[Tony Shepherd]

Hello All:

We are long term motorhome owners and recently sold our last motorhome.  It was a 2009 Country Coach Allure Crane Prairie 45ft with a 500 Cummins.  This motorhome was the perfect size, bath and a half with a king bed etc. but was becoming a maintenance challenge.

Since selling we would like to step up to a Newell and would be looking for a 2006 - 2010 model (P2000i) series.  I do like the big CAT motor with the 12 speed transmission pre def.  I think the bath and half and king bed would be available in this model.  We would also like the center entry door.

Question please:  Does this model have any issue I need to consider?  I know the Newell maintenance team is the best in the business and I expect to spend money on the coach as we go.  I'm looking to see if anyone out there do not think this model is a good choice and why?  If not what should we be looking for instead?

Thanks very much!!

Tony & Sheri
Motorhomeless
Las Vegas, NV

[Richard]

Tony,

In my opinion, if you sold the CC because you were weary of maintenance, then you are jumping from the frying pan into the fire by considering a used Newell.

You would be stepping up in terms of features and build quality, but these beasts require constant maintenance, and the fancier the features, the more the maintenance.

Sorry for the frank commentary, it’s one person’s opinion.

[Ernie]

What Richard said

[Dhead]

I would recommend newer coaches as each year is an improvement - we got a 2009 rear bath in excellent condition with the adjustable split king. The C15 Cat and 12 speed are great. Insurance is stratospheric. We are lucky to have a pair of good places for service and repair above and below Tampa off 75. The Motorcoach Store in Bradenton has great techs, most of them came from Parliament when they closed. They do a great PDI on every coach they sell. They don't do consignment - just buy, repair and sell for a fixed price.
So far, nothing big for us. We are having a 43" Samsung QLED installed in the bedroom along with the new Pulse FX Pressure Pro and a WiFi Ranger package this month. Upcoming are battery replacements and replacing the 365/80 tires next year and the next.

[Winegrower]

Richard and Ernie do provide an accurate asessment of the maintenance requirements for a Newell.  They are complex machines.  After owning one for a year we have found that the 2007 C-15 12 speed was a reliable coach.  There were things that needed fixing because, after all it is 14 years old and things wear out and metal, aluminum, rubber, and plastic does fatigue.

Many of the items in need of repair are within the capability of the owner.  I haven't met a single owner yet whose intelligence would not allow them to figure out, albeit with some knowledgable assistance if needed, how to fix the little things that pop up along the way.  And with Newell having used reputable suppliers even the suppliers can assist in troubleshooting and repair issues.

The assets available on the forum are invaluable.  You'll be pleasantly surprised by the knowledge base, deductive reasoning capability, patience, and persistance of the talented people who populate the forum.  I do think that you'll need to exhibit some of the same characteristics to fully enjoy the Newell.

As far as purchasing from a used dealer goes their primary goal is to make a profit selling. Even reputable dealers are human and have human employees who can make mistakes or overlook problems.   Owner testimonials can be positive and/or negative and aren't a good replacement for a good pre-purchase inspection.  Even work at the factory can be subpar on occasion. 

Either be knowledgable enough yourself or have someone who is knowledgable assist you with a thorough pre-purchase inspection. Operate all the systems and accessories on the coach to see that they are functional.  Read the Silverleaf total coach system manual before you go to look at a coach.  It is available online at:  Silverleaf Total Coach System.  Take your time, take alot of time, make certain that you have any deficiencies written down and a a written committment from the dealer to correct the deficiency before purchase and a written agreement to pay for any deficiency agreed to be but not corrected.  And don't be surprised or disappointed if as you own and operate the coach you find things that need fixing.  It's all part of the process.

Hope your seach is fruitful.

[Jesse]

As a prior owner of a Country Coach Intrigue I can personally state that the differences between the coaches are night and day. I love our Newell no doubt but it requires constant upkeep, whereas - even though not on the same level in comfort- the Country Coach was a very stout rig almost on par with 1980s Toyotas! Newells do things differently and I am still on that learning curve but it takes time to learn the systems to keep these machines on the road.

Jesse White - 2001 Newell Coach # 582

[mykate]

They are all pretty maintenance intense. We just purchased #647 and I'm polishing my tools to dive into her.

[BusNit]

I purchased #312 and despite the former owners keeping up with it, this thing needs a bunch of things repaired. I find that they had many professional coach companies do work yet what I am uncovering are nothing more than overpaid bandages. Try to do as much as you can yourself. Leave the large nuts and bolts to the shops.

[NotSoFast]

Tony,

After living full time in my 2008 Newell I can give you a bit of advise.

The goal I have is simple, and that is to be able to continuously live in my coach every day of the year.
Towards that end the Newell emergency help line is very useful as no real manuals or schematics are available and I would have been in trouble trying to figure things out while a novice. I still need the help line but not nearly as much. Also, I visit the plant about 2 times a year and get done whatever needs doing that I have not been able to do myself, which is allot of the repair on the specialize systems and constructions. I make repairs in the coach on average every week and check over the systems before every move we make. During our travels I keep an eye on all of the instruments and can spot small variation in gauge readings and attend to it immediately. I have no budget to do repairs and maintenance, I just do whats got to be done, including upgrades I feel are necessary.

On average I spend about $20k each year on normal maintenance and another $5k-10K on upgrades. My last visit to Newell was $13K due to a tank repair, new tag tires and other bigger repairs. I thought I might need a new radiator but thankfully it was not necessary. Had it been, I think another $10K would have been in order. I soon will need to replace the front 2 and 4 drive tires and who knows what that will cost in our new inflationary economy.

Also, As I had purchased the coach from Newell I had 2 years of warrantee which got used allot as many items in RV's need replacement around the 10 year mark, so if the coach you are looking to buy has any older items in it, plan on having to change them out fairly soon. The best way to look at this is to understand that a new Newell costs 2.2 million for a reason and an older coach is being sold much cheaper for a reason. Take the difference between the new price and what ever you pay for your coach and pretend its money in your pocket to put towards repairs.

If you're going to put off repairs in the hope of holding down your expenses you'll soon be overwhelmed.

Good luck in your search,

Mike

[truman]

i bought my coach in arizona and drove it back to conn...drove like a dream
   had the m1 inspection done..two pages of things that needed to get done
almost 3 months in the shop and !9k later..
the peace of mind is priceless...