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Old 11-02-2014, 08:40 AM   #1
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Newmar Luxury Coaches Vs. ???

I'm certain that as soon as I post this I will get responses saying I missed this thread or I missed that thread disputing what I am about to say.

I have been surfing and researching DPs for a little over a year now on various forums for our eventual purchase sometime next year. What we purchase will be for full-timing so we are trying to gather as much information as possible (for both DPs and top-of-the-line 5ers).

My question: Why does it seem (not exclusively but often) that when people discuss a short list of luxury DPs to consider (and I am primarily talking used) the list is invariably Prevost, Newell, Foretravel and Country Coach and much less often a Newmar King Aire or Essex? It seems to me that the upper levels of Newmar would be on every one of these lists. Is there something that I am missing? Admittedly, it might not be fair to compare a King Aire to a same year Newell but it seems like it would compare favorably to a Foretravel or a Country Coach.

Inquiring minds want to know...thanks!
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Old 11-02-2014, 08:45 AM   #2
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All I can say your in the right forum, just check the sticky's above and we like being in the back ground.
More will follow.
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Old 11-02-2014, 09:13 AM   #3
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Hey Larry - Glad to see your research continues!! And, a little bit early - happy upcoming Vet Day to you, and all Vets - thanks again for serving!!

No real puzzle, or deep conspiracy. My Top Tier as I call them Class A's include the ones you mention, and I'll add these too:

-Mountain Aire - Can be found with the ISM, is on the bottom end of the Top Tier
-King Aire and Essex are Top Tier (ISM or ISX available models)
-Monaco Executive also slot into the Top Tier, also with ISM and Detroit available
-Monaco Signature Top Tier ISM, ISX and I think Detroit too in some year
-Monaco Beaver Patriot entry into the Top Tier, can have the BIG CAT in them
-Monaco Beaver Marquis Top Tier and Big Cat
(Monaco Holiday Rambler versions of these two also fit in the entry or middle Top Tier.)
-Travel Supreme (I like all TS) but will say Select is Top Tier for sure
-Wander Lodge is Top Tier too

And I know you know Entegra line options too.

I personally think much of this High End or Top Tier kind of feelings, is a lot like Chevy vs Ford. Many times whatever manufacturers a person first buys, becomes his ongoing favorite.

We had the Mountain Aire with ISM on our short list when shopping. (We like less bling, and the Mountain Aire was not quite as 'flashed out' as the King Aire and Essex. Plus, we wanted to have an option for non all electric coaches too.) And as this is the Newmar Forum, I'm sure not dinging the King Aire and Essex - beautiful coaches and well built. I like the Newmar line in general, and respect the manufacturer for working with their owners. (And I'll say the same comment about like the 'less flash' of the Executives over the Signatures. Many like feel the coaches I like, are not fancy enough for them - and that's OK!).

Happy hunting, and best to all,
Smitty
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Old 11-02-2014, 09:31 AM   #4
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I believe a Newmar KingAire or Essex ranks up there right behind a Newell or Foretravel and may be a better value, all things considered.

Don
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Old 11-02-2014, 07:05 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty77 View Post
Hey Larry - Glad to see your research continues!! And, a little bit early - happy upcoming Vet Day to you, and all Vets - thanks again for serving!!

No real puzzle, or deep conspiracy. My Top Tier as I call them Class A's include the ones you mention, and I'll add these too:

-Mountain Aire - Can be found with the ISM, is on the bottom end of the Top Tier
-King Aire and Essex are Top Tier (ISM or ISX available models)
-Monaco Executive also slot into the Top Tier, also with ISM and Detroit available
-Monaco Signature Top Tier ISM, ISX and I think Detroit too in some year
-Monaco Beaver Patriot entry into the Top Tier, can have the BIG CAT in them
-Monaco Beaver Marquis Top Tier and Big Cat
(Monaco Holiday Rambler versions of these two also fit in the entry or middle Top Tier.)
-Travel Supreme (I like all TS) but will say Select is Top Tier for sure
-Wander Lodge is Top Tier too

And I know you know Entegra line options too.

