While I appreciate all the positive comments regarding Newmar Motorhomes it might be wise to treat all reviews with some health skepticism so as to make a moree informed buying decision. I looked at all the Newmar reviews and they would appear to be written by Newmar itself. Nothing remotely negative and when it comes to today's motorhomes that just can't happen. They are too complex for such a perfect track record. In my experience, whether with cars or RV's, the owners are somewhat reluctant to admit their buying decision may have been emotional as much as financial. I know mine did. My 2003 Newmar Mountain-Aire was the single biggest financial mistake of my life. I expected "issues" just like one does with a new car. I did not expect to encounter every conceivable issue possible with a new motorhome. So, I suggest every newbie out there question everything the dealer and/or manufacturer says. Just keep in mind they are not your buddies and never will be. Get everything in writing and don't believe all the hype about the vaunted Newmar work ethic and quality control. I took my issues all the way to the President of Newmar and got nowhere. Newmar makes their motorhomes just like everybody else . If I sound bitter I'm not, just very disappointed in Newmar.

A negative post by a new member is treated with some skepticism, just like an overly positive post.Newmar is one of the few companies that has managed to stay in business during these tough times when most RV manufacturers closed up. That must count for something. I don't have a Newmar and don't know anyone personally that owns one, so I don't have any first or second hand experience.

What convinced you to buy it to begin with? Was it the floor plan or ??? Just curious. I feel sorry for some folks that see an RV and "fall in love" with it.I have been disappointed also. Have Holiday Rambler that some jerk put a staple into the drain pipe for the bath, when they were stapling it together. Of course the leak didn't show till several years later and after a lot of baths. And of course after warranty was long gone. Their answer to us was "sorry, not our problem"Have friend that used to work at Safari Motorhomes in Oregon. His stories were eye opening. MY favorite was his stories with special order units. "Ya, like were going to stop the line because we are out of something for plumbing. Go to Home Depot and buy some garden hose, it will hold till warranty is over"That's why I have info I have in my signature line

We have owned our 2000 Mountain Aire since fall of 2009, it had been in dry storage for the prior 9 years, a sad story of sudden illness of the original buyer. We went thru the wake up period of rotted tires & hoses, frozen/broken, water systems. We have poisoned the coach with bad fuel, electrocuted it by hooking it up to an out of phase electrical hook up, and made almost every mistake a nubi can make on a Class A, but never once have I had to cope with poor quality parts or poor quality workmanship by Newmar, or a company out of business. Every time I had questions or needed parts they were always there with what I needed, even if it was simply a how to do some thing. I feel sorry for you if you have had problems with Newmar, and hope that it not a sign of the times, or indications of things to come.

So what problems or issues did or do you have. You have just ranted with no real discussion to measure your discontent. Our 02 DSDP has no significant problems compared to the other 5 rigs we have owned.

curious as to issues, also , i do own a older newmar london aire 1995 with lots of miles and mistakes , the Radiator is down as we speak and i dearly love it. She has held up for the years and miles and hopefully for many years to come. Cant speak for Newmar service as i really havent needed them. What issues have you had that was so major you had to get with the owners?

Newmar Class A | Good Sam Community

30 Replies

PastorCharlie
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
I have an 2008 Newmar and the house and cabinets are solid and very nicely done. The chassis and appliances are built by different manufacturers and any problem with them are not Newmar related as to build quality.

It would be interesting to know what particular problems the OP has had with his unit, may not be Newmar related but some other manufacturer.
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
Buy cheap in any brand, you'll pay later.
ncrowley
Explorer II
Jul 01, 2014
Well, I have had my Newmar for almost two years. It was 9 years old when I purchased it. Overall, I am very happy. The biggest issues I have had it with slides. The large slide on the driver's side has a controller go out and it would not come in after being out for a few months. If you put power directly on the motor, it worked fine. I am very pleased with the insulation and the workmanship. We went through a very cold spell with lots of snow and it proved to be very well insulated and handled the cold better than we did :-) The ride is great. I would definitely purchase another Newmar if I ever sold this one, although I do not plan to.
mtrumpet
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
JohnnyT wrote:
At this point all we know is that the OP is referring to a 2003 Newmar... We do not know what model or what problems.

In terms of relative quality at each price point by manufacturer... That is not the topic of this thread.

The OP has not returned to the thread to provide additions information or respond to questions so I will be closing the thread in the not to distant future.

While the thread remains open please stay on topic...

