08-08-2014, 07:21 PM
i dont keep track of how much i spend either. for most of us, exactness of how much time we spend, how much money, and all that stuff just isnt something we dwell on. almost all of us has had expensive things go awry and just accept that is part of coach ownership. and things on the newell are pricey at times because they were the highest quality when put in the coach.
its kind of like watching the fuel gauge go down while thinking how much it costs to drive every minute or hour. if you think about spending 35 to 45 dollars per hour just for fuel, what fun is that? when you get a rig like ours, you want the best fuel mileage you can, but it doesnt change the fact that a fill up can be 750 to over a grand. but i just dont think about it and accept it as part of the package.
i do document my repairs and most of them are on this forum. as for posting what things cost, i usually dont do that as we all get things done differently. i try to source things i can as cheaply as possible. i am willing to buy NOS or slightly used items to save money (i bought a demo headhunter water pump for about 1/3 of a new one and it has worked fine. but some wouldnt feel comfortable doing that. my junair compressor was used and it was 1/6th the cost of new. that said, i wouldnt buy used airbags....etc.
labor rates at repair shops are all within a few bucks of each other. the real thing there is finding someone you know and trust their ability. spending a few hours hunting and pecking on problems really adds up in cost. the bus shop i go to is a git-r-done kinda place. you may have to wait your turn, but they know what they are doing.
when i do things myself the rule is simple. that is that i usually have no idea how long it will take and the engineer in me will make it take 3x as long as it probably should take and sometimes longer. but i do know it is done right when i am done.
buying a high end coach is a leap of faith no matter what vintage. buying a 30 year old one like clarkes is a leap of faith. buying a new one is a different leap of faith. and in between is as well. you can buy one that has been well taken care of and still have problems. but one thing is certain, you will have problems. the trick is how you handle those. when i bought my second coach, a 35 foot executive many years ago i was concerned about what might go wrong with it. a dear friend who had one told me this. dont worry about it "there is nothing a credit card cant fix". how big a bill on the credit card is determined by your ability and willingness to do things your self.
i fix things like i am keeping it forever. if i do, fine. if not, then i know what i have done is first rate.
i am an engineer and i research everything to death. so much that many times the wanting and researching was more fun than the having. i tell my kids that they should enjoy the wanting as much as the having. (and it is alot cheaper). but i will say, that the having of my 2 newell coaches was BETTER than the wanting.
darlene just called and was checking on the coach where we have it stored while i am building the shop. she said an alarm was going off inside. i told her how to check the prosine inverter and then reset it. it turned off. if something is wrong with it, i will figure it out and fix it.
i have learned that i love tinkering as much as using sometimes. i spent my whole career mostly working on things that took many years. hard to see what i or my teams accomplished in a single day, week or month. when i come in from working on the newell, when i clean my hands and wipe the blood off whatever got scraped, i know what i got done. i love that sense of accomplishment. there is nothing i cant fix if i want or need to. it may take me a long time or i may have to take it somewhere for help, but i know that with my own abilites and those of my many guru friends i can do it. i cant tell you how many times i have called gurus for help. most of them probably think i am totally helpless and at times i am.
that is the way most folks are on here. and the ones that are not as inclined mechanically know it and know their limitations and know how to get things done with the help of others or writing a bigger check.
i have watched clarke go from being somewhat intimidated to do much of anything on his coach to doing everything from engine work to system work himself.
well, it is a long epistle. take it for what it is worth.......1-2 cents as wally would say
happy 5th saturday
tom
its kind of like watching the fuel gauge go down while thinking how much it costs to drive every minute or hour. if you think about spending 35 to 45 dollars per hour just for fuel, what fun is that? when you get a rig like ours, you want the best fuel mileage you can, but it doesnt change the fact that a fill up can be 750 to over a grand. but i just dont think about it and accept it as part of the package.
i do document my repairs and most of them are on this forum. as for posting what things cost, i usually dont do that as we all get things done differently. i try to source things i can as cheaply as possible. i am willing to buy NOS or slightly used items to save money (i bought a demo headhunter water pump for about 1/3 of a new one and it has worked fine. but some wouldnt feel comfortable doing that. my junair compressor was used and it was 1/6th the cost of new. that said, i wouldnt buy used airbags....etc.
labor rates at repair shops are all within a few bucks of each other. the real thing there is finding someone you know and trust their ability. spending a few hours hunting and pecking on problems really adds up in cost. the bus shop i go to is a git-r-done kinda place. you may have to wait your turn, but they know what they are doing.
when i do things myself the rule is simple. that is that i usually have no idea how long it will take and the engineer in me will make it take 3x as long as it probably should take and sometimes longer. but i do know it is done right when i am done.
buying a high end coach is a leap of faith no matter what vintage. buying a 30 year old one like clarkes is a leap of faith. buying a new one is a different leap of faith. and in between is as well. you can buy one that has been well taken care of and still have problems. but one thing is certain, you will have problems. the trick is how you handle those. when i bought my second coach, a 35 foot executive many years ago i was concerned about what might go wrong with it. a dear friend who had one told me this. dont worry about it "there is nothing a credit card cant fix". how big a bill on the credit card is determined by your ability and willingness to do things your self.
i fix things like i am keeping it forever. if i do, fine. if not, then i know what i have done is first rate.
i am an engineer and i research everything to death. so much that many times the wanting and researching was more fun than the having. i tell my kids that they should enjoy the wanting as much as the having. (and it is alot cheaper). but i will say, that the having of my 2 newell coaches was BETTER than the wanting.
darlene just called and was checking on the coach where we have it stored while i am building the shop. she said an alarm was going off inside. i told her how to check the prosine inverter and then reset it. it turned off. if something is wrong with it, i will figure it out and fix it.
i have learned that i love tinkering as much as using sometimes. i spent my whole career mostly working on things that took many years. hard to see what i or my teams accomplished in a single day, week or month. when i come in from working on the newell, when i clean my hands and wipe the blood off whatever got scraped, i know what i got done. i love that sense of accomplishment. there is nothing i cant fix if i want or need to. it may take me a long time or i may have to take it somewhere for help, but i know that with my own abilites and those of my many guru friends i can do it. i cant tell you how many times i have called gurus for help. most of them probably think i am totally helpless and at times i am.
that is the way most folks are on here. and the ones that are not as inclined mechanically know it and know their limitations and know how to get things done with the help of others or writing a bigger check.
i have watched clarke go from being somewhat intimidated to do much of anything on his coach to doing everything from engine work to system work himself.
well, it is a long epistle. take it for what it is worth.......1-2 cents as wally would say
happy 5th saturday
tom
Only 25 - 30K? 