Our Basic Order

This is what we've ordered, straight from the 2016 Dutch Star 4369 order sheet dated 7/22/2015.  Specials will listed after they are approved and finalized.  Given Newmar's current workload, it could be sometime next week.

Note that the exterior color isn't specified here.  It was sent to Newmar as part of the e-mail that transmitted this order form.  We requested the Mountain Aire's "Windswept" color scheme to exactly match that of Dutch Star Coach #xxxxxxx, already in our dealer's inventory (see We have chosen our exterior color scheme!).

We have chosen our exterior color scheme!

So we played and played with different combinations of colors.  We liked darker on top, and were considering things like trying to match a color to our toad, the contrast in colors between our interior and exterior, and what would be the easiest to order.

With Newmar, it's not so difficult to change an exterior color - but don't even think about trying to change the design.  So we experimented with several color combinations (see Playing around with the exterior colors) and ended up convincing ourselves that we weren't totally happy with anything.

Our toad will be a Dodge RAM pickup truck.  It's dark gray, so we thought a lot about changing one of the colors to match it.  Then we noticed that the outside would be black, dark gray, light gray and another color that was almost white.  But when you walk into the coach, everything is beige (Cordova interior) and brown.

After spending hours on various combinations, we started browsing around the online inventory photos of our dealer to see how actual photos differed from drawings.  In doing so, we ran across a Dutch Star that wasn't painted using one of the three default Dutch Star schemes (Cannes, Night Sky and Maritime).  We liked the one we saw and my DW looked it up on the specs and saw that its scheme was "Windswept".  Where did that come from?  A quick search of Newmar's site turned up a Windswept exterior color scheme on the Mountain Aire.

Independence RV has this one for sale with the Windswept exterior color scheme.

When we saw it, we knew right away that it was the one we wanted because it has the darker top and the other colors that transition nicely between the exterior and the interior.  It's the one that we've requested.

Wow.  Glad that's done.

9/22/2015 Update:  We received the actual colors for this scheme from Newmar.  Here's how it's listed on the special order sheet:

SPECIAL ORDER EXTERIOR COLORS

SKIN-56680 CAJUN SPICE OBSIDIAN

A-64503 MEDIUM FAWN MET

B-44429B LIGHT CHAMPAINE MET

C-57714 DARK FAWN MET

AWNING LINEN TWEED

Understanding Engine Pre-heat

Thanks to my friend Mike Fultz for providing all of the information (that I've merely explained) and for reviewing it for accuracy.

It's a good idea to be able to pre-heat the engine before you start it up in a cold environment.  To do this (in the Dutch Star and probably in others), there's a standard item listed in the brochures as "Engine block heat", meaning that a heating device actually heats the engine oil pan, thus providing heat to the engine.  For this to work, you have to open up the back of the Dutch Star and plug in the heater (there's a 110V outlet there with the plug nearby), then go to the inside console and turn on the Engine Heater switch.  This also requires the coach to have access to 110V power.  Often, when dry camping or parked in a storage lot, 110V is not easily accessed.

In addition to the Engine Block Heater, there's a switch on the Oasis control panel located in the console above the passenger seat that is marked "Engine Preheat".  Originally, turning this on caused a control valve in the Oasis Distribution box to open and circulate a liquid (diesel or shore/generator powered) through the Cummins engine water jackets to preheat the engine.

However, Newmar has changed the way this works.  The "Engine Preheat" console switch actually doesn't do anything anymore.  That's because they have routed the liquid (ethelyne glycol) through the engine water jackets all the time.  This serves two purposes:  it preheats the engine and it also uses the engine's waste heat to heat up water to use for sinks and the shower or to provide heat to the coach.

Because of this new method of plumbing, often referred to as "motoraid", the engine can now be preheated in subfreezing weather using only the Oasis and without having to use the generator or shore power.  This is possible because the Oasis can run on its own with its diesel fueled burner.

To use it without shore power or the generator, you have to make sure the Oasis is on (the switch is on the Oasis itself, but you probably already have it on if you're camping somewhere because you're using hot water all the time), and you have to turn on the Burner switch in the console. This causes the Oasis to "burn" diesel fuel to heat up the liquid.

All of this is standard.  There's nothing special to order.

Playing around with the exterior colors

Newmar has published three color schemes for their Dutch Star's.  You pick the one you want when you complete your order sheet.  They are called Maritime, Cannes, and Night Sky.  Each design is broken up into four basic colors, with some shading.

Here's their layout for the Cannes Full-painted Exterior Graphics:

My wife would like to use some different colors, or maybe even just use their available colors in her own arrangement.  You're not usually allowed to change the design, just change the colors assigned to "Skin", A, B and C.  The problem is that it's hard to imagine what it might look like using different colors.

Just to be sure we had a color pallette available that matched Newmar's (not that we'll use their colors, but it's nice to have it available), I captured screen shots of the color sections for each of the three exteriors.  It looks like this:

I figured that the best way to play with various color schemes was to use a graphics editor that allows you to select similarly colored irregular shapes - like those waves of color on the RV's graphics.  One such program is called PhotoImpact Pro.  And I just happened to have already had it installed on my computer.

Bringing up PhotoImpact, I was able to individually select the colors and "paint" them with a color of my choosing.  I was able to take the above Cannes graphic and change it to something entirely different in about 20-30 minutes.  It ain't fancy, but you can see the results:  the top is the Cannes and the bottom is my new creation:

Now don't think for one minute that the bottom one is our choice.  I was just playing around.  But now we know what to do to experiment with various colors.

If you have PhotoImpact, just load the basic photo and use the Magic Wand set to a similarity of 10 to select a particular color (like the Skin).  Then select the plus sign "+" and continue clicking on pieces of the skin color until you think you have most of it selected.  Once that's done, select the bucket fill tool.  You can choose a color of your own or use the eyedropper and pick one of their colors from another graphic (like the one I made above).  When you're done, just save it.

I didn't mess with blending and shading.  Newmar does a wonderful job with that.  But using this technique will give us a pretty darn good idea of what we'll want to do with our exterior colors.

Hershey Day 2: What we learned

My DW is doing a bang-up job at Hershey.  She spent another day in and out of the coaches, doing research, talking to other people and sitting with factory reps to iron out issues with our order.  She called me several times, at one point even having me on Skype while her and two others talked about some things that had concerned us.

While this won't mean much to people who aren't getting a Newmar, it goes to show the kind of information you get by attending the shows.  Perhaps you can get some ideas of things to ask about your own coach.

