Newell for sale

[JohnEd]

I  found this located in Va.  Older Newell and has no tag or bogie.  Maybe that is a plus but the bad girl is powered b a 903 Cummins that weighs 2,800 pounds.  There must be a limit to what weight engine can be stuffed in the but of a bus.  Seems the 903 can be anything from 350 to 500 HP.  What little I have found to read on that engine says that the 555 Cummins is the rotten egg that the 903 is often confused with.  Most comments are favorable but nobody mentions MPG. 

Would like to hear some comments and ADVICE.  http://www.newellclassic.com/classifieds/index.php?a=2&b=424 

Thanks for the help,

John

[bevans6]

First off, http://www.newellclassic.com/ forum is a great place to ask questions and learn about Newells.

My take on a Newell is that it is a very bus-like RV that is designed from the ground up as an RV, not designed as a bus and converted.  So you get a lot of the things that we really like about buses on the outside and a purpose built very high quality RV on the inside.  The chassis is purpose built and gets away from the typical wood-box-on-a-truck-chassis that a lot of RV's have, and the reputation for quality is second to none.  They seem to last like a bus too, lot's of people on older Newells.  I would not hesitate to buy one, and if I was of an age where I didn't have three or five years to get a personalized conversion sorted out, a Newell would be exactly what I would look for.

Brian

[luvrbus]

While Newell is my favorite of the high end motor home they have 2 other players in that field the Vogue V was a nice coach built from the ground up came in 40 and 45 ft lengths the 45 ft had a steerable tag both came with 12L Cat engines then you have the Foretravel U that was a very nice coach wood work was 2nd to none just 2 more options for lookers.
Reading the FMCA rag a new Foretravel is listed at over a million 

JohnEd the triple nickel 555 rates right up there with the 3208 Cat it is a love hate relation ship with owners the 903 is still built today for the military not a bad engine but loves fuel and leaks oil like crazy

good luck

[boxcarOkie]

While Newell is my favorite of the high end motor home they have 2 other players in that field the Vogue V was a nice coach built from the ground up came in 40 and 45 ft lengths the 45 ft had a steerable tag both came with 12L Cat engines then you have the Foretravel U that was a very nice coach wood work was 2nd to none just 2 more options for lookers.
Reading the FMCA rag a new Foretravel is listed at over a million 

JohnEd the triple nickel 555 rates right up there with the 3208 Cat it is a love hate relation ship with owners the 903 is still built today for the military not a bad engine but loves fuel and leaks oil like crazy

good luck

You failed to mention the "best part" Clifford.

The Newell is made in Oklahoma (MIO) ... The Foretravel while certainly a quality coach and all that, unfortunately is manufactured in Texas.

Just stirring the pot ...

BCO

[JohnEd]

OOOWWWWWW!  Curb thy tongue Knave.

John

[Joe Camper]

I ran back and fourth from Green Bay to Gary In a tousand times with a KW that had the 903. It will pull 80000 and almost keep up with the straight 6s. Given enough road it could almost catch up

Cummins version of the V-8,,,,,,,,,least its a four stroke.

No doubt that bus would be a rocket with one if it is running right.

They make a unique low rumble liked that.

Id buy a Newel in a heartbeat. The chassis and house are the same manufacture made in america you can get the entrance door in the middle where it should be.

[JohnEd]

I ran back and fourth from Green Bay to Gary In. a thousand times with a KW that had the 903. It will pull 80000 and almost keep up with the straight 6s. Given enough road it could almost catch up

Cummins version of the V-8,,,,,,,,,least its a four stroke.

No doubt that bus would be a rocket with one if it is running right.

They make a unique low rumble liked that.

Id buy a Newel in a heartbeat. The chassis and house are the same manufacture made in america you can get the entrance door in the middle where it should be.

Great post Joe.  How did it do on MPG compared to the "other" V8 or the sixes?  I have read a trucker say that his "six" rated at 400 HP would run away from some other brands"400" HP engine.  In my reasoning, 400 HP should get you up the same hill at the same speed regardless of the color of the pack-edging paper.  Any explanation other than lies?

Thanks again for the answer,


John

[luvrbus]

Joe FWIW I have 2 friends with 903 in buses 1 has a Eagle 500 hp it makes a leaking DD look clean lol but we are working on it, the other is in a 4501 Scenicruiser both are turbo engines with it being a military engine now parts prices are out of this world a head set 850 bucks from Cummins.
Imo they are not much for a 14L engine turning 2400 rpm

good luck

[boxcarOkie]

OOOWWWWWW!  Curb thy tongue Knave.

