[tuga]

Ralph and Debbie,

Welcome to the forum!

I know the owner of the 1987 Newell Classic 40' you are looking at. He is a meticulous owner and he has spared no expense re-doing this coach. The coach is very clean and well maintained during the time he owned it. It has over 300,000 miles on it which is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe that laying a coach up and not using it for long periords is bad for the rubber seals and bushing and gaskets that are located throughout the coach. If you like the coach inside and out, I think it would be a good buy cosmetically and mechanically. The price is something that you need to determine for yourself.

Steve Bare's (rheavn) advice is right on the money! Talk to a lot of folks and do your home work and buy the coach that will service your needs the best. Steve's point about it costing you money each time you move up is the most painful part of ownership. These coaches depreciate about 4% per year; so the older coach you purchase the less depreciation cost is per year in dollars. However, there is of course a trade off in amenities.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages IMO:

A 1987 Newell will have an 8V92 Detroit Diesel engine (5.5 mpg) instead of the newer series 60 DD (7.5 mpg). At today's prices that is a savings of $2,762.60 per year based on 15,000 miles per year use and $3.80/gallon diesel.

A 1987 Newell will have a LP refrigerator instead of the Amana all electric household frig. Michael Day (fultiming) can chime in and tell you when Newell started with the Amana total electric refrigerators). The Amana will work better in hot weather and is more dependable; however, it requires an inverter and usually 6 house batteries to run it. The 6 batteries will cost from $1000 to $2500 depending on whether you use flooded cells or go with AGMs (Newell recommends AGMs). I have spent $1,000 re-building my inverter; it fried itself.
So as you can see, you don't get something for nothing.

A 1987 Newell will not have slides. There is a great deal of debate regarding slides but you need to decide if you want them or not depending on how you will use the coach. Slides are a personal choice. I like them and wouldn't have a coach without slides. Other people on this forum feel differently and are perfectly content without slides.

This 1987 Newell is a 40' and the majority of Newells sold are 45s. The 45s are naturally more roomy, but the cost is more and the turning radius is larger than the 40'.

I could go on but the gist of my point is this: the newer ones have newer innovations and amenities but cost more in purchase price and depreciation. You have to decide.

Buy the one that right for you and Debbie. Life is great in a Newell!

P.S. A good place to see Newells that range from 2012 models on down to 1999 and older is the Newell factory in Miami, OK. They have used coaches lined up and open for viewing Monday thru Thursday starting at 8:30 AM.