Thoughts on this MH for our first?
Thanks to all in other threads of helping me and the wife out with regards to our choice of MH. After looking at floorplans, reading about build quality, etc. I think I've decided on the Newmar line ...
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For the spark plug issue, you just need to follow the torque guidelines from Ford. Or do as I do, have the Ford dealer change them. I changed my first set at 60K, so it is not a frequent issue. I would not spend $$$$ to replace the heads unless you have spit out 3 on each side. The replacement heads only give you about 1 thread more. There are LOTS of these V10s out there that never see any issues. Some people hear there is a problem with plugs coming out so they put them in "extra tight" which is what causes them to get spit out in the first place.
The Todd Engineering transfer switch had an issue with burned contacts on the relays. The exact replacement is no longer available so I put in an ESSO I got on Amazon for about $250.
The Todd Engineering converter will cook your batteries if you are not religious about checking electrolyte levels. The float voltage is too high (13.6V). Todd Engineering was bought by Iota and it looks like you can add the IQ4 but it does not work. I got tired of adding water to the batteries, so I replaced it with a Progressive Dynamics PD9280V with Charge Wizard for $225.
We really like our Mountain Aire 3796. DW will not give up the kitchen layout. That model actually has a decent amount of counter space. For a gasser it rides fairly well. I can do 550 - 600 mile days if needed, even though I prefer 350 - 400. We are averaging 7.4 MPG pulling a Chevy Malibu and maintaining 62 - 65 MPH. Swapping out the TVs is easy and so is adding a satellite dish as it should be pre-wired. The tank capacities are a bit smaller that we would like, but we usually only boondock for 2 or 3 days at a time so they are sufficient.
PM me if you want to talk or have more questions.
The Todd Engineering transfer switch had an issue with burned contacts on the relays. The exact replacement is no longer available so I put in an ESSO I got on Amazon for about $250.
The Todd Engineering converter will cook your batteries if you are not religious about checking electrolyte levels. The float voltage is too high (13.6V). Todd Engineering was bought by Iota and it looks like you can add the IQ4 but it does not work. I got tired of adding water to the batteries, so I replaced it with a Progressive Dynamics PD9280V with Charge Wizard for $225.
We really like our Mountain Aire 3796. DW will not give up the kitchen layout. That model actually has a decent amount of counter space. For a gasser it rides fairly well. I can do 550 - 600 mile days if needed, even though I prefer 350 - 400. We are averaging 7.4 MPG pulling a Chevy Malibu and maintaining 62 - 65 MPH. Swapping out the TVs is easy and so is adding a satellite dish as it should be pre-wired. The tank capacities are a bit smaller that we would like, but we usually only boondock for 2 or 3 days at a time so they are sufficient.
PM me if you want to talk or have more questions.
