So what's so special about a New Horizons

[ghaynes754]

I've always gotten a lot of information from reading the various forums on IRV2. Through my journey with Airstreams to building/buying a Newmar Dutch Star I've learned a lot. Along with factory visits to various builders I've paid attention to how various companies build their products.

So I thought I would share a few items that I have seen while my New Horizon Majestic is being built through my visits to see my coach in progress. Items that add to the overall value but won't be seen during normal ownership. It's what sets NH apart from other brands.

For this first post lets talk about wiring. You may have seen photos and videos of just bundles and bundles of wires, especially behind the basement wall in a 5th wheel or elsewhere in other rigs. Looks like a birds nest. Some of that can't be avoided, like all of the cable ends connecting to a control panel. But what about all of the cable routing that you don't see.

Here's an example I saw this week in a YouTube video of power wires routed through the cross braces on this trailer.



You wouldn't see this unless the bottom cover was removed but I would be concerned about chafing of those cables over time.

In the case of New Horizons they build an actual wiring harness for each of their trailers. Each wire end is labeled so that if you need to do trouble shooting it easier to determine which wire goes where. Where wires come off the main bundle, rather than being crimped connections for a T into a longer cable they solder the new wire to the main and then everything is entirely wrapped. Personally I've never seen any other builder doing this type of fabrication. Reminds me of how aircraft wiring harnesses are built.



The entire table long enough to do any coach that they build.



So this is an example of what I consider to be quality going into the build of a New Horizons coach that sets them apart from other builders.


More to follow.

[ghaynes754]

Have you ever tried thumping the walls of a 5th wheel or other type of trailer? How does it sound? Did the exterior wall flex? Any difference if you do a thump test above and below the skirt line section?

In the case of an NH coach the thump sounds just as solid on the sidewall above the belt/skirt section as it does below.

These three photos give you an idea about what is behind those sections.

Photo 1 shows the opening for the sewer hose storage area. The outer side is plywood, I think it is 3/8”, maybe ½”. Under that is the ubiquitous blue insulation board that is used everywhere on the coach. Plywood on the inside wall. All of the edges, when completed, will have the grey fabric.





Photo 2 on my coach is the cutout for the cooling fan of the LG Mini Split system. This is a good example showing that the above the skirt and below the skirt sections have the same insulation and build properties.





Photo 3 is the garage bay area looking through the upper doors on the front of the rig, behind the hitch. This is the area with the 120V inverter and 12v disconnects/circuit breakers. Very solid and robust. Notice the countersunk pockets for the wood assembly.




Try the thump test on other trailers. Several that I tried on leading brands didn’t have much structure below that belt line. And the exterior panels in those areas all flexed when pressed.

This robust build detail supports the -10 degree guarantee that is part of the NH Four Season Comfort story. Seriously, who else insulates the dump hose storage area?

[JHinman]

Thanks for the pictures and narrative!

I was wondering about the cold weather capability of these trailers. The web site says they guarantee plumbing does not freeze, but does not really provide information about how they keep plumbing (and people) warm.

Do they take special care with the slide-outs? Heat the tank valves and outlets?

It would be nice to see a rig that actually addresses insulation in a comprehensive way.

I look forward to more photos from your build!

[ghaynes754]

There are two Furnaces, each a 2 stage, capable of 42,000 BTU (Suburban SF-42Q). Each of them has ducts going to the basement area, both the area with the water tanks and front storage area. In most if not all trailers there is a duct going to the wet bay controls area but the back side of all of the control valves in in the heated basement area.

The tank basement area is heavily insulated, bottoms and sides. Photo below you can see the fresh water tank to the left with one of two waste tanks on the right. Center opening is an access hatch if you ever need to work in the tank area. No need to cut a hole or drop the belly cover for most maintenance.




They have an option for tank heaters which are not required for the -10 degree guarantee. But I optioned them in. They are 12v and 120v.


Folks I have talked to usually run the furnace(s) on the low setting and they are very quiet.


My rig will have the LG Mini Split AC system. Unlike a typical RV AC/heatpump the Mini Split will work down to 10° F, where the usual AC systems only work down to 40° F.

[geo-gypsy]

Originally Posted by JHinman

Thanks for the pictures and narrative!

I was wondering about the cold weather capability of these trailers. The web site says they guarantee plumbing does not freeze, but does not really provide information about how they keep plumbing (and people) warm.

Do they take special care with the slide-outs? Heat the tank valves and outlets?

It would be nice to see a rig that actually addresses insulation in a comprehensive way.

I look forward to more photos from your build!

JHinman -

I can address your question. If you look on the last page of the New Horizons brochure, or at the bottom of the Majestic page on the New Horizons website, that is my Majestic on day 4 of a six day snowstorm in Pagosa Springs, CO, February 2019. The storm dropped 52 inches of snow in the campground, and 74 inches on Wolf Creek Ski Area! Awesome skiing! I called Cole and asked him what the snow load rating was for the roof. His answer, "Ron, I would have to ask you!" We had a total of 30 inches finally on the roof - blocking the DirecTV! We stayed warm. A couple of nights we did have the water line between the Anderson Valve and the fresh water tank freeze. I told Chris how to fix the problem and that fix is now part of the build procedure. However, we did have a water problem . . . The park's water distribution pipe froze for 36 hours! Now, I did have a couple of customizations that helped. I had a dedicated outlet installed in the kick plate of the kitchen island for an electric heater. I also devised an air distribution system for the underbelly that New Horizons installed. I put an oil-filled heater in the storage area that runs at half-power. So far, the coldest night we have experienced is -17F. And the warmest day, 108F.

