Newmar Discontinues NewAire Production

By: RVBusiness|Published on: May 17, 2002|Categories: 

Newmar Corp., Nappanee, Ind., has discontinued production of both models of the NewAire low profile, 29-foot diesel pusher Class A motorhome, President Dick Parks revealed during an interview Thursday (May 16).
The NewAire was mounted on a chassis assembled by Newmar called the Newco, and it has also been discounted. “We’re out of the chassis business,” said Parks, a former Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. executive who has been Newmar’s president since last October.
The NewAire, first unveiled during the 1999 Louisville Show, was viewed by many in the RV industry as one of the most innovative products to be introduced in years.
However, Parks said, “We all, collectively, agreed that we should take our resources and apply them some place else.”
Newmar is a builder of mid to highline fifth-wheels and gas and diesel engine Class A’s. It also builds the American Star series of mid-price range travel trailers. Parks said the energies directed towards the NewAire have been “re-focused on our core business.”
Initially, the NewAire carried a retail price of around $190,000, but last summer, a lower-priced version, called the Classic, was introduced. It carried a suggested retail price of around $162,000.
Meanwhile, the original NewAire was re-named the Limited and its suggested retail price remained around $190,000.
Newmar’s dealers retailed “in the neighborhood of 40” NewAire units, Parks said. Five went unsold, he added.
Because the NewAire was small by diesel pusher standards, perhaps, it had the greatest potential for sales in Europe and Australia, where RV enthusiasts are accustomed to smaller units, according to Ross Marshall, who was the NewAire distributor for most parts of the world outside of North America, until his relationship with Newmar soured last summer.
Marshall has a breach of contract suit pending against Newmar and the case is scheduled to go to trial in federal court in Knoxville, Tenn., next March 10.
Newmar denies Marshall’s claims.