[Apex_speed]

Hi Guys,

I have been lurking here for quite a while as I have always been a Newell fan. The time has come for a new coach and a new adventure. I have been looking at '06 models as I like the body updates and while I was very tempted by coach #772, I passed as I couldn't see living with only 3 slides.

I'm just starting a deal on this '06 but would appreciate some input from the experts before the point of no return:

http://www.transwest.com/frederick/product/5U140637#

It is recently serviced and in good condition but the radiant floor heating in the bathroom has failed (heating pad short) and the massagers in the captains chairs are also toast. I'm told that both of these are not practical to repair due to cost. Any future resale issues with these problems or are they common?

I intend to fulltime in it for a year or two. I love the side entry floor plans but hadn't really considered that the galley is pretty small and the fridge is tiny with this layout. It is also a single bath coach. Any thoughts on trying to full time with this layout? Mistake? I know that I would need food storage underneath.

Anything else I should consider or look at carefully on this one?

Also, what is a good annual maintenance budget for a 10 year old Newell driven about 25K miles a year? I like to keep my coaches in pristine condition so I tend to fix just about anything that goes wrong. I have owned American Coaches which I used for race track coaches and they were pretty low maintenance but are tinker toys compared to a Newell. I have have pretty advanced technical/mechanical skills but don't see working on it much myself unless it is an emergency. I am hoping that a Newell is a bit more forgiving than the Marathon coaches my friends own that need their technicians to service many of the systems.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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[ccjohnson]

Just re-floor the lavy area. Put in new heat pad. You should do OK with a 25K emergency fund (engine or trans. major system repair). Tires 1K per year, batteries 250 per year, oil changes & service every 5k miles @ 500.

[whatsnewell]

Just re-floor the lavy area.  Put in new heat pad.  You should do OK with a 25K emergency fund (engine or trans. major system repair).  Tires 1K per year, batteries 250 per year, oil changes & service every 5k miles @ 500.

Do you change your oil every 5,000 miles?

[Richard]

The bath and half floorplans are great if you have guests. If it's just you or two, don't know that it makes that much difference. It's your needs that count.

I don't get your comment about the tiny fridge. I think the two drawers under the fridge door in the pic are also fridge and freezer. If you carry a LOT of frozen stuff, the basement freezers are common.

The galley looks about normal, just setup with counter space opposing instead of linear.

I think Clint's number is right for the first year of ownership. Almost all of us when buying a new to us coach have to pump some money in it for tires, batteries, air bags, and other big ticket items.

Good Luck on your deal.

[Fulltiming]

If you like the P2000i body style, the coach you are looking at, 777, is the second P2000i made.

Refrigerator: Richard is correct, that is the Newell standard Sub-Zero refrigerator with two freezer drawers beneath the refrigerator. I am not aware of any coach with a larger refrigerator/freezer in it. His comment about the split counter space is also correct. Typically the counter space is all on the curb side rather than having the additional counter space on the street side.

Mid Entry: I have had a motorhome that was front entry and my Newell that is mid entry. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Although you may lose a little floor space with the mid-entry, it allows you better ingress/egress when you are parked.

Floor heating pad: It would be expensive to removed the flooring to replace the heating pad but I have seen people spend a lot of money to fix something if it was important to them. Same with the seat. Worse case with the seat would be to just replace the entire seat with a new one. Expensive, you beat, but if it bothers you it is only a matter of money. As far as resale value, while you would prefer that everything work, it is an individual decision as to how much it is worth to fix something. Most coaches don't have massage seats. Many coaches don't have heating pads under the bathroom flooring.

[ccjohnson]

Clarke,
I try for every 5K on oil changes, but sometimes it gets slipped for a couple of K depending on time & where I am at.

[Apex_speed]

If you like the P2000i body style, the coach you are looking at, 777, is the second P2000i made.  

Refrigerator: Richard is correct, that is the Newell standard Sub-Zero refrigerator with two freezer drawers beneath the refrigerator.  I am not aware of any coach with a larger refrigerator/freezer in it.  His comment about the split counter space is also correct.  Typically the counter space is all on the curb side rather than having the additional counter space on the street side.

Mid Entry: I have had a motorhome that was front entry and my Newell that is mid entry.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each.  Although you may lose a little floor space with the mid-entry, it allows you better ingress/egress when you are parked.

