Newmar King Aire vs Newmar Mountain Aire

[Mr Goodbar]

My wife and I are researching which coach to get for full timing and are leaning towards a Newmar. In doing research I have seen the same floorplan in both the King and the Mountain so what is the difference between the two models? Thanks!

[MisterT]

Newmar owners, especially KingAire owners, will certainly be able to tell you the most, but it's generally BLING!!!, advanced Systems, larger Fuel and liquid tanks, more Color selections and fabric/bedding types, window treatments including automated shades, number and size of batteries, Inverter number and type, engine/transmission size, including TV technology including satellite, Tablet/Smartphone oriented app system integrations...
it's like moving from a mansion to a castle

[Cousin Ed]

The King Aire will have MORE of everything: power, luxury, entertainment, etc. and will cost a LOT MORE. You would not be disappointed with either.

[Sidewinder4]

Originally Posted by Mr Goodbar

My wife and I are researching which coach to get for full timing and are leaning towards a Newmar. In doing research I have seen the same floorplan in both the King and the Mountain so what is the difference between the two models? Thanks!

Huge difference: the Mountain Aire is the beginning of the Luxury Coach line, whereas the King Aire is there top of the line Luxury Coach for Newmar. King Aire is at least $250,000.00 more ballpark number as a start only for pricing. Big difference as well is larger engine 500HP vs 600 HP, chassis on steroids and as stated before top of the line every thing else with components and cosmetics. Newmar starts with Mountain Aire as luxury, then the London Aire, then the Essex before you finally get to the top of the line the King Aire.

Now for a spin that just came out this year, Newmar has just released a coach called the New Aire which is supposed to be a Luxury smaller Coach that some have asked Newmar to make to get down from 45 feet to somewhere around 33 feet long range. Some have said the New Aire will be between the Mountain Aire and London Aire for rated Luxury.

Not an expert on product line, just in envy of the luxury coaches and my swag at a response for you.

P.S. As a thought, YouTube has the videos of the 2017 product line to see from your computer. I believe on 3 June 2017 the 2018 product line will be available for public viewing.

[Gonna_Wander]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder4

Some have said the New Aire will be between the Mountain Aire and London Aire for rated Luxury.

We placed an order for a New Aire and I'm still learning about the differences between the luxury coach models. I'm wondering what features would have the New Aire slot above the Mountain Aire. Due to the size difference the Mountain Aire will have a bigger engine, chassis, tanks, etc.

What are the things that would cause the New Aire to slot above the Mountain Aire in the "luxury" category?

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Mr Goodbar

My wife and I are researching which coach to get for full timing and are leaning towards a Newmar. In doing research I have seen the same floorplan in both the King and the Mountain so what is the difference between the two models? Thanks!

$300,000! Most of which is in the electronics, better grade of finishes, heavier chassis, larger engine.

I have the older model ISX in my rig and it's very powerful even with a 47,000# empty weight rig like mine.

[Sidewinder4]

Originally Posted by kwilkins

What are the things that would cause the New Aire to slot above the Mountain Aire in the "luxury" category?

Again no expert: the link attached I believe is where I read the speculation as I discussed earlier is at: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/new-aire-337103.html. Can not guarantee this is where I read it though, but again where ever I read it, at best was just an opinion and not official as of yet. 3 June 2017 and all becomes available for review per: 2018 Newmar Motorhome Lineup - Steinbring Motorcoach - Newmar & Roadtrek

Hope this helps!

[GaryKD]

Hi Mr Goodbar,
Consider downloading the brochure for each coach. Then print them. Go over the specs for each coach line by line. You will see the difference. In addition, on the King Aire you can have just about any customization you want. On the Mountain Aire there are restrictions on customization. Michelle Howard meets with buyers by appointment only. One must travel to Nappanee to meet with her. She can provide all the details of the MADP restrictions and what you can do to a King Aire. She has done this for so many customers she may have some customization ideas you have may not have thought of.

[Hmf23]

We just ordered a 2018 MADP. It appears that the New Aire is between the Mountain Aire and the DutchStar. It has High many features only available on King/Essex i.e. Glass dash and push button start, but I bet those features will be throughout the Luxury lines in near future.

Back to OP question King vs Mountain lines. Well if you pick same floorplan between the lines it may be hard to see on the surface but there are major differences.

