Community Forums

grizz_chaser · 11-16-2011, 09:51 PM

First some background. As soon as the house sells we will be going full time, at first we had considered a new 5th wheel but have come to the conclusion that a motor coach will serve us better since we plan to travel and see the country. I have narrowed things down to a Monaco or Newmar. We cannot afford new so looking at 2002-2003 models of Monaco Windsor 40pst w/ a Cummins 370hp ISL on a Roadmaster S chassis or a Newmar Dutch Star 4099 w/ a Caterpillar 330hp engine on a Freightliner chassis. My questions are- what are the reliability of these two brands? Which engine & chassis would you prefer and why? Are there any reoccurring issues one should be aware of? And finally which would you buy and why? I'm not trying to start a brand war here but since I will not be able to replace any time soon, I need good honest suggestions so I can do it right the first time. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for all replies.

Mr_D · 11-16-2011, 11:48 PM

On our second DSDP (only because we wanted more slides and longer than the 2000, if we had to replace this one we'd just get another Newmar anyway. But the one we have is holding up so well I doubt that we'll need to change in our lifetime!

H. Miller · 11-17-2011, 06:21 AM

The Roadmaster chassis is hard to beat, also a 40'er needs the 370hp if any western US is planned.

GaryKD · 11-17-2011, 08:57 AM

Hi grizz_chaser,
Please check your private messages.

snickers · 11-17-2011, 04:49 PM

We are on our third Newmar DSDP a 2008 they are great I like the cummin's better than cat motor better service in our area. There are alot of good coaches out there Good Luck

mythplaced · 11-18-2011, 01:02 AM

I have only one opinion...and its about power!

Get as much horsepower and torque as possible....40+ feet and a toad is a lot of weight to move around. IMO 400+hp and 1300ftlb is a minimum for this size of coach.

Fuel mileage is roughly the same and you can never have too much power..(especially if you travel much on the "Left Side")

hardy1000 · 11-18-2011, 06:02 AM

You are considering 2 good mfg's. Both are great coaches and have a loyal following, and you should also take a look at Tiffin, another top consideration with alot of happy owners. I am on my second Monaco and have been very pleased with both.

lonestarace · 11-18-2011, 08:50 AM

You won't go wrong with either.

Our first diesel pusher was a 98 DSDP w/300hp Cummins on a Spartan. We loved the coach, but we love the Roadmaster chassis that Monacos come on even better. IMO, the Roadmasters are more stable because of the greater # of air bags, and because the bags are located further outboard.

We come from the school of "the more HP the better". We travel in hot hilly and mountainous terrain pulling a toad. IMO, the ISB/C/L are all too small, both in power and cooling capacity. You never here of a Cummins M11 or ISM overheating when pulling a long climb. Also, I have found that pound for pound in hilly or mountainous terrain, the M11 or ISM get the same fuel mileage(8mpg) as their lesser cousins.

If you absolutely have to have a non-tag axle coach that is no longer than 40', look at a 98 to 01 Monaco Executive w/one or two slide outs and 450hp M11 or 500hp ISM Cummins. In a tag axle coach that is only 40' long, look at a 98 to 01 Monaco Signature Admiral with 1 or 2 slides and 450 to 525hp Cummins or Detroit. The less expensive Dynasty's of this era are not available with the larger engines.

Also, if you stay in hot climates, you'll need 3 roof ac that are only available with the larger generator(10kw or 12.5kw) that only comes in the Exectives & Signatures.

We hope this helps?

Don

ralphie · 11-18-2011, 09:01 AM

I don't know anything about Monaco, nor which chassis/motor to get. But, Newmar in general has consistently received positive posts during the years I've been looking at RV forums whereas many other brands seem to get a lot of complaints. When we were looking to upgrade to a DP, Newmar and Tiffin were at the top of our list based on anecdotal evidence and our own research. I have started to see a few recent posts about Newmar and some quality issues but don't know if that's a trend or just a small blip. We're now in a FW and Newmar is still on my list should we upgrade to larger unit. There are a lot of posts here and at rv.net.com; just type in Newmar or Monaco and you'll be inundated with posts.

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 11-18-2011, 09:21 AM

Can't beat a Newmar, Spartan chassis and Cummins power. Family owned so not beholden to stockholders.

grizz_chaser · 11-19-2011, 04:45 PM

Thank you everyone for your feedback, your opinions and suggestions are very helpful with my research of the two brands. Thanks again for the help and other thoughts will be appreciated. Mark

Bigd2 · 11-20-2011, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mythplaced

I have only one opinion...and its about power!

Get as much horsepower and torque as possible....40+ feet and a toad is a lot of weight to move around. IMO 400+hp and 1300ftlb is a minimum for this size of coach.

Fuel mileage is roughly the same and you can never have too much power..(especially if you travel much on the "Left Side")

As I was reading the original post and the replies, all I could think about was more HP and torque. I have a 400 Cat and when I am in hilly areas (IE Colorado) as long as I am in the power curve for max torque it does OK. There are times when I wish I had more of both.

Dick

CoryP · 11-20-2011, 08:58 AM

Here is nice website for looking, and seeing what stuff is selling for.

Used RVs, Motorhomes for Sale, and Consigned sales - PPL Motor Homes

CoryP.

easdsa · 11-20-2011, 05:52 PM

PPL seems to have quite a turnover, so if you don't see what you want today, check again tomorrow because it just might be there! I've not purchased from them, nor have I even talked to them, but I check their site several times each week just to get a feel for what we can get for the money we want to spend. I just wish there was a way to search for specific brands within the class (Newmars in the DP class, for example) so that I don't have to scroll through a long list of other brands.

I also like that they have a standard information form for each coach listed. That makes it really easy to compare two or more coaches.