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Old 07-18-2017, 09:33 PM   #1
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Looking to buy a Newmar Bay Star

Looking to buy a Newmar Bay Star and I'm looking to see how Newmars' quality is on there Class A RV. All opinions an experiences are welcome.
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Old 07-19-2017, 01:11 AM   #2
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Coach:
Best fit and finish I have seen in any MH or other RV type that DW and I have run across. You will notice this in the cabinetry and trim work (edges fit square and no gaps, ends are all caulked). Furniture (including driver/passenger chairs) is not cheap garbage. Full body paint and no stickers. It's all in the details. That said can/will there be issues with Newmar coaches? Well, I don't have to answer that one because you are reading this forum.
Chassis:
Typical Ford F53 (nothing special added by Newmar). In my case I have had to do many add on's to improve handling (and am still working on things). This is pretty typical for any brand using the Ford chassis. Nobody is happy with this but the Mfg's can do it because the F53 is the only game in town since the Work Horse is not made anymore.
Dealers:
Like any other brand, some good, some bad. You find out when you go in for service usually.
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Old 07-19-2017, 04:52 AM   #3
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Generally happy with 2017 Baystar

I bought a slightly used 2017 Baystar Sport with only 5,000 miles. Generally happy with the motor coach and would recommend it to others. The original owner added solar and that is necessary for boon docking. I was very disappointed with the drivers seat comfort while driving. The slide impacted the degree of incline. I was extremely disappointed in Newmar's response. They knew about issue from other customer complaints and decided to do nothing to help me or others. Since I already owned coach, I decided to perform modification to the slide molding myself to improve the issue. I used a piano hinge that would swing the molding out of the way and notched the backer board to get about 3" of additional recline out of the seat and that greatly improved driving comfort. I then informed Newmar later (email and photos) how all their Baystar coaches could be modified at little effort and cost, but they are probably still doing nothing to help present customers. I was told their 2018 design will address this issue, but that didn't help me. The original owner added front end stabilizers and I'm thinking about adding Sumo Springs to the chassis to help improve things, but I don't have much issue with the ride now. I have a Honda CRV as a toad and feel comfortable driving between 60 and 65 mph. Overall, my wife loves the coach, so I love it too. We are residing in it six months out of the year and find it to be very comfortable. If you want more information about the seat mod, let me know.
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Old 07-19-2017, 05:04 AM   #4
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1. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/newm...ty-323058.html

2. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/is-n...ty-176429.html

3. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/newm...in-318139.html

In additional, there are many more topics on Newmar Quality.
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Old 07-19-2017, 05:04 AM   #5
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Bought a brand new Baystar Sport last year based on fit and finish, reputation, floor plan. I have no issue at all with the Ford chassis except finding local service. Mine drives fine, and at 6'2" have plenty of room in drivers seat. The house part is well made but even Newmar does some dumb things and the quality control leaves a bit to be desired. No way should my unit have left the factory as it did. I'll end with I would buy it again but check things a bit more closely.
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Old 07-19-2017, 06:20 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Burnstravels View Post
Looking to buy a Newmar Bay Star and I'm looking to see how Newmars' quality is on there Class A RV. All opinions an experiences are welcome.
It's been said many times, but just compare the interior cabinet quality to the others, very impressive. We love our Baystar! It has a few issues which will hopefully be cleared up at the factory next week. I'm confident they will get it all taken care of. If possible, I'd highly recommend doing your research and picking one of their best dealers to order through. We bought at a show and were very disappointed in our dealer after the sale.
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Old 07-19-2017, 12:50 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildtoad View Post
Bought a brand new Baystar Sport last year based on fit and finish, reputation, floor plan. I have no issue at all with the Ford chassis except finding local service. Mine drives fine, and at 6'2" have plenty of room in drivers seat. The house part is well made but even Newmar does some dumb things and the quality control leaves a bit to be desired. No way should my unit have left the factory as it did. I'll end with I would buy it again but check things a bit more closely.
I second this statement. If buying new, more batteries and a larger inverter will be a very good idea.
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Old 07-20-2017, 06:15 AM   #8
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We purchased a new 2014 Bay Star 3103 in August 0f 2014. We love the coach. it drives and handles well considering that you are driving a house down the road. I did do the Cheap Handling Fix on the front, but other than air pressure adjustments, nothing else.

Fit and finish of Newmar is one of the best. The same construction methods used on the Mountain Aire and Dutch Star are used on the Bay Star. Same folks doing the building. The quality of materials or bells and whistles are different. We have had a few issues to start with. Most of those were not due to build quality or Q/C at Newmar.

Dash radio quit after a year - not Newmar's fault.

Dometic A/C stopped cooling after 18 months - not Newmars fault.

Screw pulled out of hydraulic arm on dinning table because it was too small - Yup I charge that on to Newmar.

Most recently, Motor on the Lippert Steps stopped working. This wasn't Newmar's fault either.

I also feel that Newmar's Customer Service is some of the best I've ever dealt with. You will not be disappointed. The disappointment comes when you want to upgrade to the next level up, and knowing that only a Newmar will get it done. $$$$$

Life is short! Eat desert first!
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Old 07-20-2017, 11:37 AM   #9
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We're about to order a 3113 next week. We looked around at other entry/mid level gas class A's and and in our opinion, nothing comes close to Newmar Bay Stars in the price range.

