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BoldAdventure · 03-24-2016, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

Hey buddy... thank you. I need to look into the Powerwagon... sounds like a great vehicle! Anything that can reliably carry you on off-road explorations is well worth the expense in my view. Off-road travel is fabulous life-experience!

Happy journeys to you, as well, and hopefully, we will meet up somewhere along the RV trail!

Yea - since we can't pull a jeep, it was the best alternative. The only truck with warranty that comes with true real front and rear lockers, on the fly manual shift transfer case and only vehicle that comes with a 12000lb Warn Winch from the factory. Not to mention the 2 inch additional factory lift over the regular 4x4. Lots of under body armor and the meaty BFG 33's on 17inchs for lots of sidewall action.

Downside is payload suffers from the softer springs used that give greater flex off road.

I'm a fan. It's our compromise vehicle. I mean a short wheel base Jeep will always do better.

We've got Durtracs now and I'll be honest, not a fan. I have had Toyo's, General Grabbers and Nitto Trail Grappler. Right now I am leaning towards getting the General Grabber AT's again. They where a great all around tire.

JCWDCW · 03-24-2016, 10:12 AM

That's a house!!!
Good luck and Happy Trails

JCW

Meeks · 03-24-2016, 10:18 AM

What a great post! So true about there being no "perfect" RV. Especially since needs and desires change over time. Thanks also for sharing your insightful posts about your decision process and your discovery of pros and cons of various RVs. Have fun out there!

vito98103 · 03-24-2016, 10:24 AM

Good choice on the Newmar - probably the best motorhome on the market.
Enjoy!

NoNameinNM · 03-24-2016, 12:52 PM

Congratulations on your new purchase!

I love our Airstream dearly, but there are days when the lavatory seems to be getting smaller, the space around the foot of the bed seems to be shrinking, and I find myself longing for a bit more storage space.

We are occasionally joined on RV trips by my brother-in-law and his wife-- they "downsized" last year from a 39' Class A to a 37' Class A. They never lack for storage inside or on the outside of the coach, plus I can certainly appreciate the space they enjoy with all the slide-outs and I'm thoroughly jealous of their stacked washer and dryer!

Happy travels!

ijustlee · 03-24-2016, 06:28 PM

After seeing the interior photos of your new motor home your treasonous defection from the tribe can be forgiven! Just this once. That full side slide is awesome!

DHart · 03-24-2016, 09:10 PM

Thanks so much to you all for the kind and supportive posts.

I look forward to meeting some of you, perhaps, out there on the trail. I know how to find you Airstream people! ;-)

We're all RVers at heart, living the travel dream, regardless of the type of rigs we hang out in.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 03-25-2016, 02:02 AM

Hi, nice motorhome; I'm sure you will enjoy it. At one time, we were thinking of switching to a similar motorhome. I liked the 32'er, but my wife liked the 36'er. [the 36'er had a washer/dryer] Needless to say we still have our trailer.

DHart · 03-25-2016, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, nice motorhome; I'm sure you will enjoy it. At one time, we were thinking of switching to a similar motorhome. I liked the 32'er, but my wife liked the 36'er. [the 36'er had a washer/dryer] Needless to say we still have our trailer.

Bob... we had a stacked washer and dryer in our last motorhome and man was that nice to have (particularly for the wife). Not having that this time is a sacrifice we are making to keep the coach to a nice, compact 32'. But using a park's laundromat once in a while isn't such a bad thing.

MAJORJDB · 03-25-2016, 09:01 AM

So... Just ring the bell and move on, no need to try and impress anyone.

DHart · 03-25-2016, 01:15 PM

For those who asked about the recliner modification to the Newmar, and those who expressed a similar interest in going with a Class A motorhome, I have a few photos for you. Also, this motorhome is about 1' longer than our International Serenity.

DHart · 03-26-2016, 10:59 AM

I want to reach out and thank the people who sent "Thanks" comments encouraging me to continue to participate on the forum and who appreciate and enjoy seeing and hearing about other brands/types of RVs.

I think most of us can enjoy and do appreciate RVs of all types. I enjoyed my VW Westfalia campers in the seventies, my 5th wheel in the early 2000s, my 44' Diesel Pusher in 2011-2013, the Airstream in 2015, and now the Newmar in 2016. Something great about each of them.

