[MarkofSJC]

I wish any Newell I was interested was near Newell's HQ...

But they never seem to be.  So, if we were interested in a coach, I would want to have an inspector who is very (VERY) familiar with Newells to conduct the inspection.  But how?  

Most of the coaches are in CA, but they have popped up in other areas.  A doubt a seller would let me tie  up a coach for very long to get someone in to inspect.  

Suggestions???

[encantotom]

i know some folks have probably found some that do it. my opinion is that most inspectors are going to be those that do 5th wheels, and lower end coaches and would probably not give you the information that you would want.

i know i have inspected quite a number of coaches for folks and i bet a number of the gurus have done the same. you might consider asking if there are any experienced gurus out there near wherever you are looking at. i have never charged a dime to go look at coaches for folks.....but they get what they pay for.....ha

there will always be things that get by that dont get caught or happen after looking at it.

i personally would trust one of our guru gang to go look at a coach for me than a paid inspector. but for sure having someone look at it and drive or test the systems i would want if possible before i would spend a lot of money to go see it.

probably doesnt help much, but my two cents worth. fortunately i have not bought a coach that made me drive more than about 500 miles to go see. my 02, they drove it from california to my house to look at....that was service....and then a guru (thanks steve) happened to be at my house to help me look at it.

tom

[kblade145]

Mark,

As the long-time Newell factory guy, I'd sure like to invite you to the plant for the inspection and a bunch of maintenance and repairs. But we operate in a different world than keeping good vintage coaches performing well at a reasonable cost. Don't take your nice, "driver-grade" 35-year-old Rolls-Royce to the RR dealer for a tune up unless you want to spend current RR prices. 

With a vintage Newell, for the routine stuff, working with the Gurus is the way to go. They know the product and the maintenance, and often know the workarounds for otherwise expensive repairs. Sometimes back "to original factory spec" doesn't make economic sense. Of course, there are some critical things that Newell, and only Newell, can properly repair. 

We are there for you. Our 24/7 service hotline is available to any coach owner. But let the Gurus guide you on inspecting a coach for sale, and economical maintenance tips after your purchase.

Karl Blade

[edkunkel]

Well that was an encouraging post ....

Eric

[Richard]

Karl,

Thank you for the well thought out and carefully worded response. I, for one, truly appreciate the peaceful coexistence of the Newell Coach family and the guru family. It was refreshing to hear a CEO lay it on the line.

I have been to Miami a few times and I have always been treated very well even though I didn't spend enough money there to pay the light bill that day. It is a different business model, and one that I admire. I personally don't think it is realistic or financially efficient for Newell Coach to base a portion of their business on keeping vintage coaches on the road. To steal Karl's car analogy, Chevy doesn't make it a priority to keep 72 Camaros up to snuff.

Some owners or potential owners may not find this answer to be the one they hoped for, but my reality from 10 years of Newell ownership is that the happy owner of a vintage motorcoach of any brand, is one who understands the machine, develops the capability and skill necessary to handle normal maintenance and repair, and accepts the risk of owning a vintage complicated machine. Sometimes it is hard as a guru to get potential owners to understand what they are signing up for.

Thank you again for your comments. I only wish mine were as well worded.

[pairodice]

Wow, a CEO that gives a wrap about their former customers and USED vehicle customers! This is very encouraging and Thank you Karl for sharing! There is nothing like being stranded on the side of a busy freeway and having the option to call the FACTORY and end up talking to the guy that BUILT your 20-year old coach! This kind of service is priceless and very well appreciated by us all. I try very hard to solve things myself (along with help from the Gurus here) and call the factory as a last resort but sometimes you just need their help.
We have visited the factory once and unfortunately it was only for a couple of hours as we were jetting across the country to a new project. Those few hours were awesome and I cannot wait to get back to Miami, OK to visit again. Hopefully we will be able to stop by on our way back (and actually make an appointment!) to get some work done.
Thanks again Karl!

[Chester Stone]

My 2001 coach no. 579 was purchased by Charles (Chuck) Knuth, who is a member of this forum. Before he purchased my coach, he hired an inspector who did a through job inspecting the coach and I was very impressed with him. I suggest you contact Chuck to get the name of the inspector or his firm.

[MarkofSJC]

Dear Karl,

Thank you very much for your response and invitation! I would absolutely like to take you up on your generous offer.

As an engineer, I'm less interested in "bling" but highly interested in the thought and execution put into all the components "behind the scenes." That's what initially drew me to Newell Coaches, and the innovation, craftsmanship and engineering prowess continues to intrigue me. It was by total accident that I discovered the Gurus - and it has opened up an entirely new depth of experience that I haven't found an equal to. This is really an amazing group.

I guess it was sheer luck a number of years ago that Newell elected to showcase a couple of coaches in San Diego at Holland RV. It was totally by accident we saw them, as we were looking at a Country Coach Magna they had, and our salesman said "you've got to see these." and pretty much dragged us across the lot. Seeing that early 2000 and a 2006 (I believe - it was white base color with five accent colors including orange that went back to your HQ and was eventually repainted primarily black) was my very first introduction to "a Newell" ~ and it was an eye opener! While you could see the evolution of styles between the two, it was clear both shared the same bedrock of solid construction and extreme talent in craftsmanship.

As you can imagine, the sophistication of these incredible machines also gives me pause as I try and evaluation their mechanical soundness - especially when forced to do it from a (sometimes great) distance. This amazing forum continues to make this (and many other related challenges) so much easier ~ I'm incredibly indebted to them!

So, I look forward to being a future "Newell family member" ~ hopefully soon!

Thanks for your kind reply!

Mark of SJC

[HoosierDaddy]

Mark. If you find a Newell in my area I’d volunteer to check it out.!

[DK on the road]

Mark, I belong to the group, but in no way am I an expert. I have owned one for about 9 months and did my own inspection prior to buying mine. I've been happy with my purchase and learned a lot more while working on it.

I frequent Northern CA quite often, a few of my kids and lots of friends are still there. If you find any in Northern CA, let me know, I'll throw in my 2 cents on its condition. Note that I am really only familiar with the #784 (mine). Numbers close to #784 should be somewhat similar.

Shout out to Mr. Karl Blade for monitoring the Guru's website. Very cool. This website might be one of his best assets (even though its not an a official Newell site) to keeping resale prices up on used Coaches. If these coaches didn't have this support, you would find the average Joe Moaning on the internet about all the little things that might go wrong from lack of care or deferred maintenance and drive buyers away from the brand. After Sale support is SO important to all of us.

24/7 factory advise calls do work.