Newmar, Entegra, Tiffin?

[fsudelt]

I will also add I would put Entegra & Newmar close & Tiffin a step below. We would of seriously considered Entegra however we did not like the floor plans & interiors. Without the ability to change options with Entegra, Newmar was the clear choice for us.

[brobox]

This recent post might help. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/ente...ar-314282.html

[DrPhil]

Take a factory tour of each, and it will be an easy choice (4369 on order here).

[Saltydog44]

Very good responses already and the thread that Brobox listed is excellent.

We had a Phaeton and it was hard to imagine leaving Bob Tiffin, but the CS at Entegra is even better. The whole team is amazing.

AND Middlebury is far superior to Red Bay!

[lowejug]

My 2 cents would be the Entegra... lots of people spend a lot of money before learning that Entegra is simply the best coach money can buy.. that's no joke either... I have been to both Newmar and Entegra factories .. Entegra is so advanced.
I also was also tempted by the tiffin bus 45 op plan.. yes. A serious nice floor and a super cool color package, drove one in the rain and it was off our list immediately.. tiffin has a great package but just not the build quality imo...
Newmar is a bit fancier and I love there master bedroom and rear bathroom but there front area is not as desirable and there way more money... anthem is a great coach and the 44 b plan is the best imo....

[marknpeg]

You know what they say about opinions. The Ventana is our first and only coach, but we looked extensively at all three. Came very close to pulling the trigger on an Allegro RED until we got deeper into the owner's experiences. After speaking with several, we're glad we didn't but we love the 37PA. Looked at several Entegras, but we just didn't like the floorplans or the blingy interiors.

We actually made a decision to buy a Dutch Star 4018 but then we got our first real look at a Ventana. Optioned out right, and it's almost everything a DS is for 100k less. Also I think we're mavericks because the floorplans everyone says are "the best" we can't stand. Have fun shopping!

[Snoopkat]

We bought a Newmar Ventana back in 2012 and had quite a few problems with it. Had to rassel with Newmar over a slide issue that finally got resolve 3 years later. Not Newmar's fault, but we are on our 6th Dometic AC. Whatever you choose, consider the dealership locations and proximity to your home. We had to make too many 750 mile round trips to the only quality dealership in the region. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[BigDogSolo]

[QUOTE=Matt D;3335223]We have owned 2 of 3 manufacturer's coaches.

We started with a 2012 Tiffin Phaeton 40QKH. We bought new and put around 26000 miles on it and actually bought and sold it twice. Long story.

.

Next came our new 2017 Aspire.

Wow.

We seriously looked at Newmar, and feel it very comparable to Entegra. However, the price is a bit higher than Entegra.

Hey Matt,
Glad to see you found your next one. I think you got the most bang for your buck with your new Entegra.
Still love our Dutch Star, but they are all so comparable, don't thing there is a wrong choice. Good luck with her. Im sure the kids love the new one too!

[Matt D]

Hi Sal, it's great to see so many familiar names popping up in this forum.

As to our coach, so far so good, knock on wood.

I think Newmar excels in one area Entegra won't envision.. customization. I really think they are missing the boat on this subject as many of us are willing to plunk down serious money to get what we want.

For example, adding a custom cabinetry item would offer a huge profit opportunity for EC, and satisfy the customer. Everyone wins.

Newmar does. Edge to Newmar in this one important area.

In spite of this, I feel Entegra and Newmar are really "kissin' cousins" as they share such a common thread of quality.

Tiffin will get there, just not on my timeline.

-Matt

[slowspokes1]

Originally Posted by marknpeg

You know what they say about opinions. The Ventana is our first and only coach, but we looked extensively at all three. Came very close to pulling the trigger on an Allegro RED until we got deeper into the owner's experiences. After speaking with several, we're glad we didn't but we love the 37PA. Looked at several Entegras, but we just didn't like the floorplans or the blingy interiors.

We actually made a decision to buy a Dutch Star 4018 but then we got our first real look at a Ventana. Optioned out right, and it's almost everything a DS is for 100k less. Also I think we're mavericks because the floorplans everyone says are "the best" we can't stand. Have fun shopping!

I expect you will be VERY happy.
I certainly agree about the bling and floor plans.

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by Matt D

.I think Newmar excels in one area Entegra won't envision.. customization. I really think they are missing the boat on this subject as many of us are willing to plunk down serious money to get what we want.

For example, adding a custom cabinetry item would offer a huge profit opportunity for EC, and satisfy the customer. Everyone wins.

Newmar does. Edge to Newmar in this one important area.