Here are some of the things I got from just a few short phone calls with her - when she gets back, I know there will be even more to discuss:

• Outside LED lights.  We know that our coach is going to have LED lights over the door (the "porch"), along the edge of the awning, and under the curbside slides.  But I had read that the porch and awning lights were on the same switch.  Several people said to make sure that we ordered separate switches.  My wife tested them and found out that they are on separate switches by default.  One special request eliminated.
• Upgraded solar panel wiring.  I had understood that Newmar ran 10 gauge wire from the roof to the power bay to allow for the possibility of future solar panels.  Numerous people had advised to request upgraded 6 gauge wire because it can support more panels.  I did make the request and it was initially denied.  We figured that they may only put in 8-gauge wire.  It turns out that we were using a basic order form dated in May 2015 that only said something like "solar wiring upgrade".  The latest order form is dated in July and the option has been reworded to say that the upgraded solar wiring supports 1200 watts using 6-gauge wiring.  Obviously, it was denied as a "special" order because it is an option on the standard order sheet.  We'll now be adding that option.
• Kitchen sink.  Every coach we saw in person had double-bowl Corian (or similar) kitchen sinks.  However, we saw two online videos that showed a single, large stainless steel sink.  Since it wasn't on the standard order sheet as an option, we added it as a "special".   Much to our surprise, it was denied.  As she learned today, the stainless steel sink is the standard sink for our model; it was denied because it's already there as the standard.  It would sure make things a lot easier if they put some indication on their form as to why something is denied.
• Wiring for External Satellite Dish.  Having read about others who did it and seen it on some coaches myself, I submitted a special request to add extra wiring to support an external satellite dish.  It was denied.  Apparently, the right way to phrase the request is to ask for a "tripod setup".  Yes, words matter.  We'll resubmit.
• Smoke and mirrors.  I had never noticed this before, but the large mirrors in the bedroom and kitchen are "smoked"; that is, they have a grayish tint.  My wife sure noticed it, and she wants to request that they be replaced by regular mirrors.
• Engine pre-heat loop.  This is good to have when you're in colder climates.  We don't know when we'll be where, so we thought we'd ask for it.  It wasn't anywhere on the order sheet and we totally missed it in the brochure, where it clearly says that an "engine block heater" is standard. (See the later post called Understanding Engine pre-heat for an update on this)
• Upgraded Microwave Oven.  I have read a lot of posts that recommend that people upgrade the standard microwave oven to the GE Advantium.  Many folks said it was a major improvement.  We put it on our list of specials, even though we heard that the MSRP on the upgrade was a little over $1000.  She found out today that prior to 2015, a different brand of microwave was used and they received a fair number of complaints.  Beginning with 2015, they are using a Whirlpool and haven't had any (maybe just a lot less) complaints.  Both the Whirlpool and the GE are large convection microwaves, but the GE can also broil.  We decided that we could do without broiling, given the extra cost and the rearrangement of the cabinets to accommodate the larger GE.  So we're going to stay with the standard Whirlpool microwave. [Last minute change when we placed the order:  we're going with the Advantium.  It's vented to the outside and we don't want to regret not getting it]
• Slide-out trays under the kitchen sink.  Beginning with the 2016 DS4369's, the single slide-out tray under the kitchen sink has been replaced with two side-by-side trays.  We didn't think we would like that as much, so we requested that we get the single tray.  After reconsidering and thinking about how we would use the space, we're going to delete that request and stick with the standard two trays.
• Table attached to the passenger chair.  The DS4369 includes a table that folds up to a position above the lap of the passenger seat.  My wife doesn't like the table, and said that it's in a position that it could be bumped into when stowed and the chair is re-oriented toward the living area.  She would have liked to have them not install it, but was told that the coach was somehow certified with the table in place and that they would not be able to "not" put it on during manufacture.  If we don't want it, we'll have to remove it after delivery.
• Air conditioner condensation drains.  I was concerned that the air conditioner condensation would run off on the curb side of the coach, so I made a request that it be "plumbed" so that it only drained to the driver side.  My DW was told that they cannot change that due to something with the gutter trenches or something on the roof.  Apparently, it actually drains on both sides.
• Pantry Shelves and Lights.  We had seen some models with five shelves in the pantry, so we thought we'd ask for another one.  However, Mrs. G found out that the 2016 DS4369 comes with six shelves in the pantry.  The pantry doesn't have a light in it.  However, one of the higher-end models (I think the London Aire) has a LED light strip in the pantry that turns on when you open the door - and it can be ordered as an option on the Dutch Star.  Another addition to our list.

There may be more later.  If so, I'll come back here and add to the list.  If you follow by e-mail, I don't if you get another one when something is updated.  If you don't (or aren't sure), you may want to check back here in a few days to see if we've been able to expand the list.

Hershey Show Day!

Great day today, because Mrs. G is in Hershey for the big RV show.  She's there to choose colors, fabrics, tile, wallpaper, sinks, backsplashes, counters, lighting and exterior colors.

We knew before she left that she should meet with four people when she got there:  one of the Newmar factory reps (who we have met before and who is involved in our order), another factory rep who is the lady who handles a lot of the interior customization, and a couple that I've been corresponding with via e-mail.  The couple is about the same place in the ordering process as we are.

While at the hotel this morning having breakfast, she noticed that the two factory reps were at the next table and introduced herself.  And she wasn't at the show long when she ran into the couple!

So far today, she's Skyped twice to show me a few things.  Looks like a big show and I think what we get out of it will be well worth her visit.

Satellite TV: Lots of difficult decisions

One of the most difficult things to plan for the RV is the satellite TV system.  If the manufacturer is  going to mount a dish on the roof of the RV, then you need to know which service you're going to use before you order.

DirectTV or DISH?

From everything I hear, both are good for RVs.  Whenever someone posts this question to a RV Facebook group or in a forum, it seems like the responses are pretty evenly divided.  In terms of responses, and this is not scientific (it's my take on it), I'd say about 60%+ favor DISH.

In looking at both options, I wanted to keep several things in mind (in random order):

• Ability to move stuff (like receivers) between a house and the RV, if desired
• Ease of setup
• Programming
• Customer service; ability to call after a move to re-establish local stations
• Ease of use (such as movement between satellites when changing channels)
• Payment plans and temporary suspension of service
• Experiences of RVers

I also wanted the option, just in case, to be able to set up an external satellite dish on a tripod in case the RV was under a lot of tree cover. 

The internet is full of great advice and how-to information about satellite dishes for RVers.  I'll bet I looked at 20 videos and read quite a few blogs, articles and forums before making a decision.  In the long run, I decided to go with DISH.  My reasons, although sure that there are some DirectTV supporters who would disagree with some of them, are below:

• They have a plan where you can start the service up or suspend it with a phone call
• To get most of their HD channels, you only have to point to one satellite
• Calling them to report that you're at a new location (to view local channels) is generally easier than with DirectTV
• You can't get HD channels with DirectTV unless your external satellite antenna is an open-faced dish that must be manually aimed.  The DirectTV-compatible automatic-aiming domes don't support HD.  DISH has several automatic dome models that support HD.

