2007 journey 36G

[Heating man]

I am looking at this used coach and I am wondering if the rear axle is close to maximum before it is loaded as I have heard on some of the larger not tag journeys. I am also wondering how this coach works for other owners.
does it have enough power. This particular one has the catapillar 350 HP engine , any down side to the cat motor since they are not making over the road engines anymore.

[skigramp]

I can't comment on your axle question.


Our Journey has the 330 hp Cat engine. It has been in all four corners of the lower 48. No problems with power ... as with all diesel engines on extended uphill pulls you do need to shift down and keep the RPMs up around 22 otherwise you might overheat .. there are at least two pulls on I-15 and I-70 where that is case (we are talking more than 5% grades for at least 4 miles)


A plus ... no DEF with engines from that year

[bsamole]

Weigh the coach at a public scale compare the results to the factory sticker and that should answer your question.
Since our breather tube was extended beyond the rear bumper and the radiator removed and cleaned our coach with over 100,000 miles does not have over heating problems on long uphill grades.

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by Heating man

I am looking at this used coach and I am wondering if the rear axle is close to maximum before it is loaded as I have heard on some of the larger not tag journeys. I am also wondering how this coach works for other owners.
does it have enough power. This particular one has the catapillar 350 HP engine , any down side to the cat motor since they are not making over the road engines anymore.

I owned a 2006 Journey 36G with the 350 Cat. The only problem I have heard of is that the radiator fan bearing can go out at 30 to 50,000 miles. Mine never gave me a problem, but other members on this forum have had to make the repair. Also, the basement air conditioning unit should be pulled and serviced, as the fan and bearings can also need attention.

Sammie

[Olive]

I live fulltime in a 2007 36G and it is quite full. I love the coach and have had no problems with it. I have the 350 Cat without issues. I have the yearly service done at Freightliner in Gaffney, SC. I weigh it yearly and even though I somehow find a way to fill every nook and cranny, am comfortably below max weight with a motorcycle rack and bike on back.

[Heating man]

Originally Posted by Sammie

I owned a 2006 Journey 36G with the 350 Cat. The only problem I have heard of is that the radiator fan bearing can go out at 30 to 50,000 miles. Mine never gave me a problem, but other members on this forum have had to make the repair. Also, the basement air conditioning unit should be pulled and serviced, as the fan and bearings can also need attention.

Sammie

iIs this an expensive repair? It seems like all repairs on motorhomes are expensive but pushers in particular.

[Heating man]

How expensive is the service every year. I mostly do my own work on my suncruiser but I am intimidated on the diesels

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by Heating man

How expensive is the service every year. I mostly do my own work on my suncruiser but I am intimidated on the diesels

No reason to be intimidated. The fluids and filters are similar just bigger. There is an air system that requires an air dryer service every 2-3 years. Coolant chemistry needs to be checked couple of times annually with some engines. If you are reasonably handy and still capable of rolling around on a creeper, you can certainly do most of your diesel service.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Heating man

I am looking at this used coach and I am wondering if the rear axle is close to maximum before it is loaded as I have heard on some of the larger not tag journeys. I am also wondering how this coach works for other owners.
does it have enough power. This particular one has the catapillar 350 HP engine , any down side to the cat motor since they are not making over the road engines anymore.

Heating man,
As has been suggested, if you have a particular coach you're interested in, then take the time and, a few bucks, to go get it weighed. We have a similar coach, an '04 Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT and, it's been a great coach. The fit and trim is done quite nicely, the paint, (full body) is outstanding, the ride is great and much more. As for the power, well, one can NEVER have too much power. I'd like to see and have more in our present coach but, that's not going to happen anytime soon.

We tow an '11 GMC Sierra Extended Cab 4x4 that weighs exactly 5300 lbs. and, we sometimes load that truck with a "Rampage" motorcycle lift/carrier and then, load up our '08 Honda GL 1800 Goldwing, which tips the scales at 900 lbs. So, we're dragging along with us at times, right at 6700 lbs. The coach does very good with that kind of weight behind it. Yep, it slows on grades but, about 99.999999% of them all do. We get there when we get there, period.

As for comparing it to a "factory sticker", I'm not sure what that poster is talking about. We have, as all motor homes do, a factory spec plate, next to the driver that states the "GVWR, GAWR (REAR) & GAWR(FRONT)" but, to the best of my knowledge, there is no sticker that states what the rig weighs or weighed, right from the factory but, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it simply means I don't know about it.

