2010 Journey Express 34Y Inverter Question

wallowa · 09-21-2016, 03:42 PM

We have purchased the 2010 Journey 34Y in July. Great trips with it already. We do plan to do dry camping and upgraded our batteries for that. However, it seems as if the only 120v AC receptacles that run off the inverter are for the entertainment centers. In our other MH, at least some (not many) of the receptacles worked off the inverter, so we could charge items. I feel like I'm missing something here. There are the 12v "cigarette" adapters underneath receptacles......any help would be appreciated. Something in the way I am doing this? Something I need to change in the breakers? Thanks in advance.

BFlinn181 · 09-21-2016, 05:25 PM

:welcome:

Winnebago provides more info online that almost any other manufacturer. Here's a link to the Owner's Manuals and here's a link to the Wiring Diagrams.

They also have plumbing diagrams available.

I suspect the inverter in the Journey is smaller and only for the entertainment center. In your old rig perhaps you had a larger inverter or even an inverter/charger that had capacity to operate many more 120v items than the Journey.

Using 12v DC power outlets to charge phones or laptops is probably more efficient than using an inverter to go from 12v DC to 120v AC, then back to the <6v DC charging voltage of most phones.

vsheetz · 09-21-2016, 05:33 PM

Usage of the 12vdc power ports by 12vdc items directly is more efficient than going through inverter to power such items with 120vdc adapters.

wallowa · 09-21-2016, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the info. We do have the wiring diagrams, and our inverter on the Journey is only 1000 watts. I think you are quite right. Our other inverter was 2000 watts. We will just use the 12vdc adapters for charging.

PackerPower · 09-23-2016, 07:54 PM

We have a 2011 34Y, and were baffled at first as well. After careful study of the wiring diagrams, it turns out only the entertainment centers and an outlet next to the copilot are powered by the 1000 watt inverter. It's easy to add a small portable inverter for use in a certain area though if you need to. I hope you are enjoying your 34Y as much as we are, it's a great floor plan for two.

wallowa · 09-24-2016, 08:43 AM

Yes! We discovered this in the diagrams. We love our 34Y Journey. Have you purchased an additional portable inverter that you like? We have a great portable solar panel, and for dry camping we have plenty of battery power.
I really would like some additional outlets inside for our small LED table lamp and to make coffee with our 4 cup maker. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

f14av8r · 10-23-2016, 09:32 PM

I was never happy with the stock 2010 34Y inverter. At the one year point, I pulled it out and replaced it with a nice 2000W Pure Sine Wave unit. At the same time, I added a small electrical sub-panel that is powered by the inverter. Then, wired all of the existing circuit breakers that power the outlets, the microwave, and the refrigerator to the inverter panel. It's awesome. I can run every AC device in the coach off the batteries except for the air conditioner and the electric element in the hot water heater.

There is obviously a limit to how many things I can run at once but that's an inverter limit, not a wiring issue. When we are hooked up to shore power or using the generator, the Inverters pass-through circuit make sure all the above are powered by those sources so then I'm limited only by the output of my shore / generator connection.

The sub-panel was installed in on the forward side of the bed pedestal right next to one of the other panels. Most of the AC wiring for the coach comes to that location before distribution so the installation was pretty straightforward.

It's not a cheap project due primarily to the cost of the inverter but it has been worth every penny. Our use of the power in coach is nearly seamless regardless of our current power source.