09-24-2016, 07:45 AM
Welcome Grandpa. Glad to have you with us.
You have picked a couple of good brands. As you have noticed, there is a significant difference in the cost of a Foretravel and a Newell. There are several differences that stand out between the two. They can be summed up in the overall term construction. The body, the chassis,which you mentioned, the customization and the materials. With the exception of the front and rear caps, Newells have an all aluminum body and roof and a steel chassis. The Newell upper framing is aluminum. The chassis is custom built for each coach using Newells design which is referred to as bridge construction. Their chassis provides exceptional strength, lowers the center of gravity and provides huge open storage bays. The materials used throughout a Newell is very high quality. Everything is solid and heavy. The drive train is from top line manufacturers and typically have greater power than most other RV's built in the same era. In the 1990's and early 2000's Newells were 500 HP, by 2006 Newell was increasing power to 600+. Newells in the 1990's had a GVWR of around 48,000 lbs. By 2006 they had a GVWR of over 59,000 lbs. Newell has had 18-20 kw generators and been all electric since the mid 1990's. Their chassis allows the customer to design whatever floorplan, slide size, and window placement they desire. Most coach companies are limited in their layouts and slide configurations. From flat floor slides in the 1990's, to active steering tag axles in 2004, Newell has introduced features that were not available on most coaches.
Each Newell is different. Each is custom designed to meet the needs of an individual customer. That means that generalizations about a Newell, even within a model year are difficult. Newell averages building about 30 coaches per year. Although they have been in business for about 50 years, the vast majority are still on the road today. You regularly see Newells from the 1970's advertised for sale. Newell offers a customer hotline that will help with serious issues 24 hours a day/365 days a year.
My Newell is a 1992 which I have owned for 11 years. It has been a solid, dependable coach and I cannot recommend it enough. I had 3 Airstream travel trailers and a Safari motorhome prior to purchasing my Newell. This is by far the best RV I have ever owned.
I would suggest you check the History section to see when Newell made major changes to body style, drive trains, slides, entry door locations, etc. I like Foretravel and looked at several when I was making my purchase. I also looked at Blue Birds and Prevosts. I like the solidness and quality of the Newell and the aluminum construction. From the large capacity fresh water and waste holding tanks to the high grade appliances and carpeting, I found Newell met my needs.
You have picked a couple of good brands. As you have noticed, there is a significant difference in the cost of a Foretravel and a Newell. There are several differences that stand out between the two. They can be summed up in the overall term construction. The body, the chassis,which you mentioned, the customization and the materials. With the exception of the front and rear caps, Newells have an all aluminum body and roof and a steel chassis. The Newell upper framing is aluminum. The chassis is custom built for each coach using Newells design which is referred to as bridge construction. Their chassis provides exceptional strength, lowers the center of gravity and provides huge open storage bays. The materials used throughout a Newell is very high quality. Everything is solid and heavy. The drive train is from top line manufacturers and typically have greater power than most other RV's built in the same era. In the 1990's and early 2000's Newells were 500 HP, by 2006 Newell was increasing power to 600+. Newells in the 1990's had a GVWR of around 48,000 lbs. By 2006 they had a GVWR of over 59,000 lbs. Newell has had 18-20 kw generators and been all electric since the mid 1990's. Their chassis allows the customer to design whatever floorplan, slide size, and window placement they desire. Most coach companies are limited in their layouts and slide configurations. From flat floor slides in the 1990's, to active steering tag axles in 2004, Newell has introduced features that were not available on most coaches.
Each Newell is different. Each is custom designed to meet the needs of an individual customer. That means that generalizations about a Newell, even within a model year are difficult. Newell averages building about 30 coaches per year. Although they have been in business for about 50 years, the vast majority are still on the road today. You regularly see Newells from the 1970's advertised for sale. Newell offers a customer hotline that will help with serious issues 24 hours a day/365 days a year.
My Newell is a 1992 which I have owned for 11 years. It has been a solid, dependable coach and I cannot recommend it enough. I had 3 Airstream travel trailers and a Safari motorhome prior to purchasing my Newell. This is by far the best RV I have ever owned.
I would suggest you check the History section to see when Newell made major changes to body style, drive trains, slides, entry door locations, etc. I like Foretravel and looked at several when I was making my purchase. I also looked at Blue Birds and Prevosts. I like the solidness and quality of the Newell and the aluminum construction. From the large capacity fresh water and waste holding tanks to the high grade appliances and carpeting, I found Newell met my needs.