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buc1980 · 08-20-2007, 01:29 PM

What do you think about the 2008 King Aire.

buc1980 · 08-20-2007, 01:29 PM

What do you think about the 2008 King Aire.

Jetsmania · 08-20-2007, 01:53 PM

Hi! I Love It!

It will probably be our next coach. It is an Essex on Steroids. It was built to compete with the Travel Supreme Select Limited. It is built on a K3 chassis with a 600 HP engine. A few more inches of height in the basement over the K2. Interior floor plans are pretty much the same as Essex except the 4564 which is a really nice plan. Unless you love rear baths like we do. Tom Johnson has a 4564. We toured it when it was at the factory. The interiors are on the modern side, some don't like the high gloss finish on the cabinets (I am sure Bob will chime in on that). There are quite a few things added to the coach that is not in the Essex. The big question is: Is the nicer interior, better chassis and engine, and the extra upgrades, worth the extra aprox. $114,000. base price over the Essex. We think so, but from a distance it looks just like an Essex. Good Luck with whatever you do. Paul

rebelsbeach · 08-20-2007, 02:17 PM

You're such an instigator Paul...

Admittedly, seeing the coach all cleaned up and not just on the assembly line the cabinets aren't as bad as I first thought but I still wouldn't prefer them.

Hey, that's why there are other OPTIONS...

I've got my traditional Newmar cabinets and getting ready to have MORE of them...

buc1980 · 08-20-2007, 03:42 PM

I was at the dealer today with slide problem and like to look at the new units.It happen to just come in the King Aire and I went inside.I am very impress of the wood of the cabinets and the high gloss finish.I don't see light swiches on the wall.The granit(I think)on the floor and on the counter top are very classy.If I have the monney that will be my home.Somebody got one?

soricobob · 08-20-2007, 04:40 PM

I was told by someone who ordered one that he didn't like the cabinets, and got them all replaced with the Essex cabinets.

cwg · 08-20-2007, 06:11 PM

Having seen it at Newmar this spring, I was impressed with the radius walled cabinetry and finish. I think it is the way many manufacturers are moving, and at the very least, it reminds me of the cabinetry of some Prevost convertors.

The K3 chassis is the berries compared to the K2 for the reasons mentioned by Paul ( Jetsmania). It will be the coach of choice for loyal high end Newmar purchasers who do not want to ante up the extra dollars for the LA bus.

Jeff Regan · 08-21-2007, 08:50 PM

Speaking of Prevost, I saw an ad in FMCA Mag. for Featherlite Vantare conversions. It said all '07 Vantare Prevosts XLII's were on sale for $975,000, not much more than a London Aire MSRP
with options(not that anybody would pay that). I assume the Vantare's had double slides, but don't know for sure.

Clearly there are differences in terms of livability and style, but it seemed to me that at the $975K price point that really makes London Aire and King Aire competitors to new Prevosts in the case of the LADB or used Prevosts in the case of KADP.

That being said, I'd love to hear from owners of Essex on up as to why they didn't go the Prevost route(or Newell for that matter)? Bob? Peter?

Jeff Regan
2000 Dutch Star

sjcaldal11 · 08-22-2007, 01:57 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff Regan:
Speaking of Prevost, I saw an ad in FMCA Mag. for Featherlite Vantare conversions. It said all '07 Vantare Prevosts XLII's were on sale for $975,000, not much more than a London Aire MSRP
with options(not that anybody would pay that). I assume the Vantare's had double slides, but don't know for sure.

Clearly there are differences in terms of livability and style, but it seemed to me that at the $975K price point that really makes London Aire and King Aire competitors to new Prevosts in the case of the LADB or used Prevosts in the case of KADP.

That being said, I'd love to hear from owners of Essex on up as to why they didn't go the Prevost route(or Newell for that matter)? Bob? Peter?

Jeff Regan
2000 Dutch Star </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jeff ,
I think that $ 975,000 is the actual price after discount much like you see at Motor Home Specialist of Texas. They show you discount %'s.
LADP is still $ 200,000 less and has more room.

Thanks, Daryl

2008 MADP 4521
2006 Acura TL Toad

rebelsbeach · 08-22-2007, 02:27 AM

Jeff, when I was having my Spartan troubles the first part of this year and was in Tampa at the Super Show, I looked real hard at the Marathon, even to the point where I sat down with them and worked some numbers...

I'd submit the 975k is indeed a "discounted" number...

Lug_Nut · 08-22-2007, 03:30 AM

Well Jeff, apart from price, I don't like the look of the XL style, though my wife does. The H3 version looks great on the outside, but the loss of living space in the front area is just unacceptable. I can use the interior of my coach from front to back and often watch TV from the driver's or passenger's seats. In the H3, being a level down, the front seats are fixed and unusable except when moving. This eliminates probably 4.5' or 10% of your 45' coach length.
I was offered a new Marathon for under 1 M. at the Pomona show last year with a good trade in on my then DSDP. The price difference is still substantial and I'm just not prepared to commit that much for a coach.

I'm very pleased with the Essex in every way. Sure we have all had issues with items needed to be replaced or corrected, but so does Prevost conversions. A friend of mine bought a new CC Prevost from Buddy Greg. He has had to make the trip on several ocassions to get things fixed, so the extra bucks don't eleviate the normal new coach issues.

Peter

Route 66 · 08-22-2007, 12:45 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">That being said, I'd love to hear from owners of Essex on up as to why they didn't go the Prevost route(or Newell for that matter)? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd guess it was the $500,000 difference.