Newmar All Star - Mid Engine - Any Thoughts / Recommendations?

[Alex444]

Hi all,

Brand new here - we are considering upgrading from a 77 Airstream to a Class A to get out and travel longer distances and for longer periods of time. We’re a family of 4, soon to be 5, and we came across the All Star models (made from 2007-09 I think) which are a mid-engine setup to give a lot of flexibility in the back. The 3950 model we’re looking at has twin lofts above a queen bed and looks like a great set up for us. This will be our first Class A so we‘re trying to do a ton of research before making the plunge. The 2007 models for sale are right at our budget for this so anything newer doesn’t seem to be in the cards for us. Does anyone have experience with any of the Newmar All Stars? Anything in particular I should be aware of, watch out for, avoid, etc? The idea is to purchase one with low miles and get on the road this summer for a cross-country experience - maybe 4 /5 weeks. Would appreciate any and all guidance!

 

[Neal]

Welcome to RVForums @Alex444 - do you have any links or pictures to the coach you're considering?

 

[NWIP]

Welcome to the RVF, lots of people to help out. I really don’t know much about the All-Star but find it interesting concept that Newmar Made for short time, unfortunately right as the RV market had a downturn. I’ve included a link for original brochure, year 2008. If there Is another year you are interested in let us know. Good luck in your search

https://newmar.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/27073517/2008-all-star-mid-diesel.pdf

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Welcome aboard, @Alex444; glad to have you join us.

As has been said, the mid-engine All-Stars were only made for a short period of time, so there probably won't be many people with first-hand experience with them...including me. That said, here are a few general points to consider.

- Newmar has always produced a quality product; some better than others, but all much better than average for the RV industry.

- AFAIK, the short production period for the All-Star was not related to design issues, but to the economic downturn in that time period.

- A coach in that age range may very well need new tires and batteries due to aging; consider that in the price. If you don't know how to read tire date codes, you will want to learn. Figure $5-$6 K to replace tires and batteries; you may be able to do it for a bit less, but not too much.

- How well has the coach been maintained? Does it look good cosmetically? Are there service records available from the previous owner/owners? Has the coach been sitting, unused, for more than a few months and, if so has it been properly winterized and kept plugged into shore power?

- Finally, the expenditure of a few hundred dollars to have a qualified inspection of the mechanical components (engine, transmission, drive train, brakes, appliances, etc.) would be a good investment. Be sure to use an independent inspector, not one provided by the seller.

Good luck with your search and do come back with questions.

TJ

 

[Alex444]

Welcome aboard, @Alex444; glad to have you join us.

As has been said, the mid-engine All-Stars were only made for a short period of time, so there probably won't be many people with first-hand experience with them...including me. That said, here are a few general points to consider.

- Newmar has always produced a quality product; some better than others, but all much better than average for the RV industry.

- AFAIK, the short production period for the All-Star was not related to design issues, but to the economic downturn in that time period.

- A coach in that age range may very well need new tires and batteries due to aging; consider that in the price. If you don't know how to read tire date codes, you will want to learn. Figure $5-$6 K to replace tires and batteries; you may be able to do it for a bit less, but not too much.

- How well has the coach been maintained? Does it look good cosmetically? Are there service records available from the previous owner/owners? Has the coach been sitting, unused, for more than a few months and, if so has it been properly winterized and kept plugged into shore power?

- Finally, the expenditure of a few hundred dollars to have a qualified inspection of the mechanical components (engine, transmission, drive train, brakes, appliances, etc.) would be a good investment. Be sure to use an independent inspector, not one provided by the seller.

Good luck with your search and do come back with questions.

TJ

Thanks TJ! I’ve been communicating a lot with the seller and he’s been great so far. I’m told the front tires are 2018, rear are 2019, and batteries are 2019. He has all services records, and I definitely plan to get an inspection before I take the plunge! It looks to be in great shape.

I’m more concerned if these had any known issues or if the buyer perception is bad since it was such a short production run. It sounds like these types of setups are not uncommon outside of the RV market (like fire trucks) and that it helps balance the ride - though you sacrifice some engine noise due to the location.
Thanks again!

 

[Alex444]

Welcome to the RVF, lots of people to help out. I really don’t know much about the All-Star but find it interesting concept that Newmar Made for short time, unfortunately right as the RV market had a downturn. I’ve included a link for original brochure, year 2008. If there Is another year you are interested in let us know. Good luck in your search

https://newmar.imgix.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/27073517/2008-all-star-mid-diesel.pdf

Thank you!

 

[Alex444]

Welcome to RVForums @Alex444 - do you have any links or pictures to the coach you're considering?

RVs For Sale - RV Trader

RVs For Sale: 1105 RVs - Find RVs on RV Trader.

www.rvtrader.com

Here is the specific one we’re looking at.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

That looks like a really well-maintained coach! Very nice. The fact that it only has 58K miles on it 13 years tells you that it hasn't been heavily used, but obviously well-kept. The fact that it has been "professionally serviced" and service records are available is a big plus, along with pretty current tires and batteries. Looks like a gem to me.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

Whoa that one is way nicer than the All Star I was considering when weighing my options. With a good inspection I wouldn’t fret over jumping on that.