That being said, I've already had several frustrations with DISH and their ability to handle customer service for RVs.  Check out my post on irv2.com called Frustrating day trying to get DISH network info.  The saving grace is that I hear that DirectTV isn't much different.

Satellite TV retailer support isn't very good in many cases because dealers are scattered everywhere (for example, there aren't any "official" ones within a two hour drive of Orlando) and they sometimes do satellite as a sideline.  I wanted to have some things installed when I'm up in Indiana next year and the nearest DISH dealer, in Elkhart, is actually "Cellular Communications".  

Prepping the RV for Satellite TV

Ideally, when you get your coach it'll be completely ready for Satellite TV.  However, the RV setup can get complicated real fast.  The manufacturer has probably already included a Blu-Ray player and a rooftop over-the-air (OTA) antenna.  You also have the rooftop satellite dish, so you get the coach having at least three possible inputs for each TV.  In my case, there will be four TVs:  living Room, over the cab, bedroom and outside.

My technical radar spotted the possible trouble spots:

• How does each TV switch from one input to another?  Probably the "Input" setting on each TV.
• How does each TV change channels?  If you're changing channels on the outside TV and its receiver is in the coach, how does the receiver "see" the remote control?  Do you have to have RF (radio frequency) remotes?  Do they pre-wire IR (infrared) repeaters next to each TV?
• If you are only going to have two receivers, does the wiring support locating them in different locations and will that work?  For example, if we want the bedroom TV and the one over the cab to work off of the same receiver, can that receiver be in the bedroom?  If so, does wiring run from the bedroom to the A/V (audio/video) cabinet and then to the over-cab TV?  Isn't that non-standard wiring?

I had quite a few more questions, but getting the answers wasn't easy.  And once I thought I knew what I wanted, I discovered that it wasn't necessarily a given that the manufacturer would be willing to run all of the wiring.  I'm still waiting on the answers to some of those questions listed above.

The nice thing about Newmar is that they will try to work with you.  As of this writing, we're still going back-and-forth with the dealer and Newmar to resolve a few of the issues and questions.

Home Satellite vs. RV Satellite

One of the things that I honestly don't understand about DirectTV and DISH is that they don't allow certain equipment designated for houses to officially be used in RVs.  In my case, I've communicated with several DISH RV customers who have installed Hoppers and Joeys into their RVs, even though DISH won't sell those units to RV customers.  The Hopper is a receiver with lots of hard disk storage and has record/playback capabilities.  Joeys are small boxes that connect to a Hopper.  Each Joey has its own remote control and communicates what the user wants back to the Hopper and it sends it back to the Joey.  In a four-TV system like mine, it would be great to have one Hopper and three Joeys (each is paired with one TV).  With that system, you can be watching a show in the bedroom, pause it, and go outside to pick up where you left off.  Very nice. 

But DISH only sells the Hopper/Joeys for installation in stationary dwellings (translation:  not your  RV).  So a lot of RVers are telling me that the best thing to do is order what you want for your house  and then walk it out to your RV.  Hoppers and Joeys work great in RVs - just like they do in a house.  So why does DISH (and DirectTV) make us jump through hoops like this?

Still not totally decided about the wiring

At this point, I've asked Newmar to install the DISH Traveler on the roof and put in their standard wiring.  I also asked for HDMI wiring to be run from the A/V cabinet to all of the TVs (denied on the first pass - I don't know why), extra wiring to the power bay for an external tripod-mounted dish (also denied), and an explanation about how the remotes will be "seen"  by the receivers (haven't received that answer yet).  Everyone's pretty busy with the Hershey Show right now.  My wife is there today and she's meeting with people from the factory.

So we know what service we're using and have the rooftop dish locked in, but I'm still not totally sure about all of the wiring.  We'll see how it goes this next week or so.

What did we end up doing?

See Choosing and Installing Satellite TV for the details!!

Viair RV Air Compressor

After reading so much about maintaining the RV's tires, I knew that it would be wise to get a portable air compressor.  It needed to be one that wouldn't take up too much space and had the ability to handle the higher pressures that larger RV tires need.

Looking at various sites and reading responses in forums like irv2, I decided to get a Viair Portable Air Compressor model 400PA-RV (P/N 40047).  It came yesterday afternoon!

This compressor connects to your 12V car or RV battery and includes two 30' long stretch hoses that can be connected together to reach all of the RV's tires no matter how large it is.  The package includes the compressor, a nozzle with a pressure gauge, hoses, a connector to fill "normal" (not the inside tires) tires, an extension so you can reach in and fill the inside tires (for dual wheels) and a kit of small adapters to fill things like rafts and balls. It uses no oil, will fill tires up to 150 PSI and has an automatic shut-off function so it turns itself on and off between tire fills.

I got ours on Amazon.

Here's Viair's Youtube video:

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

[Please see update information at the end of this article!]

Maintaining the correct tire pressure is good for your bike, important for your car, and extremely necessary for your motorhome.  There are dozens of articles and videos about this.

Many late model cars have Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) already installed.  These allow you to press a button or two and see the pressures in all four of the tires.  RVs don't typically have them, but you can get the systems from several manufacturers.

Motorhomes carry a lot of weight.  The eight tires on my motorhome will be supporting over 22 tons of fuel, steel beams, a large engine, tile, cabinets, water, and passengers while cruising down the highway at more than 60 miles per hour.  The last thing in the world I want is a blowout.  In a car, you can often tell if something's wrong with a tire and certainly know when there's a blowout.  In an RV, you won't necessarily be able to tell if a rear tire blows because there's another tire beside it.  And if you're pulling a toad, you won't feel anything when its tires have problems or blowouts.

One of your best chances of avoiding catastrophe with your tires is to install a TPMS.  A typical system consist of little transmitters that screw on your tire's valve stems in place of the cap, and a receiver that is located in view of the driver.  The TPMS display shows a small graphic that represents the locations of your wheels and, beside each of them, the tire pressure.  A good TPMS can also monitor the temperature of the tires, as an overheating tire is a sure indication of trouble.

When you get the TPMS, you are guided to put on each sensor and link it to the monitor (so you can match the sensor to the appropriate tire's graphic).  Then you set the device's limits for things like warning thresholds for pressure and temperature.  If those measures pass the threshold, you'll get an audible and visible alert.  

