Starship Testers
by Rich Johnson

ROAD TESTING THE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD 2002 NAVIGATOR

“This is like being the pilot of a starship!” The words came involuntarily from my mouth as we swept through an S-turn at ten miles per hour over the posted limit. You must understand that I never encourage driving that fast, but I typically do it in the course of a professional road test to discover how a coach performs when pushed a little beyond what is customary.

“A starship?” A curious look came to Becky’s eyes as she glanced up from making notes of my profound mutterings. “Why do you say that?”

“I don‘t know. I’ve never piloted a starship, but I can only imagine that if I did it would feel like this. It’s absolutely quiet and powerful and it sweeps through corners like they aren’t even there.“

We were in the cockpit of a spanking new 2002 Navigator, top of the Holiday Rambler motorhome line. Before us and around us stretched verdant fields dotted with sheep and spunky newborn lambs. This is the part of my job I like the most... trying to find something I don’t like about a new Navigator. A nearly impossible task, but one I come back for time and again, just to have the chance to try. With a coach of this caliber, there just isn’t much to complain about.

The Navigator of previous years was a superb motorcoach, but for 2002 a lot of new standard equipment items have been added. Along with the new standard equipment comes a second list of newly available options, making the Navigator more easily customized to meet personal taste than ever before.

Before we get into a study of all that is new with the Navigator, however, I want to stress that what makes this motorhome feel so much like a starship to me is hidden away under the beautiful coachwork. It is the splendid semi-monocoque Roadmaster chassis that is suspended by a system of ten outboard-mounted air bags and ten Bilstein shock absorbers. To make things even better, the air suspension system utilizes a ping tank to provide an extra reservoir of air which decreases the air spring rate by 40% to create a softer ride. An upgrade to the front axle (up from 13,000 lb. to 14,600 lb.) delivers a GVWR of 47,600 lbs. And a GCWR of 57,600 lbs. A standard 10,000 lb. hitch receiver and wiring harness are ready and waiting for towing a dinghy.

Couple this chassis with the rear-mounted diesel engine, housed in a well insulated compartment that keeps engine noise out of the coach, and you have a powerful machine that silently cruises wherever you want to go. To me, it evokes images of piloting a starship.

While we’re on the subject of the engine, the new standard powerplant for 40-foot Navigators is the Cummins 370-horsepower turbocharged diesel, linked to an Allison 3000 MH transmission. Coaches in the 42-foot and longer size range are powered by the 500-horsepower version of the Cummins turbodiesel, and geared by an Allison 4000 MH transmission. The bigger engine is an option for the 40-foot Navigators, for those pilots who want to hit warp speed a little quicker.

Some cosmetic changes that also have a functional impact are new for 2002. The air intake has been relocated to the roadside, and the exhaust outlet has been moved to the corner of the rear cap. That rear cap has been redesigned with a 3-inch radius, new taillights and a new engine door with a stainless steel tube grab handle. The front cap has also been redesigned with a new generator door, new headlights and new front bumper. A new one-piece windshield (and new wiper system) gives cockpit occupants a fresh view of the universe, and new full body paint schemes with raised letter name decals give everyone else a fresh view of what a Navigator looks like from the outside.

Holiday Rambler has added two new vehicle leveling options to the Navigator’s equipment list. One is the RVA 3-point hydraulic leveling system, and the other is the dual leveling system (air/hydraulic). Another neat option is the Sentry Tire Sensor system that monitors the air pressure in every tire and relays information to a dashboard gauge to alert the driver in the event that a tire is low.

For 2002, several aspects of the cockpit have changed. For example, the driver and co-pilot will rest on newly styled Kustom Fit seats. The driver will enjoy a new ergonomic adjustable accelerator pedal. The dashboard has been redesigned, and four gauges have been moved from a top panel to the dash location. A Panasonic back-up camera is integrated with the AM/FM radio and 8-disc CD player. In the driver’s hands will be the new VIP lighted Smart Wheel and new column with controls for windshield wipers, ICC and cruise control. There’s even a Trip Tek Message Center. All that is standard equipment, and the options list includes a VDO/Dayton GPS navigation system with a set of seven navigational discs. Hunter Douglas power window blinds round out the list of options that are totally new for the Navigator cockpit.

The new year brings six new floorplans to the Navigator series, replacing four plans that have been discontinued. Model 40PBD features a sofa/kitchen slide; 40PBDD has a sofa/dinette flat floor slide; 42SBW is a longer version of the sofa/kitchen slide plan; 43PKD is a new double slide unit with a sofa/kitchen slide and a large bedroom slide; 43PKDD features the sofa/dinette flat floor slide up front and a large bedroom slide in the rear; and model 45DCDS is the longest sofa/kitchen slide. In addition to the new floorplans, there is also a new all-electric coach that features Aqua Hot heating system and a pair of solar panels to help refill the storage batteries.

