National RV Dolphin Reviews on RV Insider (18)
Avg. Rating

Bought this RV local, in 2014, was a one owner RV, with 94000 miles, so I'm 2nd owner. Amazing value for the money! New, was $100,000. What a wonderful RV and tremendous value. Every bit as good as newer RV's but a fraction of the cost. Huge bedroom, big slide out, nice size 2 door refrigerator, beautiful bathroom, big living area. National built a tremendously dependable, easy to drive, easy to use, and easy to maintain RV. Panoramic drivers windows, are remarkable for seeing scenery. Have performed normal services this past year, just put new brakes on it, and oil change, serviced the generator. The rig traveled like a performance champion over miles of freeways and mountains. We literally passed up other travelers on the roads, due to the add on of the Banks system. Generator ran and ran. We went 2 times through the Rocky Mountains this past summer, not a single problem, and are already planning our next vacation.

After being a 'tent-camper' my whole life, including many days in the field as a career Marine, and after a lot of research on RV's, I finally broke down and 'went-big' by purchasing a (barely used) 2002 Dolphin 5356 from the original owner in Riverside, CA, just a few miles from the old (defunct) factory in Perris, CA where these were supposedly built. The rig is extremely clean, seems to be well-built, and is in excellent shape. I got it for what seems to be a steal ($19K). I'm a single dad (one young son still left), and was actually considering a Class C, but this Class A Dolphin popped up and I jumped on it. Seems this Covid crisis has a lot of people jumping into the mix and buying-up RV's! It has the Workhorse chassis with the 8.1L engine and Allison transmission and has only 20,144 miles on it! Of course I'm planning on changing the engine oil, filter, air filter, and transmission filter, along with topping off any fluids. Plus I'll change the oil and filter in the Generac generator, and inspect the water heater(s) and replace anything that needs it (anodes?). I did an initial inspection of the roof, but will be doig a closer inspection and re-sealing anything that needs it. I'll also be doing a bleach and water sanitation of the entire fresh-water system, and installing high-flow water filter. The owner gave me the (suggested) lubrication for the slide-out's so I'll do that too. Any other suggestions are welcome! The white paint and decals are in perfect shape with no fading or cracking. All the tires were replaced not too long before I purchased it, and the seller is including the tire covers. The seller included a lot of extra things in the storage compartments that look as if they were barely used (if at all). He also included all sorts of kitchen utensils etc. that also look like they've never been used. The stove and microwave/convection oven also look like they've never been used as well. There's a new ladder in the basement, and a slightly used Coleman tailgating grill, 2 brand new sleeping bags, 2 new Eddie Bauer camp chairs, and a large outdoor mat for under the awning. The coach has the usual 2 slides, but the kitchen is on the driver's side slide-out next to the sofa, with the table on the right side near the door. I like that configuration with the table nearest the area outside under the awning. Not all is perfect and there are things that actually need fixing; - one of the side pads on one of the table benches needs to be re-attached - one of the small drawers on the bed pedestal is broken - the house batteries both need to be replaced (but has a brand new vehicle battery) - the wipers need to be replaced. The coach was essentially clean on the outside, but the inside needed a minor cleaning of the small amount of dust that has accumulated since it seems it has been sitting in (covered) storage outside. Nonetheless, I'm super excited to join the RV culture, and have even planned to use it locally here at any of the San Diego area beaches that have re-opened (after the Covid thing). It's about 'baby-steps' at this point so I figure everything out and have a routine. I just reserved a spot in one of our favorite campgrounds, Hurkey Creek, near Lake Hemet and Idyllwild, CA. So far I have about 8 people going, including 2 of my adult kids, my young son, a daughter-in-law, and some friends. My intention is to take this Dolphin on a big loop around the West, to include, but not limited to, the following; Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, Yellowstone, and Yosemite (not in any particular order). Let the fun begin!!

The RV is older but is in very good shape. I like the floor plan as it has sliding doors that separate the rooms. It's satellite ready. The hot water unit heats the water very quickly. Rides well, takes hills very easy. Will have a few extras like sheets, cookware, dinnerware. Overall it is a nice, clean, easy care RV.

I absolutely loved everything about our National Dolphin. The quality of this rig was top notch, from the chassis to the interior & exterior. It came from the factory with all the bells & whistles and was completely self sufficient. I would highly recommend this Rv to anyone looking for a dependable rig with all the comforts.