Like several of the things we'll be getting, I've never held one in my hand - but I think I know what I'm going to get based on reading reviews, watching videos and searching forums for information.  TireMinder, Pressure Pro, EEZ, and TireTracker are often mentioned and seem to be popular.  Honestly, it seemed almost a coin toss between them.  

I finally selected the TireMinder A1A because it had all of the necessary features, good reviews and its display looked better than any of them.  It was important to me that the unit be capable to also put sensors on the toad.  That's 12 total sensors.  You can also take the portable display with you when you take the toad out on trips without the motorhome and switch it to "car mode only" so you're just watching the toad's tires.  There is an optional signal booster that receives and repeats the toad's transmitter signals because of the long distance between them and the driver of the motorhome.  The TireMinder A1A isn't cheap:  12 sensors, the display and the booster will clock in at about $700.  If anyone knows where I can get a coupon or something, let me know.  And if you think I'm making a bad choice, let me know about it.

If interested in the TireMinder, check out my article called Installing the TireMinder TPMS.

UPDATE!  It's 2019 now, and I discovered some issues with my TireMinder monitor losing signals from the sensors - even with the repeater(s) installed.  I changed to the TST 507.  Please see my video about the TST 507 on my YouTube Channel.

Surge Protection for your RV

Keep in mind that we don't have our RV yet (Update: We got it in late 2015; see below for additional info), so what I offer in this blog is basically the results of research that I've done to get us out the door and on the road!  For advice on how something works over the long haul, we have to rely on people who have experienced a lot of RV travel.  I try to take advantage of that experience by reading a lot and asking questions in forums and whenever I get a chance to sit with someone.

As I have scoured forums, blogs and RV sites, I've read a lot about getting power to the RV.  There are some great articles out there about 12V and 110V systems and how to maintain everything from your batteries to the wiring.  I'll list some links at the bottom of this post.

Learn the basics of RV electrical systems in 14 minutes

A lot of people have reported that they can't rely on campgrounds to provide "clean" power.  My electrical knowledge is slightly above novice (I can install light switches), so I don't even pretend to understand all of nuances.  All I know is that sometimes the campground power is either not enough, it's too much, it's improperly grounded, or it isn't wired correctly.

If you plug your RV into a campground's power outlet and the outlet has one of the above problems, that nasty stuff can travel right into your coach and literally destroy appliances, lights, and electrical equipment.

Surge suppressors are devices that fit inline between the campground's power grid and your coach.  Portable ones plug into the campground outlet and then you plug your RV power cable into the suppressor.  Built-in suppressors are inside of your coach's power bay, between the interior end of your RV power cable and everything else in the rig.  The better surge suppressors not only shut down the power if there's something wrong with it, they will tell you what's wrong with the campground power or power outlet.

My research, as you would expect, came up with several types of suppressors that are good to use with RVs.  But one manufacturer's name kept coming up whenever recommendations were made:  Progressive Industries.

The coach we are buying will require 50-amp service to power everything in our RV  - including the three air conditioners.  A lot of coaches only need 30-amp service.  When you get a surge suppressor, you need to get one that matches your rig's highest capable requirement.  So I needed a 50-amp surge suppressor.

The one I'm planning to get is the Progressive Industries EMS-HW50C. It's a 50-amp built-in energy management system that sells for a little more than $400. I like that it has a lifetime warranty and also has a lot of features.

I'm hoping that there will be some time between when the coach has completed manufacturing  and when we pick it up so that we can have the factory service center install it for us before we arrive.  If we can do this, it's one of several things we'll buy when they start construction and we'll ship it to factory service for the installation.

Here are a few links that pertain to this topic:

• Do you need a surge protector for your RV?
• Surge protector types
• RV Surge Protector - Can you live without one?
• Why you need a surge protector for your RV

Update (10/15/2016):  We've had our RV for almost a year now and have been using the EMS-HW50C.  It works great.  There's a 128 second delay after you turn on the campground power while the EMS checks it out to make sure that your RV isn't going to get the bad stuff (I'm not an electrician!), then it kicks in and seems to work okay.  The LED display shows voltage on both of the 50 amp legs and there are status lights.  So far, we've had no issues and are glad we bought it.  We've also seen quite a lot of other RVers using this same surge protector.

Best RV site on the Internet? irv2.com

I've been spending hours and hours every week for more than two years reading everything I can find about RVs.  There are a lot of RV-related sites out there; just take a look at RVTravel.com's list of RV sites and you'll see a partial list of what's out there.

But the best site, by far, of RV information and help is irv2.com.  irv2 has tons of forums and help is easily available for everything - and I literally mean everything - you could possibly want dealing with your RV.

There are forums for various classes of RVs, owners forums, and technical forums.  I've gotten more valuable information from the Newmar Owner's Forum on irv2 than all other sources combined.  People who have years of RV experience with your type of motorhome are there to answer questions and cheer you on as you go through the process of buying, selling, repairing, modifying, and just figuring out your RV.  In my case, I have really appreciated reading the posts of people like DutchStarDon, GaryKD, 007, Deek, PDRJohn and others.  I have learned a lot from them, and hope I can pay some of it forward to others.

Choosing a Tow Vehicle

When we travel, we certainly don't want to drive the motorhome everywhere.  It'll be our house, not  what we'll use to explore small towns and go out to restaurants.  So we'll need to pull something behind the coach.  Experienced RVers call the "towed" vehicle the "toad".   Get it?

When it came time to choose a toad, the first consideration was whether or not we wanted to use a tow dolly.  With a four-wheel tow dolly, you can put any vehicle on it and pull it.  With a two-wheeled dolly, you can only pull certain vehicles that can have the two wheels touching the road "spinning" all of the time while you're on the road.  Without a dolly, you have to tow your vehicle with all four wheels down.  This is called "flat" towing.

After seeing some people with their dollies and talking to some that had used them, I knew that I didn't want one.  When you get to your campsite, it's just something else you have to mess with and find space for.  Not anything I want to hassle with.  If you go to an RVer group on Facebook and ask the question "Should I use a tow dolly or flat tow?", you will likely get an overwhelming response to flat tow.  They obviously know something.

So we'll flat tow.  But flat-towing a vehicle means that you need to have a vehicle that can have all four wheels on the ground and rotating constantly without damaging the transmission.  Only certain vehicles are built to do this, and some do it easier than others.

One of the best guides to vehicles that can be flat-towed is published every year by Motorhome Magazine as its Dinghy Guide.  (See their Downloadable Dinghy Guides page )  In order to accommodate our golf cart, I knew we wanted a pickup truck, so we had to find a pickup truck that could be towed flat.

