benefits of newell vs. prevost and blue bird

[Linda O'Carroll]

We are interested in making a lifetime purchase sometime this year. I know this is a big question, but could anyone give me the pros and cons speaking from experience of the the 3 top conversions [perhaps an unfortunate choice of words, as neither Newell nor Blue Birds are converted bus shells, but I think we understand the question - editor]. We have been unable to get clear differences anywhere and this would really help. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Linda and Mossey. [Okay, this is a bit different type of post than the board was designed for. But let's have some fun and give this discussion a try, keeping the comments to the positive regarding all three fine products

[Scott P.]

benefits of newell vs. prevost and blue bird Hi Linda. I think to get you the answer you desire, you should tell us a bit more. Are you looking at new coaches, or something used? If used, what vintage? All these coaches have been around 20+ years, and the pros and cons of each have changed over that time. Give us some more info and I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions.

Scott P.

[Bob Scott]

Hi Linda

First off I'll admit to being biased, however my ideas and feelings have developed over years of learning. We own a 1986 Newell and have been thinking of upgrading to something newer. This past week the Northwest Area Rally of FMCA was held in Albany,Oregon and as there were several new coaches on display it seemed like a good time to really check out what everyone was selling.

A little of my background. I have repaired both motorhomes and trailers. I have also converted two buses and currently have one that is about 60 percent completed. {I'll make someone a very good deal}. We also own a custom cabinet shop which is one of the largest in the state. Along the way I have also restored several airplanes. I only mention these facts so that you will have some idea for the opinions I have. Incidentally, the reason that we own the Newell is that we went to look at it to get some ideas for the bus conversion project. We walked in and my wife took one look at the Newell and she said "I want it". And as they say, the rest is history. She figured that the conversion project was taking too long.

This past week we looked at Prevost, Bluebird, Country Coach, Foretravel, and the top lines of Monaco just to see if by chance they had improved when comparing them to a Newell. I looked at systems, layout, quality of materials and workmanship. On some coaches with price tags of upwards of a million dollars the workmanship was so poor that if our shop turned out the same work we would fire the whole crew. My wife, on the other hand, is more interested in textures, color coordination, frabics, carpet, etc. We looked with a critical eye as we had not definitely decided on staying with Newell. However, after two days of checking out the brand X's, I know what our next coach is going to be. I told my wife just yesterday that if money was no object, and it is, that I would rather have a five year old Newell than any new coach that I've seen. Also, in the last six months I have been through five manufacturing plants. Hopefully this hasn't boored you. If you have any specific questions I'll be most happy to answer.

Bob

[Scott P.]

Well, I'll present my opinion in my area of "expertise", which is the five year span of 1988-1992. In the 40 foot models, drivelines are comparable, with 450-500 horsepower Detroit Diesel 8V92 engines, and Allison 4 or 5 speed transmissions. Chassis quality is excellent on all three, but the Prevost is certainly the most sophisticated design, and is particularly appropriate in very high mileage applications. The "systems" of the coaches, such as plumbing, heating, electrical, etc., start to differentiate the three choices. Blue Bird Wanderlodges are certainly the most complex. There are switches and gauges for everything. Great if you like that stuff, but expect significant costs to maintain everything in working order. Newell is very well thought out, and less "gimicky".

Prevost conversions are another story. Keep in mind that the Blue Bird and Newell are built from the ground up as motorhomes. The Prevost is an empty bus "shell" that the converter then adds everything to make it a motorhome. The quality of the systems on a conversion can vary wildly. Some of the converters are unriviled in their attention to detail, while others are disasters. Keep in mind that many coach converters are out of business, and factory support for problems, or things like wiring schematics, may not exist. If you are going to consider a Prevost, you really must do your homework on who the quality converters are/were, and look at a lot of coaches to determine what the differences are. Price is another issue. Prevost conversions have held their value very well. This may be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. Sure, they hold their value better, but expect to pay $50,000 to $100,000 more for a comparable Prevost over a Blue Bird or Newell.

I think that makes the Blue Birds and Newells a much better value. Prices of Newells and Blue Birds tend to track each other, with Newell asking prices a bit higher than the Bird's. Right now with the soft economy, and the popularity of slide-outs, the prices of non-slide Newell and Blue Birds of this vintage are becoming very attractive. I've just touched on a few of the things to consider, but this topic could be discussed much more in-depth, and depends on what things are important to you in a coach.

[willis]

We are previous owners of a very nice 1994 Marathon
XL which we loved. We searched for 2 years before deciding on the Newell and it wasn't just because of it's fabulous glides. It was the over-all workmanship/craftmanship and long term Newell history. I suggest you take a tour of both plants and talk to the lead engineers. I'd also suggest doing some history checks. We did. Nothing in the industry matches up to the Newell for our investment.