Please tell me what the difference is between the top brands are

Yachtnutz · 10-13-2013, 06:14 PM

Hi everyone please bare with me here for a minute , my wife and I are looking at Motor coaches we have looked at quite a few . Can you guy's please tell me what the differences are between the ones that we really like Newell, Prevost, Newmar, Foretravel etc . They all are appealing to us but we what to make the right decision . I know there are a lot of veterans on this forum with expert knowledge. So please help us with this massive decision.

Thank you
John

jack14r · 10-13-2013, 10:11 PM

John,Because this is a Newell forum you will get the replies that their product is the best,go over to the prevost community site and the Prevost will be the best,go to other sites and they will have their opinions also.I think that Prevost makes the best bus and Newell makes the best motorhome.

77newell · 10-14-2013, 04:51 PM

John: your question is impossible for us to answer in a way that is relevant to your needs. Newell is one brand with each coach custom designed per the instructions by the initial buyer. Prevost is several brands, each brand having gained experience and expertise in particular aspects of converting the shell to a coach. Newmar is a mid-level motor-home producer that uses chassis and shells of fiberglass that are shared by many similar companies. Foretravel is a higher end motor-home producer similar in concept with Newell in that they make their own chassis but with the skin being fiberglas rather than Newell's aluminum.

There is no universal best choice. There is a personal best choice for each of us, after considering all the trade-offs. Those trade-offs can only be evaluated based upon your personal preferences and values. I would suggest you start by listing what aspects are important to you and your significant other. Do this based upon how you actually plan to use the coach, be sure to keep it real. Then go through the coaches you liked and score them against your listed criteria.You can even put various weights on the listed items as not all are of equal importance. Then see how you react to the scores, if you are happy with the score you will probably be happy with the coach. If you are disappointed with how the scores came out then buy the one you wished had been on top.

chockwald · 10-14-2013, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77newell

John: your question is impossible for us to answer in a way that is relevant to your needs. Newell is one brand with each coach custom designed per the instructions by the initial buyer. Prevost is several brands, each brand having gained experience and expertise in particular aspects of converting the shell to a coach. Newmar is a mid-level motor-home producer that uses chassis and shells of fiberglass that are shared by many similar companies. Foretravel is a higher end motor-home producer similar in concept with Newell in that they make their own chassis but with the skin being fiberglas rather than Newell's aluminum.

There is no universal best choice. There is a personal best choice for each of us, after considering all the trade-offs. Those trade-offs can only be evaluated based upon your personal preferences and values. I would suggest you start by listing what aspects are important to you and your significant other. Do this based upon how you actually plan to use the coach, be sure to keep it real. Then go through the coaches you liked and score them against your listed criteria.You can even put various weights on the listed items as not all are of equal importance. Then see how you react to the scores, if you are happy with the score you will probably be happy with the coach. If you are disappointed with how the scores came out then buy the one you wished had been on top.

Jon, you it it right on the money......I have nothing to add.

Clarke

Yachtnutz · 10-14-2013, 06:13 PM

Thank you guys very much for the advice, as we are in the process of just looking right now. We want to make sure we get the Coach that is best for our needs, and this is a massive investment . We our leaning towards the Newell . I like the fit and finish of them. I called a dealer and he is got one from the Factory coming in soon . We will be going to look at it when it arrives . We looked at a Prevost Outlaw this weekend and it was very nice inside and out I must tell you.

and so the search goes on
John

Ron Skeen · 10-14-2013, 07:29 PM

Hi John,
All the the coaches look nice inside and out, but the most important thing: what do I do for support when something goes wrong. My first coach look good that I purchase on a Friday and by 8pm I had a problem. When I call for support everything was close and I was told to call back Monday morning. I spent a very bad night in a parking lot. Newell in my opinion has the best 24/7 of any coach. When you put a home on wheels problems occur.

folivier · 10-14-2013, 08:03 PM

Ron makes an excellent point, Newell has a 24/7 service line that gets you a service manager within 15 minutes or less anytime. Also there are a lot of workers that have been there a long time. The newer the model the more complex they are and this is one area where Newell shines since they manufacture a lot of their components.
It's really worth it to visit the factory and do a tour to see the quality built in.

jack14r · 10-15-2013, 12:16 AM

John,Outlaw coach is the entry level Prevost,it has some glits but very weak systems and is the least expensive and poor resale.

Yachtnutz · 10-15-2013, 12:23 AM

Wow jack14r I didn't know that what would be the highend Prevost would it happen to be the Millennium ?

and so the search goes on
John

Yachts · 10-15-2013, 12:41 AM

Marathon and vantare would probably be the upper end, liberty and country coach are out of business in the prevost conversions? Provosts are great busses but the easiest reason for a Newell over a prevost in my opinion is that a 45 foot prevost is really a 40-42 foot conversion.. The h-45 because of the step layout can't be converted in the first 3-5 feet and the other style my understanding is the placement of the engine can take a couple of feet away from the rear.. Headroom is also a lil better in a Newell .. My 2 cents

Yachtnutz · 10-15-2013, 01:25 AM

Thanks Yachts !

afrench45 · 10-15-2013, 03:10 AM

Liberty is still in business. Liberty and Millennium are both fine coaches, and are producing more coaches than any other convertor at this time. Featherlite and Marathon are still building a few coaches a year.