I personally think much of this High End or Top Tier kind of feelings, is a lot like Chevy vs Ford. Many times whatever manufacturers a person first buys, becomes his ongoing favorite.

We had the Mountain Aire with ISM on our short list when shopping. (We like less bling, and the Mountain Aire was not quite as 'flashed out' as the King Aire and Essex. Plus, we wanted to have an option for non all electric coaches too.) And as this is the Newmar Forum, I'm sure not dinging the King Aire and Essex - beautiful coaches and well built. I like the Newmar line in general, and respect the manufacturer for working with their owners. (And I'll say the same comment about like the 'less flash' of the Executives over the Signatures. Many like feel the coaches I like, are not fancy enough for them - and that's OK!).

Happy hunting, and best to all,
Smitty
Hi Smitty,

First...thanks for the shout out to Veterans...I highly appreciate those who take the time, if only a line or two in a forum response, to give their honest expression of support for our veterans!

Yes, the research continues...easy to do when we are still approximately 8-10 months away from getting very serious. All of the coaches I mentioned (and that were on your list) would certainly meet our needs. We just hope to go into the purchase phase with the best information we can and to know that we made the best decision we could based on our research. Unless we make an absolute terrible purchase or get a lemon, we are buying only ONE coach. As some say, we are buying our third coach first. We are at a point in our life, personally, financially, etc. to where we can't make too many bad decisions and make full-timing work so research is very important to us.

We are planning a trip soon to Nacogdoches (Foretravel and whatever MOT has on their lot) and next summer we will be in the Portland, OR, for a friend's Coast Guard retirement so we will get to take a trip down to Junction City to check out Country Coaches. At some point I hope to be able to see some used Newmars to see how they compare to other coaches. We have looked at new Dutch Stars and Mountain Aires but we most likely will be buying a 2006-2010 coach.

At any rate, by next summer we should have the majority of our questions answered and however we are leaning today or tomorrow could be completely different by next July...makes it fun but also kind of frustrating.
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Old 11-02-2014, 07:09 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akadeadeye View Post
I believe a Newmar KingAire or Essex ranks up there right behind a Newell or Foretravel and may be a better value, all things considered.

Don
I hope to be able to see some used King Aire and Essex coaches over the next few months...online they look very nice.
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Old 11-02-2014, 08:26 PM   #7
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I'm thinking the difference between the Prevost, etc and Newmar is the "Custom" coaches vs those that are floorplanned. You are also looking at coaches that retailed for $1M+ even in the model years you are considering. I'm not knocking the highend coaches, but custom means you're looking at what an individual wanted to build.

With Newmar, they are "Semi" custom....maybe. They look at market trends and build on an assembly line to maximize value. While you are touring plants, consider Nappanee Indiana where Newmars are produced. They have a great tour. Then there's Decator Indiana where the American coaches are made.

So the question you face is Custom vs Assembly Line? Have fun in the search. I've owned 4 Newars and will likely own a 5th.
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Old 11-02-2014, 08:38 PM   #8
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Quote:
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I hope to be able to see some used King Aire and Essex coaches over the next few months...online they look very nice.
Hi LJSteinmetz,

First of all, thank you for your Navy/Coast guard service!!
By the time you get ready to purchase, you will have learned a lot from these forums.We just returned today from a late Fall trip here in the Rocky mountains, cool weather was covered by the floor heat, Oasis, Wow, it was great!. As you look at coaches, pick what floor plan you like..