All Luxury lines are on either Freifhtliner Sl or Spartan K3. The London Aire, Essex and King Aire are 600 hp, the Mountain Aire is also FL SL or Spartan K3 but it's 500 hp. The hp/torque on both chassis are 600/1950 or 500/1650. Now for 2018 Cummins has done some changes and the 600 is actually 605.

King Aire has its own substructure and the MA, LA and Essex are on the Newmar Star foundation.

This year on the option side of things they have open up options that were only available on King Aire last year. So you could build any of the other 3 lines and option it up to match a 2017 King Aire.

Differences you can easily see are Decors in King are Ralph Laren, all cabinets are dovetail construction, the 10" monitors and 12" glass dash. The bling is impressive on the King Aire for sure, but you'll pay for it.

The biggest thing to remember is any line can be upgraded in fabrics, floors, counters, fixtures and bedding. So you could make a Mountain Aire almost be a King Aire as far as decor goes. Lots of options at Newmar.

[Smitty77]

Both are mighty find coaches. But the KA is in a much higher league then then the MA. And as mentioned, with a price tag reflecting this...

The KA does get you the higher HP/Torque big ISX. The MA, as I recall, is capped at the smaller 500HP Cummins.

One great thing about Newmar, is they will still allow custom ordered coaches to have some modifications from stock models. (Very few manufactures will do this today.). I know one gent that has a Dutch Star, but he and his wife liked some of the features from the floor plan they saw in a KA, and materials too. Newmar was able to make every modification they wanted but one, and they were able to use the materials, flooring, counter tops from the KA in their coach. So that is a very unique and nice factor for Newmar over the competition.

If you're not planning to tow a heavy double stacker trailer with more toys in it, suspect you'd find the 500HP in the MA will do you fine. A quality fine looking coach. And at a lower entry point then the KA for sure! I do not recall if the KA has a more sophisticated chassis then the MA, so that would be worth checking into.

Go find a dealer with a solid track record on ordering Newmar with customer modifications. (That is important from what I've read, as some have more clout then others with Newmar. Check the Newmar owner's group for recommendations.) I'd also recommend picking up the coach from the factory, if it is custom ordered, so that you can go thru PDI with them. Plan to stay in the areas a week or two nearby, and shake things out!

Best of luck to you on your choice, enjoy whatever you end up in,
Smitty

[Mr Goodbar]

Thank you all for your responses! I knew the KA had a 600hp engine and the MA has a 500hp but beyond that I wasn't sure if the other differences were just cosmetic.

We want a solid coach as this will be our home for the foreseeable future so want to make an educated decision. We live in Montana so there isn't many Newmar dealers here to go compare models. Most of my research is online with forums like this one. It is great to be able to talk with folks who are actually using these rigs and get the honest scoop whether good or bad. I know all rigs will have their issues but trying to become as familiar as possible before we make the purchase. I don't think we can afford a new one without hitting the lottery but am keeping my eyes open for a nice used one that we can make our home.

Thanks again for all the responses and look forward to meeting you on the road.

[Scottybdivin]

One of the things I like about my 07 Mountainaire is, it is essentially an Essex w/o some of the bling. They even cross refernce many parts. It has the bones like the K2 chassis, The Cummins ISM, and the Allison MH4000. It is pre DPF and DEF, and it does not have some of the complexities like the E-plex system. We bought it when it was 7 years old for about 40% of it's original price.

[Capt. Bill]

Originally Posted by Mr Goodbar

My wife and I are researching which coach to get for full timing and are leaning towards a Newmar. In doing research I have seen the same floorplan in both the King and the Mountain so what is the difference between the two models? Thanks!

The biggest difference between a Mountain Aire & King Aire is $350,000 in the base MSRP. Go to Newmarcorp.com & you can compare these 2 models or others directly. You can also 'BUILD YOUR COACH' by selecting the Std. Options you want. By the time you get all your options & specials added on, you're looking at ~$1.0mm for the King Aire & ~$650K for the Mountain Aire. You're also jumping up 150 HP in engine size! More HP = more torque & power & a bit lower fuel MPG. The King Aire has more BLING & more automated features = more things to go wrong! We personally don't care for the High Gloss cabinetry & very contemporary look of the King Aire interior. We like the natural wood feel of the Mountain Aire.

We have owned 1 Dutch Star & 2 Mountain Aire's & find that the current model MADP have all the comforts & luxury one needs without the significantly higher price. Investments in coaches are most always a negative ROI endeavor- the greater the investment - the greater the loss. But if you want WOW factor & are willing to shell out an additional $350 K- go for it!