04-19-2019, 04:43 PM
My prospective (others may chime in with different opinions.
1) Yes slides are a maintenance issue on any coach. The extra maintenance is the price of having the extra interior room when you are parked. Certainly there are additional potentials for leaks with slide and a quick review of this site will show several users replacing their slide seals recently.
2) Most people expect a coach to have slides these days. Newell has been installing slides since 1997 (not counting the 1 installed on a 1996 model) and virtually no non-slide Newells exist after 1998. #507 was the only 1999 without a slide and the only one after that I am aware of was VIP coach #1297 built in 2010. So non-slide Newells are typically pre-1999.
3) From 1995-2004 almost all Newells will have a Detroit Diesel S60. That is a wonderful engine but you will find examples of coaches with just about any engine you can think of that have had to have them rebuilt. Starting in 2005, some Newells were equipped with Cat engines. The transmissions your time period are almost all the Allison HD 6 speed World Transmissions. Again you can find exceptions but if properly maintained, these transmissions are long lived and durable. Generators can typically run for 10,000 hours or more. They can be damaged by not running them very often or not doing the recommended maintenance. Most Newells in that age range have generators with lot's of hours let on them. Leveling systems may be ready for new airbags and the ride height control valves do have to be replaced occasionally.
In general, if the coach has been maintained, most of the items you listed should be in reasonably good shape. Refrigerators will go out, TVs will need to be upgraded on many coaches in that era since many of them are small by today's standards.
On the other hand, these units are 15-25 years old so condition is always the guiding factor and stuff will happen. Always assume that some things will need work on a 15-25 year old coach and budget for it so you won't be surprised.
1) Yes slides are a maintenance issue on any coach. The extra maintenance is the price of having the extra interior room when you are parked. Certainly there are additional potentials for leaks with slide and a quick review of this site will show several users replacing their slide seals recently.
2) Most people expect a coach to have slides these days. Newell has been installing slides since 1997 (not counting the 1 installed on a 1996 model) and virtually no non-slide Newells exist after 1998. #507 was the only 1999 without a slide and the only one after that I am aware of was VIP coach #1297 built in 2010. So non-slide Newells are typically pre-1999.
3) From 1995-2004 almost all Newells will have a Detroit Diesel S60. That is a wonderful engine but you will find examples of coaches with just about any engine you can think of that have had to have them rebuilt. Starting in 2005, some Newells were equipped with Cat engines. The transmissions your time period are almost all the Allison HD 6 speed World Transmissions. Again you can find exceptions but if properly maintained, these transmissions are long lived and durable. Generators can typically run for 10,000 hours or more. They can be damaged by not running them very often or not doing the recommended maintenance. Most Newells in that age range have generators with lot's of hours let on them. Leveling systems may be ready for new airbags and the ride height control valves do have to be replaced occasionally.
In general, if the coach has been maintained, most of the items you listed should be in reasonably good shape. Refrigerators will go out, TVs will need to be upgraded on many coaches in that era since many of them are small by today's standards.
On the other hand, these units are 15-25 years old so condition is always the guiding factor and stuff will happen. Always assume that some things will need work on a 15-25 year old coach and budget for it so you won't be surprised.