Within these new plans, life has only gotten better. The entertainment systems have been upgraded to include a 24-inch Sony Vega stereo color TV with remote control stereo in the living room area, and a 20-inch Sony Vega stereo color TV in the bedroom. A new Sony home theater system with DVD player adds its capabilities to the standard Sony VCR equipment, expanding the movie watching possibilities.

The living room padded vinyl ceiling is now recessed, giving a larger and more elegant appearance to the room. Cabinets above the slideout sofa and above the bedroom slideout have been enlarged for more interior storage capacity.

In the living room is a sizeable table with a large glide-out extension, all of solid surface material. There’s a new legless dinette table that makes it easier to maneuver the free-standing chairs at mealtime. The table has a solid surface top that matches the kitchen countertop as well as the table in the living room, and there’s also a wall cabinet adjacent to the dinette, again featuring the solid surface top. A handy countertop extension in the kitchen folds away when not needed, and covers for the stove and dual sinks not only make the kitchen area appear to be very tidy, but also expand usable counter area. All of this attention to the use of matching solid surface materials throughout the coach adds measurably to the atmosphere of elegance of design and strength of construction. And those surfaces are carried over in the bathroom and again in the slideout bedroom, where nightstands and a dresser across from the bed feature solid surface tops.

Between the forward half of the coach and the rear are two sets of solid pocket doors – one dividing the space between the kitchen and the bathroom, and another separating the bathroom from the master suite. Either or both of these doors can be closed to arrange the bedroom and bathroom according to desire for privacy and convenience. The bathroom is actually divided into the main area with the vanity and the glass shower beneath a large skylight, and a fully separated and enclosed small room with a second vanity and the toilet. Both areas have wonderful medicine cabinets and vanity storage sufficient for a family.

Our coach featured the slideout bedroom, and was designed with a wonderful wardrobe across nearly the entire rear wall, accessible via a set of beautiful sliding doors. In the aft starboard corner, a laundry center was concealed behind louvered doors, offering the ease of washing clothes in the convenience of home, no matter where you happen to be. The bed itself has received an upgrade surface, now featuring a 60" x 80" Slumber Ease mattress that our test proved to be very comfortable. New decorative beveled mirrors brighten many of the walls throughout the Navigator, and visually enlarge the rooms where the mirrors are located.

But there’s more to the 2002 Navigator than just what shows up on the new standards and options list. This is a superb motorcoach on its own merits, regardless of what’s new. The strength begins in the Roadmaster chassis, continues with the Cummins turbodiesel and Allison transmission. From there it spreads through the enormous subfloor cargo compartments and the convenient utility bay, where all the shore hookups (and more) are nicely arranged. The quality and thoughtful convenience are evident in the layout of the AC power generator that glides out from behind the front grille, and in the easy access to engine service points at the rear of the coach. Truly, from nose to tail, the Navigator is a premium motorcoach that will bring a smile to the face of the most fastidious traveler.

There is quality throughout – tile floors stretching from the kitchen through the bathroom, all hardwood cabinetry, onboard water purification, instant hot water, a huge 4-door refrigerator freezer, an enormous glide-out pantry, sumptuous upholstery and interior décor elements. It’s simply the highest quality throughout. Everything is calculated to make the occupants feel as much at home as possible, and the craftsmen at Holiday Rambler carry it off splendidly. It’s a five-star hotel on wheels... all you need to do is bring your own world-renowned chef.

Living aboard Navigator is a treat, there is no question. But driving one is a delight in itself. Unfortunately, only one person at a time can drive, leaving the others to enjoy the ride, but miss out on the fun of being behind the wheel. As we flew along a two-lane country road crisscrossing a long and open valley through which a light gale was blowing, Becky took notes of my comments. “We’ve got a pretty strong crosswind out here, but I don’t feel it as a driver. It doesn’t affect the steering or handling at all.”

Later, we slowed to pass through a small country town, but our route took us over two sets of railroad tracks. “The railroad tracks are not even there,” I commented as the Navigator soaked up the bumps with grace. “No bumps or jarring of any kind.” Toward the end of our test, as we were cruising down the freeway amid a flurry of cars and commercial trucks, I was perfectly at peace in the Navigator’s pilot seat. “This is more comfortable to drive, to steer, than some new cars and trucks I‘ve driven.”

And finally, as I talked with Becky about what life would be if we owned a Navigator... “If I had one of these, you‘d never get me in an airplane again. I‘d love driving all over the country, no matter how long it took.“

As we traveled, I thought about the fact that the very name Navigator is derived from ancient languages with roots of navigare meaning to sail, or navis meaning a ship, and agere meaning to lead. And it all made sense to me as we swept through an S-turn under perfect control at ten over the limit. This is like piloting a starship.

“Beam me up, Scotty. I‘ve found the ‘wessel’ I want.”