Journey 40 or 42

Wendysway · 03-11-2020, 01:33 PM

Hi! We will be buying a 2013 journey 40U or a Journey 42 in next couple days for full time work and living. Similar miles (relatively low) and price. Would love to hear from owners of either on pros and cons of each unit, reliability, fuel efficiency, have you been happy w unit in general.one of my concerns is the massive full wall slide on the 42. The 40 comes from lazy days and I like that they will really look it over for me and make me happy before I leave. The 42 footer is from Independence rv in Orlando and I don’t anything about them. OR should I just stay away from the Journeys, completely, for any reason? Our house and gas motorhome are sold and we need to move on. So would GREATLY appreciate any thoughts!

RightUR · 03-11-2020, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendysway

Hi! We will be buying a 2013 journey 40U or a Journey 42 in next couple days for full time work and living. Similar miles (relatively low) and price. Would love to hear from owners of either on pros and cons of each unit, reliability, fuel efficiency, have you been happy w unit in general.one of my concerns is the massive full wall slide on the 42. The 40 comes from lazy days and I like that they will really look it over for me and make me happy before I leave. The 42 footer is from Independence rv in Orlando and I don’t anything about them. OR should I just stay away from the Journeys, completely, for any reason? Our house and gas motorhome are sold and we need to move on. So would GREATLY appreciate any thoughts!

Hmm, huge investment. You may want to get an Independent Inspector, unless you Know exactly what to look for. The dealer will tell you anything to get you to sign. If spending over 50-100K, trust no one. No signing until you are completely satisfied.
Now to your Moho choice. Sounds to me like you'll be pulling a car. The 42E if i'm not mistaken can pull more weight (15K) and has more tongue weight (1.5K) Believe me it makes a difference. Your 40U can pull 10k and ONLY has 500 lbs tongue weight. You're 42E has a nice motor 400 Hp ISL, that should get you anywhere with no problem. I don't mind the 40's ISC 380Hp but personally if I have a choice I won't buy a rig that is over 41 feet with a 380 Hp engine. 38 ft and below yes. But not 41. But hey that's just me. I'm sure the Winnebago Engineers knew what they were doing. And for many it may work just fine.
The rest is, well to the DW (she gotta have her say too, right?) the most important: the floor plan. The 42 has a nice rear Bathroom. Very important to the DW. the 40U doesn't. We were looking for a 40 footer ourselves, and the DW was Dead set on it. But when she saw the dual vanity in our rig it was over, I said:" but baby, this is a 43 footer," She said:"That's alright honey." I mean I didn't argue because I wanted a 43-45 footer anyway. LOL. Anyway didn't mean to bore you with my story, I just gotta laugh every time I think about it. So if you need a bathroom with ample space get the 42E. Also, you'll be working and living in it full time, which means over time you'll be accumulating more stuff and probably not always thinking about the extra weight you're putting in your rig. The 42E has a Tag Axle, the 40U does not, that's why your tongue weight is so low (500 lbs vs. 1500 lbs). Since you're working in it you'll most likely be able to claim a lot of things as write offs around tax time. Anyway, that's my take. I'd go for the 42E, but you gotta get what makes YOU happy. However both are good choices. Good luck.

**creativepart** · 03-11-2020, 06:43 PM

If one dealer has both RVs, and he's shown them to you and now it's up to you to "pick one." Slow down just a bit. Certainly chose the floorplan you like the best of the two, then do a couple of other things.

First, look online for the same floorplan model and year and determine if there are any out there at a better price or in better condition - if any are a better buy. Don't limit your choice to what your dealer has.

Next, look at other dealers or online or both to see if other RVs in the same basic price range are better deals.

It's easy to go do a dealer, see a couple you like and think the decision is between both of those from that dealer. Nah... that's not the case, you're in control and there are lots of RVs available from all over the country. Don't be aftraid to travel to get a better RV at a better price.

And, if you're new to RVs when you get close to buying certainly hire an independent inspector (not assoc with the dealer) to go over everything just like you would if you're buying a new house.

Cheers!

Wendysway · 03-11-2020, 06:44 PM

That is a great reply! Can’t thank you enough. Hubby wants the 40 so we can get into more state parks. We also have concerns about the longer length because we travel in and out of many big cities for work. . But I love idea of more space..