-Matt

Obviously EC does not see a huge profit opportunity in customizing, or they would do it. I agree that Newmar's customization is very nice, but of course this only applies if you are buying new and willing to wait. But we did extensive aftermarket cabinetry mods with the cost savings that we got buying Entegra and got everything we wanted on our EC coach.

[wnytaxman]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

Obviously EC does not see a huge profit opportunity in customizing, or they would do it. I agree that Newmar's customization is very nice, but of course this only applies if you are buying new and willing to wait. But we did extensive aftermarket cabinetry mods with the cost savings that we got buying Entegra and got everything we wanted on our EC coach.

Entegra's business model is one where the line can run faster with very little variation in build options. I would say that this is one of the main reasons that Entegra can provide the quality they do for a price that tends to be a shade below comparable brands after a dealer discount.

Customization may allow for a good profit center but the reduction in efficiency of the build process may be too costly to implement. Just my $.02 from a bean counter's perspective.

[MoHoGo]

We had the same three brands on our short list with the DS 4369 leading the pack. The 4369 was my favorite because of the bedroom layout and the comfort steer.


Then the issues in 2016 with the front axle caused us to seriously look at Tiffin / Entegra. What we found was that:


1. The 44A floorplan on the Entegra had the (special changes) in the LR that we were making on the Newmar. + Entegra


2. Could not do anything about the BR Floorplan + Newmar


3. All of the options we were wrestling with on the Newmar were included on the Entegra and since they were in the base price Entegra had a better resale value when that time came. ++ Entegra


4. Yes, we had to give up on Comfort Steer. This was a hard one for us, but once we took the Entegra on a test drive we found it handled great. Then we started looking at all of the other brands without comfort steer and realized that when Newmar's exclusive right to use CS was expired, no one else picked it up. So maybe it wasn't the killer feature we thought. Still a definite + for Newmar.


5. Basement space, Entegra just had more and the basement height was significantly better by several inches. In 2017 Entegra went with the L16 AGM's and was able to put them between the frame rails (much better weight distribution and freed up a storage bay) + Entegra.


6. Since we were looking at the Anthem we could not get the passive tag. Now, since we don't have that feature, we can't say what the value would have been. However, since it is only operational moving forward it wasn't a big help in backing into sites and since there have been some issues with it coming unlocked we now feel it may have been just one more movable part that we didn't need the additional complexity of it our coach. Still, probably a + Newmar.


7. Entegra's 2 year warranty. This combined with the ability to take the coach back to Entegra towards the end of the warranty and get a PDI to correct all of the issues found in the first two years was a major plus. If Thor doesn't mess with that a definite ++ Entegra.


8. Delivery, since Entegra doesn't do changes we were able to delay our order date until the house was sold and we were still able to get delivery in 2 weeks. Newmar 5 months. This turned out to be a major plus for Entegra ++ Entegra.


9. Didn't realize at the time just how much we would use the centralized control of the 2017 Vegatouch system. But even with the initial problems it is so great to not have to go to multiple wall panels to control lights, shades and AV. The ability to view status of batteries and tanks capacities is another feature that if you didn't have it you wouldn't miss it, but once you do it would be hard to give up. + Entegra


10. Rand McNally GPS in place of the Clarion + Entegra


11. Now that the 2017 Newmar has the additional weight capacity on the front axle and 365 tires and the ability to get either the Freightliner or Spartan chassis this would have to be a ++ Newmar. I would expect Entegra to have this on the 2018 Anthem as well as a passive tag. I would not be surprised if they move to a 500 HP engine a well. But, for now, the Newmar would get a ++.


12. No carpet, "More Floor". Full Wall slide + Newmar. ++ Newmar if they don't have any more issues like the 2016 weight problem on the FA.


13. Bling, not sure why folks feel the Entegra has too much. Now, if talking about bling that is how we felt about Tiffin and the high gloss wood. Still, in our limited 4 months of moving between campgrounds we still see more Tiffin's that either of the two other brands. So go figure.


As I write this it is clear that one can not go wrong with either Newmar or Entegra. I think that Newmar probably edges out Entegra on brand stability right now, but Thor can do wonders with the Entegra brand it they put the resources of TMC behind Entegra. If Thor takes the approach to maximize profit at the cost of service, features or quality they could also kill the brand. Only time will tell. Of course, Forest River or Thor could also buy Newmar as well.


Time to get off of the soap box. For sure, I would be happy with either Entegra or Newmar.

[Cranemec]

Do not dismiss American Coach.