98 Dutch Star

[4day]

Hello every one, new to this forum, and new to motor homes. about a year from retirement, 30 year Fire-fighter. We will be doing a lot of traveling and are about to pull the plug on a 98 Dutch Star and looking for some advice. Coach is a 98 DP 3865, 300 hp cummings diesel, tons of upgrades, kept inside garage when not used, 46,280 miles, single slide, Onan 7.5 generator with 250 hours. Seller is 2nd owner, bought about a year ago, they were only able to take one trip, when her husband passed away. They purchased for 49k was put up for sale for 44k,and accepted offer of 38.5k contingent on dealer inspection. All service records since new and coach appears to be in excellent condition and well cared for. Is there anything specifically to look for? We will be towing a car and unsure about max weight I can pull with coach before performance suffers. Any help or advice will be appreciated. thanks Bob

[Skip426]

Towing capacity varied on the DSDPs of our vintage depending on chassis manufacturer.
Freightliner was 5,000 lbs.
Spartan 10,000 lbs.
Cat engine , 3126B like mine does fine with a 4,000 lb , toad.
I imagine the Cummins , ISC with a higher torque rating would do a little better.
I think that " 007 " will be along with more info and links to all things Newmar.
My advice is to crawl around the entire coach and make notes of every where you find a fuse, I've found fuses in 10 locations , 3 chassis and 7 coach , keep notes, just in case you need to find a fuse in a hurry.

[datrbone8]

We have a 3865- Freightliner w/ Cat power. We like ours enough to warrant spend time and money doing a bunch of updating. It's a very dependable, good performing platform.

You're going to love your coach.

[4day]

without buying another car to tow, we will be towing a rear wheel sedan @4600 lbs. Also have appointment with freightliner to check chassis, codes, and condition.$300 seems a little high but probably worth the money. I have been all over the house portion and everything works, I will make note of fuse locations, I assume owners manual have those locations. thanks for response, probably will have many more questions in the months to come.

[GaryKD]

Hi 4day,
Welcome to iRV2. The brochure for your coach is at https://comnet2.newmarcorp.com/insta...es/1998dsb.pdf
The big things to look for are:
1. roof seams
2. interior ceiling for water stains
3. batteries
4. tires (mfg. date code)

[datrbone8]

we like pictures ......

["007"]

Welcome to the forum 4day & irv2.
Here is a Owners Guide for a 99 DS oldest we have but would be similar to the 98.
Here is info on Newmar battery systems and info for reference of locations of fuse panels and wiring system in their coach's.
In my signature there are links to many items that may relate to your coach check them out and follow GaryKD's suggestions.
Good luck and maybe a welcome to the Newmar family.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by 4day

I will make note of fuse locations, I assume owners manual have those locations. thanks for response, probably will have many more questions in the months to come.

Unfortunately only about 1/2 of the fuse locations make it to the manuals.
Any time you have a question , we're happy to help.

[JFXG]

Welcome, b4.... and Thank You for a life spent rushing in when everyone else is rushing out.

You will not regret a Newmar.

Originally Posted by 4day

without buying another car to tow, we will be towing a rear wheel sedan @4600 lbs....

We're towing about 3500lbs, and barely feel it.

Originally Posted by 4day

....Also have appointment with freightliner to check chassis, codes, and condition.$300 seems a little high but probably worth the money....

Definitely worth the money. Inspecting and checking is paramount when considering a purchase. Bear in mind, you're not buying a Ford Econoline. These are big, heavy machines, and it costs money to deal with them. Doesn't have to break the bank, (particularly if you do some yourself) but you may see more numbers to the left of the decimal than you're used to.

Originally Posted by 4day

will make note of fuse locations, I assume owners manual have those locations....

Not a good assumption. Make your own notes. For the most part, my 2002 OM ( two inches thick) is full of generalized, non-specific information, of little value if you actually need to fix something. To a great extent this is because Newmar modifies and customizes so many aspects of their coaches-- They simply can't print a custom manual for each coach. This is why iRV2 is so valuable. You have-- quite literally-- hundreds of years of experience here, ready and willing to help. There are links here that will access tons of tech data from Newmar. Similar data is available through Freightliner.

Have fun!

[4day]

Thanks for the response, I just got back from Yosemity, was there for a week on the fire, getting too old for that stuff.

went to further inspect the inside today, inside checks out pretty well, a little dirty, been sitting inside a garage for 9 months, initially thought it had washer and dryer, at least the add stated, has hook-ups but no washer and dryer. wednesday, I have an appointment with cummings in Reno for a complete chassis inspection, they are going to charge $300 for that. Looking in the engine compartment, looks a bit dirty. after that , for $149 a local RV dealer will give the house a once over. I made an offer of 38G's contingent on condition appraisel. I guess I would adjust if any issues arise. the lady that is selling, paid 46,500 April 2012, and put in $3500. to replace large awning and some paint work. I guess the orig. awning was left out during the only trip they took, and the wind destroyed it.

Overall appearance is very good, I'll try to post some pictures from my I phone, if i can figure that one out. I probably will have to ask my grandaughter for help on that one. Rear duels have a little side checking, not bad, fronts look brand new. I couldn't find the date on the tires. Rubber boots on ball joints look good though. i'll keep u posted on this hoping to complete the sale this week. Bob and Gina.

[4day]

lets try these pics.

[AZ520]

I bought a 1999 3865 a few months ago. It is my first Rv and I've learned a lot from this group. We have been updating ours with new upholstery and electronics. I would confirm what people have said about overall quality and things to check. Mechanically ours was sound but we had to replace front tires and batteries due to Arizona heat. I have the complete owners manuals, related files and the VHS tape that came with the unit. If I can help with any reference material or resources send me a message or post on this thread.

[4day]

appreciate responses. we'll see how it shakes out. 38 K seems like a good price, NADA low retail is 38,500. It is our first RV, so I want to be sure. thanks Bob and Gina

[datrbone8]

Very nice. It looks to be very well cared for. Light usage and indoor storage sure has kept it shiny. Congratulations on finding one in that condition