Overview

We wanted to love this motorhome. We thought it would fix the things we did not like about our 2019 33′ New Aire, mainly engine power and lackluster exhaust brake. The New Aire 35′ model is based on the Freightliner XC-S chassis, which has independent front suspension, a Cummins ISL engine, air suspension and a single mode exhaust brakes. Newmar adds their proprietary Comfort Drive™, which does indeed reduce fatigue when driving, especially in cross winds. This video is a bit long, but it does a good job of explaining the system.

Things we like

• Custom Ordering meant we got to select the finishes and options. We love the exterior colors. We ordered an upgraded King Aire floor which looks great. The furniture works, but the color (a light gray) was a little lighter than we expected from photos

Interior of our 2020 New Aire

• Other options we selected included: Winegard Direct TV, Girard Awnings, Floor Heat, special upgrade to a GE Profile Advantium microwave/convection oven, and Universal Toll Module
• We selected the 4 slide out model # 3541 which gives more options for staying in tight campsites with a lot of trees

Floor plan for the New Aire 3541

• New Aire comes with an Oasis hydronic heating system, which provides on-demand hot water via a diesel burner for both domestic water use and heat
• Our coach is an all electric unit (which simply means there is no propane), which I highly recommend. An induction cooktop replaces the traditional propane version (cast iron and stainless steel cookware work with induction, glass, aluminum and copper do not). In addition, it comes with a residential fridge. Luckily you also get 8 batteries and a 3,000 watt inverter to run everything
• Another feature we love are the heated floors, but in both New Aires we’ve owned, the smaller insulative r-value meant that the coach was not able to hold heated or A/C cooled temperatures as well as our Dutch Star or Essex
• The 35′ floorplan includes a center coach bath
• King sized bed
• We opted to get the stacking washer and dryer (Splendide Brand) as there was more storage throughout the coach than our 33′ model where we opted for a large closet instead. I would have liked a combo unit with the option to use the top half as storage, but Newmar would not build that from the factory
• We ordered the booth dinette, which we prefer
• We ordered pull out drawers in storage compartments. We did not get any power drawers as they take up more height in storage bays
• At 12’4″ in height, the New Aire fits better in campsites where branches aren’t trimmed well enough for a 13’4″ coach (like our Essex)
• We like the lighted mirror and bathroom decor

Our New Aire 2020 bath came with mirror accent lighting

• We like the dispensing system in the shower for body wash/shampoo/conditioner

The built in dispensing system for shampoo and body wash is great

Things we don’t like

• Not posted anywhere on Newmar’s website, the 2020 New Aire 35 foot models still only have a single stage exhaust brake despite weighing more than our 2015 Dutch Star, which had a 2 stage exhaust brake and the exact same ISL engine
• The other significant challenge 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

• The 2020 New Aire 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 had not sorted out
• The control pads throughout the coach are a nuisance due to the number of times they need to be pressed to do simple things like turning on a fan or lights, or putting shades up or down