Bikeboy57 wrote:
Wow, ten pages of conversation.
Would you like to hear from someone who has owned used Newells for 8 years?
First, join newellgurus.com and ask your specific questions. You'll get answers from people who actually own them.
Second, none of that crowd "drank the koolaid", they will give you the good bad and the ugly.
The used Newells tend to attract owners are somewhat technically inclined. Most of the owners of the older coaches were employed in technical professions. They were attracted to the simple but elegant engineering beneath the skin.
How do they hold up? My current coach is a 99. Many think it is almost new. Do things need fixin? You better believe it, and anyone who owns a motorhome that says otherwise is not realistic.
The Newells in the age range you quoted do not contain proprietary systems or hardware. The underpinnings and engine are serviced by any competent big truck shop. The electricals and plumbing are first class but can be repaired with a visit to Lowes. Appliances are appliances.
So what makes them a good buy. One is the enclosed truss chassis with aluminum skin as the exoskeleton. Ride in one. Listen for rattles and squeaks. The coach simply does not flex like others built on a raised rail chassis. The second is the factory. They treat you like a king. No matter if yours is one year old or twenty years old. It is an experience like no other I have had. The third, and this is true for other brands as well, is the informal support network at newellgurus.com. Having a group with specific knowledge of your coach is a welcome resource when you want to repair something.
I am not trying to talk you into it or out of it. I think there are other very worthy contenders in the used high end market. Prevost, Foretravel, and certain other brands built on a monocoque chassis are great choices.
200 to 300k will buy a WHOLE lot of coach these days if you don't need the security of a factory warranty.
Ha! I could've made an identical post about Wanderlodge (except sub in the Wanderlodge Owner's Group instead of Newell Gurus). To be honest, I would've been just as happy with a Newell when I bought my Bird. The reason I went with a Wanderlodge were two-fold.
First, there are more 40' versions available (which was my upper limit on size). Second, the price of a Wanderlodge relative to a Newell is a good bit less for the same year. I think that's mostly because of Wanderlodge no longer being in business.
Service isn't an issue as there are a bunch of great places that know the Wanderlodges and I have not had any issue getting mine serviced. I even found a local guy that services a few others. Parliament Motorcoach in the Tampa area owns the IP for Wanderlodge and you can call them up and get the schematics for any coach made. None of the guys on the Wanderlodge site have ever had much issue getting their Birds worked on - even the ones from the 70's and 80's.
