[Dallas2254]

I am a first time Newell Owner and recently purchased a 2004 #696 coach which appeared to be in excellent condition (or what the previous owner deceptively lead me to believe from 1200 miles away).  After bringing it home to Seattle we found that the coach had serious water damage requiring removal of the carpets and walls throughout the front and rear of the coach.  Long story short, I have removed and replace all the plywood in the affected walls, new wallpaper, replaced the carpet, replaced the entire floor of the rear bathroom, new heat mat, new tile on floor and resealed all the affected windows.  

Yesterday I reinstalled the two front seats in the coach and realized that I had forgot to mark the lower bolt hole that connects the seatbelt retractor mechanism to the wall.  There must be a frame mounted bolt behind the new plywood wall, just behind the end of the wrap around instrument dash board, that I need to drill through the wallpaper and plywood board to bolt this retractor mechanism to.
 
Basically, I have 'painted myself in to a corner'.  For those of you who have any model year coach around my year I would greatly appreciate if you could measure from the bottom of the overhead cabinet where the end of the curtain track, inverter and slide controls are mounted, down to the center point of where your lower seat belt retractor bolt is located.  I fortunately did mark the upper bolt that measures 9 and 1/2 inches from the cabinet as a reference point.  (It is not really a cabinet but I will call it that for lack of intelligence and being very frustrated).  If you could confirm that the lower bolt hold is centered or not centered to the upper hole that would be helpful too.
 
I have attached pictures of this area for reference.  I am hoping that I only must drill once to find this mysterious nut that is welded to the subframe of the wall that the seat belt retractor bolts to.  We are just a week away from trying to get this coach to Indo California for the winter and hoping to get this problem behind me.  Much appreciated for all those that can give me relative measurements based upon the location of your lower seat belt retractor.

P.S.  This newellgurus web site has been really great for fixing other problems.  My industrial sized air compressor in my shop was cycling every 45 minutes when I brought the coach home and now it comes on just once a day.  The motorcoach air compressor could not keep up with the air leaks.  Yes I bought a real lemon but now it is getting back to restored condition.  I just need to stop painting myself in to corners.

Dallas

[Richard]

Dallas,

I am assuming you didn't drill a hole in the replacement plywood?

If you have to go "hunting", I would use the smallest drill bit possible till I found the opening.

[ron skeen]

I am a first time Newell Owner and recently purchased a 2004 #696 coach which appeared to be in excellent condition (or what the previous owner deceptively lead me to believe from 1200 miles away).  After bringing it home to Seattle we found that the coach had serious water damage requiring removal of the carpets and walls throughout the front and rear of the coach.  Long story short, I have removed and replace all the plywood in the affected walls, new wallpaper, replaced the carpet, replaced the entire floor of the rear bathroom, new heat mat, new tile on floor and resealed all the affected windows.  

Yesterday I reinstalled the two front seats in the coach and realized that I had forgot to mark the lower bolt hole that connects the seatbelt retractor mechanism to the wall.  There must be a frame mounted bolt behind the new plywood wall, just behind the end of the wrap around instrument dash board, that I need to drill through the wallpaper and plywood board to bolt this retractor mechanism to.
 
Basically, I have 'painted myself in to a corner'.  For those of you who have any model year coach around my year I would greatly appreciate if you could measure from the bottom of the overhead cabinet where the end of the curtain track, inverter and slide controls are mounted, down to the center point of where your lower seat belt retractor bolt is located.  I fortunately did mark the upper bolt that measures 9 and 1/2 inches from the cabinet as a reference point.  (It is not really a cabinet but I will call it that for lack of intelligence and being very frustrated).  If you could confirm that the lower bolt hold is centered or not centered to the upper hole that would be helpful too.
 
I have attached pictures of this area for reference.  I am hoping that I only must drill once to find this mysterious nut that is welded to the subframe of the wall that the seat belt retractor bolts to.  We are just a week away from trying to get this coach to Indo California for the winter and hoping to get this problem behind me.  Much appreciated for all those that can give me relative measurements based upon the location of your lower seat belt retractor.

P.S.  This newellgurus web site has been really great for fixing other problems.  My industrial sized air compressor in my shop was cycling every 45 minutes when I brought the coach home and now it comes on just once a day.  The motorcoach air compressor could not keep up with the air leaks.  Yes I bought a real lemon but now it is getting back to restored condition.  I just need to stop painting myself in to corners.

Dallas

Dallas

I have coach 689 and he bottom hole center to center is 25 1/4 from top hole. 

[dannymarilyn]

Dear Dallas, Do you have any of that wood that goes on that side? If not, (I think that is your big problem.) can you see the beam from the underside? If that isn't possible, try measuring the passenger side. Most likely, the seat belt anchors at the same height on both sides if the seats are anywhere close to the same height when installed. Good luck!

Danny

[Dallas2254]

Danny,

The passenger side does not have a shoulder harness seat belt.  I found the bolt hole after using a very thin drill bit and on the 6th hole, I hit the hole I was look for.  I started at 25 1/2 inches and worked down from there.  No more painting myself into a corner.  Thanks for all the advice from those that responded.

Dallas