[Ole]

Thanks again Richard. I left them a message. ??

[Richard]

You didn’t ask my opinion but I am going to offer it anyway. If Newell offered to do it for 5K, then I would go to Newell.

Why? I am going to speculate that Atlas will quote you about 3500 for a new one. And it will be six weeks delivery at best. Let’s just say these are educated guesses.

You are NOT going to find a radiator off the shelf. This was custom made for Newell.

If you don’t have the tools to remove and reinstall, the methods to deal with 15 gallons of coolant and 5 gallons of hydraulic fluid, or the place to park the coach while it is disabled then 5K is not a bad price.

I have done it three times. And it best it is one day out, and one day back in utilizing two people. So 2 X 8 Hours X 150/ hr = 2400 in labor.

Again, not trying to be bossy, I am trying to help a new owner make informed decisions.

[Ole]

Thanks again for your suggestions Richard. My mechanic was the one that spoke to Newell and I believe the quote of $5k was just for the radiator. The parts department said they were 2 months out. I’ve got a call into them myself to find out exactly what it would costs for them to do all the work. I also spoke to Larry yesterday, whom like you, has a wealth of knowledge regarding newell radiators. He told me he needed specifics as to the size and wether I would need the charger cooler also which I’m not sure I do. He said he’s short handed and 3-4 months out. I’m in a dilemma. I had planned to drive it from Chicago to Tampa next week but it’s probably not a good idea now if the radiator has a leak. The mechanic said he thought it was possible if I refilled the coolant as I went but I think that’s just a nightmare waiting to happen. Anyway, I appreciate your help again and I’ll keep you all posted as to the conclusion of this story.

[Richard]

Not knowing how big the leak is, makes it hard to comment on the wisdom of driving. Pics would help. Paper towels are very useful for finding leaks, the green or red shows up nicely on bits of white paper towel stuffed in different places. By spacing them out a bit, to prevent wicking you can see where the leak originates. Keep in mind water does run up hill, so the first downhill bit of towel that is colored is the location of the leak.

Lots of people have driven for long periods with minor leaks. Are we talking a gallon every 10 miles, 100 miles, 1000 miles?

I know of one person who successfully stopped a leak with a commercial leak stop that radiator shops use. I don’t personally care for that approach, but it worked. https://www.northernradiator.com/SHOP_SU...S/RW0114-1
I am not endorsing this product, just telling you what the guy used.

How did you determine your radiator could not be recored? Some surface rust is to be expected. Is the outer support structure rusted through? They make these things called welders. There is nothing fancy about the outer frame. Now if the tanks are rusted through, that is a bit harder to fix. I am just saying that given the circumstances, all options can be considered to make a good decision.

If the leak is where the fins are soldered to the header, DO NOT tighten the header to tank bolts in an attempt to stop the leak. First those bolts are only tightened to 10 ft lbs from the git go. They compress a cork gasket. If you tighten them you put more stress on the tube to header joint, and the leak will get worse. I learned this the hard way trying to address a leak while on the road for six months.

[Ole]

All good questions and suggestions. Thanks Richard. I wish I was there to look at it myself. I will get back to you once I find out about the leak(s). I did drive it for an hour or so and didn’t notice any leaks while up in Chicago . I had them replace all tires and batteries and done some air leak repairs. While doing engine oil and lube they noticed the radiator was rusted and was leaking a little. They are saying it can’t be recorded. I’ll let you know more once I have the info. Thanks again for your help!

[Latitude 28]

We had a small leak develop while on the road. I would add a gallon of coolant every 300 miles or so till getting home. Once I spoke with Larry at Atlas and ordered my radiator with a six to eight week lead time and a couple of shorter trips adding a gallon every 300 miles. Long story short the Atlas order fell through the cracks and I pulled the radiator and had it re-cored. Been running fine ever sense.

[Richard]

Ole,

I am trying to keep in mind that the coach and Newell design is new to you. Furthermore, I have to keep in mind that you are not at the coach to visualize some of the things we discuss.

Hopefully this explanation of the cooling system setup will help ease your mind IF you decide to drive it as is.

There is an expansion tank located above the radiator. To access the radiator cap and fill point, you open a small access hatch on the driver side at about 7 ft off the ground. That tank feeds the radiator. There is a coolant sensor in the expansion tank that will give an alarm on the dash AND derate the engine if the sensor tells the engine computer that you are low on coolant.

In addition, there is a small hose at the radiator cap that feeds into an overflow tank that you can see in the engine compartment. The original overflow tanks looked like a grey pony keg and were made by Alize. If it hasn’t cracked by now, it eventually will. Many replace that tank with a different plastic jug or better yet an aluminum tank.

One more thing to be aware of. Newell put an engine override switch on the dash to force the computer to allow the engine to run even with an error code. It is only for one to two minutes, and you have to hold the switch. The purpose is to get you to the shoulder if something wacky occurs.

The key points being:
If you have a substantial leak, you will get an alarm on the dash.
If you have a catastrophic leak, the override switch will help get you to the side of the road.
If you decide to drive with the leak, refill at the EXPANSION tank, not the overflow tank you see in the engine compartment.
If you decide to drive, you could have up to a 100 or more gallons of water on board to use. Of course no one recommends putting tap water in a coolant system, but honestly when you fix the radiator you are going to flush the system and put new coolant in anyway.