Floor heating pad: It would be expensive to removed the flooring to replace the heating pad but I have seen people spend a lot of money to fix something if it was important to them.  Same with the seat.  Worse case with the seat would be to just replace the entire seat with a new one.  Expensive, you beat, but if it bothers you it is only a matter of money.  As far as resale value, while you would prefer that everything work, it is an individual decision as to how much it is worth to fix something.  Most coaches don't have massage seats.  Many coaches don't have heating pads under the bathroom flooring.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Any issues with having the 2nd P2000i off the line? My understanding is that the changes were mostly cosmetic and very simple.

Having owned both, would you rather have the mid or front entry fur full-timing? I do have a dog so it certainly is more convenient to have the mid.

I suppose the countertop is all there in terms of square feet, just a bit awkward as it's broken up and as I look at the fridge again, it is the same as the front entry models (ice and freezer drawers down below). I have been in Newells with much bigger fridges but they were older and newer coaches.

When you say most coaches don't have the heated floor and massaging seats, are you referring to Newells? Pretty much every one I have looked at has them. This is the only one were they didn't work. I can't say that I care as I have had several Mercedes with them and hated them and never turn on the radiant in my house.

Only thinking of resale in a couple of years when I'm done with her but if it's a non issue to most buyers, it doesn't matter and certainly not worth the $$$ to fix.

This coach had 4 or 5 fogging windows and a LONG list of minor issues that were all just repaired so it appears to be well serviced at the moment. Looking down the list of items it amazes me what the previous owners were OK with having broken (latches, lights, garage locks, etc). That stuff would drive me bonkers. It certainly wasn't due to lack of money as they just traded this one in on a 2010 Newell.

[Apex_speed]

The bath and half floorplans are great if you have guests. If it's just you or two, don't know that it makes that much difference. It's your needs that count.

I think Clint's number is right for the first year of ownership. Almost all of us when buying a new to us coach have to pump some money in it for tires, batteries, air bags, and other big ticket items.

Good Luck on your deal.

Thanks. I hate having guests (staying) in my coach so I suppose a none issue but I have always enjoyed dual baths so one person can shower while the other person...you get the idea.

Understood on catching up with deferred maintenance. Supposedly it is all done and I do intend to turn her upside down before driving off the lot.

I have been a big fan of paying the $1,800 a year for a Good Sam Gold warranty plan on my coaches. Warranties are always a calculated gamble but while I'm happy to cover $1,000 failures that are under the deductible amount, I'm not excited to cover $3,000, $6,000, and sometimes more brutal surprises out of pocket. It has saved me a chunk of change in the past. .

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Just re-floor the lavy area.  Put in new heat pad.  You should do OK with a 25K emergency fund (engine or trans. major system repair).  Tires 1K per year, batteries 250 per year, oil changes & service every 5k miles @ 500.

Do you change your oil every 5,000 miles?

Thanks. I take it you are just escrowing $1,000 for tires and $250 for batteries annually to spread the replacement cost.

I'm in agreement on oil change miles. How about the generator oil changes? I usually do 100 hour intervals but using mine at the race track, it was a hot and dirty environment with lots of load so I figured better safe than sorry as oil is cheap. I don't intend to use this coach at the track so maybe longer intervals?

[encantotom]

i change my kubota genny engine every 100 hours and i run full synthetic oil in it.

as for resale hit for massage chairs and heated floor, i admit i had to chuckle at that. if that turns someone away from a nice coach, then they are not looking at the right things.

as for putting money in escrow....my escrow is spend it when you need it.....ha as long as darlene agrees.

i really like the mid entry, but have to admit that all 4 coaches we have had are mid door

bath and a half....personal preference. since i made the bed....literally, not the bedding, i made it to be a cal king size (almost) as i am tall. so since i have only one slide in the bedroom, the bed is up against the cabinets when the slide is in so the half bath is really nice when you are traveling. when we have had family traveling with us, they use the rear bath along with us.

with no half bath it does give you additional room for something else.

tom

[folivier]

We fulltimed in a '98 single bath 2 slide coach for 2 years. We felt like the major advantage of a bath n half would be being able to close the door in the rear full bath for privacy. We did add a curtain to our mid bath for privacy and also to be able to heat that smaller area. Just a couple data points.