These forums tend to get a bit of brand centric and you will see that the folks who post on these sites are following their brand.
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Old 11-02-2014, 08:52 PM   #9
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Quote:
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....Why does it seem...that when people discuss a short list of luxury DPs to consider ... the list is invariably Prevost, Newell, Foretravel and Country Coach and much less often a Newmar King Aire or Essex?....
Because those four are damn good coaches. Why exclude the Newmars? Perhaps because many people-- in spite of what they'll tell you- still equate luxury with price. They will assume a million dollar coach to be "luxurious" based solely on the price tag, even if they don't particularly care for it, or know nothing about it. All others pale by comparison.

Taste is a personal preference. We've looked at new "luxury" coaches at RV shows whose interiors looked to me like a Dubai hotel lobby. I wouldn't buy one, even if I could afford to. We don't care for them, but many do.

Of course, you're looking for a coach in which to fulltime. In my view, if your target is high quality that will stand up to the rigors of 24/7/365, what you need to do is to try to get a sense of how many 20 year old products of any company are still on the road performing reliably and looking well. Anyone can build a coach that will look good for 5 or so years. And with a little care can build a coach that will perform well for about that long. But 20 years is tough. To have a lot of your product last for twenty, there had to be quality built in from the start.

If you apply a longevity test, you will find your above list-- Prevost, Newell, Foretravel and Country Coach-- right there on the list again, because they are high quality coaches, and they last. But you will also find just as many Newmars, some Tiffins, the old Monaco, and several others in the pack as well.

Just like with humans-- look for large families with a lot of old-timers. They're the ones with good genes.

Good Luck!

And Thanks for standing on the wall. Eight times longer than I did. That's impressive.
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Old 11-02-2014, 08:57 PM   #10
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I hope to be able to see some used King Aire and Essex coaches over the next few months...online they look very nice.
There's a couple of used 2007 London Aires in FL for sale right now, one is $487,000 although they probably will come down some. New they were just under $1,000,000 in 2007. I have the build sheet on one of the. Now, what was that statement about them not being "high end" coaches?
DW refuses to even look at newer/better rigs than out present DSDP due to her health.
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Old 11-03-2014, 06:18 AM   #11
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I'd also like to say thank for your service. So, you went from Squid, to Coastie, congratulations. We've been fulltiming in a lowly Dutch Star for almost 5yrs. now and wouldn't change a thing. Something to always keep in the forefront of your mind when looking, is asking yourself can we live in this 24/7/365/. Bling & flash doesn't add to the livibility, just the cost. Right now I'm set up across from a new King Aire, and it is one beautiful looking coach, but there are things I wouldn't want if I was fulltiming in it. Everone's taste is different, but hey that's what makes the world go round.
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Old 11-03-2014, 06:54 AM   #12
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...a lowly Dutch Star....

LOL!! Now there's a phrase you don't see very often!
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Old 11-03-2014, 08:27 AM   #13
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I'd also like to say thank for your service. So, you went from Squid, to Coastie, congratulations. We've been fulltiming in a lowly Dutch Star for almost 5yrs. now and wouldn't change a thing. Something to always keep in the forefront of your mind when looking, is asking yourself can we live in this 24/7/365/. Bling & flash doesn't add to the livibility, just the cost. Right now I'm set up across from a new King Aire, and it is one beautiful looking coach, but there are things I wouldn't want if I was fulltiming in it. Everone's taste is different, but hey that's what makes the world go round.
Yep...squid to shallow water sailor (or McHale's Navy).

Actually, my wife and I really like the Dutch Star. Our primary issue is that we will most likely haul a trailer so we are looking for more horsepower. I realize a heavier coach may cancel out some of the HP gain so that is factoring into the equation as well.
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Old 11-03-2014, 09:00 AM   #14
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There's a couple of used 2007 London Aires in FL for sale right now, one is $487,000 although they probably will come down some. New they were just under $1,000,000 in 2007. I have the build sheet on one of the. Now, what was that statement about them not being "high end" coaches?
DW refuses to even look at newer/better rigs than out present DSDP due to her health.
Thanks for the info! BTW, it wasn't me who said they weren't high end...the fact that they obviously are was the issue I was pondering.
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