Grand Star’s Road to Stardom

Newmar’s Grand Star Class Super C, which has drawn rave reviews since its premiere last fall, fills a void in the Nappanee, Indiana, manufacturer’s lineup. For Newmar, it was a matter of breaking new ground in coach construction.

Ellinger describes Grand Star as affordable luxury at 34 feet. The new model’s MSRP starts at $364,230.

“We realized we could capitalize on those people trading up into a new market, but we had never built on it before, so that was the idea. For us, this gets us into a price point that mirrors more of our introductory gas line, but gives you the torque and power of a diesel in the Super C line.”

Giving Them What They Want

Introduced as a very early 2026 model, Grand Star debuted at the Elkhart Open House last September and was an eye-opener for dealers, who responded favorably.

“We had dealers come in and say this was what they have been lacking,” Ellinger says. “Some of our dealers, who are exclusive Newmar and do not sell other brands, were really excited for us to have this coming to the market.”

Ellinger says dealers who had not offered Newmar’s Super Star or Supreme Aire coaches on their lots, due to the higher price points, were excited about getting involved with the new S2RV with Newmar.

“We can really win with some of the floorplans that are on there. The dealers called it a home run right from the beginning. They also gave us some feedback on things we might want to offer as an option, or tweaks that we could make,” he says. “That is the beauty of coming out with these models before you release them to the public. We actually instituted some of the suggestions the dealers had. It was about 97% complete, and the dealers helped us finish it. That is beneficial to the customers in the long run.”

An example of a dealer suggestion Newmar incorporated into Grand Star involved the flooring.

“We knew we were going to go with a tile floor, rather than vinyl, and the dealers said, how about a hydronic floor heating system, like what we have done in our diesel line? We ended up doing it,” Ellinger says. “They also let us know that customers have asked for an all-electric version and asked if we would ever offer that. And so, now we do.”

Newmar has 48 dealers in its network, with some having multiple locations, bringing the total number of outlets to 78. Ellinger says the majority will be adding the Grand Star, which he perceives as a great compliment.

Standing Out in a Crowd

Newmar introduced the Grand Star to the RVing public in January at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa, Florida. That was just after the company began shipping units to dealers.

“The feedback that I heard was that they loved the fit and finish on the inside of that coach,” Ellinger says. “They enjoyed the two-toned cabinetry that was showcased. They also really liked the 3444 floorplan full wall slide, which gives the impression of that coach being 36 or 37 feet [while] still being under 35 in length.”

A few Tampa customers liked the size and layout of the new model so much they decided at the show to trade down from a competitor’s 45-foot diesel into a 34-foot Grand Star. Ellinger says Grand Star is “unique in the marketplace.”

In developing the Grand Star, Newmar focused on the differentiators between it and other coaches built on the same chassis, which Ellinger describes as Newmar staples.

“We have a coach built with Amish Heritage woodwork on the inside, and we put top name brands, such as Bose sound bars with Sony televisions, into the coach,” he says. “The other thing we really focused on, that I think sets Newmar apart, is having a 34-foot motorhome with a full wall slide, king-size bed, and separate washer and dryer, not a combo. It is something we recognized that the market had not seen.”

Several sleeping arrangements are available, depending on how one options the coach. One option involves Newmar’s first foray into an overhead cab sleeping area. Understanding families would be primary users of Grand Star, Newmar put its engineering team to work.

“It required a lot of special engineering and tooling,” Ellinger says. “Our engineers worked overtime and did a fantastic job of putting this together in a short period of time. They delivered for us.”

The overhead bunk sleeps two, a couch sleeps one or two and the king bed sleeps two, plus the bunk bed, for a total of seven or eight.

Grand Star comes in three floorplans: the 34-footer and two 39-footers, one with a bath and a half and then the 39-footer with a bunk bed.

Grand Star’s target market is “everyone,” Ellinger says. This includes someone trading down from a larger coach and first-time buyers who consider a Super C to be more comfortable to drive than a Class A.

Popular options for Grand Star, according to Ellinger, include an all-electric unit with an induction cooktop. This can come with 960 amp-hours of battery power, enabling users to dry camp for extended periods. Included are 3,000-watt inverters offering hydronic heat, so no propane is used. Other in-demand options are a central vacuum system and a dishwasher. Also, an Onyx exterior package, which replaces standard chrome details in a blacked-out scheme, is available for preorder.

A Smooth Ride on the Horizon

Newmar has a long-time partnership with Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation for all of the motorcoaches it builds.

“We certainly buy more Class A chassis than Class C chassis, currently. We always enjoy what they have to offer, both from an innovation standpoint and from a service standpoint,” Ellinger says. “Any time there may be an issue with the coach from the chassis side, we feel that Freightliner is really on top of things.”

Other suppliers include River Park for audiovisual equipment inside the coach, BASF for exterior paint and Lithionics for lithium batteries.

“Lithionics is our lithium battery provider, and they do a great job of making sure that the systems talk to each other inside the coach,” Ellinger says.

Newmar’s success has been buoyed by a high degree of customer loyalty.

“When we are out talking to retail customers, we see a lot of people who like to stick with the family, but at the same time, welcome new entrants. This introduction of the Grand Star could bring a lot more people into the Newmar family.”

Ellinger is optimistic about the overall Super C market in 2025 and beyond.

“They have been strong pre-COVID and post-COVID, when you look at the number that have been sold,” he says. “For Newmar to get into a new segment of the Super C, we are super happy with it. We believe the market is getting younger and more diverse, and if we can tailor our products, the way we have done with the Onyx package, with the smaller coach and with the bunk bed version, there is a lot of runway with the Super C.”