• HWH Slide fluid reservoir
  Forum: Slides
  Last Post: Poweron
  5 hours ago
  » Replies: 2
  » Views: 44
• Leaking cylinder
  Forum: Suspension/Tires/Wheels
  Last Post: Poweron
  8 hours ago
  » Replies: 2
  » Views: 73
• 2027 Little Valley (No) R...
  Forum: Get Togethers
  Last Post: [email protected]
  Yesterday, 01:48 PM
  » Replies: 10
  » Views: 585
• Best approach for getting...
  Forum: Newell History
  Last Post: Jack Houpe
  Yesterday, 03:04 AM
  » Replies: 4
  » Views: 124
• New to Newell and DDECII
  Forum: Engine and Transmission Monitoring Systems
  Last Post: Norton1090
  10-06-2026, 08:14 AM
  » Replies: 4
  » Views: 188
• Air Brake Chambers
  Forum: Air Operated Systems and Leaks
  Last Post: Jack Houpe
  10-06-2026, 07:20 AM
  » Replies: 5
  » Views: 198
• Our first RV, coach 210
  Forum: Please introduce yourself
  Last Post: Jack Houpe
  10-06-2026, 02:49 AM
  » Replies: 5
  » Views: 184
• Power tech generator
  Forum: Generators
  Last Post: PMCBR
  10-05-2026, 06:11 PM
  » Replies: 2
  » Views: 147
• Reverse lights not workin...
  Forum: Electrical
  Last Post: Richard
  10-05-2026, 02:24 PM
  » Replies: 6
  » Views: 325
• Tag Axle Bushing Replacem...
  Forum: Suspension/Tires/Wheels
  Last Post: [email protected]
  10-05-2026, 10:15 AM
  » Replies: 3
  » Views: 197

• Forum posts:70,786
• Forum threads:8,452
• Members:4,465
• Latest member:[email protected]

Gurus,

Tom has been making up rebuild kits for a while now (Discussed in this thread), and I have acquired and hauled a kit with me in case I ever have a six pack issue.  (All my solenoids got replaced right after I got the coach).   I am at Newell and have been fighting a weird air bag problem.   Long story short....I decided that the travel solenoids may be acting up...so I dug out Tom’s rebuild kit.  I found the kit and rebuilt the pair.  

Update:  I ended up rebuilding all six of the rear solenoids.  I found a fair amount of crud under two.  It seems to me that if you have air leaks you cannot find (especially small ones), you could inspect the six packs.

[CAUTION:  DO NOT GET UNDER YOUR COACH UNLESS COACH IS PROPERLY SUPPORTED AND CHOCKED]

Here are the steps I followed.... (Do one solenoid at a time so that you don’t mix up the connections).
1.  Mark the coil with a piece of tape showing the orientation.(Base<- -> Nut)
I have re-thought this and believe that the polarity does not matter.

2.  Dump the air in the system by turning off compressors, hit the down button on the leveling system and opening the petcock on the wet tank.    

3.  Remove the solenoid from the six pack.   The base screws into the manifold...simply unscrew.  I found the location of the travel solenoids to be tight, so I unscrewed the nut holding on the coil, and removed the coil.  That allowed me to get a pair of pliers on the base and loosen.

       

3.3 Measure the resistance of the coil.  The spec calls for 16 Ohms.  Mine were both around 14.4 Ohms.

3.5 Clean the manifold under the solenoid.

   

4.  Use the little baby wrench from Tom’s kit to unscrew the spindle from the base.  On one of the two that I rebuilt, the wrench worked well...On the other I could not get it to budge.  I ended up wrapping the threads with a microfiber towel and using a pair of vice grips on the threads and a wrench on the knurled base. [Note that the spindle looks substantial but it is hollow.  Don’t crush it]  I was able to break it free without leaving marks on the threads.  Your mileage may vary.

    .  The piston is inside the spindle.   Note the condition of the blue center of the piston.
   

5.  Remove the three O-rings.  (Two on the base and one at the bottom of the spindle).  I used a baby pick to remove the rings.   