We decided to get a 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4.  The bed is long enough for the collapsible golf cart (Kangacruz or Cricket) to fit, it can be towed flat, and it has a very comfortable cab for routine driving and sightseeing.  It easy to set up for towing.

Should we take our own golf cart?

[Updated:  see Buying, Carrying and Using a Cricket Golf Cart]

Whenever we rented RVs, we we would see people using golf carts to get around the campgrounds.  We didn't think much about it, though, until we stayed at a cabin at Fort Wilderness many years later and they wouldn't allow cars in many places.  Instead, we had to rent a golf cart for $48/day.

Having a golf cart would certainly be a luxury, and we wondered how much we would use it.  After all, we have bikes we enjoy riding and we like to get out and walk.  But if you're staying in a campground for more than a few days, it would be nice to have a cart to run up to the store, or just take a drive through the campground at night.  In the larger campgrounds or resorts, I can see where it would really be nice to have one.

Golf carts can be pretty big, though, and I wasn't sure how we would carry one once we bought our motorhome.  We would have a tow vehicle, but there was no apparent place to carry a cart.

Cricket SX-3

At one of the Tampa RV shows, I saw a small, collapsible golf cart called a Cricket.  At first, we thought that a Cricket, measuring about 60" long and 28" high when collapsed, would fit in the basement of the motorhome.  But it won't because the chassis rails are too low.  So I began to wonder if it would fit in the back of a pickup truck.  As it turns out, it will.

Buying something like a Cricket cost a bundle, though, when you add up the cost of the cart and it accessories.  The cart itself is over $3000, and then you have to add a cover (for transport), rails (to load it in the truck), and a top (to keep out the sun).   By the time I priced out what I wanted for a Cricket, it was something over $4700.

Kangacruz - Aspire

While lurking around a forum somewhere, a contributor mentioned something called a Kangacruz.  The Kangacruz has specs very close to those of the Cricket.  I priced the Kangacruz with all of the options I'd want (minus the rails, which were about $200), at about $3200 after you adjust the price for  the U.S. dollar (Kangacruz is sold by a company in Canada).  I'm sure it cost more to ship it, but the same is probably true for the Cricket.  At this point, I'm leaning to the Kangacruz.


Since we plan to spend more than one month every year at Fort Wilderness, we'll probably get a golf cart.  We'll need the ramp (to get it in the truck), a top and the cover so that it'll be covered up when we're transporting it.  But I think we'll be very, very glad we have it.

Oasis Hydronic Heating

Okay, I'm cheating on this post.  It's just a cut n' paste of a post I made in January 2015 on the irv2 forums.  I was curious about how the Oasis Heating system worked and so I did a bit of research and wrote it all down before I forgot it.  It gets a little bit detailed, but you can always just roll your eyes and go read something more fun!  I tried my best to explain things at a level so that even I could understand it because I'm not a mechanic or a plumber.

Oasis Hydronic Heating Explained

It wasn’t too long ago that I had questions about the basic operation of the Oasis Hydronic water heating system. After getting some great responses on Facebook, reading articles on irv2 and doing some research on the Internet, I think I have a basic understanding now about how it all comes together. I've seen articles that provide a great amount of detail, but thought it might be helpful for some to offer something that's more of an overview.

The Oasis Hydronic Water Heating system installed on Newmar RVs is located in the basement of the motorhome, usually on the driver's side. It is housed in a green container and is made up of two "sides": a Heating Module and a Distribution Module. These are back-to-back, with the Heating module being the side you see when you open the compartment.

Within the Heating module is an 8.2 gallon tank that contains coolant. The coolant is basically a mixture of antifreeze and water. The Heating module also contains a 15kW stainless steel burner. It is powered using 12VDC, but uses diesel fuel to heat the coolant. The diesel fuel is taken from the main RV diesel tank - the same one that powers the motorhome's diesel engine. For this reason, the Oasis also has its own built-in fuel pump and an exhaust to expel the smoke and smell.

The Heating module also contains two 1500 watt "immersion" elements that provide secondary (to the burner) heat. These require a 120VAC power source. 

The Distribution module literally uses three pumps to distribute the coolant to different zones throughout the coach. It has a heat exchanger that is used to heat water as it passes through it. This is where water is heated for sinks and the shower. It also has a function that can provide heat to pre-heat the engine.

The Oasis can be used for three things: 1) heat the RV, 2) heat water for sinks and showers and 3) pre-heat the engine if the option is installed to do so.

To heat the RV, the secondary elements and/or the burner are used to heat the coolant and then send the heated coolant to a maximum of five different zones within the coach. When it gets near an output vent, a fan pushes air over its own heating coil (contains the hot coolant) and the warm air enters the cabin. The coolant then returns to the Oasis tank to be re-heated.

To heat water, the Oasis takes water from the RV's water tank and runs it through the heat exchanger in the Distribution module. The heated water is then sent out to the RV's hot water line.

When equipped, the Oasis can pre-heat the engine. When the engine pre-heat switch in the coach is turned on, the engine pre-heat pump and the coolant pump will be activated and heated coolant is sent to the engine to warm it up. (That's about as much as I can tell you about this!)

The Oasis also has a feature that allows engine heat to be used instead of using the elements or the burner. With the burner switch in the cabin turned to "On", the burner will heat up and will then cycle to off . At that point, heat from the engine is transferred so that it can heat up water and even the coach.

The control panel in the coach has a Burner switch, an "AC" switch and, if equipped, an Engine Pre-Heat switch.

The Burner switch turns the diesel burner on or off. Once the burner has been activated, the Burner LED light will come on.

The AC switch controls the two secondary heating elements. This switch has three positions: Both off, one on, or two on. The AC heat LED will turn on when the element(s) have been activated.

If the engine pre-heat option has been installed, this switch will turn on the engine pre-heat pump. Note that it won't work, though, until the coolant has reached a preset temperature.

For people who don't think their hot water is hot enough, there are several things to try: 1) turn on an additional AC (heating) element on the control panel, 2) turn on the burner - you may be heating the coach at the same time and you need it to get maximum heat, 3) remove the plate behind the shower water handle and see if there is a restrictor (usually red) that restricts how much hot water will flow and 4) adjust the mixing valve inside of the Distribution module. The only one of these that probably needs some explanation is the mixing valve adjustment. To get to it, you'll likely have to climb inside of the storage compartment behind the Oasis (from the curb side), remove a panel and then remove the Distribution module's cover. The mixing valve is located inside of the module (see some other posts for details on its exact location; I think it's on the lower right and it's gray in color). The mixing valve is factory set to 120 degrees, but it can be adjusted from 100 degrees up to a maximum of 145 degrees. Turn it clockwise to increase the temperature.

