You are not logged in or registered. Please login or register to use the full functionality of this board...

  1. Newell Gurus
Latest Threads

Forum Statistics

  Headhunter water pump

Posted by: Tony Van Helden
12-16-2022, 07:58 AM
Forum: Parts Swap/Giveaway/Sell
- Replies (2)

I'm replacing my Headhunter Mach 5 pump and if anyone in the Phoenix area wants my old one for parts, you are welcome to it at no cost.

Print this item

  Salon Slide Alignment

Posted by: RussWhite
12-16-2022, 07:03 AM
Forum: Slides
- No Replies

I now know I am not the only one that has experienced this salon slide alignment problem.  That, however, did not make it any less annoying.  I put a lot of energy and money into fixing that problem and never succeeded.  You may think selling the coach was a bit extreme - ha ha.   Anyway, let's backup a little and if you keep reading I promise I will get to the part where there is a fix I believe will work.

I travel mostly alone and this problem is a bit worse for anyone single handing.  In my case the front corner of the slide would come in too far.  So far, the locking pin was beyond the mating hole and in danger of ventilating the top of the slide roof.  Within a couple years of ownership I was so frustrated I drove the coach to Miami, OK and had the pros work on the problem.  They had seen that problem before and had a method that involved "bending" the slide back into square.   It was pretty scary, but when completed the slide would properly lock in place.  Unfortunately that only lasted a few months and it was back to coming in too far again.  A call to the factory resulted in "if you bring it back we will try again, no charge".   So another two day trip one way and more work and again it locked in place.  And, yes, another couple months and it was coming in too far again. Grrrrrr    I was no longer interested in another trip west, so I embarked on methods that I alone could use to get it locked.  There were about three iterations with the final one being an electric linear motor I would place between the two columns ( one on each side of the room ) and push the room out enough to get it to lock.  This was a time consuming process, but worked and I could live with it.

I am aware that others with a traveling partner have been able to push the slide out as their partner pushes the retract button and get it to lock.    If that works for you that could be an acceptable workaround.

Another workaround I have heard mentioned is to just stop the retraction process before the pin tries to lock.   This leaves the slide in too far and kind of ugly, but when the slide seal inflates it is probably not going anywhere.

When at Richard's recently he said he had seen in person and online a bracket that was attached to the outside of the slide in the upper corner that would inhibit the slide from going beyond flush with the side of the coach.   Fascinated after all I had been through he was able to show me the picture I have included with this post.  Although not hi resolution, you can easily get the idea.  With that bracket in place it will stop movement in of the top while the bottom completes retracting and touches the limit switch.  And I don't think it looks bad at all.  If I still had my coach I would be on the hunt for that bracket.  It looks cast and like it might have been made for the purpose.   So if anyone reading the thread can chime in about a source it would be very much appreciated.  Even if the casting can't be found it seems to me that a nice plate could be fabricated and even painted to make a very workable fix for this particular problem.  Also, if you happen to know of the root cause for the top coming in too far please post about that.  I am guessing that whatever the root cause happens to be, the fix is going to be a lot more complicated than the addition of a stopping bracket.   
The picture is from a post by Jack Houpe in a thread that had run off the rails by the time his contribution 49 posts into the thread "New LG Mini Split Heat Pump on the Way" appeared.  He may be able to offer some details.
   

Russ

Print this item

  Is this coach a good choice?

Posted by: Kevin7
12-15-2022, 05:09 PM
Forum: Discussion about what to consider on buying a used Newell
- Replies (7)

Is this Newell a good choice?

1995 Newell 450 | Bob Hurley RV

I have owned a 35' MCI bus conversion and a 40' TMC bus conversion.

Now I am thinking about getting a Newell, which advertised on the back cover of Bus Conversion Magazine for years, putting the Newell name in my head.

I have two young children, a wife and a Border Collie dog. I want to show my family the country and when the time comes, homeschool the kids during our travels.

I like this particular Newell because it has two sofa beds up front for our children to sleep in.

I also like that it has zero slides because I understand slides are expensive to maintain.

This ad leaves out a lot, but I presume it has a Series 60 engine. I would only consider a 4-stroke engine.

The paint on this coach looks a bit old, but it's presentable as is.

Why does the roof height change on these older Newell's? What's going on up there?

I ask because I'd like to put several thousand watts of solar panels up there and add a mini-split in a bay so I can cool the unit from solar alone. I have read Newell's have exceptional insulation, but I don't know if that applies only to newer models.

I see newer and nicer Newells at MOT in Texas, but they all have multiple slides, and none sleep a couple of kids plus the parents.

May I please hear your thoughts?

Trip lengths would be in the one week to three-month range, but not full time, as I have a home base in California.

I have only a Class C license.

Any thoughts on how to get the non-commercial class B license that California requires to drive this 45' coach?

My best answer so far is to pay $2,500 to a local commercial bus driving school to get a Commercial Class B with Passenger Endorsement. They provide the bus and trainer and let me take the DMV test using their bus. This will take about 10 days at 1-2 hours per day they say since I have experience driving bus conversions already.

