77 Newell Interior makeover

[rellick]

Well here are some before pics of my interior. Sorry they are a little dark. The bedroom is the worst, the previous owner built this shelf in the back, it is very tacky and uncomfortable. What he did was build it all up to the same height as the doghouse for the engine to make it all level and flat so the whole room is a bed, then folds back to make seating, in theory is a good idea, except when you sit you feel like you are sitting on the tailgate of a pick-up. I want to have the same kind of idea but comfortable and functional. They had the doghouse this high because of the turbo on the old engine, so I am going to try and lower it as much as I can. Ill bring the seating up to level with it and make the side seating very similar to how the booth is made, but with slight slope back and the seat about 5'' deeper for comfort. When it folds down it will be level. the doghouse will be finished like a console with drink holders etc. The only issues are the floor may be still too deep and I will have to stow the center cushion. (With the seat and the back I will need a separate center cushion or the seat back would be part way up the window) I may have to build a storage in the floor for this also bringing it up to where its comfortable to sit. I hate to have a step in the floor but I don't see any other options. My thoughts are to have it like a lounge theater that turns into a full bed. Any ideas out there?

In the front behind the passenger I'll build another booth for seating and sleeping,

[MrE]

You're going to have a sweet '77:beer:

[Neweller]

Cool! This will be nice to follow along with and throw in our nickels worth. Keith how is the clearance from the old engine to the new? Did you gain a few inches? On the old '78 I had, they upgraded during the 80's from a non-turbo engine to a turbo engine and they had to build the bed up a good extra 6", which wasn't all that bad unless you put a really thick mattress in place. I didn't mind the height as much as I hated the wheel humps. I mean I hate those damn humps! Shsssss!

[CAPTWatson]

I'll be following this thread I can't wait to see what you have in store for this Classic Newell Coach.

[Viva Las Vegas JDR]

With all these remodel threads going around I might need to jump on the wagon.

[rellick]

I think I can gain about 3 to 4 inches, the doghouse is about 8'' high off of the step now. Too bad this engine didnt have the side turbo like those 8.9 cummins! Anyway thats todays project, ill post what I gained later.

[rellick]

Well folks I gained about 6" I wanted to leave a bit of room for insulation under the engine cover, this will work fine, height from floor to top of wood is 17'' still a bit high but there is still flooring to go on. With that and seat foam should land around 22''.

[Neweller]

That 6" can be huge depending on what someone is doing or wanting to do in the case of a coach makeover etc........ Right on Keith! Dude this is more great reason an engine change out can pay dividends in the design of the rear coach area. Especially the older ones that have the lower floor or shorter basements. I wonder how much more a guy would gain with the 8.9 Cummins with the side mounted turbo. I have a picture her somewhere of one of those engines, as I'm curious again on where the intake of the 8.9 is located?

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[MrE]

Looks like the 8.9 has several configurations available.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_xGFNOcnTQhDFX6K3IA0xtpXIW-U0Q2VyMPywo3qfksfbw7La
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQAHnoMGe857MasmEQyvtXDioHFm8-Uptkbkh6UfJUhRsgfHnHS

[Randy J]

Keith when you are done with your 77 Newell it's going to be a beast inside and out. :thumbsup: What other kinds of interior plans do you have for the makeover as far as flooring, appliances and furniture?

[86loco]

Keith you are full of challenges like a couple of others around here I know. You have definitely found your fit.:beer:

[rellick]

Keith when you are done with your 77 Newell it's going to be a beast inside and out. :thumbsup: What other kinds of interior plans do you have for the makeover as far as flooring, appliances and furniture?
We are going to pick out fabric later this week for the bedroom/ lounge, the two booths and the sofa bed. Once we have that picked out were going to find some quality laminate for the flooring, and carpet in the cockpit will be replaced also. We want to add some contrast colors to offset the dark brown. Its in great shape so were just going to leave the walls, cabinetry etc. I have been thinking about a couple of those smart tv's. And the microwave is being replaced.

