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#81
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Roof coating
Last post by windtrader - July 03, 2026, 10:46:46 AMmy take is the actual product is less critical than prepping the surface. I've not done mine but will this year finally and mentally gearing up for the rather arduous job of meticulously sanding and cleaning every single inch where the roof including rails connect. Quality sealing primer coat first, then apply the final coat, and possibly an added coat to the areas where metal seams meet or holes were placed for stuff.
#82
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: 8D batteries
Last post by windtrader - July 03, 2026, 10:39:22 AMswitch to group 31 for start batteries. The first set went about 7 years and I just replaced then with two on sale at NAPA at $99 each. I did change the starter to 39MT geared but that was a few years after installing the 31s.
#83
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by windtrader - July 03, 2026, 10:34:53 AMjt - add name to signature.
look for my thread on recent(this year) deep reearch into swapping the MC8 for a Series 60 coach including numerous conversations with nuts that have owned both OTR and factory built RV
Here are a few highlights:
1) Newell is arguably at the top of non OTR RV from a currently viable manufacturer.
2) Newell is NOT a bus so it does not have the same level of driving experience.
3) Bus chassis conversions offer the best ride and comfort.
4) Newell tech support is wonderful. It is a small company committed to producing excellent quality and servicing owners, even those generations removed from the original sale. My personal experience still leaves be a bit befuddled how willing they offer assistance to decades old coaches.
5) Newell does not generally include full engineering docs nor will they supply them for older coaches today. One caution is their specific knowledge abut a coach is a combination of what written docs they have on file and more likely collective wisdom and expertise about the coaches built over time. Cliff mentioned each is designed and built to order; however, the large amount of design and components group into ranges that equate to coach number and timeframe. When you start looking at a lot of them, there is a distinct layout pattern that emerges. Full bath in back, toilet on the left wall, shower on left. Some other style is having the shower and sink between bedroom and forward cabin. Kitchen is often found on starboard side midship, irrespective if mid or front entry.
6) Slides are great but they're designed evolved over time. A common maintenance item is the slide seals and most return to factory for that service. For that manner, quite of them are in the midwest and it is quite common owners bring their coaches to the factory for service and reconnecting with old friends; it is like a family for sure.
7) It is a very unique and tight community. It is the only RV that folks reference by chassis number and often have knowledge and experience with the owners. If serious about searching, I would strongly advise only looking at those with pedigree of ownership and speak to the owner(s) directly and the folks on newell gurus. There are a couple members here too.
.
Series 60 were used a lot in the production range I was searching 2000-2007. I think Cat was sometimes installed but later it became more common.
9) Prices can vary a lot, condition matters a LOT, some are in showroom condition, kept in conditioned air indoor facilities while others have clearly marginally maintained. Mileage counts too but generally for a 20 year coach, 125k is an average number.
10) These are 45' coaches, so that size has major impacts on where and how you experience traveling with it. At 40' we have plenty of indoor space and being able to get into local cheap fuel stations works with a bit of planning and caution, taking it off the asphalt on dirt roads into public lands to boondocks is generally navigable, at 45' the clearance is simply too low. At 45' it should never see dirt.
10) Last and most important insight that finally buried the hatchet is the fact these things have a LOT of systems and that means more maintenance and time and money spent keeping it going. At this point in life, I am on a mission to lessens the hassles in life. And that sentiment was expressed by other Newell owners that sold them, moving toward less complicated rides. Once the barrage of posts about stuff needing fixing, that was it. My current ride was converted with such well thought out design and foresight as to ease of maintenance and service, it is perfect. The sole reason initiating the search was Series 60 as I really wanted to get off the 2 stroke platform.
look for my thread on recent(this year) deep reearch into swapping the MC8 for a Series 60 coach including numerous conversations with nuts that have owned both OTR and factory built RV
Here are a few highlights:
1) Newell is arguably at the top of non OTR RV from a currently viable manufacturer.
2) Newell is NOT a bus so it does not have the same level of driving experience.
3) Bus chassis conversions offer the best ride and comfort.
4) Newell tech support is wonderful. It is a small company committed to producing excellent quality and servicing owners, even those generations removed from the original sale. My personal experience still leaves be a bit befuddled how willing they offer assistance to decades old coaches.
5) Newell does not generally include full engineering docs nor will they supply them for older coaches today. One caution is their specific knowledge abut a coach is a combination of what written docs they have on file and more likely collective wisdom and expertise about the coaches built over time. Cliff mentioned each is designed and built to order; however, the large amount of design and components group into ranges that equate to coach number and timeframe. When you start looking at a lot of them, there is a distinct layout pattern that emerges. Full bath in back, toilet on the left wall, shower on left. Some other style is having the shower and sink between bedroom and forward cabin. Kitchen is often found on starboard side midship, irrespective if mid or front entry.
6) Slides are great but they're designed evolved over time. A common maintenance item is the slide seals and most return to factory for that service. For that manner, quite of them are in the midwest and it is quite common owners bring their coaches to the factory for service and reconnecting with old friends; it is like a family for sure.
7) It is a very unique and tight community. It is the only RV that folks reference by chassis number and often have knowledge and experience with the owners. If serious about searching, I would strongly advise only looking at those with pedigree of ownership and speak to the owner(s) directly and the folks on newell gurus. There are a couple members here too.
.
Series 60 were used a lot in the production range I was searching 2000-2007. I think Cat was sometimes installed but later it became more common.9) Prices can vary a lot, condition matters a LOT, some are in showroom condition, kept in conditioned air indoor facilities while others have clearly marginally maintained. Mileage counts too but generally for a 20 year coach, 125k is an average number.