Tiffin Allegros are nice but start at $40k more than your average Bay Star. Probably more comparable with Canyon Stars though Tiffin offers shorter coaches if that's your thing.

Thor, Fleetwood, Forest River don't offer anything comparable to Bay Star in the price range. We looked at a Georgetown 5 Series long and hard. You name it and it falls short of Bay Star. Fit, finish, materials, hardware, chassis, etc. It was built on a 20500 lb chassis leaving very little cargo capacity. And all for almost exactly the same price as our Bay Star.

Winnebago Vista LX's are nice and very comparable...until you realize there are only 4 floor plans (compared to Bay Star's ten) and the smaller ones are built on 18,000 lb chassis. Take the 30T. The floor plan is very similar to the 3113. But you're giving up 4000 lbs on the chassis, the shower is tiny, still has travel trailer style outside storage doors instead of Newmar's bus style, and it has a queen bed. To move up to the Sightseer your talking at least $50k.

In short, we didn't find anything that comes close to the Bay Star in it's price range and that applies across the spectrum. Fit, finish, hardware, build quality, design, floor plans, tanks sizes, customer service, blah, blah, blah. We feel like with most of the other brands, you're getting mid-range travel trailer quality while with Newmar you're getting mid range diesel pusher quality and often for the same price.

Lastly, dealer is super important. Don't just drive down to the nearest Newmar dealer. Do your research and find a quality dealer. I'm sure all Newmar dealers are at least average but some are exceptional. They should take care of many factory issues (they are complicated machines taken off the factory floor and driven hundreds or thousands of miles after all) in the PDI and give you a thorough walk-thru upon delivery so you can learn all the systems, go through a quality check list, etc. and then fix any additional problems uncovered before delivery.

IMHO, you need both a good manufacturer and a good dealer. A good dealer can only only make a cheaply built coach shine so much. And a good manufacturer, like Newmar, can be made to look bad in the hands of a poor dealer.
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Old 07-20-2017, 01:08 PM   #10
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Well said Dan.

We signed our Production Order Report the other day on a new 2018 Bay Star 3406 and couldn't be more excited.

Bill
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Old 07-21-2017, 08:06 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Burnstravels View Post
Looking to buy a Newmar Bay Star and I'm looking to see how Newmars' quality is on there Class A RV. All opinions an experiences are welcome.
I bought my 2702 Bay Star Sport in May, and been happy with it. I am at the dealer for repairs (Hot Water went out) I do have a few problems/issues The design of the Driver seat and slide is problem and the fact that you are limited to how much you can adjust the drivers seat.

I am also having problem with the front Drivers side slide. It hangs up when you try to retract the slide. I have had to go outside and push on it and than it will retrack.

Other than that I find the build, workmanship and material is excellent.
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Old 07-21-2017, 11:06 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Curiosity View Post
I bought my 2702 Bay Star Sport in May, and been happy with it. I am at the dealer for repairs (Hot Water went out) I do have a few problems/issues The design of the Driver seat and slide is problem and the fact that you are limited to how much you can adjust the drivers seat.

I am also having problem with the front Drivers side slide. It hangs up when you try to retract the slide. I have had to go outside and push on it and than it will retrack.

Other than that I find the build, workmanship and material is excellent.
Doesn't help you but supposedly the slide placement was optimized in 2018 models to give the driver a few more inches. There is also a fix for older models that involves removing the trim and re-securing it with velcro, hinges, cabinet locks, etc so it can be removed when driving.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/newm...-315217-4.html
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Old 07-21-2017, 03:47 PM   #13
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Most of those were not due to build quality or Q/C at Newmar.

Dash radio quit after a year - not Newmar's fault.

Dometic A/C stopped cooling after 18 months - not Newmars fault.


Most recently, Motor on the Lippert Steps stopped working. This wasn't Newmar's fault either.

Life is short! Eat desert first!
This is not to pick on Bill & Denise but I see this all the time in the RV community and I don't get it. If I buy a Honda Accord and something's wrong with the Goodyear Tires, I call Honda (or really the Honda Dealer). If the Sony stereo has problems I rant against Honda. If a non-Apple part in my iphone breaks I am upset at Apple...I don't say, well, it's not their part so it's okay

In the RV community I see so many defend the RV manufacturer when some part on the coach, made by a different manufacturer, has problems or breaks. I spent a lot of time on the Grand Design Forum this past spring. Many had problems with some Lippert part (forget what it was) and the numerous threads defending grand design saying it wasn't their fault but Lippert.

Get mad at the RV manufacturer and they'll stop using the bad part.

Sorry for the rant. If I buy a Newmar (strong possibility) and something goes wrong, I am on the phone with Newmar and mad at them, not the part maker.
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Old 07-21-2017, 05:39 PM   #14
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I think the point here is the fact that motor homes are largely built with the same supplier parts. The manufacturers select Kwickee steps (for example) based on availability, weight, (yes, weight always matters) adaptability to the basic design and price. You can buy a Tiffen, a Newmar, WBGO, or Thor and get the same steps, oven, etc.
What the manufacturer controls is how it's all put together. Newmar does an excellent job of that.
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