Quick summary: We recently traded in our 35 foot 2020 Newmar New Aire that we had ordered and picked up from the factory for a leftover 45 foot 2019 Newmar London Aire.

Background and our reasons to ditch the New Aire: We picked up a 2019 New Aire 3341 from the factory in February 2019. After using it for our Canadian Maritimes/New England trip in the fall of 2019, we traded it in because of the lack of power in the engine (33 feet, 360 hp/800 torque) and the single stage exhaust brake that was useless on steep grades. We upgraded to the 2020 New Aire 3541 (35 feet, 450 hp/1250 torque) which we picked up from the factory in March 2020. Based on online research, we knew the engine in the New Aire 3541 was the same as we had in our 2015 Dutch Star. Not posted anywhere on Newmar’s website, the 2020 New Aire 35 feet models still only have a single stage exhaust brake despite weighing more than our 2015 Dutch Star, which had a 2 stage exhaust brake. After testing the New Aire for over a month in the mountains of southwest Colorado, we were very unhappy with its exhaust braking but very pleased with the improvement in power over the 33 foot version.

The other significant challenge that led to our decision to trade in the 2020 New Aire was the undocumented (on Newmar’s website) change in the cockpit area between the 2019 and 2020 models. The steering column in the 2020 New Aire is literally 4.5 inches from the front of the driver’s seat when the driver’s seat is positioned as far back as you can move it. A new steering column was used in the 2020 which has a different angle, making it difficult to get in/out of the driver’s seat and leaving little room for legs while driving. This is where ordering a model from the factory while relying on the manufacturer’s website to describe changes and without getting to sit in it backfired.

The seat and column are about 4.5 inches apart with the seat as far back as possible

Two other factors which played into our decision, but we could have lived with longer if the engine brake and cockpit issues didn’t exist, were the control pads throughout the coach and the lesser amount of insulation. The control pads were a nuisance due to the number of times they needed to be pressed to do simple things like turning on a fan or lights, or putting shades up or down. The 2020 New Aire also touted that it came with an integrated Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and while it was there, it never worked while we owned it. There was a known problem that the manufacturer (Valor) and Freightliner/Newmar that had not been sorted out.

Simple functions like turning on lights or opening shades take at least 4 steps to complete. On the plus side, dimming is available throughout the coach.

Due to the shorter height, which is good for getting into campgrounds and not hitting tree branches, the 2020 New Aire at 12’4″ tall has about half of the insulation rating (R value) of the 13’+ height Newmar coaches. The shorter height is achieved through less insulation in the roof. This translates to the air conditioning running most of the time when it is hot. It is also noisier inside than our prior taller Newmars when the air conditioner runs due to the decreased ceiling insulation. The rear (bedroom) never cooled off below 90 degrees on hot driving days when running the A/C’s via generator. Airflow to the back was lackluster, which was also the experience of other New Aire owners we’ve met. We questioned the flow at factory pick-up and were told it was within specification. When parked with the slides open, a fan helped cool off the back by moving air from the front of the coach, but also added more noise.

We were very disappointed that the 2020 New Aire could not work for us. We liked the shorter length and height for fitting in a greater number of campgrounds. Newmar did a great job utilizing the space for storage. We had upgraded to a King Aire floor that looked great, and had upgraded to the GE Advantium microwave/ convection oven after disappointment with the Whirlpool in our 2019 New Aire. We also got to pick the interior and exterior color schemes.

Interior of our 2020 New Aire with upgraded King Aire flooring

We liked the colors of our 2020 New Aire

Why  a London Aire? Once we decided to move on from the New Aire, we also decided that we would look at models on lots so we would not get any surprises (like the cockpit issue above or a single stage exhaust). On paper, we thought we might like a 40′ Mountain Aire. In reality, there was less bay and interior storage space than our 35′ New Aire, mostly due to the addition of the tag axle and the additional half bath. The 2021 Mountain Aire, a 41′,  has increased the bay and interior storage. In 2020 Newmar added decorative ceiling tiles in the Mountain Aire, which we weren’t fond of aesthetically, but even more problematic was the fact that they snap on and in the model we toured several were falling down. Some online searches indicated this is common and there is not currently a fix. Those ceiling tiles are on all 2020 and 2021 Mountain Aire models. We also looked at Dutch Stars and London Aires. The 2020 Dutch Stars still have the individual switches for all of the lights/fans/etc instead of the centralized control panels. They also have more windows that open than any of the New Aires, Mountain Aires, or London Aires, which we like for letting in fresh air. While they still have the same 450 hp engine, 2020 Dutch Stars weigh 4,700 pounds more than our 2015 Dutch Star.

We found a leftover 2019 London Aire on a dealer lot in Missouri. Even though it is a 2019, it is a new coach and comes with the standard 1 year warranty.

Our 2019 London Aire

Things we like:

• It has the individual switches for fans/lights/etc as the change to the control panels happened in 2020
• It has a floor plan we like, 4579, which includes two recliners and a larger walk-in closet area that includes the washer and dryer
• We like the brown color of the furniture
• It has 605 hp and 1950 torque and a 3 stage exhaust brake, which makes Mike very happy.
• We like the Silverleaf control system which is not present on a Dutch Star
• Best of all, being a left over 2019 coach, when 2021’s were beginning to arrive on the lots, we got a great markdown price
• Everyone claims RV sales are booming and we were offered more for our 2020 New Aire than expected as they are “in need of used coaches” for inventory

The interior of our London Aire from the dealer’s website

Floor plan of our London Aire 4579, we have 2 recliners and a table instead of the sofa (Chaise Lounge) on the driver’s side

Things we like less:

• I’m not a fan of our London Aire’s floor tiles (cream colored and shiny), but I can live with it for the price
• The slide out seal that ties the floor together when the slide is extended is light colored and will be hard to keep clean (already looks dirty)
• One weird thing about this floor plan is that the door to the closet is not kept closed when driving down the road
• I think we could have ongoing issues with the hydraulic steps that are supposed to stop extending when they sense things (see below under Early Issues)
• I personally prefer to sit in a booth dinette, but the table and chair option offers significantly more storage and counter space
• It came with the Whirlpool microwave/convection oven (see Early Modification below)

Early Issues on the London Aire:

• Since picking up the London Aire from the dealer in Missouri, the hydraulic entrance steps hit a curb when we stopped to fuel the first time and broke. The sensor that is supposed to stop them failed and part of the steel was bent. They function enough to get in/out and drive.
• The night shade next to the driver seat fell and hit Mike in the head while he was driving
• There were several cracked floor tiles which we will get fixed at a warranty trip to Newmar (documentation was sent in by the dealer) with any other issues that arise

Early Modifications to our London Aire:

• Mike added My Rozie, which allows remote monitoring and control of the RV in conjunction with Silverleaf. We had this in both of our New Aires and used it a lot
• We swapped out the standard Whirlpool microwave/convection oven for a GE Advantium. This included uninstalling the Whirlpool, adding a piece of plywood to install the GE further front (it’s shorter front to back) so it lines up with cabinets, and then installing the GE. Our experience with the Whirlpool is that as a convection oven, it heats up far slower than the GE and also has difficulty reaching temperatures over 375 degrees. Also, the Whirlpool’s glass turntable bounces around when driving down the road which causes cracking unless wrapping it in a towel every time you drive, while the GE’s stays in place