Community Forums

T&G · 05-31-2008, 05:16 AM

We are deciding between Newell, Country coach and now Newmar due to the Comfort Drive info I have just read. Plan to travel full time, with the option of a home base home if full time travel is not as alluring as I inticipate. My husband traved much more thatn I in a mobile home. Yet I loved camping at the lake for months at time in the summer as a child.Anyway back to subject any suggestions in put ideas to consider.

T&G · 05-31-2008, 05:16 AM

We are deciding between Newell, Country coach and now Newmar due to the Comfort Drive info I have just read. Plan to travel full time, with the option of a home base home if full time travel is not as alluring as I inticipate. My husband traved much more thatn I in a mobile home. Yet I loved camping at the lake for months at time in the summer as a child.Anyway back to subject any suggestions in put ideas to consider.

afrank1971 · 05-31-2008, 06:38 AM

As of yet I believe it is currently only available on Newmar coaches. Do a search in the Newmar forum though, you'll see a good bit of discussion regarding it's possible upcoming availability on other brands. Monaco for one has apparently announced that it will be offereing Comfort/Column Drive soon. I have not heard of any other manufacturers yet.

T&G · 05-31-2008, 06:50 AM

Will read more info on it thank you! Do you think the comfort colum/drive is worth it? Verses a Newell with out it. I will be doing a lot of the driving (inexperienced MH driver)cautious female.

GaryKD · 05-31-2008, 07:50 AM

Hi T&G,
Welcome to iRV2. The only answer to if Comfort Drive is worth it or not is to drive a coach with Comfort Drive. Then drive the other coaches you are interested in.

However, I ask you consider a different order of priorities. Based on your OP, the floor plan, NCC and GCVW might be higher on your priority list. You will remember these things long after the driver remembers Comfort Drive.

All other things being equal, buy the coach with Comfort Drive. It is an outstanding feature, for the driver.

afrank1971 · 05-31-2008, 07:51 AM

It takes some getting used to as the feel is different, but the new coach certainly is more comfortable to drive than my last one. Whether its worth it or not is hard to say and is likely a personal preference, but most who have it swear by it and will not go back. As for me, I really have not had that much experience with it yet as I only recently got the new coach. So far, I do like it, but I'm not yet ready to say that I would never go without it.

Route 66 · 05-31-2008, 08:58 AM

As of now, Newmar has exclusive use of Comfort Drive.

Monaco has announced they will offer Column Drive (TRW's product name) starting with the 2010 models.

I believe other manufacturers will offer it also next year.

Newmar renamed it Comfort Drive for their use.

I agree that it's an excellent product.

AFChap · 05-31-2008, 07:32 PM

So what IS this Comfort Drive/Column Drive/whatever someone else calls it ???
(I have to say I have never felt a need for any driving aid in my coach -- it handles very nicely!)

That said, if I had a choice of a Newell or a Newmar, the Newell would win EVERY time! I haven't looked at either recently up close, but I believe the Newell is in a whole different class than a Newmar.

Route 66 · 06-01-2008, 03:12 AM

One of our members, Ken Sherwin, a TRW engineer, developed Column Drive for them.

TRW has an exclusive with Spartan, until July I believe, to market Column Drive.

Spartan has an exclusive deal with Newmar to use Column Drive.

Newmar renamed it Comfort Drive for their coaches.

COMFORT DRIVE

Lug_Nut · 06-01-2008, 06:22 AM

Comfort Drive, or what ever Monaco chooses to call it, is to show up on Monaco's 2010 models. I don't know whether it will be model specific or not.
Check out my blog article on Comfort Drive Comfort Drive

Peter