I spotted a 28' Barth in the neighborhood yesterday. It has California tags. Haven't made contact with the owners yet. Looks like a nice rig. Thought I spotted another one as I was going down the highway to the airport tody. It turned out to be an older Newell coach in very good condition. It sure looked like a Barth from a distance. I had to pull up next to it to get a good look before seeing the Newell logo on the back. I pulled ahead of it quite a ways and made my turn to the airport. I happened to have my video camera, so I took some video as it passed. They probably thought I was a kook as they passed by me standing on the side of the road. I thought I better capture it on film since I had never seen one like it. It must have been a 1970s or early 80s model. Probably not too many around in that good a condition.'

Randy Prince

I met the owner of the Barth today. She is a widow named Jo Murphy and is visiting her aunt. She is originally from a small town on the west side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. She bought the Barth after her husband died. She has been touring all over the western US and travels with her dog, Liberty. She usually camps in national park campgrounds and does not pull a toad. The Barth is a 1984 25' rig with solar panels installed by the previous owner. It appears to be in very good condition. She said it has a Gear-Vendors underdrive unit, and the rig had no problems in making it over the western mountain passes. Jo is panning to store the Barth for the winter here in Oklahoma City, drive a rental car back to California and spend the winter at her home. She will drive her own car back next Spring and begin a tour of the eastern US in the Barth. Jo is quite an independent woman. She is a licensed pilot and, along with her husband, has owned a Cessna 180 and a 210. She and her husband used the Cessna 180 to tour Alaska prior to his death in 1997. She has also toured Australia by herself. She is quite a character and, in leaving, we shook hands. I have never shaken hands with woman who had such an iron grip. She probably thought I was a wimp as I always use a light grip when shaking hands with a woman. Regardless, she appears to be well prepared to continue her Barth travels.

I believe I met this lady one winter in Tucson a few years ago, when I still had my Sterling s.o.b. We both had the misfortune of being towed into the same repair facility with fuel system problems. They merely towed me across town, but they hauled her all the way down from Kitt Peak.

She is indeed a gutsy lady to be touring alone in her Barth, and a very nice one
too. I don't remember the iron grip, but I do remember her, her little dog, and her well-kept Barth. I was impressed.

Hi Prince,

If you talk with this lady or can email her. Would you pass on to here this email. mimi.myers@tagoh.org

This is for Mimi Myers who is a 53 year old single lady who has contacted me recently. She has a beautiful 28 ft Regal also, and is full timing..



She is eager to come in contact with other singles on the road. She is presently in the Slab City/Salton Sea area of California and is heading for Death Valley. What a life huh??

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[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited October 25, 2004).]

Randy,
At our Barth rally in Nashville some folks in a Newell like you describe pulled into the campground and were amazed to see all the mini-Newells there! They were very kind and invited us in for tours. Theirs was a 1988...a beautiful rig.

I have heard that years ago the Barth and Newell families were friends (or at least business friends) and that Mr. Newell was one of the first to see the "new" Barth design.