6.  Clean up the O-ring channel grooves.

5.  Replace the three O-rings.  I used petroleum jelly to lubricate the rings.    Make sure the O rings are well seated and not twisted.  They should be smooth and almost flush with the channel.

6.  Reassemble the Solenoid.  Using the new piston.  (The piston only fits one way into the spindle)  Here is where I realized that I had created a problem.  Which way was the coil oriented when I removed it?   Who knows!   I believe that the coil is polarized and that it will only work correctly if oriented correctly.

   

If you look closely at the picture, you will see that the wires come out of the coil at an angle.  This angle should be away from the base.  If you failed to mark it (like me)...you can look at the other remaining solenoids to figure it out.

7.  Reinstall solenoid and reconnect the wire.  Close the petcock on the wet tank and turn back on your compressors.  HWH warns not to over-tighten the solenoid.   The stem can break off in the manifold.

8.  Test the leveling system.  

Full disclosure:  I bought a couple of new complete solenoids and installed those in my coach (I did not want to introduce a new problem in case my rebuild did not go well)   I rebuilt the old ones and installed them on a piece of cardboard to protect the O-rings.

   

Bonus dog picture

   

Thanks to Tom for making the rebuild kits.  New solenoids are $130 each from Newell...so the rebuild kit is really the way to go.

Cheers,
Bill

Anyone recognize this 1984-5 Newell?

   


   

i have a couple of the old style kwikee step controllers if anyone is in need of one.  

these are the ones from the late 90's.  white rectangular control box,  not the newer one.

tom

Hello All,
Several weeks ago it turn cold and I fired up the Aqua Hot to give the coach some heat.  It heated up to temp with no issues....checked on it latter that evening and all was well.   The next morning there was a puddle of fuel under the AH exhaust pipe.  The unit was running but there was no fire in the burner can.

I replace the nozzle and adjusted the probes.....the unit looked like it had been service by the PO as the old nozzle and burner looked fresh.

Did a operational check other than the burning of the excess raw fuel which cause some smoking for the initial starting up all seemed in order.

So today I started up the AH and it heated up just fine.  Used the shower with no issues.  once the water temp cooled a bit the AH called for heat but the unit ran and with no burner ignition.  Fuel ran out of the exhaust pipe and puddled just like before. 

What would cause the ignition not to fire properly on the second call for heat?

Thanks
Steve

I'm looking for a Precision Coach Works/Kris Jones on the West coast!! Man Kris's  work is fantastic. I will visit him soon on my way back to Cali. but not enough time to really do anything I'd like to do.

IS THERE A Kris Jones Clone?? LOL, LOL

have announced that they are closing the doors in March, 2020.  All products are discounted so might be a good time to stock up on filters, etc.

I'm sure some of you have seen coach 563 for sale on eBay and other websites, it has not been talked about in this group for some reason. 

It was for sale on eBay recently for $90,000 or best offer, I offered at $75,000 and it was quickly accepted. 

I arranged a professional certified level 2 inspection through the nrvia at a cost of $1,000 and the person doing it has done Newell inspections before. 

To sum up a long story the inspector called me at noon and said he had stopped the inspection and sent me numerous pictures and after I see the pictures to talk with him. The coach was not drivable the air door would not shut the steps were broken the battery tray was rotted out the coach would not level the basement AC did not work the aqua hot did not work and there was severe water damage inside the coach that the owners try to hide with pillows and blankets. 

The slides did not line up and you could see light through both slides in many places also the slides were so bad that there was exposed rotted plywood that you could see. There were also bulges in the slide out gaskets. Lots of pictures of rotted wood. 

The pictures in the ad did not even look like the same coach as rust was everywhere and it looks like it had been sitting outside at least two to three years. 

I'm doing this to warn others as it was a $500 mistake as the inspector felt so bad for me he refunded half my money. This was clearly false advertising. The owner stated on many many occasions stating that it's only been sitting outside since Thanksgiving when it is actually been outside since 2018. It hasn't been driven during that time either. It did have a lot of work done through some auto mechanic in 2017 and 2018 but again after sitting for more than 2 years those systems did not seem to work. 