There are some awesome people on this forum who make great contributions, to RVing in general, and I plan to remain a participating member.

streaminwild · 03-28-2016, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

There are some awesome people on this forum who make great contributions, to RVing in general, and I plan to remain a participating member.

Glad to here this DHart. Weather we own a Airstream or any other R.V., we all love the great outdoors. Looking forward to future post on places to visit or roads conditions to avoid. Sharing information benefits everyone. Once family always family...safe travels my friend. streaminwild

paiceman · 03-28-2016, 07:54 AM

Good luck and enjoy. We had a 37 foot Newmar Canyon Star for nine months. Also a V10. It will not handle the same as the 44' pusher, which I am sure you realize. Loved the coach, but missed the handling of the F250 and Airstream. Storage in the Canyon star was terrific, amazing and we too towed a Jeep (wrangler) which we loved to use when stopped.

Best of luck and keep moving forward.

Bud

DHart · 03-28-2016, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by streaminwild

Glad to here this DHart. Weather we own a Airstream or any other R.V., we all love the great outdoors. Looking forward to future post on places to visit or roads conditions to avoid. Sharing information benefits everyone. Once family always family...safe travels my friend. streaminwild

Thanks, siw!

DHart · 03-28-2016, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paiceman

Good luck and enjoy. We had a 37 foot Newmar Canyon Star for nine months. Also a V10. It will not handle the same as the 44' pusher, which I am sure you realize. Loved the coach, but missed the handling of the F250 and Airstream. Storage in the Canyon star was terrific, amazing and we too towed a Jeep (wrangler) which we loved to use when stopped.

Best of luck and keep moving forward.

Bud

Thanks, Bud. I gave some consideration to the Canyon Star (nice coach!), though not very much, as we really wanted to keep to the shorter and lighter-weight 32' Bay Star.

Yes, nothing is quite like a 44' tandem axle diesel pusher! But there are a few simple mods (front and rear sway bars and steering stabilizer) that are quickly and easily made to the Ford V-10 chassis which make the gas coach more stable and handle a bit more like a dp. We're planning to do those mods soon.

The V-10 front engine has more noise and less power than dp, of course, which are compromises we're ok with given the advantages of having a 32' Class A vs. the larger and much more costly diesel pushers. Every RV has its pros and cons, of course.

paiceman · 03-28-2016, 09:43 AM

When we had our Canyon we happened to camp next to one of the retired Ford engineers who developed the V10. He gave me some tricks, which you might already know. "Push it, you literally cannot hurt the engine" was one, another was "with no air brakes, downshift before going down the hill and keep downshifting in the mountains". Ours actually was not too noisy, more than a pusher we had some years ago, but not bad. We do miss the storage, especially on our long trips of two to three months.

Hope it works better than you anticipate. Enjoy

Bud

Fly at Night · 03-28-2016, 10:01 AM

Your "smaller" Class A still looks huge to me. (Having never driven a MH, I guess I'm a bit intimidated).

You are a nice man. Glad this isn't a Dear John/Jane letter.

Look forward to reading about your Newmar adventures.

Keep safe and happy.

DHart · 03-28-2016, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paiceman

When we had our Canyon we happened to camp next to one of the retired Ford engineers who developed the V10. He gave me some tricks, which you might already know. "Push it, you literally cannot hurt the engine" was one, another was "with no air brakes, downshift before going down the hill and keep downshifting in the mountains". Ours actually was not too noisy, more than a pusher we had some years ago, but not bad. We do miss the storage, especially on our long trips of two to three months.

Hope it works better than you anticipate. Enjoy

Bud

Thanks for the tips. I've read here and there that unlike diesel engines, the V-10 totally thrives at high RPMs. So your comment about worry-free 'pushing' of the V-10 engine makes sense. Ten smaller pistons are probably more eager to go fast than eight much larger ones.

DHart · 03-28-2016, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fly at Night

Your "smaller" Class A still looks huge to me. (Having never driven a MH, I guess I'm a bit intimidated).

You are a nice man. Glad this isn't a Dear John/Jane letter.

Look forward to reading about your Newmar adventures.

Keep safe and happy.

Thanks FaN for your kind remarks. Once you drove one of these 32' Newmars, you would become accustomed to it quickly. They are like driving a large van. Having driven a 44' diesel pusher for 24k miles or so, I guess that makes the 32' seem small to me, as well.

And you are a nice woman, as well!