John

Knave ... Little harsh wouldn't you say?  (noun archaic ... a dishonest or unscrupulous man)  That is a mid-evil term isn't it?  Wonder what I would have been, a feudal master or a serf?  Most likely the later.  Today must be "language day" on BCM ...

BCO

[JohnEd]

Awwwww, if I hadn't used the "thy" as in "thine" word you wouldn't have gotten that.   No fair test'n me as I only plucked that one out of a Mel Brooks movie.

"Evil Doer's", no relation to Scotch, is a term applied to those that would wipe out all mankind and the collective memory.  On reflection, I agree with you....it was harsh.  Or maybe absurd....Help me out here.

John....I'm try'n

[boxcarOkie]

Awwwww, if I hadn't used the "thy" as in "thine" word you wouldn't have gotten that.   No fair test'n me as I only plucked that one out of a Mel Brooks movie.

"Evil Doer's", no relation to Scotch, is a term applied to those that would wipe out all mankind and the collective memory.  On reflection, I agree with you....it was harsh.  Or maybe absurd....Help me out here.

John....I'm try'n

Tongue N Cheek, I got it.

BCO

[Skykingrob]

John Ed
I can speak from experience. I had a 38' 1989 Newell Classic. It would easily run 80+ mph on the interstate, and at 70 mph, would purr like a kitten up front but out back, if you followed it, it was all business. At 70 mph, it was 6 mpg, has a 300 gal diesel tank so it ran forever. I took mine over the continental divide several times per year and unlike the cat engine, you put the pedal down starting up the divide and kept it there until you started down the other side. Mine would easily run 55 up and over the divide while running an EGT of 950-1000 degrees fully loaded.
The guys at Newell in Miami, OK still routinely work on the Classics, although at $95 per hour you would want to work on it as much as you can. The way they are constructed, almost everything is available at Lowes/Home Depot, Detroit Dealer or Farm Store so working on them yourself is very easy.
The ride is very smooth, well insulated so heating/cooling is easy, water system is all sweat copper, gray water is black DWV pipe, electrical is (dare I say it) all solid strand, mostly 12-2 cable-no conduit-no hold downs, etc.
The only thing about them, since they are custom built per order, finding one you like, in the color you like and in the floor plan you like can take a while. They are austere inside, very little fluff until you get to the mid 90"s models. I am suprised to see the rope light in this one, obviously someone added that as it would never be found from the factory that way in that vintage. Now if you find one that is close to what you like and think to yourself, you can modify it to fit, be forwarned, they use 3/4" cabinet grade birch plywood that is covered with laminate. Where the plywood meets the side wall of the coach, they rivet a metal strip to the bus side wall and then rivet the metal strip to the plywood. You can move the plywood, it just takes some work.
If I had known the RV market was going to go to pot like it has and prices hit rock bottom, I would never have started my Prevost conversion but bought a Newell instead. There is a 90 41' on ebay right now for an asking price on $57K. That coach would have sold for $350K new. They have a terrific Newell owners club that takes 4-6 tours per year, to which we still belong even though we no longer have a Newell. Karl Blade, who owns Newell, says "I am leaving your name in it because you WILL own a Newell again". He's probably right, although I am enjoying building my own conversion now.
BTW, I bought my Newell for $125K from a bank in 1993 that had forclosed on it, drove it for 6 years and sold it at $135K to a guy who drove it from Missouri to Alaska. He flew into Springfield after looking at the pics on the internet, came to the house, looked at it, handed over a cashier check and took off for Alaska 30 minutes later. He called 4 days later saying he was sitting on the Kenai Pennisula "camping".

Rob
91 Prevost LeMirage
Misssouri

[luvrbus]

I see Roger Penske's 2011 Newell from time to time in Scottsdale only Newell you will see with DD15 engine 550 hp he buys one every 3 years

good luck

[JohnEd]

Rob,

Excellent info.  Thanks for that.  Did your Newell have the 903 Cummins?  Did your have a bogie or tag?

Thanks again,


John

[Iver]

While we are on the topic of "not exactly buses".....
    I have a friend who is looking at a 2000 monaco signature with a 500hp cummins ISM engine.
Unfortunately I couldn't give him any advice.  Not sure about the quality of the coach or the engine.
     Any thoughts??
Thanks,  Iver.