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Introduction
#1

Hi I'm Chris Mann and I have been a Newell owner for the passed 5 years, which by the way is the first RV other than  a boat that I've ever owned. I found out about this site shortly after getting my Newell and it has been a really helpful resource for me on several occasions. I am sorry I have not been more involved with it on a more regular basis and will try to do better in the future.

I'm a retired marble and Granite importer/distributor living in Granada Hills, Ca. a suburb north of Los Angeles. My wife Randee and I try to get our rig out a couple of times or more each year for several weeks each to visit different regions of this great country etc.. I have been in home improvements all my life and have also loved tinkering with mechanics for the same amount of time, so a motorhome seemed to be a good fit for me. After analyzing what I thought would be the best motorhome out there I went for a Newell. I looked for a full 3 years and when found a deal  on the one I wanted I had to go check it out. She was in fairly bad shape from sitting a lot out in the sun in Scottsdale, AZ. and she had been pretty neglected over all but the gentleman selling her was motivated and I offered what I thought was the right price and he accepted it. I wish I would have thought a little more about what it would cost to bring her back close to her old glory I might of bought another one, but I instantly fell in love with her and that was that.

This all being said 5 years later she has 450 watt of solar panels, up dated entertainment systems, all major mechanical components gone over or replaced including a new IOS 84 frontend. Removal of much of the interior components so as to do remove carpet and pad so as to replace it and some areas of sub deck floor rotting do to previous leaking. While going this far nuts I decided to rebuild our so called queen size bed to a sort of custom size king while replacing all the fabrics in the coach, this was an interesting project.

I hope that I can eventually meet a great deal of you folks in person at some point in our future travels or at one of the rallies and have a glass of wine and a few laughs. I also hope that after reading this post if you are thing of tackling one of these projects that I got into and have any questions on the ups and downs of the project feel free to reach out directly to me at my personal email: [email protected]

Chris and Randee
#521 45'8"
1999 2 slide
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#2

Welcome Chris. Sounds like you have gotten a baptism by fire with your Newell. One project leads to another. Sounds like you have really bought your Newell back to life.

You might consider adding a signature to your posts so it will automatically add your name and the year and number of your coach (last three digits of the VIN). 1999's ran from 503 through 538. That way anytime you post on any thread, we will have an idea of what systems your coach has. For example most (probably all) 1999's were built with the Detroit Diesel Series 60 500 HP engine with the Allison six speed World Transmission, one or two HWH hydraulic slides (except #507 which was the only 1999 Newell without a slide), and all were 45'8" except 2-41'6", one 45'0" and the first 46'0" Newell.

Love to see photos of your coach.

Michael Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
NewellOwner.com
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#3

chris, welcome to the guru gang,

we have 2 full hookup spots out back so stop by sometime when you are going through arizona

we made a complete cal king bed for ours as well. it had no bed when we got it.

tom and darlene

2002 45'8" Newell Coach 608  Series 60 DDEC4/Allison World 6 Speed HD4000MH

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#4

Welcome Chris! Stop by when you are in Indiana!!

1993 Newell (316) 45' 8V92,towing an Imperial open trailer or RnR custom built enclosed trailer. FMCA#232958 '67 Airstream Overlander 27' '67GTO,'76TransAm,'52Chevy panel, 2000 Corvette "Lingenfelter"modified, '23 Grand Cherokee.
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#5

Welcome Chris.

Can you tell us more about what was replaced on your IFS 84 front end, and where you sourced the parts?

Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home Cool )
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#6

Hi Chris and welcome! Would love to see some pictures of the work you did on the inside of the coach. Did you end up repainting the exterior? Adrian

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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#7

Say thank you gentlemen for welcoming me to the Newell guru site and you’re kind invitations to join you at your homes That’s wonderful and we will try to do so when in your areas. Michael I will look into getting that information signature taking care of real soon so that I might be better identified.

Hey Tom I think that you and Darlene met Randee and I at no back like three years ago, I may be mistaken but I don’t think so. Anyway I look forward to seeing you in the future and we may be coming through Arizona this year so I’ll let you know. By the way what were the people doing that on the coach of yours before you got it, sleeping on the floor?

Say Richard I think we also met at once or a very brief period back three or four years ago as well and again look forward to seeing you again and have a good chat. Regarding that I OS 8 is the front in, that thing was quite an ordeal. To start with all the parts come from Portugal and took several weeks because they are manufactured for buses primarily in Europe. Apparently some manufacturers of trucks and buses here also use the iOS front ends, including Newell. The iOS front ends are apparently updated to a new model quite regularly and our someplace north of model 280, anyway the parts for the iOS 84 were a problem. I had to replace, due to lack of maintenance by the previous owner(s) tie rod ends ball joints upper and lower‘s and I don’t know what all else and less I looked at the sales slip. On the real heavy mechanical stuff I farm it out like in this case I used riteway axle in front end here in the San Fernando Valley Who does a lot of heavy trucks. After of them figuring out what needed to be ordered they could not buy it direct they had to go through a major part distributor who I believe they are name was united for them to order the parts from Portugal. The factory that makes the front end in Portugal has vendors and sound raise the manufacture parts for them which were not necessarily in stock at the time. Therefore I had to wait for batches of orders to be put together like 100 units before the factory would order the foundry to produce them otherwise it wasn’t profitable to the foundry for just one or two. This process took me having the coach down for like three maybe 3 1/2 months. So if you’re planning this kind of project when your time well to have your coach down. It was a slow process it ended up costing me somewheres close to $8000 including the lineup. Hope this answers most of your questions.

By the way I don’t know if you have this type of front end or know someone who does with a 1999 but mine always snaps when it goes to the left hard and I had Newell look at it and they said that’s normal for these front ends, not sure about that but that’s what Rite Way Axle And Suspension‘s told me as well. .

Chris and Randee
#521 45'8"
1999 2 slide
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#8

Hey Karen & Adrian,

The last time I saw you folks we were sitting on a picnic table over it nor having cocktails and drinking wine about three years ago I guess, think about.

I’ll be sending some pictures out when I get it totally completed the next few weeks. I’m picking it up from the body shop next week, finishing installing the for Micah on the bed and then having the woman, make the custom radius mattress and bedspread. By that time I should be ready to take photos and posted.

Chris and Randee
#521 45'8"
1999 2 slide
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#9

(03-16-2018, 06:24 PM)HoosierDaddy Wrote:  Welcome Chris! Stop by when you are in Indiana!!

Thanks when ever I get over your way I'll give you a gingle.

Chris and Randee
#521 45'8"
1999 2 slide
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