10) These are 45' coaches, so that size has major impacts on where and how you experience traveling with it. At 40' we have plenty of indoor space and being able to get into local cheap fuel stations works with a bit of planning and caution, taking it off the asphalt on dirt roads into public lands to boondocks is generally navigable, at 45' the clearance is simply too low. At 45' it should never see dirt.
10) Last and most important insight that finally buried the hatchet is the fact these things have a LOT of systems and that means more maintenance and time and money spent keeping it going. At this point in life, I am on a mission to lessens the hassles in life. And that sentiment was expressed by other Newell owners that sold them, moving toward less complicated rides. Once the barrage of posts about stuff needing fixing, that was it. My current ride was converted with such well thought out design and foresight as to ease of maintenance and service, it is perfect. The sole reason initiating the search was Series 60 as I really wanted to get off the 2 stroke platform.
#84
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / 1989 MCI-102C3 for sale in Pal...
Last post by Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM - July 01, 2026, 09:57:22 PMTo view this bus, click on the link below:
https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bus_classifieds/
If you have a bus to sell, we can help you sell it by listing it on our website for just $99.00 until it sells.
To list your bus for sale, simply click on this link and fill out the online form: https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bcmclassifieds/ or email Gary@BusConversionMagazine.com with your classified info, or call the office at the phone number at the bottom of our website.
Please note: We post these notes as a service to our readers and paid advertisers that support this Forum, which is solely supported by subscriptions and display advertisers, as well as Classified ads.
This Forum does not allow individual posting of buses for sale.
#85
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Tecma toilets
Last post by rusty - July 01, 2026, 03:49:31 PMMy class c black tank has an attachment to wash out the tank that I use after every trip. We went to New Orleans and on to Tucson. It started in Louisiana that my Tecma maserator toilet started showing full tanks when they were less than a quarter. I washed it out a couple of times and got it to show green. But after 2 or 3 hours on the road it showed red. I looked but couldn't find a good product on the board to clean the tank just for odors.Could heat be a problem with the sensor? Has anybody had any experience with tecma?
Wayne
Wayne
#86
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by luvrbus - July 01, 2026, 01:22:34 PMThe CC was a 2008 ,I want to stay with a no later than 2010 I do not want to fight with DEF emission system's on 2010 diesel engines. I am also looking at the Foretravel it is well built RV.I just don't want another bus to deal with parts made strictly for it.Gary Hatt likes his Prevost H-45 but he sheds tears as big a marbles when he buys parts from Prevost,its a nice low mileage bus it just set so long without use it is taking time and money to catch up from setting so long
#87
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by JT4SC - July 01, 2026, 12:02:52 PMWhat year was your CC? What year Newell's are you looking at?
Bringing it back to Bus conversions – is it really that much more expensive to maintain a bus conversion vs. a Newell (or even CC)? Because Newell's look like they've got all kinds of electronics and everything, plus they don't have the benefit of a stainless steel chassis.
Bringing it back to Bus conversions – is it really that much more expensive to maintain a bus conversion vs. a Newell (or even CC)? Because Newell's look like they've got all kinds of electronics and everything, plus they don't have the benefit of a stainless steel chassis.
#88
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by luvrbus - July 01, 2026, 11:01:30 AMI sold the CC it was a nice drive with Cummins Ix15 600 hp but I got tired of all the electronics with one wire (multi/plex) controlling 2 different functions you had 1 remote that controlled every thing in the coach.I will say it was the only RV I never lost money on selling it sold in 1 day and I made money. I am going the Newell route they are built in house from the ground up only problem is they are all custom built when ordered and it can get frustrating trying to find one with a floor plan you like
#89
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by JT4SC - July 01, 2026, 07:45:50 AMQuote from: luvrbus on July 01, 2026, 02:41:52 AMSlides are a game changer, me personally I will never buy another RV without slides but I do think 4 slide are a over kill. I fought slides for years with my wife before giving up saying she was right. Installing slides in a bus unless it is a Eagle is cost prohibited Gary at B&B Coach in Vegas did slides for around $3000.00 a foot unfished, but he never would do a MCI. A 12 ft slide would cost you 50 + grand now. For another 50 grand you can buy a Prevost with factory slides and a series 60.A good friend of mine has the only MCI that they ever made with a slide his is a MCI J model, he has for sale asking $345,000.00.I am looking at Newells with C-15 Cat but all I can find with the Cat C-15 are equipped with the funky 10 speed Z/F transmission and I don't want the Z/F transmission
Dang I was afraid you were going to say that Cliff!! You have a CC Magna right? Why do you want to switch from CC to a Newell? What if you could get a double slide-out bus conversion in similar condition/year/price as a Newell, would you still go the Newell route? Why?
#90
Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) / Re: Slide-outs
Last post by luvrbus - July 01, 2026, 02:41:52 AMSlides are a game changer, me personally I will never buy another RV without slides but I do think 4 slide are a over kill. I fought slides for years with my wife before giving up saying she was right. Installing slides in a bus unless it is a Eagle is cost prohibited Gary at B&B Coach in Vegas did slides for around $3000.00 a foot unfished, but he never would do a MCI. A 12 ft slide would cost you 50 + grand now. For another 50 grand you can buy a Prevost with factory slides and a series 60.A good friend of mine has the only MCI that they ever made with a slide his is a MCI J model, he has for sale asking $345,000.00.I am looking at Newells with C-15 Cat but all I can find with the Cat C-15 are equipped with the funky 10 speed Z/F transmission and I don't want the Z/F transmission