I hope this answers the basic questions that some folks want to know. If I've put out any incorrect information, please reply and let me know. Feel free to expand on any areas, too.

Choosing a dinette

When considering the dinette for our RV, we found out that there were several choices.  You may have noticed that most dinettes are on the driver's side of the coach.  We asked about this when we saw one that actually had the dinette on the curbside overlooking the area under the awning where you're likely to spend your time outdoors (Newmar Dutch Star 4002).   The answer was that having the dinette on that side somehow causes the basement doors on that side to be smaller -- not as tall.  Quite frankly, they told us why but I have long forgotten.

The old standard for dinettes is the booth, with two booth seats facing each other and a table between them that can drop down to make a small bed.  In a lot of the newer coaches, they have done away with this in favor of several other options.

For many Newmar coaches, they have several dinette options:

The Euro Booth dinette is the closest thing to the old booth style, except that the table doesn't drop down to make a bed.  Instead, it "sticks" out from the wall (no legs) and has a leaf to make it longer.  There is also storage under the seats.  The Euro Booth dinette is one of the more expensive options, and the seating is very comfortable.

The Combo Desk with a Buffet Table is similar to the Euro Booth except that instead of the soft "booth" chairs there are two freestanding, upholstered chairs and two matching folding chairs that are kept under the bed.  The fully-extended table is 38" long.

Combo Desk with Buffet Table 

The Combo Desk/Dinette with the Freestanding Hidden Leaf Table has space in the underneath cabinet for putting computer stuff like a printer and a "hole" where a freestanding 4-legged table can slide into it.  You can move the table anywhere you want. This is the biggest table that can expand to 48".

Freestanding Hidden Leaf Table

The Combo Desk Dinette with the Roll-Away Table is similar to the Combo Desk with a Buffet Table except that the table itself is made of of segments (each about 5" wide) that can roll up into the buffet.  When you pull it out, it unrolls and makes a sturdy table with a single, well-supported leg on the end.  Fully extended, this table is 44" long.

As comfortable as the Euro Booth is, we like the flexibility to move the chairs around.  We also like to play cards and wanted a longer table.  The roll-away table is 6" longer than the standard table and we love the way it completely rolls into the buffet.  This is the one we got.

Specials: The additions and changes we asked for

One of the great things about ordering a new motorhome from Newmar is that they really work with you to customize your order.  The basic order sheet has several options from which you can choose, but you can go beyond that and ask for just about anything.

When you put together your list of "specials", you are telling them what you'd like to add, delete, or change in the coach - changes that are not possible to show on the basic order form.

One dealer told me that they (the dealers) call the specials "SOCs".  I have no idea what that stands for.

After you put together your list, you give it to your dealer.  He sends it to Newmar, and they respond with the list of your items that indicates a number they have assigned to each one, whether or not they have "denied" it (if it doesn't say "denied", then it's approved), and a note as to whether the changes require a new engineering drawing (this could be another 2 weeks of back and forth as they show you the drawings).

When you get the list and look at the denied items, you may go back and suggest alternatives or ask questions.  After a few rounds of this, Newmar will produce the final list with wholesale and retail prices and give it to your dealer.  Your dealer will usually show you the retail price and tell you how much they will discount it.  You then have a final opportunity to remove things if you don't want them or think that they're too expensive.

Here are some of the things that we requested in our list of specials:

• Upgrade the house batteries to maintenance-free batteries
• Install a different model of microwave oven
• Change the upholstery on some chairs from cloth to leather
• Install several additional 110V outlets
• Have HDMI wiring run to all TVs
• Additional wiring for an external satellite dish
• Pre-wiring for some third party devices we want to install after delivery
• Change the type of kitchen sink
• Additional lighting

We just received their (Newmar's) first take on our list.  Some things they denied didn't surprise me (like the pre-wiring).  Other denials we totally didn't see coming.  An example of this is their denial of the single stainless-steel sink in the kitchen.  It surprised us because the "official" Newmar video walkthrough of the 2016 Dutch Star 4369 features the sink we want.  So does the 20-minute walkthrough uploaded by Mount Comfort RV.  Needless to say, we have asked them to reconsider that one.

The next couple of weeks should be interesting as we continue to resolve all of the issues.  Stay tuned!

The time between order and delivery

Most folks who have ordered coaches will tell you that it's hard to just sit around and wait for the day you can take delivery of your new rig.  You spent all of those months planning, writing down details, talking with people, doing research and walking through motorhomes so you can get to the day that you sit down and write the check.  Then, you wait.  And wait.

In our case, because of some graduations and retirement dates, we really want to take delivery of our coach at the factory around the second week of April 2016.  Knowing that Newmar typically has a four-week build time (start to finish) and a two-week prep time between manufacture and factory delivery, I'd ideally like to see them start the build about mid-February.

So why did we order in September?  There are a few reasons for that.  I recently heard from a person who works at the factory that they have a "four month backlog", meaning that you could expect about four months to pass between ordering the coach and its actual build date.  If that is true, then ordering it on October 1 would mean that the build may not begin until February 1.  Now factor in the holidays, when I would assume that the Newmar folks would want to stop what they're doing for a bit of eggnog and holiday cheer.  Then pile on the number of orders that they could receive as a result of the Hershey RV show that begins next week.  Last year, they sold over 50 Newmar coaches at that show.

Newmar is currently producing 8-9 coaches per day out the door.  That is pretty amazing, but given the possible delays, I want to do everything possible to ensure that we'll get our delivery that second week of April.  We are asking our salesman at Independence RV to specifically ask Newmar if they can plan to start the build sometime in January 2016.

On the other hand, someone recently posted online that they ordered their new coach in August and have a delivery date of October 12th.  That doesn't jive with the 4-month "backlog" we heard earlier, but we don't want to take chances if we don't have to.

Although we have ordered the RV, we are still going back and forth about the "specials".  On the first pass, Newmar denied about 17 of the 40 line items we submitted.  So we obviously are responding with questions and have yet to even finalize the price for the specials.

My wife is headed to Hershey next week to make a final determination about the colors, fabrics, materials and tile for our coach.  Between the specials and her final choices, I don't anticipate our "final" order going in until about the 22nd of September.

So we'll ask for a build between January and early February, hoping that we can meet our goal of a factory delivery around the second week of April.  If they build it earlier, it would have to sit there and "wait" on us - and I don't know how long Newmar will hold something waiting for pickup; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Ordering Day! The process of ordering your RV

9/11/2015

It was a big day today:  we placed our order!

If all goes well, they'll start building our coach by mid-February 2016 and we'll be able to go up to Indiana and take factory delivery sometime in April.

