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Old 11-22-2012, 12:00 PM   #1
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2005 Journey 39K new to me

Hello everyone. We have just bought our first motorhome, a 2005 Journey 39K with a 350hp Cat. Before purchasing it, I tried to do some research but couldn't find any issues that were really that big. We bought it from a large dealership and there have been a few things wrong that the dealership assured me would be repaired. We took deliver last friday and the dealership told me "go and use it for a night, come back and tell us what's wrong with it and it'll be repaired." I thought that was pretty good. So we went out for the night, even though it was absolutely pouring rain. It was a good thing we used it, cause there is a really bad water leak coming from the top right corner of the passengers windshield. There are numerous other little things wrong too, but nothing major like the leak. It's weird cause it didn't leak at the dealership and it was raining pretty hard when we looked at it too. Well I found out that the passengers windshield has been replaced so maybe that's why it leaks now. I read the closed thread about the rust issues on the metal behind the windshield(probably a good thing that thread is closed...). Now I am wondering if my MH is suffering from this as well. Anyway, I really wanted to hear from other Journey 39K owners(or Journey owners in general) about what issues I should be looking for to get repaired. So far we are happy with the motorhome. It is a nice layout and has every possible option you could get in 2005, which is nice. Also, the dealership had swapped out both the front and bedroom tvs for flat screens prior to listing it. So that is really nice. We like the colours(it has the almond color scheme) and is full paint which is nice. So I also read about the fan bearing going bad in the C-7 Cat. So other than the windshield issue and the fan bearing issue, anything else that is bad with these coachs that I should be looking at getting repaired?



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Old 11-22-2012, 12:28 PM   #2
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Deucenut

Congrats on your beautiful new rig. I hope you get zillions of pleasurable miles out of it. Yes, there are some "issues" that Winne/Itasca suffer from on many but, not all. It seems to be a hit and miss thing. I would not worry too much about what can go wrong or what's normally wrong or a problem with these coaches as it will cause undo stress on you and yours without warrant.

I'd concentrate more on have a very nice coach and using it to its fullest capabilities. Yep, you fix what needs to be fixed, and, when possible, head something off "at the pass" as they used to say in the old movies when you can. Winne makes a darn nice rig and Freightliner is a stout and carefree chassis. The 350 CAT is a good and dependable diesel. The "Fan" bearing can, go bad but, just how many do, and at what interval or time frame, is a cr@p shoot. The C-7 fan bearing is a non-lubeable unit, unlike the 3126 versions of '03 and earlier which, have a lube fitting on them.

There are some that have actually changed the non lube ones for the lube type just so they can be self satisfied that it's at least keeping some form of lube in it.

How are all the the "systems" working? The water pump, water heater (both on electric and, propane)? By the way, you should, I say "should" have a system in place called "Motoraid" which, utilizes coolant from the engine to preheat the water heater so, when you've arrived at your destination, you already have hot water, just in case you didn't know.

How about the vacuum system, is it working good? Did you use the "auto leveling" system or, did you do it manually? Sorry for all the questions, just wondering if what you have in that nice coach is working or not. About 99.9% of the time, those systems are flawless. Every once in a while they hiccup but, not all that often. How'd it drive, pretty smooth and quiet? Any shakes or shimmies? The front end on that chassis is a pretty stout and true unit and rarely (at least from what's reported here) gives anyone any issues.

Hope it works well for you and you have many a good memories in it. Good luck.
Scott
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Old 11-22-2012, 12:39 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FIRE UP View Post
Deucenut

Congrats on your beautiful new rig. I hope you get zillions of pleasurable miles out of it. Yes, there are some "issues" that Winne/Itasca suffer from on many but, not all. It seems to be a hit and miss thing. I would not worry too much about what can go wrong or what's normally wrong or a problem with these coaches as it will cause undo stress on you and yours without warrant.

I'd concentrate more on have a very nice coach and using it to its fullest capabilities. Yep, you fix what needs to be fixed, and, when possible, head something off "at the pass" as they used to say in the old movies when you can. Winne makes a darn nice rig and Freightliner is a stout and carefree chassis. The 350 CAT is a good and dependable diesel. The "Fan" bearing can, go bad but, just how many do, and at what interval or time frame, is a cr@p shoot. The C-7 fan bearing is a non-lubeable unit, unlike the 3126 versions of '03 and earlier which, have a lube fitting on them.

