Considering a Newmar All Star 3950

Mid Engine???

ACDNate wrote:
Mid Engine???

Yep....just like what it sounds like. Engine sits in front of the axle, pretty much under the center of the chassis. They have side radiators about mid-coach. Not sure how many manufacturers used the chassis but I know Newmar and Travel Supreme did for sure. 34.5k GVWR

dgreen1069 wrote:
I used to be very active on this forum but haven't been around much the last few years. I still have the truck and trailer in my signature but am finally looking to upgrade to a diesel motorhome.

I am seriously considering a Newmar 3950. This is a mid-engine diesel coach on a Spartan chassis with a rear loft room above the master bedroom. I have a few questions for anyone familiar with this coach.

Do you regret only having one slide-out? It seems to me that the slide out in the main room is fairly large giving the coach a lot of main living space.

Do you find the loft usable? My kids are high school and middle school age and currently sleep in my trailer's bunks. The loft is certainly larger than what they are used to, but can a grownup sleep up there without feeling like they are in a coffin?

Has the lack of outside storage bothered you? Like everything else, the storage is a compromise. I've read the mid-engine configuration actually makes service easier (which I would not have expected), but the double decker bedrooms eliminate a lot of storage from the rear. My gut tells me it isn't an issue since the motorhome probably still has more storage than what I'm used to.

Any other likes or dislikes?

Anyone traveled a significant distance to buy a rig from someone else? I'm trying to work out the logistics in my head and it seems a bit daunting.

I just bought one and got back from our first big trip in it.

The storage is but isnt an issue. It is an issue because there isnt much but we also make it work. You have a large side box, a small side box, and the up and down in the back. Just pack it tight! One of the boxes is just for tools and parts being a trucker I want to have anything I made need to avoid the dreaded side of the road breakdown.

The loft is awesome. My kid is only 3 and one in the oven so for now its great. I slept up there a few nights and being 6 foot it was a little tight but doable. One night it did rain and all the kids in the group wanted to watch movies in the loft which was cool but also meant all the kids were in our RV lol.

I found this as I was looking into service on one as I have a massive oil leak. "Some say the mid engine is easier to work on" is a quote I have seen on closed topics from 6 years ago but I cannot imagine how it would be easier. It is pretty cramped in there even with the floor access taken out.

The one slide is fine for us. There is plenty of room in the back to change and sleep, what else do you need? When its closed and people check it out I often here "there is a lot of room in here with the slide in" referring to the walk way through the cabin. I have not been in many RV's so I do not have anything to compare it too.

It rides really nice having the motor in the middle. Again, I have not driven a pusher but being in the trucking business all my life (pulling / dragging / weight distribution of load etc) its nice to drive.

Yes, Spartan build some mid engine diesel chassis. Access to the top of the engine is through a hatch in the floor.

Should be pretty well balanced, though I have never driven one.

bcobb2555 wrote:

dgreen1069 wrote:
I used to be very active on this forum but haven't been around much the last few years. I still have the truck and trailer in my signature but am finally looking to upgrade to a diesel motorhome.

I am seriously considering a Newmar 3950. This is a mid-engine diesel coach on a Spartan chassis with a rear loft room above the master bedroom. I have a few questions for anyone familiar with this coach.

Do you regret only having one slide-out? It seems to me that the slide out in the main room is fairly large giving the coach a lot of main living space.

Do you find the loft usable? My kids are high school and middle school age and currently sleep in my trailer's bunks. The loft is certainly larger than what they are used to, but can a grownup sleep up there without feeling like they are in a coffin?

Has the lack of outside storage bothered you? Like everything else, the storage is a compromise. I've read the mid-engine configuration actually makes service easier (which I would not have expected), but the double decker bedrooms eliminate a lot of storage from the rear. My gut tells me it isn't an issue since the motorhome probably still has more storage than what I'm used to.

Any other likes or dislikes?

Anyone traveled a significant distance to buy a rig from someone else? I'm trying to work out the logistics in my head and it seems a bit daunting.

I just bought one and got back from our first big trip in it.

The storage is but isnt an issue. It is an issue because there isnt much but we also make it work. You have a large side box, a small side box, and the up and down in the back. Just pack it tight! One of the boxes is just for tools and parts being a trucker I want to have anything I made need to avoid the dreaded side of the road breakdown.

The loft is awesome. My kid is only 3 and one in the oven so for now its great. I slept up there a few nights and being 6 foot it was a little tight but doable. One night it did rain and all the kids in the group wanted to watch movies in the loft which was cool but also meant all the kids were in our RV lol.

I found this as I was looking into service on one as I have a massive oil leak. "Some say the mid engine is easier to work on" is a quote I have seen on closed topics from 6 years ago but I cannot imagine how it would be easier. It is pretty cramped in there even with the floor access taken out.

The one slide is fine for us. There is plenty of room in the back to change and sleep, what else do you need? When its closed and people check it out I often here "there is a lot of room in here with the slide in" referring to the walk way through the cabin. I have not been in many RV's so I do not have anything to compare it too.

It rides really nice having the motor in the middle. Again, I have not driven a pusher but being in the trucking business all my life (pulling / dragging / weight distribution of load etc) its nice to drive.

Congrats on the new rig. The one I was looking to buy didn't work out so I ended up going another direction. We bought a 2009 Discovery 40X which isn't a bunkhouse at all. It has two couches that are hide-a-beds and a large U-shaped dinette that converts to a bed. The larger beds work well for my kids since they are older, and we are hoping the extra living space will serve us well as we become empty nesters in the next few years.

dgreen1069 wrote:
The one I was looking to buy didn't work out so I ended up going another direction. We bought a 2009 Discovery 40X which isn't a bunkhouse at all. It has two couches that are hide-a-beds and a large U-shaped dinette that converts to a bed. The larger beds work well for my kids since they are older, and we are hoping the extra living space will serve us well as we become empty nesters in the next few years.

Congratulations to you on your new rig!!! :)

I think you made a wise decision. I've never been a fan of the majority of "bunk model" class A's (bunks are too close to the adult living space in most of them, and the bunks would use up what is invaluable closet & drawer space on our rig). The over/under idea on the Newmar, while novel, really seemed to serve a limited market segment. I found it "cramped" when I walked through a new one at a dealer and wifey didn't like the idea or going up there multiple times prepping for a trip to pack their clothes, etc.

Our dual sofa gas A rig has served us well through the years and we began when our youngest was 1. Now he's 15 and it STILL works well. When (if?) the kids ever move out and stop travelling with us, we still have a great floorplan for just the two us. We have seen MANY floorplans over the years, and our dual sofa layout with dinette is still the best one out there for our family.

I think if you're purchasing a rig with the expectations of owning it a long time (we were, and are!) then you can't go wrong with a standard layout such as yours.

Good Luck & safe travels to all,

~Rick