2011 Journey 34Y

[Yoda2405]

We made the plunge and upgraded our Winnebago Voyage to a new 2011 Journey. Currently on our first trip and other than the dash air not working, all is going well.
We had been thinking about it for the past year but a accident on our return trip home in the Voyage 3 weeks ago pushed us over the edge. 6 - 8 weeks for the front cap from Winnebago.
Now a lot of new stuff to learn.

[motohomer]

Congradulations!

Going to Camp Freightliner?

[Yoda2405]

I was interested in going to Camp Freightliner but do not know anything about it. Need to investigate. Is their a long wait to get in?

[motohomer]

Full this week
Camp Freightliner

here is a blog post on it
Camp Freightliner - - Part 1 - iRV2 Forums

Excellent place for service-warrenty work too.

[Luckiest Dreamer]

As I recall camp Freightliner is going to be at the WIT Rally in Forest City in July.

[Steve N Sal]

Congratulations on the Journey upgrade. Hope you enjoy it and all your future travels. Be safe and Happy Motoring!!

[Texas TC]

We have had our 34Y since last July. Winnebago has replaced the front AC unit, converter, thermostat, tank monitor and currently is working with my dealer to try to fix a entry door air leak issue. Other than those items, we have had almost 9000 miles of no major issues. Camp Freightliner is definitely worth the money and time. You get a wealth of information from instructor Mike Cody and he is entertaining as well as informative.

The rear overhang on the 34Y can cause some handling issues in crosswind situations but you can learn to compensate for it. Proper tire pressures and front loading the coach to get as much weight on the front axle is necessary since these coaches come pretty rear loaded from the factory. We added a Safe T Plus steering device after our first outing and it helps with steering control and in case of a blowout. I highly recommend some type of steering device on the 34Y chassis.

We love the Cummins ISB/Allison 2500MH combination. This DEF engine has plenty of power for this size coach and you can plan on getting 9-10 mpg even at highway speeds and with a toad.

I really believe you are going to enjoy your coach.

[Yoda2405]

Did you see any fuel mileage increase with some miles on the engine?

According to the dash display we got 10.1 mpg on the trip to Texas the day after picking up the coach. A quick turn around but necessary due to a death in the family. Since I haven't refueled since the trip here I cannot verify the mileage. Have you verified if the on-board mileage calculator is close?

So far so good, other than the tight bedroom with the king bed, we really like the coach.

[Texas TC]

I really don't consider 9000 miles close to being broken in for a diesel. On my last coach, the improvements in mileage and performance came at around 25000 miles. I have only checked the dash display once and it was fairly close to the calculated mpg. We, like you, have been getting 9-10 since the unit was new. It may even be better when the engine is truly broken in.

The bedroom area is a little tight with the king but well worth it in our opinion to have the large bed. Ours came with a queen and had to be retrofitted with the king so I lost the little tables next to the bed. They looked pretty small so I don't know that we missed much by loosing them. We made it a condition of purchase to have the king bed and the dealer had a local manufacturer build us a king mattress. It is great! However, it is about 12" thick which makes the bed pretty tall. Worth the step-up for a good nights sleep on the road.

Good luck,

TxTC

[f14av8r]

Hello Dave and Linda,
We love our 2010 34Y. We've worked through all the teething pains by now and have the coach pretty much the way we want it. Here is a long summary of our experience so far. I keep this updated mainly to make sure I remember what we've done to the coach.

We’ve owned our 2010 34Y for two years now and have spent nearly ten months of distributed travel / living time and have accumulated about 24,000 miles since new. Long trips and short. Our biggest was a 2.5 month trip from our home in Florida to Yellowstone last summer.

The only major issue we've had with the coach was the original inverter (Xantrex Pro 1000 watt). We do a lot of dry camping and relied on it heavily. The inverter intermittently faulted when shifting from shore or generator power and we had to shut down all DC power to restore it to operation. The original inverter failed completely six months in - replaced under warranty in less than 24 hours by Winnebago. Unfortunately, the faulting continued with the new inverter. Several dealers tried and failed to correct the problem. At the one year point we visited the Winnebago Factory and they were also unable to find the problem. We mutually agreed (with Winnebago) to replace the stock inverter with a new Dimensions 2000 watt unit that is a combined inverter / charger. I paid for the difference in the price of the inverter and they took care of all the labor. They installed a new sub-panel and now everything in the coach with the exception of the refer, the water heater (in AC mode) and the air conditioner can be powered from the inverter. It is AWESOME. Seamless, interrupt- free AC power.