[rellick]

Just an update, still have to build the side pieces, it will be similar to a sectional sofa, then the sides will fold down like the booths do to make the whole bedroom a bed. the backs in these hinge up with extra storage inside, and storage also under the side seats, coverin those damn humps!!

[Neweller]

That is looking pretty darn sweet! Let me be the first to tell you. And anything you can do to conceal those damn ankle twisting humps the better!:o

[MrE]

That is looking pretty darn sweet! Let me be the first to tell you. And anything you can do to conceal those damn ankle twisting humps the better!:o

Why do I get the feeling that you're not totally impressed with wheel humps? I'm going to make a wild guess, but Newell discontinued the rear wheel humps between 1973 and 1986, based on the appearance of wheel humps in my old 1973 and the absence of wheel humps in my 1986.:thumbup:

[speedingsport]

Wow it's looking good Keith! Looking forward to seeing the bedroom when it's finished.

[Neweller]

Jon, if my memory serves me correctly the Newell factory raised the floor height while increasing the basement height at the time they went to the wide-body which would be your delightful '86 luxury of a coach. For some reason I recall someone on here mentioning that they raised the height back in the early eighties but that doesn't make a lot of sense unless someone comes on here and vouches for their coach not having the humps. The humps would not even be an issue on a twin bed unit or what Rellick is mastering above.

Actually when I dwell on the subject I must admit Newell screwed up on this previous school of thought prior to Karl Blade taking the helm.

[MrE]

If this kick @$$ forum would have existed back in the '90s when I had my '73, I'm pretty sure that the rear twins would have ceased to exist and I would have had an island queen. :thumbsup: Probably would have re-powered the Cat 1160 with a Cumming 8.3 and still owned it. All in all it was a pretty bitchen coach.:thumbup:

[Gone Busing]

This is really coming along nicely Keith. Are you planning on doing projects for others?

[rellick]

This is really coming along nicely Keith. Are you planning on doing projects for others?
Its quite possible, We build a few jet boats from scratch, a Newell is just bigger with wheels underneath!! My thoughts are that I would rather have something that was built not bought. One of a kind and personalized!!:cool:

[1993Newell]

Looks like things are coming together. Thanks for the update and photos. It's always nice to follow along. :thumbsup:

[rellick]

Jon, if my memory serves me correctly the Newell factory raised the floor height while increasing the basement height at the time they went to the wide-body which would be your delightful '86 luxury of a coach. For some reason I recall someone on here mentioning that they raised the height back in the early eighties but that doesn't make a lot of sense unless someone comes on here and vouches for their coach not having the humps. The humps would not even be an issue on a twin bed unit or what Rellick is mastering above.

Actually when I dwell on the subject I must admit Newell screwed up on this previous school of thought prior to Karl Blade taking the helm.
One could still do a raised floor just in the bedroom area leaving a fairly large storage area(s) The humps in mine are 7" high. The only issue would be a step, but it would be a more noticable tripping hazard than a hump. and for those with that peskey turbo box it would be a better height for a bed etc.

[Charlotte Rosita]

Keith is this something like what the finished bed will look like when laid out into a bed?

3829

[rellick]

Yes very similar, what kind of coach is this? I like it!

[Charlotte Rosita]

Sorry I don't know the brand. I saved it a few months ago, I wish I did though. If I happen to run across it again I will come back and be sure to let you know.

[Cheri Smith]

You're making it happen. I can't wait to see the end results.

[rellick]

Its time to get back to this project, hope to have the bedroom upholstery and the flooring underway shortly, ill follow up with some pics!

[Neweller]

Keith, we may start a pic competition on these Newell's. Who can share the most and best pics for the crowd. Well if there's no crowd, we'll just enjoy them ourselves. rollinglol

Don't know what happened to our LED lighting instruction being done on someones '86?:unsure::bolt:

[NewellCrazy]

Keith, we may start a pic competition on these Newell's. Who can share the most and best pics for the crowd. Well if there's no crowd, we'll just enjoy them ourselves. rollinglol

Don't know what happened to our LED lighting instruction being done on someones '86?:unsure::bolt:

He took a nap on us!