But, when you get it weighed, about 99.9999% of the scale operators will set the scale up for front, rear, and total. So, all you need to do is, compare what that particular rig weighs, to the GAWR of the rear to see how much lee-way is left for you to load it. The front is usually no big deal. There's usually lots of leeway up there.

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

No reason to be intimidated. The fluids and filters are similar just bigger. There is an air system that requires an air dryer service every 2-3 years. Coolant chemistry needs to be checked couple of times annually with some engines. If you are reasonably handy and still capable of rolling around on a creeper, you can certainly do most of your diesel service.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

\
Pretty much a great answer. Just because it's diesel, there's no need to be leery of getting into the innards of the beast. Primarily, the internals of the engine and trans are the real differences and, they, for the most part, are fairly bullet proof. The rest of the rig, while much more heavy duty than the gas counter parts, is pretty close. Oil changes, the same, only more of it. Transmission oil changes, the same, only more of it. Yeah, there might be a filter or two that's a tad different but, no biggie if you're at all technically qualified.

Now, where it becomes a pain in the a$$ is, getting to most of the engine front components, i.e. fan belts (both serpentine and V), bearing replacement in idlers, tensioners, fan hubs, etc., alternators, water pumps and things like that, in a REAR radiator setup, like you're looking at. They didn't design it to be simple and easy to work on. But, the good part is, they don't have to be "worked on" very often.

I've done all the maintenance, oil changes, trans oil changes, lube jobs, brake inspections, "S-cam" component lube jobs, bedroom slide ram replacement, QD7500 generator rotor and stator replacement, radiator replacement, and a few other odds and ends. But, listen to these other posters, it's not that big a deal. If you purchase this rig and, have questions, as you can see and read, you'll have lots of qualified help here. Good luck.
Scott

[Heating man]

I would like to thank everybody who responded to my questions. After further inspection and a test drive. I decided not to buy. There was several things wrong but most could be corrected. The main thing that bothered me was the amount of rust on the under carriage. The exhaust system was very rusty. My 2002 suncruiser is not rusty at all underneith.

[smlranger]

The undercarriage rust is not uncommon on some coaches, especially if they spent a lot of time in the northern states, if the coach was delivered from the factory to dealer in winter and not properly de-salted, or perhaps a function of where it was stored. We had a 2002 36G and it did have a fair amount of undercarriage rust, rusted ping tanks, rust on metal around the exterior compartments, and a rusting windshield frame. I spend a lot of time media blasting and treating/painting metal on that coach.

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by smlranger

The undercarriage rust is not uncommon on some coaches, especially if they spent a lot of time in the northern states, if the coach was delivered from the factory to dealer in winter and not properly de-salted, or perhaps a function of where it was stored. We had a 2002 36G and it did have a fair amount of undercarriage rust, rusted ping tanks, rust on metal around the exterior compartments, and a rusting windshield frame. I spend a lot of time media blasting and treating/painting metal on that coach.

Hey Gary,
For some reason I had very little rust on the undercarriage of my 2006 Journey here in California . In the 7 years I owned it, I only had to paint the oil pan once. As you probably know I recently moved up to a Tiffin Bus and the DW and I are having a hard time adjusting to all the new systems We miss our Winnebago Journey!!! It served us well with very few problems during the time we owned it.

Hope you and your DW are well and staying warm. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sammie

[smlranger]

Originally Posted by Sammie

Hey Gary,
For some reason I had very little rust on the undercarriage of my 2006 Journey here in California . In the 7 years I owned it, I only had to paint the oil pan once. As you probably know I recently moved up to a Tiffin Bus and the DW and I are having a hard time adjusting to all the new systems We miss our Winnebago Journey!!! It served us well with very few problems during the time we owned it.

Hope you and your DW are well and staying warm. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sammie

Sammie, we are doing well and enjoying the Allure. We are in North Myrtle Beach, SC staying cozy and warm. In spite of a few issues with the Journey (including some rust), it served us well for 8 years. Last time I spoke to the fellow who bought it from the dealer where we traded, they were enjoying trouble free miles with it. Both you and I now have more complicated beasts and I am sure there will be more times when we miss the relative simplicity of our Journey's.

Happy Holidays to you.