In our 2020 Newmar Dutch Star 4369 there are wooden valances and legs throughout…..except the front windows. We had valance legs added at the Newmar Service Center in December 2021.
We love our 2020 Newmar Dutch Star 4369. We’ve really been enjoying the quality of the build, the amazing ride, features and comfort. Are there things we’d change? Of course…..it’s impossible to build a production line coach that meets every buyer’s needs. Thankfully we’re just 3 hours from the Newmar ‘Mother Ship’ in Nappanee, IN who is more than capable of doing custom work!
The above images are the original quote for the work. All said and done the work came in under budget at $431 (normal labor rates, this was not the Jan-March discounted labor rates).
I made the pilgrimage to Nappanee in August to hit the 1-year warranty punchlist, and have some custom work done. Besides having the microwave vented outside, we had ordered valances for the front driver and passenger side windows. Unfortunately the wrong parts were sent so I had to reschedule that visit. This turned out to work to our advantage as we had a window separate, and a few other items need attention, still under warranty.
Many ask WHY we want this. There are a few reasons. One is completeness. To me it just looked incomplete to have nice wooden valances on all windows except these two front ones. Two, general privacy. The windows are tinted, etc., but the blinds are not flush, so this just seals it off. Lastly is daylight shining through for our vampire-like children sleeping on the couch.
Service will make these valances on-site specific to your coach, stain them to match your cabinets, then install them. They do not include the routered design that’s in the other valances, they said this was an additional $200-$250 charge. This add-on costs around $500 plus your expenses to get to Nappanee and stay on-site or in the area.
Day 0: Arrival
I arrived on a very cold Sunday afternoon, Dec 12, 2021. I parked at Camp Newmar, but since I had already winterized the coach, I stayed nearby at the Amish Inn. I had a quiet evening at the hotel, pretty sure I was 1 of 2 people staying there this night, based on the parking lot. FYI, package beer/wine/liquor sales end at 8:00 pm on Sundays in Nappanee, so plan accordingly.
Day 1: Meet the Tech
Monday morning, bright and early I headed back to the coach to get it started up and ready to meet the tech. Much to my happiness it was Robert! The same tech we had in August. We caught up, then went down the short list of items. I wasn’t staying on-site, so told Robert to just text or call me with any questions or status updates. Normally I would’ve just popped in and gone and checked on the coach, but they had Covid protocols in place again so you couldn’t just wander out onto the shop floor to visit your coach, you had to be escorted out on request.
Nearing 2:00 pm Robert called to let me know things were progressing well, and the valances were complete but the tech who made them wasn’t happy with the final finish, so was sanding them down to complete them to his liking. Robert wanted to show me the items he had completed, so we agreed I’d be there by 9:00 am the next morning to walk through them.
That evening I hit Hunter’s Hideaway Bar and Grill for dinner, nice place, I’d definitely go back when in the area.
Day 2: Wrap-up and Head Out
Day 2, I headed over to the Newmar Service Center for the day, planning to work from one of the tables or walkup desk areas. It’s not a super quiet place by any means, and I never expected it to be, but the wifi was strong and I was able to take care of my business.
Around 9:00 Robert came out and found me and escorted me to the coach. We walked through all the punchlist items, but ironically, we completely forgot to look at the valances!
Just after noon Robert came back out, we finalized the paperwork and I went into Service to pay the balance. He took the coach to wash it and park it at Camp Newmar.
Finished Product and Final Thoughts
Here is the finished driver’s side valance, with blinds open and closed. I’m a little disppointed in the finished product….given that this blind is angled because of the front window, I had expected the valance leg to be longer to account for that, and I had communicated that thought, but also said I left it to their experience – as many of these as they said they have done I expected they knew what worked and what didn’t.
Also, the blind binds at the top….the side leg should have been tapered at the top to allow the blind to glide past it easily, instead it gets bound up and you have to pull it to release it.
I have some woodworking skills and equipment and had comtemplated doing this modification myself, I had done several of these types of things on our previous Class A. Now that the work is done and paid for, I guess I should have…..at a minimum I’ll remove the driver’s side one and taper down the top edge to allow the blind to close correctly. They used pocket holes, so easy enough to dissect and replace the one leg with a longer one if I need to, and I’d add the routed design while I’m at it. Hardest part will be to match the stain.
Overall another good trip to Newmar, but I had higher expectations for the valances. They’ll work, but should’ve worked better out the door.
There is a thread on the iRV2 site describing another option for closing off that blind, and this should work on both sides. It’s a great, low cost, easy do-it-yourself option. And another thread with a more lively discussion on the topic.
Follow Up (January 18, 2022)
I had posted my pictures and experience in the Newmar Dutch Star Owners Facebook group (amazing resource!!) and a member mentioned they had this done at Wood Designs in Nappanee. They thought it was slightly less cost AND they did the routering as well. Worth exploring this option if you’re headed to Nappanee for service work!!!
Another member had asked what needed modified so the blinds closed correctly. On the top portion of the wood valance it just needs tapered to allow the blind to pass over the new, thicker edge. I will get a picture of what I mean.
