[encantotom]

Hi all,

Darlene and I bought our first Newell in 2007. I was looking at BBirds (which i would have been very happy with) and a friend who had a country coach said i ought to consider a Newell. I knew nothing about them. so i did the search thing. at the time i was laid up and had to spend a couple of months flat on my back so i had time.

we found our 1990 in northern new mexico. my son in law and i went to look at it and i was hooked. the next weekend darlene and i and the two younger kids went to go pick it up. we got home and loaded it up and left for my oldest daughters wedding reception in Illinois. i knew nothing about it but off we went. over 3k miles and a few learning experiences later we got home.

then i did a total restoration on it. not because it really needed it, but because i am an engineer and i wayyy overdo most everything.

we finished it after a year long project about 2 in the morning of the day we left for a ten week trip in it. that was a fantastic trip.

we used it since then and then last year i got the bug for a bigger one with slides. yea i know i was crazy. still am.

i found coach 608. it was always a race coach. originally built for mario andretti and then sold to the honda indy car engine development team. they used it as a hospitality coach and then it sat for most of the past few years. no one loved her. till darlene and i bought her and started another project.

i am getting close to being finished and hope to be done with most things this winter. we just got back from a 3 1/2 week trip in her, our maiden voyage of 4200 miles. now we know why full timers dont drive that much in a month.....Fuel is EXPENSIVE!!!

we loved it. there were 5 of us counting our daughter and our two grandchildren. her husband had to stay home and work.

learned a bunch and still have things to learn. thanks to our many newell friends that have helped me and answered my endless questions. and to the people at the newell factory who have helped me so much as well.

that is why we started this new site. to continue a place where i can interact with our friends and learn and share with each other. there is another site that is fantastic and i encourage you to visit and use it as well.

i actually do have a life besides the newell. darlene too. we are both active in the community and our faith as well as i still work full time.

if this site works out then fine, if not, fine. either way we have a host of friends that we didnt have 5 years ago before we bought the newell. Our son Scott is an engineer in the air force and has helped us get going on this.

thanks to all of you and i hope we meet many more of you. newell, or no newell.

tom and darlene