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2011 45' quad in rough shape
#1

Two days ago while at St Lucie Tire in Ft Pierce Fl, pricing out future servicing as well as 365 tires, I spotted a late model Newell in their lot. Being in So Florida, I don't see a lot of Newells so I went over to check it out. From a distance it looked like it was dirty and needed washing but upon close inspection, it was in terrible condition for a 2011 coach. Not only was it dirty but it also had numerous body/paint damage all around it including front and rear fiberglass, paint peeling from a number of places, the bay door for the generator showed bulging and cracking from the gen set hitting it hard, corrosion on the small strip of metal above the bay doors, scratches all over it and the wheels looked like they had never been cleaned or polished. I was shocked to see such a beautiful coach in such sad condition. Ours is 10 yrs older and looks 10 yrs newer. I then looked at the tag and noticed it had an advertisment for dieselRVrentals.com. That explained everything. I hope none of you actually own this coach and have it in their rental program, it looks like heck. It was a 2011 #1426
I do have some pictures if anyone would like to see them.

Dario Perini

#581   2001 45'
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#2

That is really sad. I don’t think I would rent my coach out for any price... newbies can destroy stuff quickly...

Karen & Adrian Abshire 
1998 2 slide 45' Newell Coach 498 
Prior: 1985 Foretravel ORED 35, 1988 38' Foretravel U280, 2000 Foretravel 42' U320, 1990 Bluebird Wanderlodge WB40
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#3

Well. I understand people have opinions and I also understand people do not get the full story prior to retelling their version. This coach is in my rental fleet as I am the owner of Luxurious Rentals. This particular coach is owned by a person who purchased it and used it for travel to his sporting events. He did not care about the coach and it was used as a tool, it was not valued as most of us would value our Newells. SO THE NOTED CONDITION WAS DUE TO THE OWNERS NEGLECT NOT THE RENTAL COMPANY'S. I have dumped roughly $80,000 into this coach trying to bring it back to presentable condition, with ZERO help from the owner. It has been back to the factory twice and those bills alone were about $45k of the $80k. Each and every item we asked the factory to fix has broken again, and they could really care less. Every part I have researched to order elsewhere has literally been half the price of theirs. Ive moaned and groaned so much that they must have had a meeting about me and I don't exactly feel comfortable calling there anymore. I am still attempting to get this coach back on the road confidently but still have some reservations about others operating it. The biggest issue is that occasionally the coach will not move when accelerated from a traffic light, its like the trans is in neutral. Newell took it to Allison who said no problem found. I took to to three other Allisons who said the same. I did finaLLY GET a DTC code on the last fault since I was driving it. Some items we have attended to...

Generator went directly to Martin and was rebuilt.
All new tires on the coach
All new batteries in the coach
New alternator
Tank Sensors replaced
Several roof leaks repaired (after Newell "fixed" them)
HD Stationary Dish Replaced
HD Air antenna replaced
Fuel sender replaced
HMS360 Replaced
TV Lift brains replaced 3x
All interior bulbs switched to led
Awnings repaired 2x


And I still have issues. There is an air leak someplace that Newell supposedly fixed but my 110v compressor is running constantly. I adjusted the ride height arms and lubed them good which stopped the air sound from there. I now think it may be the water canister in front bay on 110 valid compressor system. I am trying my damndest to bring it back to acceptable condition but it is literally draining me. My wife has been on me to give it back to the owner, who again could care less. It was parked in my storage lot outside for about a year before we took it in. The mattress was stained from the roof leaking, the sculpted carpet was stained from a roof leak as well. Several $110 drawer and cabinet door latches were broken. Cargo door locks were nearly all broken. It goes on.

It has come quite a distance since you saw it in March. But still has a list as long as my arm. We had it on a 4 month rental this summer and it was basically a nightmare. Recently it has only been on rentals where we drop it and set it up for the client and it doesn't move until we return.

Im constantly looking for parts and assistance to restore this beast, as no one rents one. Its nice to be able to try an rv before you buy an rv and if you're looking for a Newell this is the only one available to rent. Its not listed on our main website for the reasons stated above.

Im currently in need of help/assistance with some of the following...

Rim covers for front tire
I have Omniscope but can not get much help in understanding it or knowing if Im applying the correct scripts.
The dryer vent cable will no longer go in and out. The flap opens after we unhooked the cable from it.
The screws on the exterior body trim are all falling out.
The Aqua-Hot is not in the best shape.
The dump valves are strange, DS Dump Open is always red, even after the factory trip.
The fault code during the last no movement issue were 1176, 103, 102
And several other items....


