Local Newell been sitting.... Should I buy it?

[Richard]

One more thing to think about, just to complicate the situation. As you know RV tires always age out, never wear out. Given your description of the coach, it may take a year or more to make it camping worthy. If your bride is like mine, don't even think about taking her inside until the interior is livable.

The point is, that the tires will be ageing while you work on it. You might think about getting some takeoffs from a big truck tire place. Use them to get the coach home, and then fit the coach with good tires when you have it in useable condition.

[trh299]

(11-29-2018, 05:48 AM)Richard Wrote: One more thing to think about, just to complicate the situation. As you know RV tires always age out, never wear out. Given your description of the coach, it may take a year or more to make it camping worthy. If your bride is like mine, don't even think about taking her inside until the interior is livable.

The point is, that the tires will be ageing while you work on it. You might think about getting some takeoffs from a big truck tire place. Use them to get the coach home, and then fit the coach with good tires when you have it in useable condition.

I am pretty sure if I bought it, I would just air up the tires and drive it home on them slowly (I only live about 15 miles away in a rural area).  I would wait to buy new tires until I completed going all through the rig.  It looks like I should figure $3-$4k for tires.  I am sure it needs all new batteries, but would likely only replace the battery/ies required to start it initially and buy the house batteries later.  I have no clue at this point on what type or how many batteries it requires?

[Tf175]

I agree with your plan . The coach will have two chassis batteries , one on each side just forward of the rear wheels.
The batteries are 8D . I replaced the batteries on # 89 with Deka units . I think they were about 165 each. 
There are horror stories out there about Detroits running away when started after long down time due to fuel rack sticking. Tejas Coaches is a good source of information about this . He advises having something ready to block off air intake just in case . 
Interested to hear how everything goes .
Chris

[trh299]

Chris after searching your posts on this site, it looks like you have some great recent experience with working on the same year coach.  I would love to speak with you on the phone sometime to hear about issues you had to deal when you bought yours as I am really struggling about whether or not I should take this project on.  As an avid DIY guy (I have built my own street stock race car, airplanes.... restored cars, motorcycles etc), I have the skills, tools and shop to do it.  I am just not sure I have the ambition any more for a project this size.  One thing is for sure, my wife is going to have a fit once she finds out about it lol.  I just quit racing this summer to spend more time with the grandkids and she knows this kind of project will have me right back into my "one track mind" mode of operation. lol

I don't know what your schedule is like, but I would love to give you a call if you have time to chat.  If so, PM me your number and a good time to call.

Tim Hancock
Northwest Ohio

[Richard]

Tim,

To quote my lovely bride when a neighbor commented on time and money spent on the coach,"it's cheaper than a mistress, and I know where he is"

[trh299]

I really shouldn't complain Richard (but I still do... lol).  My wife has put up with my "hobbies" for well over 20 years now.  Which essentially means I go to my mechanical engineering job for 8 hours a day, five days a week and then I am in my shop tinkering from 4:00-6:00 pm.... eat dinner in the house with her.... then back in the shop from 6:30-9:00 pm along with pretty much the whole weekend.  She gets a bit cranky about it, but it is what I do.  

Ultimately I think I enjoy the challenge more than using the finished project.  My last project was a used boat that I bought for "family use"... At face value this would seem to be a nice gesture on my part to spend more family time vs shop time....  Well I couldn't help myself and ended up spending all last winter gutting it and putting in new stringers, bulkheads and floor... Of course I also ended up restoring a different trailer for it.  The coach would be similar in that it is ultimately to be used for family fun, but she will know that I will end up sinking another year or so of my time into it.  The struggle is real...  lol

[larryweikartsr]

Looking at all those smiles in the last picture is about all you need to know that all the work paid off!

[Tf175]

(12-06-2018, 06:36 PM)trh299 Wrote: Chris after searching your posts on this site, it looks like you have some great recent experience with working on the same year coach.  I would love to speak with you on the phone sometime to hear about issues you had to deal when you bought yours as I am really struggling about whether or not I should take this project on.  As an avid DIY guy (I have built my own street stock race car, airplanes.... restored cars, motorcycles etc), I have the skills, tools and shop to do it.  I am just not sure I have the ambition any more for a project this size.  One thing is for sure, my wife is going to have a fit once she finds out about it lol.  I just quit racing this summer to spend more time with the grandkids and she knows this kind of project will have me right back into my "one track mind" mode of operation. lol

I don't know what your schedule is like, but I would love to give you a call if you have time to chat.  If so, PM me your number and a good time to call.

Tim Hancock
Northwest Ohio

Tim , I sent a pm . Hope I did it right this time ...
Chris

[trh299]

Got it..... Thanks Chris!

[trh299]

Been awhile since I first started this post....  Just for the record, I never bought the Newell but it is still parked near my workplace rotting away.  It will continue to rot away until the stubborn owner dies and his kids haul it off for scrap...  kind of sad, but it is what it is.  My search is over as I ended up buying a wrecked 2004 Monaco Camelot 40PDQ from Copart.  Having fun cleaning it up and will have a nice coach once the crash damage is repaired...  Thanks to all here who provided me info on the old Newell I was originally looking at.