Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach!

Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Printable Version

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Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Wanderman - 06-08-2021

All,
After countless searches and visits to various coaches and much back and forth with Gurus from this amazing forum (and a failed deal that set me back several months) I finally managed to buy myself a Newell!

I just made a deal for #423! Deposit check went out via Fedex this afternoon.

i will be going out to pick it up on June 24th in New Mexico.

I know it needs a bunch of work and I am ready to get in there and get to it.

This coach has had a very strange and interesting trip indeed.

I learned from the forum that it is a bit of an oddball, like me. a 1996 with IFS, ABS and a bath and a half.

From a NASCAR driver to a forum member to the cold reaches of Canada and back to the Southwest it has had both tender loving care from owners as well as some hard knocks.

I'm have a research compulsion and truly believe the "7P" rule. Proper Prior Planning Prevents pee Poor Productions. I've learned so much about these coaches from reading MANY forum posts.

I am sure I will have tons of questions to ask. be aware often i come up with crazy ideas....some work well...others? Not so much.

A little bit about me. I live in Upstate New York about 90 Miles from NYC. I'm an older gent who works (not retired, Yet!) that loves to tinker. Been an RV fan for ages and ages. I'm an avid pilot (did the commercial thing) and now fly mostly for myself. I've got a kit helicopter that I tow around with my current 3/4 scale RV. well, compared to the Newell it's more like 1/2 scale!

Mostly I avoid campgrounds, preferring to boondock with as much off-grid capacity as i can get. Yes, Solar is going on this Newell this year... maybe Lithium Phosphate batteries as well.. but the prices, they keep a dropping" So maybe later on. Sadly, this coach is missing all it's house batteries. I'm going to buy a temporary set (likely, Renogy AGM's) to get me home and through the time before the solar install.

I look forward to meeting many of you all!

As a quick aside, I am looking for the wall mounted table that goes between the recliners in the salon area where there is a love seat that is in amazing shape, but i would prefer recliners and the table for sure. Also, a Newell dinette or even just the table. At this point I have a large couch where the dinette (though this coach had a table and chairs, originally I believe) It looks as if it's a Villa that could have a motorized retractable table because of the "flap" at the base of the center section. Anyway... I have nowhere to eat nor work at the moment.

That's all for now (and it was a lot!)

Be seeing you,

Rick Miller
#423
1996, 45'+, non-slide

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Fulltiming - 06-08-2021

Congrats Rick.

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Richard - 06-09-2021

You are going to be a great addition to this merry band. Thank you so much for giving some background, for it will help us target our answers to your experience level.

Good luck on your purchase and trip home.

If the coach batts are MIA, and you plan on LiPo in the future, then I would put one or two lead acid batts in there for temp duty. That’s enough to power the fridge while on the road until you get your long term electrical system sorted out and installed.

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Wanderman - 06-09-2021

Thank you all for the greetings and kind words!

I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out and designing new ways around old problems, but without a resource like this forum there is no basis for knowledge!

If you are at all interested, I wrote for several RV publications both print and online. All of a sudden, they stopped publishing my articles... ah well. There is a digital archive of them at:

http://www.thewanderman.com

If you go WAAAAYYY back to the beginning there is a bio and descriptions of my 1/2 scale (compared to my new Newell!) RV and all the projects I have tackled over the years. Solar, batteries, suspension, plumbing, etc etc etc. Even some recipes and goofy trip logs. Imay one day get back into writing and i have had some offers for publication...who knows. certainly not today!

If I can be of any assistance to anyone in, please let me know. I still believe in a sense of community and treasure folks with like-minded interests.

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - hbens - 06-09-2021

Welcome Aboard Rick.
As a tinkerer and do it yourself guy you will fit in on this forum. I've been reading the forum for about 1.5 years and finally bought my coach last November.
I've got a list in my head of what needs to be done, what I want to get done, and what would be nice to have done. I just have to write it down and start scratching them off when completed.
I look forward to meeting you someday. I have relatives in Hopewell Junction probably not too far from you.

Hank

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Wanderman - 06-09-2021

Hank,
Hopewell Junction (referred to locally as "Hopeless Junkyard!) is about 45 minutes from me.

Feel free to visit any time!

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - folivier - 06-09-2021

Congrats and welcome to the group! BTW I fixed your link.

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Wanderman - 06-09-2021

folivier,
Gotta hate typos! Smile

Thanks!

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Guy - 06-09-2021

Welcome Wanderman. I have read your articles in the past.
Enjoy your new coach, and the many mystery switches and hidden devices .
Please post pictures as you improve your Newell
Best wishes.
Guy and Sue

RE: Greetings! Finally, bought a Coach! - Richard - 06-09-2021

Ok, you got me.

What kind of AC is installed on this coach? I see no vents on the driver side for either the Dometic split units, or SCS basement units.