[The Corazon Collectors]

Hello! Large family looking for a Class A, stumbled across Newell #285. It's a 1992 no slide 43 foot. We are not new to RVs, but new to Class A's. The seller has been extremely kind and forthcoming. 

Q1. Does anyone know anything specific about this coach? Love to hear.

Q2. It's an 8V92 engine, anything we should know? We spend a lot of time in Mexico, if that matters. 

Q3. Any reason we shouldn't buy an older Newell? 

We are looking for a reliable well made unit that will last our family 10 years or so. We understand all units have their issues. Maintenance is no problem, but we also need to have a reasonable expectation that if we are doing routine maintenance we will not have a million issues. 

Your collective wisdom is appreciated. Blessings, Julie    

[Burlyman]

I'll chime in, but other more senior members will likely have more knowledge than I. We recently purchased a 1986 Newell. It has the 8v92 engine with 150,000 miles. Our first drive after purchasing was taking it from Arizona to Oregon, about 1500 miles. I could not have been more pleased with how smooth it drove and it had plenty of power for the hills. I think the only issue with 8v92 engines is that fewer and fewer mechanics know how to work on them, as they are non-computerized and a 2-stroke vs a typical 4-stroke. If you have someone in your general area who can work on them, then you are over that hurdle. I believe with performing regular maintenance, the 8v92 has a 500,000 mile lifespan before the first scheduled overhaul.

The Newells are very well built. Very solid. And very safe. We experienced strong crosswinds on our drive home, 30-50mph gusts. While I had to steer into the wind a bit, the coach handled it very well. My old gasser Class A coach would have literally been blown into the oncoming lane.

[The Corazon Collectors]

Thank you so much for your response, much appreciated. I got caught in 86 mph gusts one time between Ft. Collins and Cheyenne, lifted Excursion with an empty horse trailer. This is a very important factor for me. Never want to have that experience again and grateful to be alive.

How do you feel as far as power, especially with a tow vehicle? We will be in mountains frequently and some of them desolate.

Any quirks about your unit that you didn't expect? I don't even know what I don't know!

[BusNit]

I can tell you that my experience with coach 312, a 1993 has been stellar for the road towing a hybrid 6200lb Jeep. I never felt it needed more power once you got the power band in the zone. There was nothing I could not pass with the expense of fuel mileage. Either way, I was smiling the whole way and wouldn't trade it! Your potential coach as well as mine has an electronically controlled engine which makes them a little easier on maintenance. That said as Steve mentioned, there are not only fewer people that work on them but even Detroit Diesel may turn you away if you need service. Your priority is finding a shop, guy, place whatever that would be there for you to work on the engine if need be. I am capable of doing much of the work myself but really do not want to as time progresses. These are great engines and have proven themselves ever since 1938! The newer Silver series which your potential coach would have is well made and not considered a typical oil leaker. If it leaks, it needs attention. Seals and gaskets are very similar to today's engines and are very well designed. As with any coach typical with this age, you would need to focus on air bags, air hoses, air fittings, wiring, appliances, interior coverings, tires, suspension bushings, steering bushings, corrosion that may be hidden under the bottom side which is spray foam over unpainted steel. (Particularly around any plumbing protrusions) A/C systems which if in the basement compartments are no longer made which may require you to get creative or just put roof airs on. I spent more money than I should have but as the old saying goes, you can't take it with you, right? I renovated the interior to match our tastes.

[The Corazon Collectors]

Wow Simon! What a beautiful coach you have!

All of this information y'all are sharing is invaluable! I know very little about engines, please tell me cost of an engine replacement, worst case scenario? Is it worth taking it to Newell and having them do a hard look at it every so often?

Thank you!

[Burlyman]

Thank you so much for your response, much appreciated. I got caught in 86 mph gusts one time between Ft. Collins and Cheyenne, lifted Excursion with an empty horse trailer. This is a very important factor for me. Never want to have that experience again and grateful to be alive.

How do you feel as far as power, especially with a tow vehicle? We will be in mountains frequently and some of them desolate.

Any quirks about your unit that you didn't expect? I don't even know what I don't know!

PLENTY of power!  The previous owner towed a stacker trailer that was about 16,000 lbs.  Sometimes he towed a Hummer (H2).  When he told me "I don't even feel the Hummer behind me", I was a tiny bit skeptical.  Well, when I got back to Oregon I hooked up my 8,000 lb truck and had the same experience.  I haven't taken it through the hills yet with the truck, but I was doing 65-70 through the hills on the way home, so I don't have any concerns in that regard.  

As far as quirks, not so much.  It's really been about getting to know the coach.  There are more systems on this coach than an average coach.  For instance, there are two separate furnaces, 3 electric heaters, two water pumps, a storage bay heater, and a generator that can run all those systems while you drive (which we needed as temps were in the teens on our trip.  We found a few items along the way, like a few drawers that slid open during cornering.  (We solved that temporarily with Velcro during a Walmart stop).  We did have a windshield wiper that decided to quit on us about 15 minutes before we arrived home on the maiden voyage, but oddly enough, it worked yesterday when I was driving it through the rain, so I guess that qualifies as a quirk. 

I would say that if the coach has been well maintained and you are aware of everything that works (and doesn't work) going into the purchase, that you can be assured that the "bones" of a Newell are good.  I did pass on the purchase of a 1995 Newell recently after having an RV inspector do a thorough inspection.  There were many items damaged and not working and it could have easily cost $40-50k to deal with the neglect on that coach.  It was an easy "no".

