1985 Newell Coach

[Jack Fortner]

I am considering purchase of a 1985, 40ft Newell coach with a 475 Cummings and high milage. Can anyone give me a heads-up on the value or what to look for. Thanks for any help.

[Scott P.]

I would expect the asking price for a nice '85 to be in the $90k range. Mileage is not particularly important but overall condition and maintenance history are critical to the value. I wouldn't be concerned with mileage under 200k. In many respects, a high mileage Newell, driven regularly over its life, with recommended maintenance, is a much better buy than a coach that has been parked most of its life. Restoring a poorly maintained coached back to reliable condition can get very expen$ive.

Also, I suspect the engine is a 475 hp Detroit Diesel 8V92, not a Cummins. [TechTalk staff note: A few Newells were equipped with Cummins 903 engines as an option in the 1980 through 1985 time frame]

[Jack Fortner]

I have renewed the house batteries and engine start batteries. I replaced the merge solenoid and have plugged into 50amp for days. The house batteries are charged fine however the engine start batteries refuse to charge and indicate "0" on the volt meter. The batteries are installed correctly but volt meter showes "0". What should I check.