2003 - 2005 Journey

Airlifter · 05-22-2016, 02:36 PM

My wife and I are considering adding the 2003-2005 Journey with 350hp DP to our list of DPs we are looking at as they fall within our budget. We would appreciate Journey owners sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of these model years.

LVRVLUVR · 05-22-2016, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airlifter

My wife and I are considering adding the 2003-2005 Journey with 350hp DP to our list of DPs we are looking at as they fall within our budget. We would appreciate Journey owners sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of these model years.

we had one,... low low power for the size, also It road good on smooth roads...
but riding down the 210 fromupland to the coast in so cal

horrible....the coach rattled and shook..

the one we had was the 34'r.....

MaverickBBD · 05-22-2016, 03:46 PM

It was not the one I would have purchased knowing we were going to full time. But it was the one we had and paid for. I have put what I considered tons into modifications and improvements. It is a very loving and forgivable coach. I am one with it when I drive it and I have driven it a goodly amount. Wife says she has one more trip around the country in her and she wants to do it next year and she wants to do it in this coach. Hope you get a good one. There are some questionable ones out there but this one has been good to us.

Mr Miyagi · 05-22-2016, 06:07 PM

We absolutely love our 2004 34H Journey. She's been a very smooth, reliably quiet coach and has been trouble free so far. I do the annual maintenance and it is fairly easy to R&R the oil, fuel filters and air-cleaner.

Her clear coat is showing signs of aging but I love the old gal enough to get her a new paint job soon. I've read about the 'rust behind the windshield problems' and 'radiator/CAC clogging issues' but haven't experienced either. The previous owner had extended the crankcase ventilation hose to the rear cap and I cut an access hole into the fan shroud and fabricated a metal lid to periodically spray clean road dirt and leaves out of that area.

We checked out a ton of other brands in the shorter diesel class of coach and this one simply fits us to a tee. This is only our good, the bad and the ugly with regards to the 2003-2005 Journey! You're mileage may vary.

Best wishes in your search, it's all part of the fun!

VrrmmRydr · 05-23-2016, 04:54 AM

We have the 2004 34H and just love it. the 350hp has plenty of power to go up the long hills in PA.
We bought it used 3 years ago. Only thing it needed was repainting due to the clear coat peeling.
The layout is perfect for us. One feature I really liked (over others I saw) is how much space there is when the slides are still in.
Usually it is just the DW and I (and Harley of course) but have had several trips with family. NOT crowded at all.
Only thing I don't like, and it is a really MINOR issue, is the washing machine is too close to the toilet.

smlranger · 05-23-2016, 05:29 AM

We purchased a used 2002 Journey 36G DL in 2005 and kept it for 8 years. Overall it was a great coach. It had the 330hp CAT 3126E engine and I never had any mechanical issues in 60K miles of travel. We traveled all over the US in it.

I also did a bunch of mods/upgrades over the years. Replaced the inverter with a pure sine wave unit, replaced the crappy Norcold fridge with a residential fridge, replaced carpet with vinyl plank flooring, full body paint job, etc. Safe T Plus steering stabilizer, Supersteer motion control units and Koni FSD shocks and it drove really well. Some things did break (things break on all motorhomes) but nothing that I could not fix myself other than replacing the nylon bushings on the big living room slide which I had done at the Winnebago factory.

During those model years, the Journey was the number one selling DP in the US so there are a bunch of them on the road. I believe they were a good value coach. Just make sure you take your time and find one that was properly maintained.

inlineskater · 05-23-2016, 05:32 AM

I enjoy my 05 36G. I have owned it for 2 years and have put about 12,000 miles on it. We spent 6 and 1/2 weeks in it last winter in Florida. We like it and will keep it for more years. The only thing I don't like, is the air conditioner/heat pump is under the bed and I am a light sleeper. The C-7 motor so far has been great. I started at 10 below zero last winter when we left for Fl. It ran great on the 4000 mile trip and got 8 to 9 mpg depending on conditions. I have read where some people have replaced the muffler, because of restriction, am considering doing that to mine.

skigramp · 05-24-2016, 06:23 PM

We have a 2004 39W Journey. We bought it new in March of 2004 ... we have travelled a lot in it ... we have been to all four corners of the lower 48 in it ... 133,000 miles ... we average 8.3 mpg over the last 45,000 miles ... it drives just great (stock) in my opinion.

We have had two major repairs: a HUEE pump and HWH control panel. Other than that mostly minor repairs/maintenance.

We have updated (replaced) the flooring, reupholstered the couch and dinette, changed to HD tvs, repainted when the clear coat started to peel.

We travelled a lot the first few years ... now we mostly settle in one or two spots for the winter ... we spend about 5 to 6 months of each winter in Ernie.

We are nearing the time to replace the second set of tires due to age.

We love the basement air ... when we visit folks with roof air it is sometimes difficult to carry on a conversation when their air kicks in ..

