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