2002 winnebago journey DL owners

[kinneyfamily]

New to diesel pushers like to know good and bad feed back for this new home we purchased

[smlranger]

We had one for 8 years, 2002 DL 36' GD floorplan, 3126E 330 hp CAT. CAT was bullet proof, never had an issue. Overall, a pretty good coach with no more problems than most (they all have their issues and will aggravate you and suck your wallet flat at times).

Things I can remember to watch out for:

Dirt, water and gunk gets behind the rubber trim around the windshield and rusts the metal frame. WS will leak and eventually break from the rust pushing on the glass. I replaced my PS glass. Common problem with many Winnebago's of that era.

Roof to sidewall seam is problem area you need to watch. Winnebago only puts about 1/2" of the roof panel into that trim at the radius and, if the caulking fails, the roof panel can pop out in strong winds. Check that seam at least annually, remove the old caulk and re-caulk with something good like 3M5200 or Pro Flex. Better yet, seal the entire seam with 2" white Eternabond tape and it will be a permanent fix. I put Eternabond on mine in 2005 and it was still holding well in 2013 when we traded the coach.

The metal around the compartment doors and some of the metal under the coach was very rust prone. The paint that Winnebago put on the metal around the compartment doors came off in sheets. I did a lot of media blasting, priming and repainting on that. I used some stuff called Rust Seal that neutralizes the rust and that did help a lot.

Keep the radiator clean or it may overheat. Rear radiator pushers 'push' a lot of dirt and grime from the motor thru the cooling pack. Plan on using some Dawn and the aluminum-friendly Simple Green (or similar degreaser) at least annually to clean the cooling pack. I used a garden sprayer to soak the radiator and charge air cooler, let it sit for 15 -20 minutes, then flush with lots of water. Repeat until only clean water drains on the ground.

Related to the radiator, make sure the crankcase vent tube (slobber tube) has been extended down below the radiator so the oil vapors come out the back of the coach and don't get sucked into the cooling pack.

PM me whenever you have questions or problems. I did a lot of upgrades and did most all of my own repairs and got to know the beast pretty well.


Also, the folks on the Winnebago owners forum here are very helpful and a number of them have or had that coach and it's Itasca sister, the Meridian.

[charles tuit]

I have a 02 32T with a 275 HP Cummins and a MH2000 tranny. At the end of this year it should have over 200,000 miles on it. You have bought a great coach if it has been serviced on a regular basis.

SMI ranger covered pretty much standard things to watch out for. I only had 2 major repairs. A lift pump was failing (at approx. 88,000 miles) also causing the injector pump to fail. My fault as I kept changing fuel filters thinking it was bad fuel. Also had a head gasket replaced for a leak. I just had a new lift pump replaced (at 185,000 miles as a preventative measure as the injector pump is the costly unit.

All 01-03 ? Journeys has a weak dash heater core. It is not IF but WHEN it will fail. I recommend carrying a heater hose repair kit so when the core fails you can detach the inlet and outlet hoses then hook them together and continue on your way.

I love this coach as it has taken us to every state (Alaska twice) and most the Canadian Provinces. Hope health holds out so to put at least another 200,000 miles on her.

PM me if you have further questions or wish to talk on the phone.