Report From Newell Campground

[prestadude]

Here I sit in Miami, Oklahoma at the Newell Campground. I am scheduled for some service on Monday (more about that later). I almost feel like I am visiting the promised land. I am surrounded by absolutely gorgeous Newells, mostly 2004 and newer. The campground is almost full but another rig just pulled in pulling an enclosed trailer. Between the coaches in the campground and the new and used rigs for sale by Newell, there are 30 coaches on site. Just for yucks, if we assume an average present value of $500,000, that is $15,000,000 worth of vehicles. Quite impressive.

There is also a 2011 on display. I have not seen inside yet, but it is indeed a beautiful coach. I obsessed about the first little scratch on my Honda Element, I can't imagine what it would be like to scratch your $1.5 million Newell.

I purchased my coach May, 2009 (a repo I picked up in Phoenix). 6 weeks later I drove it from Sacramento back to Indiana for a handicapped retrofit (lifts and such for my wife who has MS). Well, that took about a year (don't ask, I don't understand it myself). So, I picked up my coach last Friday in Elkhart Indiana and ended up in Miami today. I want Newell to inspect the systems, give me some instruction, and fix some things that I cannot do. What fun getting reaquainted with my vehicle. Now I will have something to talk about in the forum.

I must relay a humerous mishap. Last night while parked at a campground in Chatham, IL (the Double J campground) I was taking a closer look at the conversion work. One of the lifts interfered with the pneumatic pocket door separating the kitchen from the bedroom (my rig has a rear master bath) and the pocket door was removed to trim the bottom and then reinstalled. There are two switches that operate the door, one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen (the one in the kitchen does not work, one of the items I wanted Newell to fix). I pushed the button in the bedroom a few times and the door did not move. I figured it was stuck and Newell would have to fix it. Much to my dismay, about 5 minutes later when I was in the kitchen the door shut, with no way to open it again. So, all my clothes and toiletries are behind the door and I am stuck in the front (luckilly I still had my pants on with my keys and wallet. I slept on the front couch last night as I will tonight although today I hit the Miami Walmart (a very popular place) and got some shirts, socks, underware, and toiletries. I will let everyone know how Newell gets the door open. Maybe we can have a forum pool:
1. Pull the emergency release latch that I know nothing about.
2. Short out the contracts on the switch in the kitchen to actuate the door (I tried this already so don't bet on this one)
3. Dump air pressure and force the door opern
4. Lift the door off the track (I was afraid to try this for fear of really messing stuff up)
5. Break a little window in the bedroom and push the door button with a long stick
6. Break a big window and physically enter the bedroom.

Sunday Update
Here are some photos of rigs currently onsite:

http://www.newellclassic.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=376

http://www.newellclassic.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=377


http://www.newellclassic.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=382


http://www.newellclassic.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=386

[folivier]

On my '93 the pocket door has recessed handles. Don't know if they can be forced open, but I will check that out tomorrow. Would hate to be locked IN the bedroom. Is there anyway to access the airline or solenoid for the door? If so you might try to loosen the air fitting to get it open. Or you might try holding the door switch for a minute or two. Good luck.

[Ron Skeen]

Tim Just force the door open with your hands, mine is no problem to do. You do not have to dump the air. push the door back into the pocket. My coach is a 96

[prestadude]

Thanks Forest and Ron for the suggestions. I don't see any air hoses in the bays beneath the pocket door (at least not something readilly identifiable). Application of brute force is also ineffective.

[encantotom]

your coach is too long and you really dont need all that room anyway. just leave the door shut.

tom

[folivier]

Wonder if he'd get a campground discount for only using 1/2 his coach? Great one Tom!

[afrench45]

I was up there two weeks ago and I recognize many of the coaches in for service still! will be up Tuesday or Wednesday for tires...

[express1]

Maybe we should just ralley there!

[prestadude]

The pocket door is now open. The procedure is to vent the compressed air from the quick connect fitting in the engine bay and pushing the door open. Turns out the kitchen switch was fine, the door was "locked" via a door master switch in the bedroom (I guess I need a more explicit label like "If you don't set this switch right you can lock yourself out of the bedroom, dummy").

[chockwald]

Good news Tim!

[rheavn]

Tim,
Always good to know these "workarounds". Your coach is only ten after mine, but I don't have a way to lock my pocket doors. My switches are open/close only, but if a switch quit working I may need the workaround.

Thanks again..................