I think the biggest expense would be reskinning the slides and replacing all of the rotten wood and of course replacing both air seals and aligning the slides which all could be done at Newell for a cost. Obviously being a Kansas City Missouri and they took it to Alaska also there is a lot of rust even on the outside of the coach above the pantographic doors. 

I didn't want a project coach I want something to go back to full-time and and of course I have a limited budget. Having been Newell owner previously, I know what can be fixed locally and what needs to go back to Newell and I can tell you undoubtedly this coach needs to go back to Newell. 

You have been warned ?

We are camped at Disney this week. Yesterday a well intentioned fellow approached me at the caoch while i was enjoying a cool beverage and asked if the coach was mid engined. He said he saw the exhaust pipe in the middle. I said why yes he was very observant and engine was midship. I told him it was built on a Fiero chassis andulta lightweight materials were used. I addd that because we kept the original V6 that we got over 20 mpg.  I also added that we also had the overheating problems that the Fiero had. He replied that was interesting and walked on.  Hey its disney everything is possible.

Gurus,

My coach has a bunch of miles.  (All of them were gentle miles that I acquired driving on pre-inspected super smooth asphalt interstate highways).  

One of the things that needs attention more based on age than mileage is the condition of the tie rod and drag link ends.  These joints are protected by a rubber cap that will age out leaving sand, grit, moisture and other goblins a way to get in and ruin the joints.

If you do not know what a drag-link is (I didn’t) ...look at Drag Link - Wikipedia

A few years ago, I noticed that my boots were aging and needed replacing.

This thread talked about sourcing the tie rod ends.

I ordered a set of tie rod ends and drag link ends from Super Steer.  They hung out in the coach until this week when I happened to be at the factory getting a slide seal replaced.   The Newell shop was happy to put on my ends.

Although the rubber was not completely perished....the old tie rod ends were def. "crunchy" when I operated them.   This would be a good thing to inspect when you have your coach safely blocked and jacked up.

Here is where the story gets interesting.

The tie rod ends that I got from Super Steer fit perfectly and are great quality.   BUT....(and its a big ole but)...the drag link ends that I got from SS have the same fine thread that is on the tie rods, but my coach has a much coarser thread on the drag link ends than the tie rods.   Hmmmm.

I talked to Morgan in the Newell parts department.  He said that the tie rod ends are readily available....AND that he had some drag link ends with the coarse thread.  Yes!  So the drag link went back on the coach with new ends.  Success!

This is the original drag link end.
   

Here is the new SS drag link end.
   

Note that the new blue end has a much finer thread than the old one.

Lessons learned:
1)  Newell has tie rod ends in stock for the IFS84 front end  (actually cheaper than the SS parts).
2)  There are different thread pitches on at least one coach between the Tie Rods and the Drag Links.  It would be best to verify before you order.

The Newell Service Department did a great job!  They can do the tie rod ends and align the coach in one go.  

Cheers,
bill

ps.  Maddux approved this post.  
   

Not exactly an emergency, but we are not moving until the issue is corrected. While in Mesa a few months ago, All aboard America gave our air bags a " looks ok" but come back for new shocks in spring 

While I was gone today, and while Mrs Cobham was taking a nap, the left rear of the coach dropped on to the tire. At the time we were hooked up to shore power
with the 120 volt compressor providing leveling air. It was cycling approx every 6 to 8 hrs for 5 minutes, maintaining 90 lbs.  

I am recovering from surgery, so for the time being I will have to ignore the problem. Good news is we are on a friends ranch, and all is good.

So far what I know is : When in leveling mode, engine off the 120 volt compressor only comes on when I manually try to raise the left rear corner.
With the left rear leveling swich on a massive air leak can be heard, and of course the left rear corner corner does not respond. 

With engine running  and leveling system off, we have a loss of supply air, but the engine compressor is able to overcome the loss.

With engine running and leveling switch on  no loss of supply air.

So when I am able, advice will be taken . I guess it is time to buy a jack , some jack stands,  some cribbing.......