JohnnyT Moderator

Given the lack of detailed information by the OP outside of, Newmar's-are-just-as-bad-as-the-rest-of-them, I'm not sure that most of us here are quite clear as to what the topic actually is? :h
JohnnyT
Explorer II
Jul 01, 2014
At this point all we know is that the OP is referring to a 2003 Newmar... We do not know what model or what problems.

In terms of relative quality at each price point by manufacturer... That is not the topic of this thread.

The OP has not returned to the thread to provide additions information or respond to questions so I will be closing the thread in the not to distant future.

While the thread remains open please stay on topic...

JohnnyT Moderator
Effy
Explorer II
Jul 01, 2014
mtrumpet wrote:
When DW and I were shopping around for our DP, we looked at a LOT of rigs - of all types and sizes, from all the manufacturers in all price ranges. We saw some very well built units as well as some real garbage! It was quite a learning experience to say the least. We spent a good year and a half doing our research and shopping around before finding what we liked and what filled out punch list.

We've had our Newmar for four years now and I am extremely happy with the quality and workmanship. Regarding the craftsmanship of the cabinetry, contrary to what others have said here, the workmanship in mine is excellent. My cabinets are are all solid Maple and they are very well constructed.

Are there areas that could've used some improvement? Of course there are. Overall though, I'm very happy with the build quality of my Newmar.

That was sort of the point I was trying to make. Folks with units 10 years old speak of how great they are built. It seems to be the newer ones that are beginning to show a decline in that quality. I am telling you if you put a Thor,FR, FW, Winnie, etc sticker on a Newmar Bay/Canyon star you wouldn't know the difference. sans the slide out mechanism. The higher quality just isn't there. I fully beleive that older units were of superior quality and perhaps the Aire line still may.
mtrumpet
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
When DW and I were shopping around for our DP, we looked at a LOT of rigs - of all types and sizes, from all the manufacturers in all price ranges. We saw some very well built units as well as some real garbage! It was quite a learning experience to say the least. We spent a good year and a half doing our research and shopping around before finding what we liked and what filled out punch list.

We've had our Newmar for four years now and I am extremely happy with the quality and workmanship. Regarding the craftsmanship of the cabinetry, contrary to what others have said here, the workmanship in mine is excellent. My cabinets are are all solid Maple and they are very well constructed.

Are there areas that could've used some improvement? Of course there are. Overall though, I'm very happy with the build quality of my Newmar.
smacdiesel
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
I agree with the Amish claims, a beard and old hat doesn't make you a better craftsman.
Effy
Explorer II
Jul 01, 2014
katoomer wrote:
I've owned a Newmar for 5 yrs and it is basically a well built coach. One negative I will say is their claim of Amish craftsmanship quality cabinetry is unfounded. The cabinetry in my coach is poorly made. The main kitchen cabinet is mounted in the slide. It had twisted so much that
it started to fall apart and the Corian countertop cracked when the coach was just a couple of yrs. old. I had to rebuild and re-enforce it. Also the cabinet door has started to sag and fall apart at the stile and rail.
The small cabinet beside the couch also came of the wall as there were only 2 small screws holding it in place. There are just too many places where either for cost or weight they used
1/8" panels and framework rather than 5/8" or 3/4" gables. Fortunately, I have the skills to repair this myself as I am a professional cabinetmaker and have been so for over 35 yrs.
Maybe their high end coaches have better cabinetry but my Ventanas cabinets are very
poorly made

I think they have Amish and Mennonite folks working for them. That - as we can see - does not translate into what you would expect.
katoomer
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
I've owned a Newmar for 5 yrs and it is basically a well built coach. One negative I will say is their claim of Amish craftsmanship quality cabinetry is unfounded. The cabinetry in my coach is poorly made. The main kitchen cabinet is mounted in the slide. It had twisted so much that
it started to fall apart and the Corian countertop cracked when the coach was just a couple of yrs. old. I had to rebuild and re-enforce it. Also the cabinet door has started to sag and fall apart at the stile and rail.
The small cabinet beside the couch also came of the wall as there were only 2 small screws holding it in place. There are just too many places where either for cost or weight they used
1/8" panels and framework rather than 5/8" or 3/4" gables. Fortunately, I have the skills to repair this myself as I am a professional cabinetmaker and have been so for over 35 yrs.
Maybe their high end coaches have better cabinetry but my Ventanas cabinets are very
poorly made

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