[MrE]

Keith, we may start a pic competition on these Newell's. Who can share the most and best pics for the crowd. Well if there's no crowd, we'll just enjoy them ourselves. rollinglol

Don't know what happened to our LED lighting instruction being done on someones '86?:unsure::bolt:

Guilty...All I've done so far is outlined in post #77. http://www.luxurycoachlifestyle.com/forum/electrical/929-newell-classic-flourescent-light-fixtures-8.html

[Neweller]

Jon, you're saying you are doing everything by Tom's book and you have nothing new to share with us or advanced details etc... and that you have a broken camera?
Do you have a train emoticon to help me get out of town? Or maybe a cargo ship?:behindsofa:

[MrE]

Jon, you're saying you are doing everything by Tom's book and you have nothing new to share with us or advanced details etc... and that you have a broken camera?
Do you have a train emoticon to help me get out of town? Or maybe a cargo ship?:behindsofa:

http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/smoke/t3079.gif (http://yoursmiles.org/t-smoke.php?page=2)Can't remember where I put my camera after my friend stopped by.http://yoursmiles.org/ssmile/fun/s0221.gif (http://yoursmiles.org/s-fun.php)
44144415

[rellick]

Keith, we may start a pic competition on these Newell's. Who can share the most and best pics for the crowd. Well if there's no crowd, we'll just enjoy them ourselves. rollinglol

Don't know what happened to our LED lighting instruction being done on someones '86?:unsure::bolt:

Sure sounds like a challenge to me Ken!!:bandit:who else around here is up for it!!:o:thumbsup:

[rellick]

Well after some pondering over a couple wobbly pops:beer: we decided to gut the 77, did some pretty intense cleaning and removing everything but the kitchen sink. Should be installing flooring tomorrow, I removed the furnaces as well to give them a bench service plus giving us a little more room while we clean everything up

[NewellCrazy]

Can't wait to see the makeover Keith. Keep them pics coming!

[Neweller]

Looks like a familiar site! :o When someone decides to go nuts on one of these, you kind of need a tonic or two to ease the tension build up from should we or should we not syndrome. I'm sure Dean must have went through something similar and the bug has a way of biting us....., soooooooooohavefun!!!!

Will it be ready in time for the family vacation??? Or do you take the back up ride???

[rellick]

Im hoping to have it on the road near the end of next week, ill be burnin' some midnight oil on it!! im going to leave the couch and dinette upholstery for now, just doing the flooring and the bedroom, and a few mecanical things like oil change and grease, check the brakes, new steer tires and change the rear center caps, no back up ride, were taking this one :bandit::thumbsup:

[rellick]

My shop is full of Newell parts!! wow what a pile of work to do in a short time!! ill have some more pics coming, its going to come together

[Neweller]

I know you love it though! For realssssssssssssss.......................:cool::ba ndit:

[RoDesign]

So Rellick what interior colors are we thinking here? Being a skillful upholsterer as such, do you plan on any wall treatments like fabric or do I need to speak with your wonderful better half to get you in line so you won't have to ask for forgiveness?rollinglol

[rellick]

Lol, it seems I am asking forgiveness quite a bit!!rollinglol but that is nothing new!! I tried to open that link for the wall fabric but it said its not available in my country, sounds interesting though. I will share some pics of the fabric we chose soon,

[Neweller]

Keith, you can't see certain youtube video's up in Canada? Maybe there is another link that will work for you guys up there. That's a stinky darn deal eh'.

[rellick]

It is odd, never had that happen before, even went direct to youtube and it said the same thing

[Neweller]

Keith, you might need to buy a hyperbaric chamber to keep yourself rebooted. I'm sure you will becoming up for midnight air.

[rellick]

Lol, maybe a little nitrogen narcosis eh?!! Just went to unwind in the bush with the jeep, just about to have a fire!! Needed a break.

