Community Forums

roberjw49 · 03-16-2012, 09:32 AM

I know everyone has their own reasons for owning a New Horizons. I am trying to decide on which to purchase to make our Home when we sell the S&B.
What do you see is the reason to own a New Horizons Majestic instead of an HH Champagne ?
Don't throw me out for asking. I'm just looking for help in making an improtant decision.

John

Fred1609 · 03-16-2012, 11:49 AM

Hi John and welcome to IRV2. I don't have an answer to the question as I think choice of a rig is such a personal decision based on your needs and likes/dislikes. I did see a New Horizon in the build stage on another forum and I was really impressed with the basic rig and the add ons the full time owners were adding. I'd spend time looking at web sites and seeking out opinions and then at the end of the day make the based informed decision you can..Good Luck and again Welcome to the forum

ExcitedToRv · 03-17-2012, 12:09 PM

If you have not already, you may wish to purchase a membership to RV Consumer Group. They provide rating on different Fifth Wheels. Although I cannot speak from personal experience, RV Consumer Group (RVCG) rates New Horizons at 5 stars (with 5 stars being their highest rating) with a 91 Reliability Rating and 96 Value Rating; RVCG rates HitchHiker Champagne at 4.5 stars with a 84 Reliability Rating and 89 Value Rating. The average price varies by model, but HH Champagne average price is lower.

As Fred shared, choosing an RV is a very personal decision. In my research of different RV manufacturer, I found the RVCG very helpful – although New Horizons was already on the top of my list, RVCG quickly allowed me to remove some other RV makers from my list based upon their ratings as well as Staff Reviews that are contained with RVCG.

If you consider HH Champagne, you might wish to inquire about the company’s financial stability. Although that is a good idea with any RV manufacturer, but potentially more relevant with HH Champagne since they considered closing their doors a few years ago. Per RVCG: “Nu-Wa ceased production early in 2009, its fiftieth anniversary, succumbing to the same pressures that caused so many other RV manufacturers to fail in the wake of high gas prices and the credit crunch. However, in March 2009, management announced that they would reopen in June of that same year with "limited" production ...”

NULarry B · 03-17-2012, 04:36 PM

Roberjw49
As you found over on the NUWA Owners website several are very biased to the brand. I and others like the Ancient Mariner are quite a bit more open minded. We have a 35LKRSB that we like very well, but are investigating the New Horizons Majestic ourselves.
They are both a very well built trailers with companys that stand behind their products.

To Excited to Rv's comment, NuWa changed their buisness plan and have been putting out trailers on a steady basis since they started back up.

The one thing that impressed me about them isthat when the suspended production, they continued to honor their warranties, and kept the service open and were booked solid as they still are servicing units.
We did the factory tour last fall and weere impressed with it. We would like to tour New Horizons factory, but at least will be meeting one of their Ambassadors this summer and getting to tour their rig, and find out more about the company.

roberjw49 · 03-19-2012, 11:02 AM

Larry,

I will be meeting one of their Ambassadors this next Saturday and touring their coach.

Thanks for your input. This is a difficult decision. I think these two models are very close in value.

jablair · 03-19-2012, 07:17 PM

Both before and when purchasing our 2011 Nuwa, I was not at all concerned about their financial stability. I did spend time with the owner of New Horizons twice and then his daughter once at various RV shows prior to purchasing. My preference for Nuwa came down to:
Price,
Weight,
Features.

Did not like the higher weight of the New Horizons. Some may think that makes it stronger or better in some way. In my view a properly design frame, wall and roof structure is superior to any gain from being over built.

I found a floor plan I really liked in the Nuwa 38LKTG. Might have considered some minor customization but decided it simply wasn't worth the trouble and any additional cost. So did even consider it with the Nuwa.

The Nuwa had all the features I desired and some of New Horizons touted features I viewed as a negative. Just one example would be the residential style cabinetry. I don't find this to be significant feature and view it as only adding unnecessary weight.

New Horizons was, and as far as I know, remains a low volume manufacturer. This along with a few other factors leads to a higher cost for them and you. I simply did not see any significant value to justify the additional cost. Now understand my own financial situation had drastically changed over the last five years. Quite possible this may have tainted my view of the additional cost. It is equally possible it simply sharpened my value perspective.

In general those are broad brush strokes of the reasons I ultimately decided on Nuwa. You of course must decide what is important and valuable to you.

On Edit: The great things is that you will certainly be happy with either Nuwa or New Horizons. Neither will disappoint. They are both excellent companies with a strong customer orientation.

greyt-parent · 03-19-2012, 08:17 PM

Having gone through the exact same decision process 12 months ago, I can sympathize with your dilemma. Both NuWa and NH were on our short list and toured both factories on a visit to Kansas. As you are looking to become full timers, you should make sure that your new home fits ALL of YOUR needs.
If you can find a NuWa design that meets all of your needs, then you will be getting a fine product. We were impressed with their designs and construction. NH will customize your RV to meet any and all of your requirements. That was one of the deciding factors in our selection of NH. Yes, NH is a low volume manufacturer, but you get a product that reflects the care and attention paid to the manufacturing process. The selection of your next home is something you need to come to terms with , and what features are important to YOU. For example,for us, the residential style cabinetry was a definite plus, as it makes the RV feel like home.