Kountry Ayre or Mobile Suite

[moparguy]

OK, I've been around long enough to know we have some real life informed folks here, so I'm gonna solicit that experienced pool of opinionated input. I haven't posted much in the past 2 or 3 years but as introduction I was once active in the 12V crowd and discovered what's known as the BHAF in a long discarded NAPA catalog back in 2001 https://www.turbodieselregister.com...21116-Big-Honking-Air-Filter-Installed-(long).

So to the present, I'm on the last legs of my working life (for others) in the Bakken oil play in far northwest North Dakota full timing in a 2007 26Z Arctic Fox and feel the need to upgrade (wife says it's too small when she's here).

Since I'm not looking at needing a good RV for more than the next couple of years I'm looking used in the 30-40K range and have sorta settled on a 03 up Kountry Ayre or Mobile Suite in the 40' range.

Any reason to favor one over the other? I do like the fact that the Kounty Ayre has wet hubs and duels, but since I may not pull it home (sell on the spot when I leave ND) not sure why I think that's important, guess I just like the idea of duels on a 17k lb plus trailer.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Ron R

 

[BIGNASTY]

What ever you get it BETTER BE WARM IN THE WNTER in ND!!!!!! not seen winter cold like that in a very long time. Good luck Many truck driving jobs around that place ? :-laf Have buddy that took his tuck up there and said they cant get enough drivers

 

[Slow Six]

We have a 2011 Mobile Suites that we are now full timing in. It has 3. 25" thick walls and lots of insulation in the attic and underneath, heated holding tanks and drain elbow, heating pads under the holding tanks and two furnaces. We haven't used it in real cold yet. I think everything will function okay but my guess is it will use a lot of propane. If I end up in a lot of cold I will get a large propane tank in place. We are in SW Saskatchewan where it can hit minus 40* plus winds. A good skirting is good to have in these conditions.

 

[moparguy]

Yelp, it's cold at times, however the Swedish Army has a saying, "It's not the cold, it's lack of preparation". My preparation steps would make a small book, lol. I saw -35 air temp last year no prob. Of course I was lucky.

On trucking work, it's truly unbelievable how crazy it is in this area. I'm not sure since my work doesn't involve direct contact with drivers but I've heard they don't worry about hours or even cdl's at times.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I like our MS it is a 07. 5 36 SB3. Parts are still available and the factory is still in business. Air ride pin box and suspension. Quality rig. Been living in ours for 10 months. We had friends that had the dual tandem axles on KountryAire, they had problens with them, don't know what it was. You think a MS is heavy, I guess the KA is much heavier.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Yelp, it's cold at times, however the Swedish Army has a saying, "It's not the cold, it's lack of preparation". My preparation steps would make a small book, lol. I saw -35 air temp last year no prob. Of course I was lucky.



On trucking work, it's truly unbelievable how crazy it is in this area. I'm not sure since my work doesn't involve direct contact with drivers but I've heard they don't worry about hours or even cdl's at times.

:-laf:-laf:-laf I dont doubt that one min. When I worked we would go on Emergency assist trips to help get towns up and running with gas stations (Hurricane Andrew,Katrina and some other things) but it never ceased to amaze me how the rules could be broken about hours of operation and AQMD standards when the Fed's wanted to.



BIG

 

[HBarlow]

Kountry Aire fifthwheels built by Newmar were the "real deal" several years back before the depression killed luxury fifthwheel sales. They were among the top tier of trailers based on build quality, performance, price, basically every measure that applied then. They are no longer manufactured but a clean used one would make a fine full time RV.

I browsed NADA used RV website and randomly selected a typical 37' Newmar Kountry Aire model built in 2007, the last year before their sales died off. The MSRP was $138,000 and current used retail prices are in the $65k - $70k range.

I looked at DRV trailers in Elkhart back in '06 when I was thinking of replacing my old Travel Supreme with a newer but used unit. Comparing them to the older and well used Travel Supreme I was living in at the time I was unimpressed.

I know - lots of folks own and swear by Mobile Suites trailers and will jump in here to defend them. I'm sorry, my opinion has not changed. They are good trailers but not the same quality as the rest of the now defunct luxury brands like Teton, Alfa, Travel Supreme, and Newmar.

BTW, a Mobile Suites does NOT have 3 1/2" walls. They use ordinary 2" thin wall aluminum framing and ordinary pink home type batts of pink insulation hung in the walls for an R16 insulation. That's nothing to brag about. Check their website if you disagree. Home style fiberglass rolled batt insulation works fine in home which don't travel down highways on wheels. RVs that bounce along over rough roads sometimes cause the batt insulation to separate the top attachment point and descend in the wall cavity. Not an ideal compromise.

 

[RustyJC]

Rusty

 

[Cummins12V98]

View attachment 81838

Rusty

Thanks Rusty, the picture says it all.

 

[moparguy]

Rusty, I may be overlooking the obvious, but what year MS is the posted info representing.

Thanks,

RR

 

[RustyJC]

That's from their current website, but their construction methodology hasn't changed significantly since they were introduced in late 2003.

Rusty

 

[moparguy]

Thanks Rusty. I'm somewhat familiar with rockwool insulation from my days at a public utility and working with customers who had high gas bill complaints. I also once owned a early 50's highend (in the day) house that had rockwool in the ceiling and walls. I'm guessing that's what MS uses and not sheep wool. That being said, I wonder how it's applied, does it have a binder/adhesive mixed in, then sprayed on the wall cavity, if that's the method, that should be a very adequate.

RR

 

[RustyJC]

I've not been to the factory, so I can't comment with first hand knowledge on their insulation methodology. I can state, however, that I see absolutely no evidence of settling as would be indicated by the frost or dew patterns on the external walls of our Mobile Suites.

Rusty