There are some that have actually changed the non lube ones for the lube type just so they can be self satisfied that it's at least keeping some form of lube in it.

How are all the the "systems" working? The water pump, water heater (both on electric and, propane)? By the way, you should, I say "should" have a system in place called "Motoraid" which, utilizes coolant from the engine to preheat the water heater so, when you've arrived at your destination, you already have hot water, just in case you didn't know.

How about the vacuum system, is it working good? Did you use the "auto leveling" system or, did you do it manually? Sorry for all the questions, just wondering if what you have in that nice coach is working or not. About 99.9% of the time, those systems are flawless. Every once in a while they hiccup but, not all that often. How'd it drive, pretty smooth and quiet? Any shakes or shimmies? The front end on that chassis is a pretty stout and true unit and rarely (at least from what's reported here) gives anyone any issues.

Hope it works well for you and you have many a good memories in it. Good luck.
Scott
Thanks for the compliments. Well so far most everything seems to work just fine. I know that no motorhome is perfect, no matter who the manufacturer is. It's just a matter of how things get handled. I don't think it has a vacuum in it. The HWH jacks are manual and also seem to work fine, however when I press the "store" button, when the jacks are almost all the way up, there is a loud "clunk" noise coming from the front of the coach. I am not sure what it is and advised the dealership. They said they would look into it.

The motorhome pulls to the left upon braking so it is going into the local freightliner shop to have that looked at as well as the alignment because the steering wheel is turned to the left a little when driving straight down a level road.

There aren't any major rattles but the entry door squeaks like a bugger. I think it's the screen door rubbing against it.

I am really not too concerned about the C-7 fan bearing as we purchased a bumper to bumper extended warranty from the dealership that covers everything. So if the bearing goes, the most it should cost me is a $200 deductible. I am hoping to also get the windshield fixed too if it is rusted(I don't know if it is yet or not) The paint is peeling off the top of the front cap but I worked that into the deal so it is going to be repainted.

Like you say there are little minor issues but everything is going to be repaired by the dealership, so I am not to to worried about them. I am just going to hold the dealership to task to make sure they are fixed
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Old 11-22-2012, 01:00 PM   #4
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Deucenut! Just wondering if your name comes from owning a Harley Duece or something else. As for the door rattle, try wraping a couple of turns of black electrical tape around the door latch bolt that sticks out of the door frame. I did that and mine has been rattle free for a long time.

Sammie

Oh, I also own a 2006 Journey 36 ft.
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Old 11-22-2012, 01:17 PM   #5
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Deucenut! Just wondering if your name comes from owning a Harley Duece or something else. As for the door rattle, try wraping a couple of turns of black electrical tape around the door latch bolt that sticks out of the door frame. I did that and mine has been rattle free for a long time.

Sammie

Oh, I also own a 2006 Journey 36 ft.
Good idea. If the dealership doesn't fix the noise, I'll look into this idea. My screen name comes from being crazy about Deuce's. Which is the nickname for a 1932 Ford.
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Old 11-22-2012, 05:22 PM   #6
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You've gotten some good comments and advice so far. The Journey is a good value. Our '02 has 80,000 miles and runs like a top. Like a house, there are things to fix from time to time, but we enjoy it very much.

As to the leak....I would want to know why the windshield was replaced. If it was due to a broken glass from some sort of impact, then I might suspect the installer failed to get it sealed properly. However, if it was due to a rusted frame breaking the glass (like mine did), then I'd want to know if proper rust abatement was done prior to installing the new glass. If not, you might have more rust causing failure of the sealant and a leak.

Another option is to check the clearance lights carefully. Well before rust caused my passenger glass to break, I had a leak from one of the clearance lights. I made neoprene gaskets for each light (there were no gaskets installed at the factory) and caulked them well. Later I had a leak form around the little rubber radio antenna which is above that area. Both of those leaks ran down the inside of the passenger glass.

So, have the dealer check the marker lights, that rubber antenna, and the seal around your windshield. If you can see any rust stain in the water coming down the glass, I would suspect the windshield frame.

Overall the Journey is a solid coach. Wishing you many happy miles.
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:33 PM   #7
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Congratulations on the motorhome. We are happy with our 2006 39K Journey. We have 53000 miles on ours. We bought it new in April, 2007.

