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Hi guys just joined the forum today.

I have been a fan of Newell's for 15 years and have visited the factory.

The prices of the used coaches have finally come down to my price range and I am considering a purchase.
But before I do I have a couple of questions on quality.

1. I have heard that the older coaches, pre 2006 or so were of a better quality than the newer ones, let me now your thoughts.
2. I stay at MCC in the winter and have seen Newell repair people out there every winter for the whole season making repairs to the many Newells on site.
   This sounds like great customer support, but on the other hand why do they need to be out there all winter, do these coaches have that many problems ?

Thanks and I look forward to your responses.

Jack
Welcome Jack!

Motorhomes are complex machines that operate in a harsh environment. As time passes, more amenities have been added and more electronics to operate/monitor the coach have become available. Pre-1997 coaches didn't have the complexity/benefits of slides. Pre mid-2003 coaches used hydraulic slides while later ones used electric slides. Pre-2004 coaches didn't have the ZF suspension with the active steering tag axle or the multi-wire Spyder Controls system. Pre-2010 models didn't have the multiplex Spyder Controls systems. Each of these changes brought with them benefits while some added complexity.

If you are a backyard mechanic, the older the coach, the more you will be able to repair yourself. If you have an electronics degree, you will appreciate the more sophisticated, computer controlled coaches. If you are dependent on others to perform all the work on your coach, buying a coach from Newell with a warranty may be your best option.

In response to your questions, as the newer coaches are more sophisticated, they also have more things that can get out of whack and may require specialized equipment or techniques to repair. On the other hand, more of the systems on older coaches can be taken apart and repaired by someone willing to get their hands dirty where a newer coach may have more components that are, for most people, replacement only thus increasing the cost of maintenance. Early 1990's coaches (no slides) cost about $500k when it was new (equivalent of about $890k now). A new quad slide Newell will be about $2M so you would expect more systems and more complexity. There are a number of owners of post-2006 coaches on this site that will hopefully provide insight into your question.
A couple thoughts:
The older the coach, the simpler their systems are and the easier it is for us novices to fix them.

The newer the coach, the more complicated their systems are and the newest coaches are bought by people less inclined to do their own repairs
thanks for the info
Not sure about the newer Newels. Have not been in many. However, all of the brand new mass produced coaches are very lacking in the durability of materials compared to our 1992 Newell. It may not have all the bells & whistles of a brand new coach, but a lot of that can be added on for a price. (awnings etc.). We would not want to trade our Newell, especially since we have invested time & $$ to get it customized for us.
We have own 2008 Newell which is our fourth coach. We purchased our 08 Newell in February 2017.  Before this purchase we had owned an 03 Country Coach Intrigue, 04 Foretravel U320, and a 2012 Foretravel IH 45. In my opinion the 08 Newell is a better coach including the 2012 Foretravel IH 45. Newell has provided us the best customer service and product support. 
Our coach was at Motorhomes of Texas this winter for some service and a slide issue developed. Motorhomes of Texas transported the coach to Newell for repairs and then it was returned to Motorhomes of Texas. The driver for Motorhomes of Texas that had did the round trip to Miami delivered the coach to us in Troup at another customer residence. I had an opportunity to talk with the driver at this delivery and he stated that our 08 Newell was the best driving coach that he has had the experience in driving. This is from an individual that drives different brands and models every day.
You will be pleased with your Newell purchase.

Reese
1. I have heard that the older coaches, pre 2006 or so were of a better quality than the newer ones, let me now your thoughts.

I have heard this statement used for many years with coaches of different brands.  In fact I owned a Country Coach when the company went through a change and saw cheaper components being used in the newer construction.  I have not seen this in Newells.  The Newell shell construction method of the shell goes back to the same method used in the 70s.  There were many changes in Newells from about '03 to 2007.  Changed slide manufacturer, changed leveling system manufacturer, the "Porsche" designed front end, the redesign of the rear end to better cool the Cat engines which was brought on by the EPA outlawing the series 60 due to emissions.  I have not seen a reduction in quality, but I have seen an increase in complexity.

2. I stay at MCC in the winter and have seen Newell repair people out there every winter for the whole season making repairs to the many Newells on site.  This sounds like great customer support, but on the other hand why do they need to be out there all winter, do these coaches have that many problems ?

First off much of what you may have perceived as repairs may have been preventative maintenance and system upgrades.  Also go to any Mercedes, BMW, etc dealer and you'll see just as many cars in the service area as the Chevy dealer.

JMOTs.............................................