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Would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels during this holiday season.

The December 2017 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine has a feature article on the Newell P50 followed by a three page article "Newell Coach Corporation: The First 50 Years". Both are an excellent read.

This is recorded for posterity.

Last year I changed out the transmission oil and put in TES-295 qualified oil (Transynd equivalent). Since that time there has been a gradual alteration in the shifting pattern. Whereas originally it would shift from 1-2nd with a soft shift that dropped the engine RPM from 2100 to around 1700, then when the RPM got to 2100 again the converter would lock up and drop the RPM to about 1800, then when it got to 2100 again the 2-3 shift would drop the RPM to 1450 pretty sharply, and when up to 2100 again the 3-4 shift would behave like the 2-3 shift. Now, sometimes at the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts the RPM would only drop to around 1700 unless I immediately released the throttle and then the RPM would drop to the usual 1450. When one of these "partial" shifts would happen I would release the throttle for fear that the clutches were slipping. No codes were showing up (actually not a surprise since that light had been disconnected - it works now). Two Allison shops could find nothing wrong with the tranny.

Today I went for a test drive to see what would happen if I didn't back off the throttle when the "partial" shifts happen. They behave the same as the 1-2 shift: hit 2100, drop to 1700, hit 2100 and feel a shift or converter lock up that drops RPM back to around 1800. I also noticed that that second shift or lock up could occur at less than 2100 and that I could make it happen any time by releasing the throttle.

It turns out that there are two standard shift patterns:
1-2C-2L-3L-4L
or
1-2C-2L-3C-3L-4C-4L

For some as yet unknown reason my transmission is migrating toward the second of these two. I will be doing research as to why and if I need to do anything in the meantime. The good news is that there really is nothing wrong with the transmission. It is just the ECU changing the shift pattern, which harms nothing. The better news is that this new shift pattern keeps the engine better wound up. I may want to keep this new pattern since at 1450 the engine is a bit sluggish in acceleration. Fuel mileage may suffer a fraction, probably not enough to notice.

The other thing I should not is that when an analyzer is plugged in that senses the transmission ECU the dash indicator for the transmission goes blank.

So on our way back from the north east to our winter spot north of yuma az.
While driving just before Albuquerque NM the coach was loosing power. I went through this when I first got the coach 10 years ago. I new it was the fuel filters. But these filters were changed just 5K miles before. I had extras good thing changed them out and all was well no black smoke under a load but before we got to Yuma it looked like the smoke was coming back. After arriving, using the gene it cranked over longer than normal so changed the fuel filter on it and started normal. Now a few weeks later the gene cranks a bit longer than normal. 

So Could I have a major issue with my fuel.
I use Bi-Bor additive and ALWAYS top off the tank before sitting for the season. 

By the way we had bad head winds and after filling up prior to realizing the plugged filters The mileage was in the 3"s worst ever, Maybe a combo of the wind and bad filters.

Brad

They don't have many pics to show it off, but the few pics the do have make it look pretty nice.

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/rvs/d/199...05743.html

The owner of the beautiful 2003 coach came over to say hello today here in Chattanooga. We are slipping on our duties as Newell spotters. We have walked by the coach many times, admiring the paint  as well as the smooth way the slides were designed. We neglected to spot the understated Newell logo.  This coach, 669 was recently purchased by Doug and Melanie Meeker from Homer Alaska.  The Alaska plates say   "snobird". One of their previous coaches was a Bluebird.

When they are not enjoying their Newell, the Meekers keep it in an underground storage in Missouri. 

The Engine bay is beautiful, with lots of chrome bling on that Detroit Diesel. (Sorry about the rotation on the engine side bay picture. I was not able to rotate it.)   We ran out of daylight before we could take picture of the rear engine bay, but it was as clean as the day it left Miami.

The Meekers had not been  aware of the Gurus until today, but perhaps now they will join us.

Have got to change the passenger tag bearings. had an inner oil seal replaced and during the process there was some contaminants left in the hub sump..also believe the bearing load was incorrectly set. The wheel and hub were getting really hot. The bearings are scored but don't see over heating...because it is apart for inspection i decided to change the bearings and races.. Sounds easy but locating the bearings was a task  Newell had one in stock to replace the large inner bearing and its race. The smaller outer bearing could not be purchased until we found it on Amazon...these are Timken bearings and in a couple of calls we were quoted a three - four month wait..little frustrating. my up coming visit to Newell this will be a point to discuss.

after four days we should be back on the road tomorrow, i hope.

Another forum I frequent has a bookmark feature where you can mark a post you want to easily refer back to.  That makes them easy to find.
Is it possible to add that feature?

An all electric motor home seems doable....

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5n9xafjynJA

How big of a generator would it take to enable a hybrid set up that would allow 400 miles per day and run the house systems?

Brought coach up to travel height this morning and brought the slides in. The front slide floor is fairly high on the back end under the dinette. Never seen it come in like this. Tried putting it back out and back in, even moved the coach to flatter ground and did it again but no luck. Anyone seem this before? Something I should be worried about?