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Old 11-18-2014, 03:32 PM   #1
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2014 Journey

Any pro/con advice for purchasing 2014 journey 34b? Any accessories to add prior to closing the deal? Anything to look out for during the initial checks, any and all information will be appreciated. OBTW it is new.
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Old 11-18-2014, 08:33 PM   #2
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We have the Itasca version, Meridian34B. There are a lot of things we like about it. We like the size and excellent manuverability. The ride is good. My last MH was a GMC tangled axle, so the 34B can't compare to it for the ride, but I feel that the 34B ride is good. I'm impressed with the Freightliner chassis.
Check the drivers side mirror, I'm tall and I can't get a good view as far back as I would like. We added a Velvac extension to the top of the mirror which helps a lot. Many others are not bothered by the view depending on their body size.
Some of us, including me, have had problems with the drivers side Schwintek mechanism. I'm not sure what percentage of the owners have had that problem. WBGO isn't the only manufacturer having difficulties with the Schwintek.

We find the layout very livable. We have 22,000 miles on it since May 1, 2013 so we are in it a lot. The sofa bed in our 2013 has a design flaw that requires extra pillows to be put under the mattress ad the end adjacent to the wall. WBGO did not have a fix for it in 2013, possibly they do now. We don't use the couch as a bed very often so it is not a big problem. I find the drivers seat to be excellent. I tried a Tiffin that uses Flexsteel and I didn't think theirs was as good as the WBGO in-house built one. Compared to the Tiffin equivalent I prefer to drive the 34B. The extra wheelbase in the WBGO makes it less skittish in high crosswinds.
I track mileage and have calculated a 9.2 mpg average fuel economy for the 22,000 miles. About 70% of the miles were towing a 4000 pound 2008 Saturn Vue. I'm an engineer by training and I am impressed with the systems design. The electrical system is first rate and very well designed. The six coach batteries are Lifeline AGM which are amongst the best available. I found that Tiffin uses flooded batteries which require adding water occasionally. We have the residential refrigerator and my wife will never go back to any other kind. We also have the washer and dryer. She was not too enthused in the beginning, but now she will not consider a coach without both. I have had a few minor problems with the levelers, but so far the problems have been fixed by rebooting the system. The air conditioners are pretty loud, sort of like standing on the runway as a B52 takes off at full throttle. I've heard that many other brands have this problem, but I listened to a Tiffin and it was quieter. We solve the problem in decent weather by running the back AC when we are in front and at night we run the front AC while we sleep. The two are ducted together.
I love the inverter system. It is first class. Our 2013 model did not have a battery disconnect switch for the inverter and the batteries would run down in storage. I had a heavy duty switch added and the problem was solved. I think the newer models have the switch. That switch is separate from the coach disconnect switch located near the main door.
Above all read the manuals thoroughly. RTFM as the support techs in the tech companies say. Freightliner 24 hour support is absolutely good. Not so for Cummins in that their help line recorded message says to go find a dealer if you call after normal business hours.
As with any new camper you can expect a bunch of little problems, some of which can be fixed by you, or the dealer. Our slide problem required two visits to Campingworld and two visits to the WBGO factory to get it fixed. We also had to have the clothes dryer motor replaced because of a bad noise problem. Recently we were thinking of getting a bigger unit (40ft) because of the amount of time we are in our unit. We liked the Tiffin, but I was more impressed with the fundamental design of the WBGO. If we got serious I'm not sure what I would do.
If you want more opinions send me a private message and we can find a way to talk live.
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Old 11-19-2014, 05:15 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by 46490 View Post
Any pro/con advice for purchasing 2014 journey 34b? Any accessories to add prior to closing the deal? Anything to look out for during the initial checks, any and all information will be appreciated. OBTW it is new.
Go over EVERYTHING before you take delivery. Operate the slides and jacks several times, check all of the woodwork and hardware, test the auto start system for the generator, run the water and look for leaks, go on the roof (get the roof ladder installed) and check all of the caulking closely.

See if you can talk the dealer into letting you use it in the parking area for a day. That way you will have a little more time to do a mini shakedown cruse. When you finally take delivery and hit the road you will most likely have issues. If you can identify major ones before your cash is in their hands you have a better chance of getting a quick fix.

You might consider the Blue Ox TruCenter steering stabilizer. Best mod I have done on the coach. Is your toad ready to go? I love my setup. Did all the work myself.

I hope you are happy with your new coach. A trip to the factory is always a good time and a great place to get work done, plus a trip to Gaffney, SC, the Freightliner factory is also a great place to get your first major service done. Keep us updated with your dealership adventure.

Happy trails and many of them.

Rick Y
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Old 11-21-2014, 09:01 AM   #4
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We have this 2014 model, it is no longer available as of 2015. This thing just fits my shop with inches to spare on all sides. Overall very happy with it but do have a couple of complaints. The biggest problem with this coach is the couch. Not very comfortable and we plan on replacing it. The hallway to the bedroom is a bottleneck. The bedroom, bathroom and fridge are all in that hallway. We have all the options except the pass seat table option (which I would not want). I would get a ladder installed as many do not come with one. Mine did not have solar but I was ok with that as I added my own system that is better than stock.