Just my two cents,
Ron

[JHinman]

Thanks, Ron! Great picture, and great story about field testing the rig!

We rarely have external power when we camp, so insulation is an issue. Better insulation means less propane and less time running a generator to charge batteries.

It seems that the Achilles Heel for RVs is the slide out. Roof, floor, and side walls tend to be short-changed when it comes to insulation. I wonder if New Horizons has figured out a way to deal with that.

[ghaynes754]

Same build and insulation for the slides as the rest of the rig. 1 1/2inch blue insulation between the interior and exterior skins.

Roof is thicker. Total of ~5 1/2 inches. Photo below is from my roof during the build. This is a cutout for one of the LG Mini Split ceiling cassette units. The duct is the same size that would be used for air flow if you had standard RV AC units. For the LG system they use the duct to run the refrigerant lines. Foam over the top of the duct.

Walking on this roof there is NO flex unlike most other RV roofs. Finish is with a PVC roofing material, XTRM PLY by LaSalle Bristol.

[jmadren]

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

Same build and insulation for the slides as the rest of the rig. 1 1/2inch blue insulation between the interior and exterior skins.

So is the slide roof only 1-1/2 inches versus the main roof of 5+ inches? How is walking on the slide compared to the main roof?

[ghaynes754]

I think the slide roof is about 2", the 1 1/2" insulation and then the interior and exterior materials. I've heard one Majestic owner on YouTube say that he was told that he can walk on the top of the slide. He doesn't have an exterior ladder on his coach and his telescoping ladder wasn't long enough to get to the roof. So he climbs to the top of a slide and steps from there onto the roof.

I'll check the slide roof thickness the next time I am at the factory.

[JHinman]

I keep checking in to see if you have posted more progress pictures of your new rig. Is the manufacture sending you pictures?

[ghaynes754]

Yes I get photos every week. The ones I have been putting in this thread are ones I've taken on my 3 trips to the factory during the build. Anything specific you would like to see?

[JHinman]

Originally Posted by ghaynes754

Yes I get photos every week. The ones I have been putting in this thread are ones I've taken on my 3 trips to the factory during the build. Anything specific you would like to see?

Nothing specific. Those items that you think set NH apart from other rigs are interesting, as are general assembly and construction photos.

I recently toured the factory where my current unit was built. There did not seem to be much in the way of geometric control in the process.

Mostly I am just curious about an upscale RV. Which version are you getting, and what customization are you doing?

Thanks for sharing!

[ghaynes754]

It is a Majestic, 42, 4 slides. Major changes was doing a drop floor in the bedroom (extra 5" in ceiling height), LG Min Split A/C system with three distribution cassettes (standard is 2), larger windows in the bedroom and bathroom. Most other items were ones that you would normally choose during the design phase.

One of the biggest features that sets NH apart from the other manufacturers is the frame. They build their frame in house and it is the battleship of frames. Multiple YouTube videos out there. No flex and when you are standing in the coach and jump up and down there is little if any movement. Try that in any other brand, even the higher end 5th wheels and you feel the floor/trailer movement.

Check out the FaceBook New Horizons Family pages. Lots of good information from NH owners.

[ghaynes754]

The Roof

The robustness of the New Horizons structure compared to other construction methods used in the industry becomes clear during a factory tour.

The roof structure is very different than most others. Many companies use some type of truss system, either wood or aluminum. Between the trusses they use insulation batting of various thickness. Roof may be flat or have bowed. Walking on these types of roofs most folks can feel the flex in the underlying plywood and it is typically suggested that you try to step on the framing points rather than between them to reduce that flex.

On a New Horizons the roof frame is also aluminum but total thickness with the roof plywood to the inside ceiling is about 5 inches. The frame is filled with two layers of solid insulation board.

It is a flat roof edge to edge. From the front to about mid coach the roof is flat and then a small angle of slope to the rear of the coach.

Walking on the roof there is virtually no flex. I’d say no flex at all at least when I have been on the roof.

The first photos are of the frame, on edge, at the factory. As with the chassis NH builds all of their walls/frames in house. You can see the size of the main tubes and the additional bracing for areas like AC, vent, skylight cutouts.










Next is the cutout for an LG Mini Split. Inside hole has not yet been cut. Glue that you see is what remains or was squeezed out from the entire assembly, interior ceiling, frame with insulation, roof exterior plywood going through the heated roller press. The two rectangular openings are the ducts, used for regular air conditioning or running the refrigerant lines for the LG Mini Split system.




Last two photos are of the overall roof just prior to the PVC Xtrm Ply roof being installed.