In the past few days, Mrs. G met with the finance person at the dealership and worked out the numbers.  As it turns out, getting financing from the dealer was just as good - maybe better - as getting it from our credit union or another 3rd-party bank.  We're not only getting a good rate, but we're getting a 20-year loan.  Most RV loans of a similar size are for 15-year terms.

Since we completed all of the financial paperwork a few days ago, actually ordering it today was just a matter of signing a few papers and giving them a deposit.

At this point, we know how much the coach and it's basic options are going to cost, but the factory hasn't come back with their costs on our "specials" - things we want to add or change.  We have a ballpark idea and so aren't overly concerned about the number.  It will be good to hear from them to not only get the number, but to find out if there is anything that they won't do or prefer to do differently.

When you place an order like this, there is a basic order sheet that Newmar makes for your particular model.  You simply (after a lot of thought!) go down the list and check the boxes: two air conditioning units or three? this awning or that one? a couch behind the driver or two recliners?

From this order sheet, the dealer can quickly add up the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP).  It's this number that you negotiate with the dealer.  From everything I've read and experienced, you can get somewhere between 25 and 30% off of the MSRP.  This is no secret - it's all over the Internet on boards, Facebook forums and blogs.

After you've walked through your model a few times and done a bit of research on the Internet, you'll start to make a list of things you want to add or change.  In our case, we wanted to add some outlets, upgrade the batteries, and things like that.  I'll write another post just to talk about our specials.

The specials are sent to Newmar for evaluation and, in many cases, review by their engineering team.  When they have finished, Newmar sends the list back to the dealer as an itemized list with a dealer cost and a MSRP for each item.  Some items may have notes, like they can't do it or won't do it.  Or they may have some additional questions for clarification.  In many cases, a changes may require that Newmar generate an engineering drawing that they have to send to you for review.  We have understood that new drawings can add two or more weeks to the process.

Before the specials list is sent to Newmar, you should negotiate with the dealer to determine how much off the total MSRP for the specials you will get.  This number could be the same as the percentage you negotiated for the basic order, or it may be lower.

In all cases, you're going to have to pay taxes and fees for the tag.  But there may still be one more bill to pay:  the dealer fee.  No one knows exactly what this is.  I think dealers have sworn some sort of oath to never talk about it.  After all, you'd think that any "fees" would just be included in their profit margin.  However, most dealers still single them out as a separate fee that you need to tack on at the end.  We did find some places that had no dealer fees, so be sure to consider this when you negotiate that final price.

Now that it's on order, we wait.  And I hear that it's the hardest part of the entire process.

Choosing a dealer & getting bids

It stands to reason that a lot of RV buyers don't have any choice when it comes to their dealer.  When they find an RV they like and it's sitting in a dealer's parking lot, that pretty much limits their options.

If you're shopping around for a used RV, the only time you might shop for a dealer is when more than one dealer has exactly what you're looking for.  Then it may come down to who offers the best price.

When you know what you want to buy and you're buying it new (and used, in some cases), it's a sure bet that you'll have an opportunity to shop around for a dealer that meets your criteria.  Here's what we looked for in a dealer:

• Price
• Friendly salespeople who frequently communicate with you and take their time with you when you visit
• Location near your home (if in a S&B) or a location that you can visit during the purchase
• A good service center that is recognized by the maker of the RV

We consider Price first, because when you shop around for a dealer for your rig, they can be the nicest people in the world and still have the highest price you've ever seen.  Not what you really want, especially if the price difference with other offers is really large.

Getting price proposals/bids from dealers

If you see a RV you really want, it's probably a good idea to send your itemized list and any special requirements out to at least four reputable dealers.  Be sure to include your local dealer; you may be surprised at how competitive they can be.

In our case, we were ordering a Newmar to be built specifically for us (not a stock unit on the lot).  We wrote down what we wanted and sent it to our local dealer, another dealer we had only spoken with on the phone, one in North Carolina that we had visited, and a very large dealer with a good reputation for selling RVs nationally.

We actually felt a bit guilty when we sent out the requests because our local dealer had spent so much time showing us units, taking us for test drives, and sitting and answering our questions.  We really liked him, but we had heard the prices offered (at our price point) could vary as much as $15,000 between dealers!  We wanted so much to work with the local dealer not only because we liked them, but because we could easily drive over to do paperwork, resolve any issues, and more.   We actually wanted to stay local so much that we agreed (to ourselves) that we would go with him if he was within a few thousand dollars of the lowest bid we received.

When all of the bids came in, the lowest price came from the biggest dealer.  We went over and had an honest discussion with the local salesman who had spent so much time helping us.  He listened to us and came back a couple of days later with a price that matched our lowest offer.  At that point, it was a done deal.  We would be working with the same people who had been spending time with us for the past months as we dreamed about what we wanted and asked more questions that I could count.

Keep a Log

When you talk to more than one salesman, whether it's in person or on the phone, keep a log. Use a spreadsheet, Microsoft OneNote (my favorite!), or some app to write up notes about every phone call.  That way, when you call them back or they call you unexpectedly, you'll immediately be able to recall the details your last conversation.  Here are the columns I use in my OneNote table:

• Dealer
• Salesman
• Phone
• Cell
• Web address (dealer)
• Email address (salesman)
• Notes

Your log should be easily accessible, even from our phone if that's possible.  I always use the notes field to keep notes about my latest discussion with the salesman, i.e. "Spoke w/John 9/8 re: price for the additional outlet.  He thinks $30, but will check with tech and CB 9/9".   When you are working hard to buy an RV, there are a million details.  It's really nice to have this when John calls unexpectedly a few days later and says "Hi, Mike.  Got the price.  It's $45."   I don't have to remember what he's talking about because I'm glancing at my notes.

I use my logs to not only document interactions with salespeople, but with vendors for various products we plan to add to the coach in the future. This includes things like towing apparatus, satellite TV, and wifi range extenders.

The Salesman (or Saleswoman)

When you first talk to a salesman, go with your instincts as to whether you like him and can work with him.  If he says he'll be with you in a minute but you don't see him for twenty, that's not good.  If he seems to always be in a hurry or needing to be someplace else, that's not good either.  You might feel embarrassed, but don't be shy about asking for someone else if you are ever uncomfortable.  When you're making a purchase as large as some of these RVs, you'll want someone who you feel understands you, your goals, your issues, and just about anything else you want to tell him.

If your salesman greets you with a smile, is relaxed, not in a hurry, asks about your life (where are you from, have you owned an RV before, where have you traveled, etc), doesn't just answer your questions but explains things in more detail...then you probably have a winner.