Check for rust around the basement door frames. That seems to be a known problem with these coaches.

Another thing to check in addition to the ones mentioned above is to check on the hinges on the refrigerator door. We have the four door model, and the hinge bolts on the big bottom doors were loose, and one of the doors almost fell on my wife's foot.

By the way, what model TV did the dealer install to replace the Sonys that were original equipment? I'd like to look into replacing mine.

Enjoy the coach - we do.

Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Travels

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Old 11-23-2012, 08:10 AM   #8
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We love our 39K.

I added Safe-T-Plus and Bilstein shocks to improve handling. Koni shocks are also highly thought of. The '05 does not charge chassis batteries from shore power, so we added Trick-L-Start.

Interstates are so rough we have alignment checked annually and adjusted as necessary. I suggest you have all time change items and fluids changed unless you have accurate records from PO. This would include tires. If original they are about due. Two items that time out, but are often overlooked are the air cleaner and air drier desiccant. This is costly, but you will have the peace of mind that you are on top of everything.

I highly recommend attending Camp Freightliner. It is a great two day class covering all aspects of your chassis.

Enjoy your new coach.
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Old 11-23-2012, 04:52 PM   #9
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Check for rust around the basement door frames. That seems to be a known problem with these coaches.

Another thing to check in addition to the ones mentioned above is to check on the hinges on the refrigerator door. We have the four door model, and the hinge bolts on the big bottom doors were loose, and one of the doors almost fell on my wife's foot.

By the way, what model TV did the dealer install to replace the Sonys that were original equipment? I'd like to look into replacing mine.

W8RLM - Bob
That's good info. Thanks. I will check for the these issues when I pick up the coach from the dealership.

I don't know the specific model of the tv's, but I will look. The front tv is a Sony and the bedroom Tv is a Samsung. Both are digital, have HDMI inputs and also have USB inputs which is nice for watching downloaded movies on a thumb drive. But when the motorhome comes back, I'll get the exact model numbers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SVTotem View Post
We love our 39K.

I added Safe-T-Plus and Bilstein shocks to improve handling. Koni shocks are also highly thought of. The '05 does not charge chassis batteries from shore power, so we added Trick-L-Start.

Interstates are so rough we have alignment checked annually and adjusted as necessary. I suggest you have all time change items and fluids changed unless you have accurate records from PO. This would include tires. If original they are about due. Two items that time out, but are often overlooked are the air cleaner and air drier desiccant. This is costly, but you will have the peace of mind that you are on top of everything.

Enjoy your new coach.
The tires were replaced by the previous owner. They have a date code of 2010 on them. That was one of the first things I looked at cause I know they usually only last 7 years max. The tires look really good and have no cracks.

In the spring, I am planning on changing out all the fluids and filters. I am not sure if I will do the air filter cause the gauge shows it still has half it's life left.
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Old 11-23-2012, 05:10 PM   #10
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So a little update on the repairs. The dealership called me today and said the motorhome won't be going in to Freightliner until Monday(even though it was supposed to go in last tuesday) and then it goes to the glass shop on Tuesday. It's not that it really matters cause we aren't planning a trip.

So I asked the service manager if he had heard about issues with Winnebagos or if the dealership had repaired rust issues behind the windshield. He told me it wasn't all that common and that they don't see them "very often" He told me the leak was most like attributed to the windshield being replaced recently and the sealant not curing properly. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
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Old 11-23-2012, 06:01 PM   #11
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Deucenut, I wrote a long message but it disappeared into cyberspace. I like the 39K and think it is a great RV, especially since I have one. One small item to mention is not to travel with anything on the small shell next to the stove. Things can move off that shelf into the slide mechanism next to the stove. There are probably several things specific to the 39K and if you have any specific questions don't hesitate to send a private message or email me at bobgilson at frontiernet.net
We have put about 50K miles on ours in about 2 1/2 years.
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Old 11-24-2012, 10:02 AM   #12
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My "educated guess" is that your leak is caused by the roof-to-gutter seal is broken in spots anywhere along the 39 ft. My education is because it happened to me a couple of years ago.

When rain water gets in there it should come out the little square weep holes along the bottom of the gutter channel. But sometimes it will run all the way to the front and come out the end of the channel and then you see it running down the inside corner of the windshield.