We are approaching the age where we will need to think of other ways to spend our winters instead of in the motorhome ... that will bring sadness to this old guy's life ... I will always have fond memories of all the great places that Ernie has taken us ...

MaverickBBD · 05-25-2016, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skigramp

We have a 2004 39W Journey. We bought it new in March of 2004 ... we have travelled a lot in it ... we have been to all four corners of the lower 48 in it ... 133,000 miles ... we average 8.3 mpg over the last 45,000 miles ... it drives just great (stock) in my opinion.

We have had two major repairs: a HUEE pump and HWH control panel. Other than that mostly minor repairs/maintenance.

We have updated (replaced) the flooring, reupholstered the couch and dinette, changed to HD tvs, repainted when the clear coat started to peel.

We travelled a lot the first few years ... now we mostly settle in one or two spots for the winter ... we spend about 5 to 6 months of each winter in Ernie.

We are nearing the time to replace the second set of tires due to age.

We love the basement air ... when we visit folks with roof air it is sometimes difficult to carry on a conversation when their air kicks in ..

We are approaching the age where we will need to think of other ways to spend our winters instead of in the motorhome ... that will bring sadness to this old guy's life ... I will always have fond memories of all the great places that Ernie has taken us ...

Well said as we are approaching the same stage.

ChasA · 05-26-2016, 07:00 AM

Ski Gramp,
👍👍👍

Ramzfan · 06-01-2016, 11:26 AM

We have the 2006 Meridian, which is the same as the Journey. I love it! The Cat 350 is plenty of engine for this coach (unless you're a speed demon) Take care of your coach and it'll take care of you...!

Terryk1312 · 06-13-2016, 12:18 AM

I just bought a 2004, 39 ft Journey . We love it. Have you ever had engine overheating problems?

SCVJeff · 06-13-2016, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LVRVLUVR

we had one,... low low power for the size, also It road good on smooth roads...
but riding down the 210 fromupland to the coast in so cal

horrible....the coach rattled and shook..

the one we had was the 34'r.....

im pretty sure LVRVLUVR had a lemon with an engine problem that wasn't addressed. The C/7 powers coaches up to 40' and it can't pull a 34? The C/7 is plenty of engine for this coach. You can't even tell there's a toad behind it. The 34' is stable and steady. Any shaking and I would have been at the alignment shop. Like all other surveys, take the best and worst revues and toss em'. The truth is in the center.

RSteele · 06-14-2016, 09:46 PM

I had upan 04 Journey up to 6 months ago. Great coach never had any major problems. Check the roof seals where the roof meets the side. Often gets ignored and is a pain to get the old caulk out but will last along time if you do it right. Check for leaks around the front windows particularly if the coach has been in wet climates. The C-7 had enough power for the 36' coach and towing things. The Journey/Meridians are not real heavy iirc. Mine was around 24,000. If needing more power there are things that can add power if your in to that but works well as is. The quality of the Journey is as good as the higher price Vectra I have now just not as many gadgets to break. My Wife is still mad I sold it. She liked it better than the new one especially the bathroom arrangement. I loved the simplicity and ease of maintenance. If the fan bearing hasn't been changed it will need to be at around 40,000 miles some failed earlier some later some not at all. I changed mine at 30,000 to be safe. Easier to do when and where you want than on the side of the road or getting towed somewhere. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

bluepill · 06-14-2016, 10:12 PM

Watch out for rust and peeling paint on the basement structure. My Meridian had paint just peel off and revealed un-primed steel that was rusting after only 3 years. It's a known problem, and Winnebago would not acknowledge it. They just stuck to their "ONE YEAR WARRANTY ONLY". On a $200,000 vehicle? Even Kia gives 6 years on rust.

Otherwise we are happy with it. If I had a choice, I would go with a 34 foot MH. The 37 is just a bit too long at times.

GG1 · 06-17-2016, 05:41 AM

watch for rust inside storage compartments, flaking of the clear coat on the front cap and along the roof curve from front to rear, dark paint colors fade, and if it has the vinyl interior headliner watch for sagging on some models the glue goes bad and the headliner droops its a $1500 per panel fix

aauummm · 06-17-2016, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCVJeff

im pretty sure LVRVLUVR had a lemon with an engine problem that wasn't addressed. The C/7 powers coaches up to 40' and it can't pull a 34? The C/7 is plenty of engine for this coach. You can't even tell there's a toad behind it. The 34' is stable and steady. Any shaking and I would have been at the alignment shop. Like all other surveys, take the best and worst revues and toss em'. The truth is in the center.

Actually, from the pictures that I saw, LVRVLUVR had bought a 38' Journey not a 34'. The 2009 Journey 34y with a 350 hp runs like a deer. In the following review, the authors took it up a 6%+ grade starting at 65 mph and crested the pass at 55 mph. Not bad, I'd take it! It should be noted that the reviewers weren't pulling a large trailer with it during the test.

Life's a Journey in a 2009 Winnebago Journey 34Y