Once I get the Commerical Class B with Passenger Endorsement license, they say to take it to the DMV and downgrade it to a non-commercial Class B license. They said the Commercial version also allows me to drive a 45' housecar, but presumably it's cheaper to keep a non-commercial license?

I don't mind paying $2,500, but it is a lot of money when there likely won't be much difference for me compared to driving a 40' coach.

The coach above is 1,500 miles away, so I need the proper license to drive it home. Maybe there isn't enough time to even go through driver school before someone buys this coach, but there is always another one around the corner.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area if that helps answer the question.

Thank you!

Kevin

Print this item

  Steering column

Posted by: Jack Houpe
12-14-2022, 09:03 AM
Forum: General
- Replies (14)

I've read the threads and post from Tom and Richard on this subject and this is a have to fix before next trip. I had a tremendous amount of play in my steering wheel so bad I had to pull over every 100 miles or so to put bio freeze on my neck and lay down for a few minutes to calm my nerves. Yesterday evening I removed the column and found its not the first time its been out one of the 4 column mounting bolts was snapped off in the column and I could reach down and move the shaft by hand so the bearings are shot, I  put it in the vise you could see the was slop coming from the top and bottom. I called a place in NY and 2-3 weeks out and not one on the shelf to swap out, so I ordered a 28" keyed tilt generic GM column that I will have to tig weld some nuts on to for mounting and either change out the U joint to a DD type fitting or tig weld the spline onto the end of it.  it. I called Morgan at Newell and he said he didn't think they had any rebuilds in stock and still waiting on his reply. 

One question for the gurus on this, how did you remove that intermediate shaft from the steering box? Do you have to remove the gauges? Seems to long to pull straight up, I'd like to check that rubber dampener.

Print this item

  Battery Panel w/Breakers & Disconnect Diagram

Posted by: CaptainGizmo
12-13-2022, 12:55 PM
Forum: Electrical
- No Replies

Hoping this will help ya'll when the need arises to understand exactly how the Newell's House batteries are connected to the coach. And, while the newer coaches have a slightly different inverter breaker layout, the general principles are the same.

In our case, we have a 2015. So for the teenagers out there, you've got 2 breakers for the inverters, which supply 110/220v. Below them, notice the red rotary disconnect switch; this is a MASTER DISCONNECT for the Negative (Ground) which will also kill the inverters.  This is very important to understand any time you need to shut one or the other systems down. Remember that this is completely independent from the Chassis batteries & disconnect.

Also, another key point is Newell has made safety choice of having that 12-volt switch DISCONNECT THE GROUND (NEGATIVE). There is as much controversy on that topic as there is Chevy vs. Ford or Bud vs. Coors! However, from a firefighting and emergency response POV I can understand and support the reasoning. We ALWAYS attempt to disconnect the ground/negative from the chassis FIRST. This removes the chances for arcing/shorts from incidental contact with the postive side.

Since there are no pre-existing diagrams to illustrate what goes on behind that shiney panel, I made my own to share. Hope this helps you!

   
   

Print this item

  AGM LIFELINE 6V BATTERIES

Posted by: Figz
12-13-2022, 09:27 AM
Forum: Electrical
- Replies (4)

Anyone have any history or knowledge of how the AGM LIFELINE 6V batteries will work in an 06 newell as opposed to agm lifeline 12v.  Thank you in advance!  Mike

Print this item

  Window Fogging Repair Scheduled

Posted by: hypoxia
12-09-2022, 05:45 PM
Forum: Exterior
- Replies (9)

Auto Glass Boss will be showing up here next week to remove, disassemble, clean and re-assemble every window in the coach.  They have 3 full days scheduled with several guys to do the grunt work and the owner doing the glass repair.  Should be interesting.  I heard there are two other Newell's in the Phoenix area scheduled after mine.

Print this item

  Dead alternator

Posted by: Dan'L
12-08-2022, 03:03 PM
Forum: General Repair
- Replies (6)

Hello, I've got an 85 Newell, with original 8V92 in it, and my alternator appears to be dead. Anyone here change one out? It's on back of engine and local Detroit Diesel guy's have never seen this setup. Specifically wondering how it comes off.

Print this item

  Introduction

Posted by: Dan'L
12-08-2022, 02:48 PM
Forum: Please introduce yourself
- Replies (3)

Hello, My name is Dan, my wife Mary and I own an older Newell it's an 85 model. VIN ends in 1004 so I'm guessing it was early that year. Any way we've owned it for 10 years and are planning on using her more now. Trip to AZ for winter month's is about to start next week!

Print this item

  Sitting

Posted by: Aragona1
12-07-2022, 07:30 PM
Forum: Air Operated Systems and Leaks
- Replies (5)

After leveling and turning the leveling system off., the left rear Saggs down after about a week on my 94 Newell   Is The ride height control or the lever six pack leaking?

Print this item


  1. Newell Gurus