The headroom is an issue I would look at. I hit my head walking into the bathroom in an H345 that was a Marathon Conversion. I believe the larger headroom helps make the Newells feel bigger.

jack14r · 10-15-2013, 10:23 PM

Yachts,That is incorrect,Liberty is at the moment the largest Prevost converter at 14 per year,Millennium is also converting 14 per year,Marathon and Featherlite which was purchased by Amadas 2-3 years ago are converting 6-8 per year,Outlaw might be doing 5 per year.Liberty is and has been considered the high end bus conversion with the most robust systems and they have always manufactured within the Prevost weight limits.A four slide Liberty with full fuel,and full water will weigh less than 54,000 LBS,the weight limit is 54,500 GVWR.

jack14r · 10-15-2013, 10:47 PM

Prevost H3 is 83 inches from floor to ceiling,but the bay space is large enough for some golf carts and some Harleys,the XLII is 86 inches from floor to ceiling,and the new X3 is 89 inches from floor to ceiling.As we all know to get something in our coaches we must also give up something,if bay space is your preference then the H3 is the one if you want interior height as I do then I must give up some bay space.I could be very happy with an H3 because I am not 6 feet tall but a tall person might not be comfortable in an H3,the XLII is taller and just feels larger.

Ron Skeen · 10-15-2013, 11:40 PM

My 96 Newell has ceiling heights of 80" in front and 86 in rear with the raise roof. My 04 is raised all the way and is between 85" to 88" front to back. I have both coaches up for sale and need to sell one of them.

Yachtnutz · 10-16-2013, 12:04 AM

Hey guys is Newell the only one that uses a steerable tag axle , I really like that feature, my wife and I were talking about the drivers area on the Prevost it sits lower then the drivers area on the Newell which I also like for safety. Please Correct me if i'm wrong on this.

jack14r · 10-16-2013, 12:38 AM

The H3 coach sits lower,the other Prevost the driver is at the floor height.

Yachts · 10-16-2013, 12:12 PM

Thanks jack14r. I wasn't aware who was still in business.. I'm really surprised at the low number of units marathon is doing.. I figured they were 20-30 a year.. I know NASCAR was a big part of marathons business I wonder if many of those are now featherlight customers

jack14r · 10-16-2013, 01:24 PM

I understand that the owners of Marathon decided that they would either sell the business or continue in business but they would not invest any more assets into it,as a result the deals with the Nascar customers are over.The current Featherlite owners are selling a few to a variety of racers but they don't seem to be interested in selling to the traditional buyer.I think that this type of product must be sold by an educated salesman and not a dealer like Tom Johnson who is selling tag trailers to POS motorhomes.If you look at those that have and are successful in the ultra high end motor coach world the standard is that the customer deals with the factory,Newell,Liberty,Millennium,and Marathon deal direct to the customer and I would not purchase this type of product from a dealer.The low number of units is really interesting,back in 07 there were about 165 Prevost converted,now about 50 are converted for motor home use,the big 4 have virtually no new inventory,they are selling it as fast as they are building it,I think that this has opened the door for Newell and Foretravel to attract a customer that might not have even looked at their product 5 years ago.

MarkofSJC · 10-17-2013, 06:49 PM

As a long-time "lurker" who has been researching this area for over a year, I'd like to add a few observations.

Chassis is key. Newell creates their own, and it can be altered in anyway to accommodate the wishes of the owner - different slide lengths, front or mid-entry door, some or all slides flat floor, etc. Every single other manufacture must work within the restrictions of the "box" they're using as a chassis. This is why Prevost was typically a dual slide offering.

Single Focus/Use. This freedom allows Newell to offer options others can't match. From the small (garbage disposals, trash compactors, murphy beds, etc.) to the large (generator and aquahot exhaust through the roof, steering rear tag axial, generators mounted in front or side locations, active suspension, 240 dryer, heat and cooktop options, etc).

Industrial Grade Everything. If you were to strip away all the glitz and just look at the components being used, Newell always goes over the top. They were featuring heavy duty axials and 365-series tires, disk brakes all around and lots more before most any other manufacturer offered it. I'm fairly certain they've also had higher standards on insulation than anyone else as well. Just the way they construct and power their slide out is still unmatched.

Always An Early Adopter. They don't rest on their laurels, either. Active suspension? Already offered for more than a year. When Allison transmissions couldn't handle the higher output of the 650 engines, they offered a ZF with 12 speeds. No one matches their rear turning tag, which allows the coach incredible maneuverability. I think they were the first or among the first to use tablet to tie all the coach systems into for even greater ease.

Just my two cents!

Mark