 

[Jim]

RVs For Sale - RV Trader

RVs For Sale: 1105 RVs - Find RVs on RV Trader.

www.rvtrader.com

Here is the specific one we’re looking at.

I'm a fan of the All Star. Here are some pics of a 4481 All Star that I found awhile back. I didn't buy it as I had reservations about going through the bedroom everytime I wanted to get from one end of the coach to the other. But it's a wonderful motor home for the right person.

BTW, welcome to the forum!

 

[Alex444]

Alright y’all, I’m the proud owner of it! Thanks for everyone’s help! Now I gotta figure out everything else regarding camping Class A style!

 

[Neal]

Congrats! You'll figure it out, enjoy the journey.

 

[NWIP]

Alright y’all, I’m the proud owner of it! Thanks for everyone’s help! Now I gotta figure out everything else regarding camping Class A style!

Congratulations, now the fun begins in making it your own and the memories you will create.

 

[MapNerd]

Omg I can’t wait to see the renovation thread on this. It’s going to make me a little jealous I’m sure. The All Star is such a cool rig.

 

[Alex444]

Omg I can’t wait to see the renovation thread on this. It’s going to make me a little jealous I’m sure. The All Star is such a cool rig.

Ha - thanks! We’re going to take it cross-country (Atlanta > Oregon > Atlanta) in July, first.I’ve got it at a shop now getting a once-over on most components to be ultra sure it’s safe and ready. We’ll also get a good feel on what we’d want changed... I’m super executed and super terrified all at the same time.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Nice! Congratulations on the new coach. I've always thought the All Star was an intriguing idea.

TJ

 

[happyrvdude]

Hey Alex444 ..how do you like your All Star? Any praise/issues/etc? I'm curious..why?? Because I just bought an All Star too! Still have to pick it up..it's an 09 Toyhauler 4257. Would love to hear how your trip with it went

 

[Alex444]

Hey man! We’re actually still on our trip now! Almost 4 weeks in. It’s been great, but a huge learning experience. We actually are really loving the All Star. It is a perfect layout for us. We’ve had some “classic” things go wrong, so I’ve been trouble shooting it a lot, but I think it’s because the prior owners left it idle for a while and didn’t maintain it. But it drives nice, is pretty nimble for it’s size, and again, we love the layout. Issues... we had out ATS go out right before the trip... I have read that they were recalled, so you might want to look into that. I bought a new top of the line ATS with a surge protector built in. Our slide controller is dying... so sometimes our slide won’t get enough amperage... its actually really easy to manually slide out though and a simple part to replace. And I had my ignition solenoid fail on me as well which left us stranded for a day, but thankfully its just a simple 12v momentary solenoid so any replacement would work, which I did myself.

So it’s been a blast. Congrats on the purchase! Let me know if you have any questions! Do you know any others on this forum who have one?

 

[happyrvdude]

Hey man! We’re actually still on our trip now! Almost 4 weeks in. It’s been great, but a huge learning experience. We actually are really loving the All Star. It is a perfect layout for us. We’ve had some “classic” things go wrong, so I’ve been trouble shooting it a lot, but I think it’s because the prior owners left it idle for a while and didn’t maintain it. But it drives nice, is pretty nimble for it’s size, and again, we love the layout. Issues... we had out ATS go out right before the trip... I have read that they were recalled, so you might want to look into that. I bought a new top of the line ATS with a surge protector built in. Our slide controller is dying... so sometimes our slide won’t get enough amperage... its actually really easy to manually slide out though and a simple part to replace. And I had my ignition solenoid fail on me as well which left us stranded for a day, but thankfully its just a simple 12v momentary solenoid so any replacement would work, which I did myself.

So it’s been a blast. Congrats on the purchase! Let me know if you have any questions! Do you know any others on this forum who have one?

Hey Alex444.. Yes, I know about 5 people with All Stars.. 2 on the irv2 forums, and you on rvforums.com! I get mine in about a week. Tell ya what.. nothing like a 4 week trip to find out everything that can go wrong! I've dealt with ATS issues on my former rigs - I know that pain and inconvenience! Trust me!. So the slide controller is still an issue? What year is your chassis exactly? 2005 or 2006? (Or maybe even an 2007 on a 2007 coach?)

 

[Alex444]

Hey Alex444.. Yes, I know about 5 people with All Stars.. 2 on the irv2 forums, and you on rvforums.com! I get mine in about a week. Tell ya what.. nothing like a 4 week trip to find out everything that can go wrong! I've dealt with ATS issues on my former rigs - I know that pain and inconvenience! Trust me!. So the slide controller is still an issue? What year is your chassis exactly? 2005 or 2006? (Or maybe even an 2007 on a 2007 coach?)

Yup - this has been quite the trip but honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love tinkering with things and learning new things. And we’ve been able to see so much awesome stuff.

Yes the slide is still not working, I am using a cordless drill with a socket attachment, it’s actually pretty easy to manually do it. For the life of me I cannot find where the controller is though!

Mine is a 2007. Thanks!!