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  Considering a Newell, advice welcomed!

Posted by: LivingtheDream
06-20-2025, 05:48 AM
Forum: Howdy and Welcome to Newell Gurus
- Replies (5)

Hello all,

Retired a few years now and considering a quality "vintage" coach (late 1970's-early 1990's most likely) for regular short-distance trips (under 500 miles) and perhaps in the next few years a cross-country journey.  The most important considerations for me are:

1.  Build quality of the coach.  I've been considering Newell, Wanderlodge, Prevost and peeking at MCI and Silver Eagles.  I'd like to avoid fiberglass entirely.

2.  Durability and reliability.  I know for any vintage coach, issues occur and repairs can be costly.  I do have decent mechanical skills working on automobiles and pickup trucks and would enjoy handling routine maintenance DIY like oil and filter changes, belt changes and such (I like to keep an eye on things).  So good access to the engine, generator, radiator, chassis and other major components would be helpful.  While I like the Wanderlodge FC, the engine location is less than ideal, particularly if the radiator hasn't been converted to swing out.

3.  Usability and drivability.  Most state parks in our state and neighboring states have a 40' limit so I would ideally like to keep it at 35' to 40'.  I'd like an engine powerful enough to run 70mph on an interstate and maintain a decent speed on inclines.  I prefer a diesel pusher with a tag axle.  I do not want slides.

I'm also interested in a coach in good condition with records of regular maintenance.  I'm not interested in a gutted or "project" coach nor one with a sketchy history of deferred maintenance and repairs.

I've read on a post here about the construction of the vintage Newells but am unclear on how the aluminum body is actually built and how it compares to an all-steel coach like the vintage Wanderlodges.  I also know that Newell, Prevost (and some converters) and MCI are still in business and building coaches but Wanderlodge and Eagle are both out-of-business.

Any and all advice is appreciated!  Thanks all!

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  DD60 starting problem

Posted by: Jackflash
06-19-2025, 03:43 PM
Forum: Help, I need help ASAP
- Replies (5)

I fired up the rig to bring in the slides and it started instantly as usual but after running for 10 seconds or so it sounded odd began to run rough and died.  Feul starvation was my first thought, so I checked the filter. Sure enough it had no feul in it.  I added feul to bring it up to about the halfway point on the filter and tried again, no luck. Dianna was watching the feul level in the filter while I cranked the engine and saw that it was leaking at the base of the globe. I removed the globe reseated the o-ring and put it back together.  After filling it back up with feul no more leak, but I can't get it to fire at all. Any suggestions?

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  Coach 435 sewer connection repair

Posted by: cwl1979
06-19-2025, 09:59 AM
Forum: Plumbing and fixtures
- Replies (4)

When i bought my coach the previous owner did not have the fancy elbow for the sewer connection. I looked everywhere for a reasonable replacement. I did not like the "cup" idea. So I went to the store and bought a fitting saver reamer. Looking everything over i removed the panel that holds the city water pressure regulator. Since I had just rebuilt that on Saturday it wasn't hard to pop the rivets off to make room for a drill. Proceeded to ream out the old style fitting about 1 inch deep. I wanted to use it as a union to glue in a new fitting. Dry fit everything and realized I would have to trim the new fitting about 3/4 inch so it would clear with an elbow attached. Got everything test fit pulled apart cleaned up and glued together. No more searching for connectors. I'm now able to buy hoses that readily attach and seem mostly universal anywhere. As far as I'm thinking... problem solved.

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  Tag wheel locked up! suggestions?

Posted by: Gem930
06-18-2025, 06:50 AM
Forum: General
- Replies (8)

Ive had my coach (639) raised to replace the Aquahot and generator exhaust system.  The front and mains were on heavy duty ramps and the body was cribbed with jack stands. The tags were not raised and still resting on the ground as the mains were only raised about 5".  It sat like that for sever weeks as I ended up having to completely rebuild the entire aquahot (unfortunately not just the exhaust). Anyway, I pulled the coach out and drove about 1/2 mile when the passsenger side tag locked up.  I park the coach and called Newell for advice.  They immediatley asked if the coach had been sitting and said the brakes can get stuck and told me how to cage the brake.  I went back with the 1' ( I think) socket and backed the bolt out of the brake chamber.  I was not sure how far to back it out and did not want it to fall completely out.  After backing the bolt out with the ratchet it started to spin freely.  I backed it out by hand until it got tight.  I then put the socket back on it a made probably 8 to 10 complete 360 degree turns.  The wheel was still locked up.  I did a few more turns and same thing.  I then played with the tag weight increase/ decrease button and it finally started to turn.  I got the coach home, but not sure where to start.  This senerio does not sound like the brake getting "stuck" as it rolled fine for 1/2 mile before locking up.  Not sure why the tag weight button would change thinkgs aside from maybe applying enought weight to turn a still partially stuck brake.  Any ideas????