Any help on where to buy parts aside from Newell are happily welcomed.
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#4

LuxuryRVs,

This site is about Friends helping Friends....You might want to consider another forum if you feel the need to trash the Newell brand, the factory, or the owner. I have dealt with the factory a lot and have a completely different experience than yours (and I have spent far more than the numbers you have shared). With that said....I have some thoughts about your coach.

Since most of us have older coaches...some of this might not apply.

Not accelerating...If the coach has the FAST IDLE button switched on, it will act like it's not in gear. Turn the switch off, then go to N then to D and see if that fixes the issue. The Allison transmission is virtually bullet proof, and we rarely ever hear of any issues with it.

Leaks... Newell coaches rely on the seals around the slides to keep water out. Since you say that the 120V compressor is running constantly, you have air leaks. Fixing air leaks should be near the top of the list. There are lots of posts on here about finding air leaks, but the bottom line is that you have to go find em and fix em. Start in the compressor bay with a sonic leak detector and some soapy water and go basement bay by basement bay looking for the leaks. Finish up by looking around the drivers chair and under the drivers dash.

You mentioned water canister in the front bay. Can you share more details? Have you drained water from the air tank in the front bay?

The Rims for the front tire? Not sure what this means. Hubcaps? They are available from Newell parts.

AquaHot? - Contact @"Trainer" (aka Rudy). He has parts and knowledge.

If you have some specific questions, I am sure that we can find some answers.

Good luck with the coach!
bill

Bill Johnson
Birmingham, Alabama
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#5

The codes that you shared don't seem to be valid Allison codes.  How are you obtaining the codes?  Through the silver leaf or directly from the transmission?  Here is a link to the process to get the codes.

Allison Error Code Checking

Bill Johnson
Birmingham, Alabama
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#6
Photo 

[attachment=6373 Wrote:bikestuff pid='40189' dateline='1547910261']The codes that you shared don't seem to be valid Allison codes.  How are you obtaining the codes?  Through the silver leaf or directly from the transmission?  Here is a link to the process to get the codes.

Allison Error Code Checking


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
       
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#7

Ok, those are engine codes. I am guessing, but they may prevent the tranny from going into gear. Just a guess.

looks like the boost pressure sensor or connection to the harness needs some attention.

Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home Cool )
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#8

Have an odd question: was this coach towed recently?

Karen & Adrian Abshire 
1998 2 slide 45' Newell Coach 498 
Prior: 1985 Foretravel ORED 35, 1988 38' Foretravel U280, 2000 Foretravel 42' U320, 1990 Bluebird Wanderlodge WB40
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#9

(01-18-2019, 09:41 PM)LuxuryRVs Wrote:  Rim covers for front tire
I have Omniscope but can not get much help in understanding it or knowing if Im applying the correct scripts.
The dryer vent cable will no longer go in and out. The flap opens after we unhooked the cable from it.
The screws on the exterior body trim are all falling out.
The Aqua-Hot is not in the best shape.
The dump valves are strange, DS Dump Open is always red, even after the factory trip.
The fault code during the last no movement issue were 1176, 103, 102
And several other items....

Re rim covers:  not too expensive, just call Morgan and order from him.  He seems to operate totally separately from the service department, so no one will probably notice that the annoying guy is around.  Smile

Re omniscope, call Silverleaf and they can walk you through it.  

Re dryer vent, you may need to pull the dryer and work on the run.  On my coach the dryer is pretty easy to get out, but of course they vary.

Re: Aqua-Hot, other than the bigger electric heating element, I think they're all the same pretty much?  This doesn't seem like a Newell issue, and it seems like something you should have experience with.

Re: the dump valve buttons, are the valves actually closed when you close them?  And it's the light that stays on?  If so, does the light stay stuck on at all the places in the coach where you have a button?  There is a little magnetic switch that is taped to the gate valve that is wired into the switches.  Your switch may be stuck, or have fallen off.  Check yours with a meter first, and then call Drainmaster and ask them for help if you're seeing it not behaving.  (If the red light is only staying on on one of the two switch locations, the magnetic sensor isn't the problem.)

What are the other items?

Who else have you asked for help?  Have you tried working with another Newell-friendly shop?

You say you're stuck with the coach because you've put money into it, but that sounds like sunk-cost fallacy to me.  It sounds like a horrible fit for the rental market, especially given the hassles you've endured.  Why not sell it to someone who has the time/energy to take care of it?  It seems like you could find more profitable ways to spend your business day than learning the intricacies of one of the most complex RV machines on the planet just to deal with the only one you have in your fleet (and the zero additional ones you plan to buy!).

2008 Newell #1234
Boulder, CO

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#10

Not recently towed

Robert Lemon
South Florida
Coach #1426
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