[MrMunch]

My wife and I are looking  to purchase either a Newell or Wanderlodge LXI, our budget is 60k.  We are concentrating our search on model years 95-02’ with a Series 60, Aqua Hot, and a Tag. We expect to remodel the interior to our personal taste;however, we do want a mechanically sound coach! If you are selling or thinking about it--let’s talk!
-We live in SW Florida-will travel for coach
-60k cash
-Please, share your thoughts? I won’t know till you tell me. We are new and trying to find what we think will be perfect for our family!
Thank you,
Victor & Shelley
941-321-8422

[Jack Houpe]

If you find one for $60k, you'll be spending that again in bringing it up to speed, tires, batteries and a dozen other things can eat you up in expenses. If your hands on kind of guy your in the right place.

[MrMunch]

If you find one for $60k, you'll be spending that again in bringing it up to speed, tires, batteries and a dozen other things can eat you up in expenses. If your hands on kind of guy your in the right place.

Jack, 
I appreciate your response, we expect to put additional money into the coach and would prefer to select the updates ourselves. I’m trying to learn what to look for in the Newell world. Our budget is what it is- so Im looking for the best combination of mechanical specifications, floor plan, and price! Please share, specific years, model numbers, and features of Newell coaches that would be important to know in our search?
Thanks,
Victor

[encantotom]

you can find all of those things by searching on the gurus forums. there are not set floor plans other than rear bath, rear walk in closet and slides and bath and a half. every newell was custom specified and produced. best thing would be to just look at coaches for sale and look at how they are fit up. at 60k you are gonna be at the low end of the years you mentioned. one of the problems is that alot of coaches are going to need tires and batteries immediately and that can run you close to 10k.

enjoy the search.

tom

[MrMunch]

Tom,
I will continue to research the forums. We are looking at a 2001 Wanderlodge LXI and trying to compare it to a Newell. Our understanding is that the Newell brand is a notch above and has factory service. We are hearing that our budget is not enough? So, for now we continue to learn and search the best fit for our purposes.
Regards,
VA

[Richard]

There is an entire section on what to consider when considering a used Newell. Take the time to read the responses to questions you are asking.

Let me be frank. Your budget is 1/3 or less of what it will take to put you in a Newell that you describe and bring it up to speed for travel. Yes, the finely maintained and fully sorted coaches do exist. They are RARELY for sale, and when they are, you won’t see them advertised. They go from one owner to another “in the know” buyer. And when they do sell, your budget will not allow you to be a player.

There is a HUGE misconception that Newell, Prevost, or Wanderlodge coaches have a lower level of later year maintenance because of their original design and build quality. The reality is that the fancier systems require maintenance to perform as they should. You can easily spend 20 K bringing a coach up to speed and 5 to 10 K per year to keep it on the road. More if you can’t do the work. These beasts are complicated sophisticated pieces of hardware. They are NOT Honda Accords.

In my opinion, given your desired budget, I would look at mid nineties, no slide Foretravels. Great coach, way simpler to maintain than the three listed above, and solid chassis and systems.

This my unfiltered opinion, and does not represent anyone else’s perspective on your inquiry.

[MrMunch]

Hi Richard,
I appreciate you responding to my post! My wife and I have looked at the following coaches;FT 320 95’, Wanderlodge LXI 2001’, and a 99’ Newell.

Foretravel is the  (Toyota) most affordable, least complicated, factory supported, only 5k towing, most attractive interior (wood), 35-65k

Wanderlodge LXI is the (Mercedes)series 60, tag, better construction quality, more features, appears to be most coach for the $, larger tires, we would want to update interior, 60- 120k plus remodel and updates?


Newell- (Rolls Royce) top tier coach builder, factory support, dated-we will want to remodel the interior, series 60, I’m being told 120-180k plus remodel and update?

I’m wanting to know the differences between the Wanderlodge LXI 01’ and a comparable Newell, and what we will get by stepping up to a Newell.
Thank you,
VA

---

Hi Richard,
I appreciate you responding to my post! My wife and I have looked at the following coaches;FT 320 95’, Wanderlodge LXI 2001’, and a 99’ Newell.

Foretravel is the  (Toyota) most affordable, least complicated, factory supported, only 5k towing, most attractive interior (wood), 35-65k

Wanderlodge LXI is the (Mercedes)series 60, tag, better construction quality, more features, appears to be most coach for the $, larger tires, we would want to update interior, 60- 120k plus remodel and updates?


Newell- (Rolls Royce) top tier coach builder, factory support, dated-we will want to remodel the interior, series 60, I’m being told 120-180k plus remodel and update?

I’m wanting to know the differences between the Wanderlodge LXI 01’ and a comparable Newell, and what we will get by stepping up to a Newell.
Thank you,
VA

[folivier]

Having owned 2 Newells, 93 and 98, and a 99 Foretravel I can say the Newells were built to a higher level. But that comes at a higher complexity especially the air systems. The Newells had the light formica interior which I preferred, and a taller interior height.
The Foretravel had walnut interior with in house built cabinets of solid walnut. But that makes it darker inside and less ceiling height. FT at 36' had more interior storage than my 93 39' Newell and as much as my 98 Newell. Either had about the same basement storage, FT had roof airs, Newells had basement airs. 98 Newell and 99 FT had aquahots. But my FT aquahot was in the middle of the basement so was difficult to work on, had to lie on my belly to work on it. Newell puts it in the side and it's easily accessible. Also Newell aquahot has a 110Vac and 220Vac electric element which works MUCH better than the single 110Vac on the FT.
If considering a FT the main thing is to understand how the frame is built on a FT and make sure there is no "bulkhead separation." That can be repaired for $5-10,000.
Wanderlodges I've only looked at but they are more complex than Newells, but that is because of more redundancy built into them.
www.foreforums and. http://wanderlodgegurus.com are helpful in researching these two.
Trainer here is THE aquahot guru, ask him any questions you have. He also full times in a FT so can give you more perspective on them than I can.
IMO for a first endeavor I'd look at a no-slide 90+ Newell or a 98-early 2000's FT no-slide. Newells less than 45' are rare except for the earlier ones. The 8V92 is a great engine. The only negative is the old mechanics are retiring and the new guys who only know the later engines may be scared of the 8V92. Search for 8V92 info on sportfishing forums such as https://www.samsmarine.com/forums/
Good luck in your search and once you decide on what to buy be ready to jump at one if it hits all your buttons.
One other thing, when you pull into a campground especially an RV resort in a FT you'll have a few admirers. But pull in in a Newell and you'll have to wipe the drool off of it.

[Trainer]

Folivier, I had Keith Risch repair my front Foretravel bulkhead last fall. He uses Thomas welding same as does Motorhomes of Texas. I paid Thomas Welding $2100 and Keith put the belly skin back on for a few hundred.

Way way less than the usual 5 to 10 K dollars from the other folks. It is good to know Keith, very good.

I want to add I agree with your comparrison of the two brands.

[BusNit]

We looked at several Wanderlodges. They were really complex in the engine bay even with the 8v92 versions we saw. If I can't get my hands in it to fix it, I wasn't going to buy it. Worse yet, was the need to remove so many components to replace certain parts in a wanderlodge. For a while I had a Wanderlodge fetish. Well built like Newells.