Local Dealer - or not

Working with someone who is near you and who you can talk to face-to-face is a real bonus.  When you walk through a coach and can talk about the stove, and the toilet and more directly with the salesman, he really gets a good understanding of what you want.  You can't get these interactions with someone in another state.

On the other hand, if you've really done your research and been to a few RV shows, you may really have a handle on what you want.  In this case, you're just looking for the best price.  Dealers across the country are more than glad to sell you a RV - even if they never see you.  Everything can be done with e-mail and snail mail.  You can arrange to fly to their location and drive it home, or to have someone drive it to you.

The bottom line is that you can always get your RV at the lowest price you find, but it's hard to replace the intangibles you get from using a local dealer.  Consider that tradeoff when you make your  choice.

Interior features of the 2016 Dutch Star 4369

The interior of the 4369 was everything we wanted.  When we discovered that we could customize a lot of it, we were really happy and felt like we had found our coach.

These pictures are courtesy of our dealer, Independence RV in Winter Garden, FL.  It is a 2016 Dutch Star 4369 that they had for sale on their lot in late August 2015.  We walked through it and loved it because it is very close to being exactly what we wanted.

The big differences between what we're ordering and what you see here are in the fabrics, countertops and tile.  We're going to get a slightly darker tile that is laid diagonally and the free-standing chairs will be leather that matches the other furniture.

The recliners and both the driver and passenger chairs have footrests.  The couch comes out to make a bed with an air mattress, and the dining table is a "roll-away" table that rolls back into the under-window buffet so that the leg you see is against the cabinet.  The surface of the table is made up of a bunch of 5" pieces that literally roll-up inside of the cabinet. When you pull it all the way out, the table is 38" long - enough for four people to sit and eat or play cards.

We'll eventually post a list of changes we made, with some explanation as to why we wanted them.

The interior of the coach will have the optional kitchen window, dishwasher, convection microwave oven, induction cooktop, automatic day and night shades, three TV's (the big one raises up behind the couch), heated floor tiles, LED lighting throughout, residential refrigerator, instant hot water, and more.  For us, this will be a primary residence so it's nice to have the same things that people have in their regular houses (okay, I guess the heated floor tiles are extra).

One of the best things is the large rear bathroom.  Plenty of floor space, more than some residential bathrooms.  There's a 38"x40" shower, toilet, double sink vanity with two medicine cabinets, cabinet containing the stackable washer and dryer, and a rear wardrobe that is very spacious.

There are some great walkthroughs of the DS4369 on Youtube if you want to see more.

Chassis and Exterior Features of the 2016 Dutch Star 4369

The 2016 Dutch Star 4369 is a 43' diesel pusher with a tag axle, 450HP Cummins engine, and lots of the features that we wanted in our motorhome. I'm going to talk about a lot of the features here, with more detail on some of them explained in later posts.  We'll also talk later about options we are ordering and why we wanted them.

You can get all of the details about the DS4369 on Newmar's web site.

I love this coach.  It hits every item on our checklist, and adds so many things that we didn't even know we wanted.  Bells & Whistles are nice, too, and this rig has them in spades.

Newmar has been offering something on most of its diesel pushers for several years now that puts their driveability (is that a word?) head and shoulders above the competition.  It's called Comfort Drive, and it is basically power steering on steer-roids (had to do it).  The dashboard has an adjustment knob to adjust the sensitivity of the Comfort Drive.  When you're in a cross-wind or have large trucks passing you, you can usually feel the draft and have to make steering adjustments to compensate.  After you've been driving a while, doing this can actually make your upper arms sore.  But if you have Comfort Drive, it senses what you're doing after about 20 seconds and handles the compensation for you.  You have to drive one to see it for yourself.  In town, or anywhere else, you could literally drive using a single finger.  And when you back into your campsite, Comfort Drive automatically centers the steering wheel when you let go.  There's a video on Youtube called Newmar's Comfort Drive Steering Testimonials.

Tag axles, the rear axles used to support additional weight, are normally built so that they don't turn.  Like the drive axle in front of it, the tax axle is mounted parallel to the RV itself, so when you turn the coach, they get more wear n' tear because they are somewhat dragged across the pavement.  Beginning with some 2016 models, including the Dutch Star, Newmar introduced a passive steering tag axle that is called Ultra Steer.  When you are going below a set speed and make a left turn, the tag axle actually turns slightly to the right.  This not only reduces wear on the tag axle tires, but it gives the coach a reduced (by about 17%)  turning radius.  This Freightliner innovation is described in another Youtube video called FreightLiner UltraSteer.

Since 2010, all diesel RVs have had a special tank for diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF.  It's a liquid that is injected into the exhaust stream to clean up emissions.  Newmar used to have the DEF fill only on one side of the coach.  For 2016, there's a fill on both sides.  That's also true of the fuel fill, which has been on both sides of their diesel pushers for a few years.

Prior to 2016, Dutch Star's could pull a maximum of 10,000 pounds.  They've upped this to 15,000 pounds in 2016, partly because of their new design of the coach's foundation.  The foundation is the part of the coach that they build on top of the chassis before they start building the "house".  Because they wanted to support the additional weight of tile in the slides (another 2016 Newmar innovation), they beefed up the supports throughout the foundation and call it the STAR Foundation (Strong, True and Robust).

One of the features I really like about the Newmar diesel pushers is the side radiator.  Normally, diesel pusher radiators are in the rear behind the engine.  Not only does the side radiator get better airflow, it doesn't get as much road dust and its absence in the back allows easy access to quite a few areas of the engine.  This means that checking oil, filters, and more is much easier - and so is overall mechanical maintenance.

Newmar's quality build includes thick doors and walls (compare them yourself with other brands), R19 insulation in the ceiling, and insulation in the basement floors.  I thought that the doors to the storage areas in the basement were large in 2015, but because of the STAR redesign in 2016, the doors are actually 2" higher.

There are two sets of batteries used in a motorhome:  chassis batteries (for the engine) and house batteries (for all things inside the coach).  Normally, the coaches come with four batteries.  If you order an "all electric" upgrade, you get a residential refrigerator, an electric stovetop, an Energy Management System, and four additional batteries.  We wanted all-electric with the induction cooktop, so we'll have the 8-battery system.

The wet bay, where the sewer hoses are, has connections for the black tank and the gray tank. It also has an optional power reel with a 50' hose to connect to your outside water supply.

The power bay has an optional power reel that has 50' of 50 amp power cable.

On the passenger side, there are large storage bays in the basement, a central vacuum system, and electric awning(s).  We ordered a two-stage awning system that contains two awnings running the length of the coach, with a wind sensor and LED lighting along its edges.  You can see these awnings in the photo below.

For a real splurge, we're ordering the hammock!  Nice!