We had a lot of little issues but one thing that stood out was the exterior led lights. We had bad LEDs in the awning, one rear tail light, and both front accent lights. Check them closely as they may appear to function until you get a close look.
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Old 11-23-2014, 10:16 PM   #5
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We just picked up a new to us 34B yesterday. The coach has 1400 miles on it. This is our 3rd DP and 1st Winnebago. Fit and finish appears to be every bit as good as our 2008 Holiday Rambler had. Fairly stable for a short coach - obviously not at much as our tag axle was but we didn't have any annoying "hobble horse" or nose diving yesterday on our drive home. The crosswinds was about 25 mph.

Storage seems to be adequate for a shorter floor plan and while we have less basement compartments than our last 42' unit, the 34Bs are taller.

We pulled our light 3300lbs Ford Focus home behind us and power seemed reasonable, we didn't climb any mountains but it was all adequate.

I will add that overall ride accelerating, at highway speed and stopping the interior noise was minimal - it was quiet.


I'll post some pictures and constructive comments as we get used to our unit.



Adam.
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Old 11-25-2014, 09:55 AM   #6
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We just picked up a new to us 34B yesterday. The coach has 1400 miles on it. This is our 3rd DP and 1st Winnebago. Fit and finish appears to be every bit as good as our 2008 Holiday Rambler had. Fairly stable for a short coach - obviously not at much as our tag axle was but we didn't have any annoying "hobble horse" or nose diving yesterday on our drive home. The crosswinds was about 25 mph.

Storage seems to be adequate for a shorter floor plan and while we have less basement compartments than our last 42' unit, the 34Bs are taller.

We pulled our light 3300lbs Ford Focus home behind us and power seemed reasonable, we didn't climb any mountains but it was all adequate.

I will add that overall ride accelerating, at highway speed and stopping the interior noise was minimal - it was quiet.


I'll post some pictures and constructive comments as we get used to our unit.



Adam.
. Hope it serves you well. Many happy trails to you.

Some of us have put steering stabilizers on our XC chassis. It does make a big difference in the longer coach.

If you are not familiar with the Winnebago website you may want to look around. Great resources here for your rig specifics: Resources

Happy trails Hunter family and many of them.

Rick Y
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Old 11-25-2014, 10:07 PM   #7
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Thanks for the kind welcome.

We are just getting to know our unit and adjust our gear to the shorter floorplan.

I have already removed the dining table as we use wooden tray tables for eating and it gives us a lot of extra floorspace. I plan on installing some modular shelving in the rear closet. We have a Dometic outside fridge and a tool chest to install in the basement.

Set-up is fun! Here are a few quick pics of our 34B in its new home.


Thanks Again Adam.

PS; I would take a link to the steering stabilizer to have a look at it if you don't mind. Thanks
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Old 11-25-2014, 10:31 PM   #8
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Zman,
Have you looked at any replacement couches? The couch in our 34B is also not comfortable. We have not looked yet at a replacement, so I wonder if you have any thoughts. The couch on a Tiffin Phaeton 40 footer seemed very comfortable, although the drivers seat in the Tiffin we looked at was not as comfortable as ours in the 34B.
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Old 11-25-2014, 10:41 PM   #9
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Adam Hunter,

We had a Safe-T-Plus installed in our 34B and have been very happy with it. I could tell the difference the first time I drove it back from the shop that installed it. We had a funny problem with the installation assembly kit that was recommended by a Safe-T-Plus dealer. Our 34B had a larger tie rod than the standard one, or at least the one that STP had on file. We might have had an unusual situation, but measuring the tie rod diameter would eliminate that problem. I had a STP installed in our 1975 GMC back in the mid 80's and it was still working properly when I sold the GMC in 2008.
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Old 11-26-2014, 08:24 AM   #10
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I have not got a couch yet but pretty sure I am going to do the rest easy couch.

My dad has this in his 2003 Winnie and we love it. Foot rest, reclines and turns into a flat bed. Unfortunately I think only Winnebago makes it so I will need to find someone that can make it for us or go find a used one and reupholster it.

If you don't need the bed there are other options out there that are better. Look at reclining couches. We had one in our last RV and it was very comfortable. The backs pop off so it is easy to get in and out of the RV.
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Old 11-26-2014, 09:09 AM   #11
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Very, very nice. I have the same basic floorplan, but in the Ford chassis/gas version. The big difference is that we have the sofa and Euro recliner instead of the L-sofa. We really enjoy the layout. I wish I had your RV garage though!
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Old 11-27-2014, 11:09 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Adam Hunter View Post
Thanks for the kind welcome.

We are just getting to know our unit and adjust our gear to the shorter floorplan.

I have already removed the dining table as we use wooden tray tables for eating and it gives us a lot of extra floorspace. I plan on installing some modular shelving in the rear closet. We have a Dometic outside fridge and a tool chest to install in the basement.

Set-up is fun! Here are a few quick pics of our 34B in its new home.


Thanks Again Adam.

PS; I would take a link to the steering stabilizer to have a look at it if you don't mind. Thanks
Both the coach and the garage are lovely. Getting moved in sounds like a fun adventure in planning!

I hope you are living in it some. That is the best way to do some of your shakedown crewzing before you leave the safety of your lovely shelter.

Rick Y
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Old 11-27-2014, 09:49 PM   #13
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Thanks again for everyones welcomes.


I have posted a thread with a new question regarding "shore power-storage" on the forum.....


Can you fellows throw your "Winnebago" expertise my way please;



Thanks
Adam
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