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Old 12-03-2020, 12:26 PM   #1
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2003 Journey DL 39QD engine access panels

My Cat shop needs access to top of my engine. I had the slide out and the panels in cupboard and top step open, but now they need more access and asked about "under the bed". So headed there now, but after i remove mattress, what's next? I looked before but didn't see screws on the flat board the mattress rests on nor felt any along the bottom of the frame at the carpet. Whats the trick?
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:45 PM   #2
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I don't know your model... but my engine access is primarily accomplished by removing he floor boards between my bed and the closet.

There is another access (trap engine door) in the closet, but I never need to open that one up.

Please send a picture of your floor plan and/or your bedroom... or maybe someone with your model RV will get back to you sooner.

What are you trying to repair?
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Old 12-03-2020, 07:45 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by imnprsd View Post
I don't know your model... but my engine access is primarily accomplished by removing he floor boards between my bed and the closet.

There is another access (trap engine door) in the closet, but I never need to open that one up.

Please send a picture of your floor plan and/or your bedroom... or maybe someone with your model RV will get back to you sooner.

What are you trying to repair?
In addition to some normal items I was planning to have valve lash checked and adjusted but with the under bed access confusion and only 37,000 miles I decided to hold off on valve adjustment for now.
Thanks
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Old 12-03-2020, 08:11 PM   #4
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Valves do not get out of adjustment due to time... only miles. Cummins recommends a valve adjustment at 150,000 miles, but I checked mine at 75,000 and found only the exhaust valve a tad bit loose, but still in-spec.

So adjusted my exhaust valves and while I fell my engine ran smoother AT IDOL, I saw NO improvement in HP or MPG. So I would concur with Cummins, but maybe I would recommend checking the adjustment of your valves at 100,000 just to be on the safe side. I choose to adjust them soon because I felt like if I were to wait until 100,000 miles that I might as well do it at 75,000 miles, because I doubt I will own the RV at 150,000 miles. (TBD) I do love my RV.

Here's some pictures of how I lift the bedroom floor boards in my 2004 Horizon 40AD which I think has the same bedroom slide as your Journey 39' RV.

The important thing to know is that you also have to remove the closed "trap floor" and then unscrew a 3' steel "L-Bracket" from inside the closet... in order to remove the bedroom floorboard, because it fits EXTREMELY tight and you have to wiggle it out.

Then you will see a very well sealed engine lid (2'x3') you can remove... and I recommend that you add insulation in the vacant spaces when you put everything back together. This includes any leakage to your basement AC through the empty cavity below your closet floor boards.
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Old 12-03-2020, 08:38 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by imnprsd View Post
Valves do not get out of adjustment due to time... only miles. Cummins recommends a valve adjustment at 150,000 miles, but I checked mine at 75,000 and found only the exhaust valve a tad bit loose, but still in-spec.

So adjusted my exhaust valves and while I fell my engine ran smoother AT IDOL, I saw NO improvement in HP or MPG. So I would concur with Cummins, but maybe I would recommend checking the adjustment of your valves at 100,000 just to be on the safe side. I choose to adjust them soon because I felt like if I were to wait until 100,000 miles that I might as well do it at 75,000 miles, because I doubt I will own the RV at 150,000 miles. (TBD) I do love my RV.

Here's some pictures of how I lift the bedroom floor boards in my 2004 Horizon 40AD which I think has the same bedroom slide as your Journey 39' RV.

The important thing to know is that you also have to remove the closed "trap floor" and then unscrew a 3' steel "L-Bracket" from inside the closet... in order to remove the bedroom floorboard, because it fits EXTREMELY tight and you have to wiggle it out.

Then you will see a very well sealed engine lid (2'x3') you can remove... and I recommend that you add insulation in the vacant spaces when you put everything back together. This includes any leakage to your basement AC through the empty cavity below your closet floor boards.
Thanks. My step and cupboard boards are out. They were asking about “under the bed”. I think when the plan was to adjust the valves that the forward most valve set on the 7.2 Cat would be easier to get to if they had another plate removed. They said on the Cat the schedule for valve lash adjustment is 100k but some people use 75k. I called them today and said to leave it sealed for now. I was already having the drive and water pump belts replaced. Coolant and hoses and thermostat replaced and water pump and idler bearings checked. My original thinking was just to do it now and probably not need it for another 75, but I’ll wait until I actually need it, and find the stupid bed platform screws. The bed platform is covered in a non-slip material to keep the mattress in place. I’m sure they are under that material, I just hate ripping stuff loose to look. Thanks again for the photos. On mine, the screws are under the step lip and screw up from beneath. Hard to find, harder to get a short screwdriver on them without being an acrobat.
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Old 12-04-2020, 07:42 AM   #6
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On our 2005 itasca 36' Cat engine after you move the matterss lift up on the wood frame should be an engine cover there with 4 screws holding it down.
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Old 12-04-2020, 08:31 AM   #7
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On my journey there are four long screws under the mattress that hold the wooden platform to the bed frame. Once those are removed you can lift the platform off and away revealing two engine covers that are held in place by six 10mm bolts.

I wish it were simpler, but it is what it is. When you tell shops that don't often work on RV's that you have to do all that to access the engine, you get that look.
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Old 12-04-2020, 08:37 AM   #8
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Funny thing is yesterday when I went to shop, they hadn’t told the tech about how to use the bedroom slide. Poor guy. After extending that I was his best friend!
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Old 01-05-2021, 09:01 AM   #9
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Jim hope you like your 03 as much as we like our 02. Have one question, do your leveling jacks work like they should. Mine are slow or need help any time of year. Added new return springs. Didn't help any. Any thoughts?
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Old 01-05-2021, 10:31 AM   #10
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Jim hope you like your 03 as much as we like our 02. Have one question, do your leveling jacks work like they should. Mine are slow or need help any time of year. Added new return springs. Didn't help any. Any thoughts?
Mine work fine. Since the jacks are hydraulic to extend and manual springs to retract, I’d see if its one jack or all. If just one or two that are slow you could try polishing the ram with fine steel wool and lubricant. If all 4 are slow perhaps the control valve that bleeds the pressure and allows the jacks to retract is going bad.
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