[arcticdude]

You can get a 58qt drain pan from several sources. It's shallow enough to slide under most rigs, even with the air dumped. Makes it easy to get the drained oil out from under the coach.

As a great fuel filter tip- you can use automatic transmission fluid to pre-fill your filters before install. It works great as a clean diesel alternative!

[Foodsman]

That is a tribute to all the motorhomes on the roads today. There seems to be many places all over the country for service and supplies as needed. I guess its like anything else, you only notice if you have reason to look!

[Chester Stone]

Foodsman, when I had a Cummins, i went to a Cummins dealer, with a Cat I took it to a Cat dealer, and now I patronize the local Detroit/Allison dealer. Kind of straight forward for me.

[Foodsman]

Hi Chester,

Yes I get that for sure... My thinking is more from the standpoint of "if it happens out in Never-Never land where there may not be a Cat or a Detroit etc. It is my understanding that the easiest diesel to find qualified service is Cummins.

What do you do with your Cummins when the only shop close services Detroit? Can they as a rule handle the other diesels?

Harry

[Chester Stone]

Probably better than and shade tree shop.

[Foodsman]

Hey Chester,

You have a 2001 Newell and I know you take great care of your coach, so let me ask you this. I'm sure you could tell me to the $ what you spent on your coach the last 8 months.

My question however is do you have any idea approximatly how many hours you've put in on maintenance?

Anyone who has a feel for that I'd love to know!

Thanks,

Harry

[Chester Stone]

Harry, I do not keep track of what I spend on the coach. The information is available, but I really do not care. Same is true of keeping track of the hours. I just completed a two day bay door repair of a panel I damaged hitting a stump. Some things I do strictly because I enjoy the challenge and figuring out how to do something. Examples are an electronic dash, installing a color rear camera, HDTV, and other things too numerous to list. On the other hand, I pay to have it serviced, washed, waxed, etc., things I do not enjoy doing. I am a retired widower and the coach, my cameras and my computer are hobbies. Sorry I cannot be more specific, and I will bet that most Gurus will give you a similar answer.

[Foodsman]

Hey Chester,

Yes sir that sound just right! After i made the post I was thinking that keeping track makes it more like a job and something you HAVE to do instead of a labor of love and something to enjoy.

I'm sure there are some things you like more than others but I understand what you're saying. You can get a lot of satisfaction in the doing and thats as it should be!

Harry

[Chester Stone]

Harry, I think you got it right.

[Richard]

Harrry,

I think Chester did a fantastic job of explaining the coach ownership experience. Of course it pays to do homework, but a coach is not like a car. If you own one, you will work on it. The attitude in which you approach the work is the key to enjoying the ownership. Chester stated it so well. Most of us undertake the challenge not as a chore but as an opportunity to learn something new. It keeps us from stagnating mentally and physically. It provides a sense of self satisfaction.

I think that you will find that this crowd will spend money, big money, when money needs to be spent. But we derive more pleasure from saving a nickel by doing ourselves. Whether it's fixing an air cylinder with 23 bucks of o rings instead of buying a new one, or installing a state of the art battery system, the forum gang enjoys the process of keeping it going and improving on what is already there.

My CFO, Rhonda, could tell you to the penny what was spent in the last 8 years on Newell stuff, but she tracks everything that way. She probably could also tell us how much we spent on peanut butter in the last 8 years. We didn't buy any coach to save money. It's a hobby with all kinds of fringe benefits when it comes to travel and meeting new people.

And finally I have to conclude this rant with a Rhonda quote. A neighbor once commented to Rhonda that I seemed to spend a lot of time and probably a lot of money working on the coach. Rhonda's reply was "it's cheaper than a mistress".