If your roof seal has not been resealed in recent years, I can just about guarantee the seal is broken open in spots. Winnie says to check it every 6 months but many owners don't even think about it until there's a leak or a section of roof comes loose and rips off (like my nephew that bought my '99 Chieftain who lost 4 ft of fiberglass of the roof). To test, press against the roof along the gutter seal and see if it separates from the seal. If this is your problem, search the iRV2 forum for roof sealing techniques and proper sealers....DON"T use silicone, it won't hold and makes it very hard to get other polyurethane sealers to stick to the surface.

Congrats on the very nice looking rig!

Happy trails,
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Old 11-24-2012, 10:33 AM   #13
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I have an Itasca 36G and my money is rust around the kind shield frame.


Pull the metal trim on the side of the windshield. Three screws. Then pull the black trim back from the top of the windshield. It just comes out of a channel and pops right back in. The rust should be visible, if there, around the channel. I just went thru that with my M/H at the center of the windshield. Very minor leak. I pulled the channel out, wire brushed it down o bare metal, primed, then painted it. I then put a good bead of Dap 3.0 elastic sealant (clear) along the top of the windshield all the way across. The channel is held in place by two sided tape.
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Old 11-24-2012, 10:37 AM   #14
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I goofed and hit the post button.


I then ran a bead along the inside of the windshield where it meets the metal frame. You have to take the plastic trim off the top inside of the windshield.

We've have several toad chocked rains since then and no leak. Fingers crossed!!!
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Old 11-24-2012, 10:44 AM   #15
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Chief,
The DW and I read your answer here and we both scratched our heads for a while. We have to ask what is:


"We've have several toad chocked rains since then and no leak. Fingers crossed!!! "
Scott
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Old 11-24-2012, 12:22 PM   #16
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Chief,
The DW and I read your answer here and we both scratched our heads for a while. We have to ask what is:


"We've have several toad chocked rains since then and no leak. Fingers crossed!!! "
Scott
I wondered the same thing. Figured it was a typo. Lol
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Old 11-24-2012, 12:27 PM   #17
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One thing that I forgot to mention. Check to see if you have a disconnect switch for the chassis (engine) batteries. Several friends of mine with Winnebago diesels have found their engine batteries discharged after sitting for a long time without running them.

Mine has a disconnect in the engine compartment. If you don't have one, it might be worth it to have one installed - particularily if the coach will be sitting unused for a long period of time.

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Old 11-24-2012, 01:27 PM   #18
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One thing that I forgot to mention. Check to see if you have a disconnect switch for the chassis (engine) batteries. Several friends of mine with Winnebago diesels have found their engine batteries discharged after sitting for a long time without running them.

Mine has a disconnect in the engine compartment. If you don't have one, it might be worth it to have one installed - particularily if the coach will be sitting unused for a long period of time.

W8RLM - Bob
There's a switch on the dash that shuts all power off to the coach. Does this include the engine batteries too?
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Old 11-24-2012, 01:42 PM   #19
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I have an 07 Journey 39K and have about 55K miles on it now. We live in it full time.

I have had my right windshield half replaced due to stone breakage. When the glass guy had the old one out, there was rust along the bottom of the frame, which he ground down and coated with some special stuff to repair it. I have twice had to reseal the right windshield top corner due to water leaks.

I have had some rust on the metal around the basement compartments. Sanded down and repainted. Common Winnie problem not limited to Journeys.

Up front, under the hood on the passenger side is a small round device about the size of a salt shaker on the firewall. It has a little vacuum hose on the bottom of it that cracks. I've seen that on every Journey I've looked at. A new piece of vacuum hose solves that problem. The device controls vacuum that works the dash controls.

I replaced the air filter at the three year mark, despite the gauge showing it was okay. Also replaced the air brake filters at the same time.

All in all, it is an excellent motorhome, just requires quite a bit of preventive maintenance. I'd buy another.

Best Regards!
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Old 11-24-2012, 02:38 PM   #20
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Ducenut, congrats ! We have a 2001 Journey 34 DL and love it. It has about 90k on it and runs great. With age, things do break. Use this website and you will be able to fix about anything if you are handy. BTW, wordpress is a great website to create pages describing what you fix and how. See dlboarman.wordpress.com for an example. Good luck and enjoy. As someone said, don't worry about things, just enjoy it.
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