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  side trim removal

Posted by: [email protected]
06-17-2025, 04:20 PM
Forum: Exterior
- Replies (4)

I did a word search but did not find info- 
How is the long trim strips attached- I see a phillips head screw on each end but I need to inspect under the trim. I suspect it covers a seam- just below drivers side rear slide.

thanks 
JD

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  mystery tire valve

Posted by: [email protected]
06-17-2025, 04:06 PM
Forum: Suspension/Tires/Wheels
- Replies (6)

I have this on the inside drive wheel -never seen anything like it. Can someone identify and tell me how to inflate/check pressure?
Thanks
JD

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  Villa Seat Footrest Motor & Gearbox

Posted by: hypoxia
06-17-2025, 07:19 AM
Forum: Interior Things
- No Replies

Co-pilot seat footrest motor gearbox broke.  The motor assembly 538248 is made by Smith Richards Inc..  Easy to remove, I ordered a replacement Footrest Motor Drive

       

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  First time out in 435

Posted by: cwl1979
06-16-2025, 11:24 AM
Forum: Full Timing Experiences
- Replies (1)

As many of you know I'm selling my house and moving to Maine. I bought coach 435 last fall and have done most of the repairs it needed before winter. Airbags and tires are almost completely replaced. Waiting on 4 more airbags for the drives. Tires are uniroyal all the way around and not horrible on price. 
The first weekend selling the house was rough with loading up 5 people and 4 dogs and being gone while they do open houses and showings. I decided it's time... loaded everything we needed into the coach and away we went. 
Drove about 50 miles and stopped just to check everything and saw belts hanging out of the rear hatch. Looks like the dash air conditioner compressor is seized up. Now I'm 50 miles from the nearest parts store so 100 miles round trip I might as well keep going. Turned on the generator and made sure the inverter was charging everything and continued down the road. The next 150 miles were trouble free. Made it to my destination. A friend's place about 30 miles from Homer Alaska. 
The driver commander on the dash said I was getting about 5.5MPG way better than I thought it would get. 
Since I bought the coach in the fall I didn't want to get water in the system since it had been dry for years already. On Saturday my buddy and I tackled that. Honestly it went better than I thought. The water filter housing had been frozen at some point and pulled all the threads so major leak there. One 3/4 sharkbite and thay problem was solved. All the shut off valves were drippy but a quick snug up with a socket fixed that. The city fill regulator was leaking out the top and bottom connectors. We removed that and soldered some new copper pieces and almost got it fixed. The bottom connection is leak free but the top connection busshing was to far gone to save. This concluded Saturday. 
Yesterday I had to drive our pickup back to the house and get my son from his grandparents house so I got fittings to replace the upper connection. Water should be flowing trouble free today. 
Now that water can come in everything needs to leave as well. The air valves were locked up and stuck in place so we took those apart and cleaned everything up and reassembled with silicone grease. Slide like champs now. At least by hand. Seems I've got an air leak from the 110 compressor I need to locate. 
To the sewer hose connection the simple solution would be to find the right fitting but I've searched everywhere and I'm not fond of the cup idea. I purchased a 3 inch fitting saver reamer and will be boring out the old fitting and gluing in a 3 inch Valterra connection. Then all readily available sewer hoses will work as they should. 
By the end of the day I should have a fully functional coach. Or I'm going to need to rebuild all the valve connections from the black tank and Grey water bypass. 
Let's hope for the first outcome. Either way Coach 435 is back on the road after her 6 year vacation in a heated storage garage.

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  2002 coach 622....May be for sale??

Posted by: xGE_97
06-16-2025, 09:29 AM
Forum: Newell Sightings
- Replies (2)

Gurus,
Many people on here talk about wanting a project. This may be it!! 
Coach 622, a 2002 Newell may be for sale. It has been here at Newell for some time and is rumored to be towed away soon. Don't know anything other than that. I heard this from a couple of people here. If anyone is interested they can call Newell and ask to be connected with the owner for more info. 
If you're interested, don't hesitate to call Newell.

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  Buying bus parts from Mexico ?

Posted by: Newell_fox
06-15-2025, 08:18 PM
Forum: Parts info
- Replies (1)

Hi Guys, as I am 90 miles from the Mexico border I wanted to share with you the availability of parts at significantly reduced rates when purchased in Mexico !!
I am in the process of opening a trade account with DIREGO Mexico.  I have attached a PDF of the 2022 catalogue.

PLEASE, those with knowledge of part numbers for Airbags, brake drums, brake pads PLEASE take a look at the DIREGO pdf and idenify the parts needed for Newell coaches and I will provide pricing as soon. as my trade account has been opened.

I'm NOT paying $500 an airbag when I can pop over the boarder at Tijuana and pick these up at a fraction of the cost.  Ditto Brake drums at $800 each !!!

Rge PDF is attached below, please browse, identify parts and I will attempt to source ...

Hutch

.pdf Catálogo-2018-2022-DIREGO.pdf Size: 10.85 MB  Downloads: 17

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