Community Forums

slabman · 02-19-2014, 09:54 PM

I agree. When moving up the line the closest thing to a Prevost/Newell IS the King Aire. Nothing else compares. The Essex falls right below and then you can battle for the next one down, between the Cornerstone, Zephyr (if they really continue to build them), Heritage, Eagle, etc. Not a lot of players left these days, so pickings are pretty slim.

zman62 · 02-19-2014, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slabman

I agree. When moving up the line the closest thing to a Prevost/Newell IS the King Aire. Nothing else compares. The Essex falls right below and then you can battle for the next one down, between the Cornerstone, Zephyr (if they really continue to build them), Heritage, Eagle, etc. Not a lot of players left these days, so pickings are pretty slim.

Not sure i have seen the Essex considered above a cornerstone before. k2 vs k3 and more money for the k2.

Crippsfl · 02-19-2014, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zman62

Not sure i have seen the Essex considered above a cornerstone before. k2 vs k3 and more money for the k2.

I agree with you Zman. All are great coaches but, the K3 chassis with 600hp and 1950 ft/lbs of torque along with the Hadley SLS Air Leveling make the Cornerstone a pretty good choice. But, once again, if you own ANY of the Entegras or Newmars, you are in a first rate coach with two first rate companies that stand behind their products.

cucotx · 03-04-2014, 07:10 PM

Thanks for all the good information on the Entegra Cornerstone.

My wife loves the "not flashy" part of this coach. She is the type that loves woodsy things and does not care for bling bling (I'm a lucky guy!). She doesn't like the King Aire because she says it's a little bit too flashy. I love the King Aire. It is a well built coach with everything a guy would want. But, as we all know, the wife is always right. :-)

I guess I need to continue my research and learn more about Entegra, the company, and the Cornerstone model.

I'm reading more about the K3 chassis and from what I have seen so far, I like it.

Here is a video on the K3 chassis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlN0...layer_embedded

bullheaded · 03-04-2014, 07:30 PM

One thing nobody ever comments on is the gutter system. I love my toys to look perfect. This can NEVER happen with an Entegra product with constant water stains down the sides.

wnytaxman · 03-05-2014, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullheaded

One thing nobody ever comments on is the gutter system. I love my toys to look perfect. This can NEVER happen with an Entegra product with constant water stains down the sides.

Interesting comment. What specifically is different between the two coaches?

DSL417 · 03-05-2014, 06:34 AM

Not sure what is different on the King Aire, but I eliminate water stains through the use of gutter extensions. About the only frustration I have is the "stains", if you can call them that from dew fall on the front and rear caps, combined with Florida pollen or dust in other places, running down the front of the coach. Not sure how King Aire avoids that, but if so, that would be great.

The other drippings and flow of water off the roof is handled well by the gutter extensions ($7.95 on Amazon and if matched color-wise, blend in well with the coach).

bullheaded · 03-05-2014, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Interesting comment. What specifically is different between the two coaches?

Our King Aire has roof drains in all four corners and about a 2 inch lip running the entire length front to back sealing at the caps containing everything. The drains come out the bottom of the coach which make it nice if you are parked for a while you can put an extension hose on and keep the a/c condensation away from the awning side. If you are under a tree in the fall the leaves have to be keep cleaned at the corners. Easy with a ladder (with a blower or not) from the side not up on the roof.

I believe the Essex and Mountain Aire also have this same setup.

No more stained sides, stained wheels and wet shoes.

wnytaxman · 03-05-2014, 08:11 AM

Thanks Bullheaded. As we compare the two manufacturers that is another piece to add to the info bank. Although realistically we would be looking at the Dutch Star, not the Mountain Aire or Essex.

slabman · 03-05-2014, 08:59 AM

Yeah, I am impressed with my Essex gutters vs the old TS style. LARGE gutters fabricated into the roof system all around and "downspouts"at all 4corners. So depending on where the lowest corner is, you will get drainage out of that downspout. As with all guttering systems, you do need to keep things clean. The advantage here is more of a safety factor insofar as over topping and running down the sides.

jigsup · 03-05-2014, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Thanks Bullheaded. As we compare the two manufacturers that is another piece to add to the info bank. Although realistically we would be looking at the Dutch Star, not the Mountain Aire or Essex.

Wnytaxman,

Just a point of clarification - The Dutch Star does not offer the gutter drains, like the Mountain Aire, Essex and King Aire. I asked Newmar when designing my build if I could add them as an upgrade on my Dutch Star 4018 that I will be taking delivery of in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, they said no.

On another topic - I have been reading all your threads and posts back to 2011 regarding Montana LLCs. They were incredibly helpful. Thank you!

Jigs

jtovo · 03-05-2014, 09:55 AM

An easy way to tell a Spartan K-2 from a K-3 is, the K-3 has disc brakes on all 3 axles the K-2 only on the front, drums on the rear & tag.

bullheaded · 03-05-2014, 10:12 AM

One other thing I really like on the Newmar is the angle they mount their slide toppers. They don't hold water. Can't tell you how many times I was soaked or our shoes that set by the door when the wind comes up even several days after a rain with the Cornerstone. Not to mention when you pull the slides in on a coach you have just detailed and the stagnant water runs down the sides. I know there is a big difference in price but they really are quite different coaches.

wnytaxman · 03-05-2014, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jigsup

Wnytaxman,

Just a point of clarification - The Dutch Star does not offer the gutter drains, like the Mountain Aire, Essex and King Aire. I asked Newmar when designing my build if I could add them as an upgrade on my Dutch Star 4018 that I will be taking delivery of in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, they said no.

On another topic - I have been reading all your threads and posts back to 2011 regarding Montana LLCs. They were incredibly helpful. Thank you!

Jigs

Thanks Jigs for both the clarification and the compliment. I can't be much help with mechanical things but I can help out folks with tax questions.

Getting back to the thread topic, we are looking at both Newmar and Entegra and the two manufacturers are, in my opinion, the two premier manufacturers in what I would call the mid-luxury market. We like the customer service and the construction of the Entegra but they do have a long way to go with floor plans. Newmar looks like the equal in construction, but there is a substantial price difference between the two comparable coaches.