[Neweller]

Keith, I guess that works as well. lol! I have to figure out how to do the same here one of these days. But with those two newer coaches on my mind I won't be able to until afterwards if you know what I mean. lol I'm too busy with the biz as well but am at least chillin' today around the so-called ranch. rollinglol

[rellick]

Today were going to look at some of the mechanical issues, make sure everything is up to snuff, should start reinstalling the interior on tuesday, hope to hit the road friday.
Jan Lake Lodge - On the Lake (http://janlakelodge.ca/on_the_lake.html) this is a beautiful place with great fishing, about 3 hrs north of Prince Albert.:thumbsup:

[86loco]

Looks like a spectacular lake to enjoy there Keith. My family has never poked over the border in a RV of anykind. I need to get our passports together. You are giving us some great inspirations here on our coach ideas whether we keep the 86 or move onto a later year. I hope my bro doesn't read this.

[JustDustin]

Brady even if you moved up to a later year you can still take Keith's inspiration and put it forth a newer Newell and give inspirations to others. ;)

[Neweller]

Keith, that is what I'm screamin' and agree with Brady about getting over the northern border one of these days. Heck, I was about ready to haul some tail up and stay in one of those cabins.:thumbup: Talk about some nice fish, I know they exist in that lake, besides you wouldn't be heading there if they weren't eh'.

[rellick]

Well another day, we did tie up alot of loose ends, finally figured out the brake light issue, someone had wired the hot side of the brake light switch to the headlight switch, so they only worked when the tail light or headlights were on, talk about a maddening thing to find:banghead: what a feeling when we figured it out, this has been bugging me for quite some time.
I did also manage to finish the rear corner (starboard side) for the bedroom, the other is not far behind, also the center (engine cover) then I still have to upholster the bed parts. I went simple on the upholstery so when it is layed out into a bed it will be comfortable, plus it is a little quicker. I added the hide away backs. Heres a couple pics....

[Neweller]

Now that's sweeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr than Canadian maple syrup for sure. I really like the choice in fabric and colors. That is going to be one sick you know what.

Glad you got the funky wire job figured out. Kind of reminds me of going through some old rides back in the day and redoing the butcher attacks performed under the dash or hood.

[speedingsport]

Nicely done. I look forward to seeing pictures of it all set up in the coach. :thumbsup:

[RoDesign]

wow!!!!!!!!!!!! rellick that's one nice fabric choice you or wife came up with, great choice for kid proofing too.:thumbup:

[rellick]

Hello all, we made it up to Jan lake sask.:thumbsup: I was so busy trying to get ready to go I didnt have a chance to post any pics but I will when I get home, our internet here is prehistoric and I usually use my phone to take pics then email them to myself so i can upload pics that way, but theres no cell service at all here, one fellow said to me while I was sitting here with my laptop "I see your making smoke signals!!" lol
The fishing has been great so far, but it was a little windy and cold today. I caught a nice 11lb jackfish yesterday, very scrappy and alot of fun to catch, we saved a few jack and some real nice walley (3-4lb) and had a feast last night, very delicious.
The coach ran great on the way, just a few minor issues. There is still some work to do on it but were very happy with it for its maiden voyage, we went the north way through Slave lake and Athabasca, stayed in Vegreville one night. It was around 1000mile trip. We may take the south way through Drumheller ab and Calgary, then north through Jasper and Hinton.

[speedingsport]

11lb jackfish :thumbsup: Great catch! Good to hear the trip is going well so far. Happy travels!

[Neweller]

I wonder how that maiden voyage is working out anyway? Lots of fish for sure, I'm assuming Keith is getting well deserved R&R from regular work as long as the maiden is humming along smoothly of course. What kind of mileage is that little classic beast getting with her new found love 8.3 liter Cummins I-6? hmmmm........ Maybe 9 mpg or better???? I'm dreaming of more of course, right MrE????

[JustDustin]

Yes, Keith please do tell. :thumbsup: It's nice for us Newellers to have our bragging rights.