**creativepart** · 03-11-2020, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendysway

That is a great reply! Can’t thank you enough. Hubby wants the 40 so we can get into more state parks. We also have concerns about the longer length because we travel in and out of many big cities for work. . But I love idea of more space..

Not going to really be much difference between 40 and 42. We have a 38 and State Parks and National Forests are not an issue. There are few older parks in the Eastern US where size is an issue. But generally those are limited to 33' or less.

When we got our 38' I wanted 35' or less for the same reason - but have not had any issues that would have been solved by being only 35'.

Five2o · 03-22-2020, 05:44 PM

Tag axle is very important, don't leave home without it. Once you learn to handle it state parks are never a problem...

Yoders2Go · 03-22-2020, 07:15 PM

We have the 42E with the full body slide and have NEVER had an issue with it. We are full timers, five years, and suggest that you look at space and ride, as well. Does the 42 have a tag axle? That equates to a better ride and ability to carry abit more stuff.

Kevinbrown01 · 03-22-2020, 08:11 PM

We have a 2011 40U and are happy with it, in general. It only has a 360HP motor, so it slows to 50 on some of the bigger grades in the mountains. Millage sucks - currently at around 7 MPG. I have driven models with a tag axle and notice a bit of difference but never have had any issues with the 40U handling through the mountains. For us, it was the floor plan. I have always had a little extra room in the basement, even with 2 bicycles, golf clubs and a lot of other stuff loaded. I did have a slide bolt sheer on the front slide and had to weld in a new bracket/bolt, so you can have issues with the smaller slide as well as bigger ones. So to me, it gets back to what you and the decision maker want in a floor plan, and are you willing to pay the extra 30% more to get it, if you want the bigger rig. Good luck with whatever you choose.

dickb46 · 03-22-2020, 11:11 PM

I wouldn't trust lazy days or camping world to do an inspection (personal experience) and they charge you a ton for the (non-existence) inspection.

My-Journey · 03-23-2020, 07:11 AM

Even though you are in a bit of a time crunch, I recommend you broaden your search and don't put pressure on yourself to settle for less than perfect for you. We had a Journey 39 and loved it, but wanted some different features (different floor-plan, more horsepower, etc.) I started out searching (RV Trader, etc.) for Journeys, then expanded my search to include another manufacturer that I was familiar with and Itasca (also made by Winnebago). Found the perfect floor plan for us in the Itasca Ellipse 40BD which is what we ultimately purchased.

Don't rush into any purchase...find what you really want...compare it to comparable units for pricing...pay to have it professionally inspected (not by someone the seller recommends)...then negotiate the price with the seller (including any repair/replace items discovered on the inspection.)

On that note, after doing your research to find comparable prices, let the seller give you their price. If it is reasonable, make a counter-offer and find a place in the middle that you can both be happy with. If the price seems high, give them your bottom line and don't budge. When looking at the Itascas, I had a dealer in Texas that gave me their "absolute bottom line" 6 times! (I ended up buying elsewhere.)

Good luck in your search. Just don't limit yourself in scope or time.

BellOnWheels · 03-23-2020, 04:32 PM

Generally speaking, I would opt for a coach with a tag axle over one without, all other things being equal.
Winnebago Journeys are fine motor coaches. Absolutely no reason to not consider them.
And I agree with dickb46, based on personal experience with Lazy Days, I too wouldn't trust them for an inspection.

jerichorick · 03-24-2020, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendysway

Hi! We will be buying a 2013 journey 40U or a Journey 42 in next couple days for full time work and living. Similar miles (relatively low) and price. Would love to hear from owners of either on pros and cons of each unit, reliability, fuel efficiency, have you been happy w unit in general.one of my concerns is the massive full wall slide on the 42. The 40 comes from lazy days and I like that they will really look it over for me and make me happy before I leave. The 42 footer is from Independence rv in Orlando and I don’t anything about them. OR should I just stay away from the Journeys, completely, for any reason? Our house and gas motorhome are sold and we need to move on. So would GREATLY appreciate any thoughts!

We love our 40U. Plenty of room. Fun to drive and easy to live in. I don't know if the '13's basement is a large as mine. It may be reconfigured.