My family of 6 enjoyed this RV for over 15 years. It's still in great shape and functional. The Triton V10 is powerful and responsive. Great for a new family with young children wanting to get into a fully functional RV at low cost.

2001 National Dolphin 33' Class A Motorhome. Ford V10 Gasoline Engine. 2 Slide Outs, Patio Awning, Sleeps 6, A/C Unit, Leveling System. Imagine driving off to all of your favorite destinations in this National Dolphin Class A coach. This model offers dual slide outs for extra interior space, plus so much more! Step inside and take a look back at all of the convenient features that would make any journey enjoyable. The kitchen area features everything you need to prepare great meals on the go including a sink, a three burner range with microwave/convection oven, and a refrigerator/freezer. There is also plenty of storage for all of your dry and canned goods. Have a seat at the comfortable dinette, where you can enjoy meals with your family. The living area includes a sofa so you can relax during the daytime, and even take in a little television with surround sound. At night the sofa can transform into sleeping space for family or overnight guests. The master bedroom offers a spacious retreat thanks to the queen size bed. You will find clothing storage, a TV, plus a bit of overhead storage too. Additional Features Include: Plenty of Storage & Cabinets New Batteries & Safety Devices Clean title, no accidents. Runs great and ready to move in or travel cross country!

After extensive viewing of other makes and models we purchased this Dolphin best on our perception of its quality workmanship and components. We have not been disappointed. It has proved to be built well and was overall reliable. However National RV filed bankruptcy thus putting and end to our warranty.

It is the best build rv with 8. 1 gm gas + allison transmission, i recommend one to any buyer! No problems, climbs 10k ft. Mountains up and controlled down, real smooth! All systems are pro quality and work ez, love it....

IT IS THE BEST BUILD RV WITH 8.1 GM GAS + ALLISON TRANSMISSION, I RECOMMEND ONE TO ANY BUYER! NO PROBLEMS, CLIMBS 10K FT. MOUNTAINS UP AND CONTROLLED DOWN, REAL SMOOTH! ALL SYSTEMS ARE PRO QUALITY AND WORK EZ, LOVE IT....

This is a well built / designed motor coach. The coach handled very well with much more power then most of the newer coaches for towing, the dual exhast helps. Very comfortable even with 4-5 in the coach. Highly recommend Dolphin coaches !

FlaggRV ask 30,000 avr 27,000 low 22,000 two holes bottom cap at base of latter broken latter big hole top of cap roof leak mid ship ran badly needed lot of work worth 7000 my mind could not believe

We bought the motor home in 2014. The floor plan and quality built of the home is incomparable to anything on the market today. This was a $106k when first sold. The home sat for a long time before we bought it so it had some mechanical issues. These are almost all resolved, but now have a slide out problem where it will not slide back in. Not a problem in that I am handy and can fix it. One thing for sure, the panoramic views are incredible whenever it is driven, and it is up to speed before you know it. We have renovated the bathroom, kitchen, and put down vinyl wood plant flooring and it looks awesome!

I have traveled in this RV over 70000 miles during the 13 years of ownership. With 2 slides it is comfortable on long trips particularly the over-sized living room slide. It drives and tows well. The 7.5 Kw Onan generator is great for dry camping.The only repair issues were a serpentine belt had to be replaced and the Brake calipers were replaced( under Warranty).

I really enjoyed this RV,now Iam going on a new chapter in Life.I hope someone will enjoy this unit as much as I have.When you Rv you see the country in a whole different way,which is so wonderful and you get to meet so many wonderful people.

The Dolphin is an excellent coach, especially with the Workhorse chassis. It is a very well made and National used quality parts and materials. We added a sway bar and steering stabilizer and it rides like a much more expensive motorhome. I would not trade it for any other gas coach on the market.

I have really enjoyed owning and using this RV. It is a great ride and handles well. Very roomy inside even with a large family.

This is a very well built, well finished RV. It drives well, has a workhorse chassis with an 8.1 GM V8 and an Allison transmission. Plenty of power and very smooth. Even with two slides livability is very good. The 4 door Norcold refridgerator with ice maker is plenty large for full timing. The only addition I would make might be the anti sway system. But we get around that by turning slowly.

Really not much to tell it get me where and when I want to go as next week we will be going to Tex for the winter