Newell Gurus

I don't know if you have read the Sept. Motor Home magazine, if not you should. You will love your Newell a whole lot more regardless of its age. They featured Thor's flagship 45' Tuscany and did they have problem with this $400,000. coach. Quality control was not there at all as they stated several times. It makes you wonder what it will look like a year after owning it. It probably want have many miles on it because most of the time it will be in for repair.

I've noticed that many of these new coaches use the ISL Cummins rated at 450 HP with 1250 lb-ft torque. The ISL is really a 400 HP engine with 1250 torque with a chip installed to bring it to 450 HP. The ISM Cummins is the 450 HP engine with 1450 lb-ft torque which can also, with another chip installed, be a 500 HP but with the same torque as 450. We are thought all out lives, because of gas engines, HP is the IT. As most of us with diesel engines know, we want torque. Torque gets us going and pulls those hills, HP is for speed. But these less expensive coach builders up the HP to try to impress first time buyers that think HP is everything. The 500 ISM Cummins does not compare to the 500 HP Detroit which has 1650 lb-ft torque. Anyway this is my thinking.

There is no doubt in my mind that my 99 Newell is worth a lot more than this thing or any other assembly line coach and is many times better quality.

Yes Sir Chappell,

Friday I was called to fix a 6 month old Tuscany's Aqua Hot electric hearing element. Told the owner that when his coach started to supply my heater with 120 vac, my heater's electric element would work.

That started a 15 minute discussing about all of the electrical open circuits and all of the replaced stuff.

What a fine Newell he could have had for that amount of money.

Going back further, Newell changed to the front cap with the model year 2000 Newells (actually the last 1999 had the new front cap) with the round projector headlights instead of the big rectangular Ford pickup headlights they used from 1990-1999.

Slides, for all practical purposed, started in 1997 for Newell. There was 1 1996 built with a slide. With a couple of exceptions, 1997 Newells had either 0 or 1 slide. Right at the end of the 1997 model year a couple of 2 slide Newells were built. Almost all of the 1998 and 1999's were 2 slides. A few 3 slide models were built in 2000. During the model year 2000 was also the introduction of the Bode air operated entry door.

I'm on a lot of rv forums. I'm amazed that the folks buying that new junk. They keep complaining how many weeks, months, etc the thing is back at the dealer for warranty work.
I'll pass.

Love our Mid Entry Bode door

Hey Ernie are you in San Antonio?

As far as value goes, once we really looked in to new motorhomes in our price range ($200k range) and compared to used Newells and even those pesky Prevosts in the same price range there was simply no question as to value and quality. Not to offend anyone, but I do not understand why anyone would buy a new motorhome in the $150k-$200k up to even $400k range other than maybe cosmetics.

And if it's strictly cosmetics buy a used one and spend a little updating carpeting, fabrics, etc and it will look newer that you can imagine. We put new carpet in my newell along with a few minor fixes and changes and it easily looks 5 years newer. As far as engine power/quality, water/heating systems, build quality etc compared to new that's where the value of buying used blows the water out of new in this price range. Simply no comparison.

I'm in Weatherford- just west of Ft Worth

Hey Ernie, wish we had time to come by and visit. On our way back to Colorado in the truck from a week back in Louisiana. Plan to visit Ron in Santa Fe if he can wait around a couple days for us
We're at the Hampton in Weatherford and was so tired after slogging through Dallas rush hour yesterday I didn't realize you live here!