[BusNit]

Wow Simon! What a beautiful coach you have!

All of this information y'all are sharing is invaluable! I know very little about engines, please tell me cost of an engine replacement, worst case scenario? Is it worth taking it to Newell and having them do a hard look at it every so often?

Thank you!


Before you get comfortable with the thought Newell can take care of everything, they really cannot. I believe anything older than 2002 becomes a challenge and even more so with engines. To complicate matters more, the 8v92 is not generally worked on at Newell aside from fluid exchanges. Any engine work gets farmed out from what I heard. My thoughts on engine replacement/rebuilding is that there are maybe 4 companies in the continental United States that may take on the job. On a conservative estimate and/or if a company is willing to remove/reinstall the engine (Most prefer you give them the removed engine in order for them to rebuild it) I would figure on a safe number of around 40-60k. You know that Covid has changed the world and pricing. Parts for 2 strokes are getting more limited in new stock although they are being produced with much of it being Chinese components. I am not trying to deter you but rather that you keep your ducks in a row. You should not ever need to rebuild a 2 stroke in a motor home unless two things have occurred. One is the engine has been run hot and number two is the wrong oil had been used for an extended time. These things must run on low ash 40 weight oil only. Check all maintenance records. If you see any multi grade oil used, I would have an oil sample tested along with engine inspection through the airbox covers. I run Chevron Delo 100 40wt oil as has been used by previous owner and proved in receipts from the one shop that did his work. I walked into buying mine specifically because I wanted this engine. yes, I am an odd duck. I like things that remind me of my childhood growing up in the 70's and 80's. I am not wealthy but instead a working stiff. if something went wrong I would have to sell my house and cash out of it to pay for the engine or walk away from this coach and call it another life lesson. Let me add my oddity and how I put in a pit to work on my coach at home. The pit lead to continue feeding my OCD to clean and paint everything on the drivetrain from top to bottom!

[Jack Houpe]

Detroit Diesel 2 stroke engines have been around forever, I had boat with twin JT 6-71s with blower and turbo on each motor, each make 485 HP and they are reliable if taken care of, clean fuel is very important. Rebuilds are done in place the cranks on these engines are known to be very stout and normally never changed out, parts are all over the place and since they have been around for over 80 years there are many and cheap. I have a friend who is a retired fireman and they had 8-92s (8 cylinders 92 cubic in per cylinder) in their fire trucks and said they were required to change them out because they didn't meet smog requirements and there was a few times one of the new trucks wouldn't start, said that would have never happened with the gutter cleaner 8-92, I love the sound of them, can you tell I like 2 stroke. I like my series 60 also but buying an older coach with a 8-92 wouldn't bother me at all. They do leak oil like most 2 stroke diesels but if you keep up with tightening nuts, bolts and gaskets it will be clean. Looks like Simon has his oil leaks taken care of, car show quality there.

If your not mechanical and have no intentions of trying you might have issues, these coaches will eat $100 bills like candy in a movie theater. The brothermen here on this site are invaluable but it requires the owner to get their hands dirty and learn. Just my opinion.

[Richard]

I would suggest that you look at the entire section on “what to consider if buying a used Newell”. There is a lot of great info in there. Yes it’s a lot of reading, but if considering jumping into the pool, it is worth the time. The info will help you make an informed decision.

I totally agree with Jack. If you have no mechanical or electrical inclination, stop immediately, this is not the space you want to play in. Any RV, even the best built, requires constant care and feeding. If you are paying someone else 150 or more per hour to do the work, it becomes somewhat of a problem.

There is NO substitute for an on-site in-depth evaluation of the coach.

If you get that far, insist on oil, coolant, and transmission fluid sampling. It will be a 100 well spent.

[The Corazon Collectors]

I am beginning to understand more from these responses. I'd like to tell you how much I appreciate your expertise and kindness.

Some more information, as we are not your typical Class A demographic. ?

My husband is much more of a carpenter than a mechanic, he has done basic things on our vehicles including our diesel trucks. Fuel pumps, hoses, oil changes, sensors, ECM, etc. Anything past that and he's taken it to our usual diesel mechanic and/or trusted family who can guide him through something. We spent four years in Montana and he built our house there. Plumbing, Electrical including tapping in to the pedestal, running wire in the ground and building entire breaker boxes etc. I'm pretty sure he owns 3 of every tool.

Where it gets hairy is the kids. Like all kids, they tend to undo everything you do to try to keep them alive. The good thing is our travelers are now 12, 13, 14, and 15. Plus we have several small dogs. Oh and his wife comes with her own set of demands. It's a lot for one man, even one as strong and capable as he is. The good news is we work from home as a family so he has the time, in between everything else.

Money is not unlimited in our home, but we must use resources wisely as we have one kid in College and four to go. Three have finished braces and two are about to start. I won't bother outlining health care costs. The boys have bottomless pits for stomachs. We maintain the things we own well and do not cut corners, but just like some vehicles are more reliable than others, we want to ensure we are being good stewards of our finances.

My husband isn't much of a writer but he's been reading everything you've written and your shared collective wisdom is making the world a better place. We all need to show up for others in areas that we can. It's evident here that your Newell Family truly does this. There's a beauty in the and it is not overlooked.

Blessings, Julie