[rellick]

Well I checked mileage in lloydminister, logged 806 miles and put in 330 liters. Worked out to 9.24us mpg, 11.10imp mpg. 400 miles were on and off the throttle in the hills, a few stops and some back roads and city driving. I had the coach loaded and was pulling my 22ft boat full of stuff, we were cruising between 60-70 mph.
The fishing was great and Jan is a beautiful lake, there is miles and miles of islands and small bays, I like to use a gps because its real easy to get lost. All in all it was a great trip, the coach ran real good with plenty of power and smooth and quiet,( from where I was sitting at least, it is straight piped) lol theres a few minor adjustments to make but nothing serious.
Next on the upgrade list is going to be the front and rear suspension, id like to go with the newer style s-cam brakes and my donor bus has all the parts I need. Perhaps a winter project. Also the plumbing bay needs to be rebuilt, shouldnt take more than 2-3 days.
Here is a couple of pics of the trip, the first one is in Slave lake Ab and the second is at Jan Lake Sask. Ill post some more of the interior later when I get it back into shape from the trip

[Neweller]

Sounds like it was a nice trip, are you back at home now or on the way back? How many miles did you put on round trip? Sounds like 9.24 was an all around mileage, do you think you got into the double digits on the flats like 11?? Any head or tail wind on the run? That is really exciting mileage and you have kind of low gearing right?

[rellick]

We are home now just resting up from the holiday, funny how that works!! I feel more tired now then before we left!!lol We did make a couple of stops along the way to do some visiting, did a little more fishing around Saskatoon. We didnt stay at one rv park the whole trip just dry camped or stayed with friends or relatives.
I know I could get better mileage, I don't always use my cruise either, sometimes I look at my speed and im doing 75-80, the temp was coming up a bit if I was hard on it so I will have to give the rad a good cleaning. There wasnt much noticable wind so that wasnt really a factor. My b300 transmission is geared a bit lower than a normal md3060 allison so my rpms were about 1900 @ 60mph. A 3060 with 5:29 diff should be 70mph @ 1900. That would make a difference also, when I change out the diff from my donor bus I will change the gearing in it from its 6:38 to 4:89 so ill be going from my original 5:29 to 4:89 with the later s-cam brakes. This should bring my rpms very close to 70mph @ 1900. I really dont see any reason it wouldn't get 12mpg, as I know of others that get it all the time with the 8.3

[jWolfe]

Good to hear you all had a nice trip. A winter project? You are full of projects Keith. :thumbsup: Lake Jan looks gorgeous from the pictures online that I seen. Nice cabin too.

[rellick]

Here is a couple of pics of my interior, It will be a work in progress for a while but we are happy with it so far, I like the vintage look and feel of it.

[Neweller]

That is one BA job thus far and what a charming rendition of classic splendor in Newell coach luxury!:thumbsup: This will have some bus converting dreamers frothing at the mouth.:drool:

[JustDustin]

The vintage feel looks good with the nicely done make over you've shared with us. The bed/couch turned out very nicely.

[Leeann J]

Well I checked mileage in lloydminister, logged 806 miles and put in 330 liters. Worked out to 9.24us mpg, 11.10imp mpg. 400 miles were on and off the throttle in the hills, a few stops and some back roads and city driving. I had the coach loaded and was pulling my 22ft boat full of stuff, we were cruising between 60-70 mph.
The fishing was great and Jan is a beautiful lake, there is miles and miles of islands and small bays, I like to use a gps because its real easy to get lost. All in all it was a great trip, the coach ran real good with plenty of power and smooth and quiet,( from where I was sitting at least, it is straight piped) lol theres a few minor adjustments to make but nothing serious.
Next on the upgrade list is going to be the front and rear suspension, id like to go with the newer style s-cam brakes and my donor bus has all the parts I need. Perhaps a winter project. Also the plumbing bay needs to be rebuilt, shouldnt take more than 2-3 days.
Here is a couple of pics of the trip, the first one is in Slave lake Ab and the second is at Jan Lake Sask. Ill post some more of the interior later when I get it back into shape from the trip


How many fish did you catch?

You mean the GPS doesn't help you get lost? ;)

It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

[Leeann J]

Here is a couple of pics of my interior, It will be a work in progress for a while but we are happy with it so far, I like the vintage look and feel of it.

It looks lovely! I like how it's coming together. What else do you have planned for the interior?