Modifications:
- King Dome In Motion Satellite. Easy install but drilling the hole in the roof was pretty scary! All the wiring was there though - right where the factory said it would be. This is a GREAT system and we really enjoy having the TV going while underway.
- A CB / Ham radio rig and associated antenna. I put the antenna on the driver’s side vice at the top location Winnie uses. The coach has a CB electrical drop but no antenna wire.
- MCD Day / Night Shades in the bedroom. The pleated shades didn't keep out enough light for me. We also like using the day shades as they allow us to see out without the outside folks seeing in. We used the same material as the windshield shades. I plan to install MCD shades throughout eventually. I'll use the manual ones though, not the electrical version.
- Replaced the stock water pump with the Sureflo 4088. Better, but still not a perfect pump. It is much quieter and provides smoother flow at low demands.
- Installed a cabinet door over the One Place panel. Winnebago made the door to my specs and it matches the cabinetry perfectly. I had to change out the thermostat with the model that uses a remote thermostat because once closed up the stock model didn't work properly. I expected that to be the case though and it was an easy change. The thermostats are identical other than the external sensor connector.
- Added window awnings to every window. These make a BIG difference in cooling and allow us to keep the windows open when it rains. Any carefree dealer can install these and they look great with the factory patio and slideout awnings.
- Added two additional coach batteries. I had the dealer do this before I took delivery. There is plenty of room in the battery compartment and it makes a big difference in our ability to dry camp for extended periods.
- Installed a tire pressure monitor system. I use the TST system.
- Installed the Wineguard Sensor tuner device. It makes finding TV stations much easier and allows you to precisely adjust the antenna. It replaces the stock Wineguard amp / switch in the panel over the entryway but you do have to enlarge the opening.
- Installed an override switch on the safety cutout of the generator autostart system. I got tired of having the generator kick out of auto mode every time I turned the ignition on. It was a simple switch to break the sensor wire at the autostart panel. I used a switch instead of permanently disabling the sensor wire because the autostart systems demands to see a transition of the sensor state every 28 days to keep the autostart system operable.
- Installed mud flaps behind the rear duals and a rock guard hanging from the rear frame. Both work exceptionally well and the rock guard looks really nice. I got these from the DuraFlap company at a Rally. They custom cut the stainless plate for the rock guard. You can have anything you like. Don't let anybody tell you that you shouldn't install one of these because of engine cooling concerns. I confirmed with freightliner, Winnebago and Cummins that this was not a problem with the 34Y. The Duraflap people say the flaps behind the rear wheels are actually the best protection.
- Installed a Stay-a-While propane system. It allows me to use portable propane bottles to add capacity to the coach system and lets me use the coach propane for my grill.
- Replaced most of the bulbs in the coach with LEDs. I was replacing the halogen bulbs way too often, they ran too hot, and they used too much power. If you do this, make sure you get the right "color" LEDs. There are several different types of "warm white" LEDs and you may have to experiment if you want to match the appearance of your currently lighting.
- Wired the output of the front TV to the Aux input of the dash radio. This is really nice when we have the TV on going down the road but also works well when we are at our site.
- Cut the ignition sense wires on the front and buffet tv power outlets so they will work with the ignition on. All you need to do is clip the brown wire to the relay on the back side of the TV outlet covers.
- Added several fire extinguishers throughout. Adding one in the bedroom is especially important in my opinion.
- Put a pull-out trash can (on slide rails) under the sink. Extends out the side door towards the euro chair. You can get this from Home Depot or Lowes for about $25 including the trash can. Frankly, one of the best mods to the coach. Have to cut a small notch in the back of the plastic trash can to allow it to clear the sink drain pipe but that makes no practical difference in the use of the trash can.
- Installed a central vac system. We put the vac unit in the third compartment on the curb side (counting the propane fill compartment). The hose connection and sweep-in inlet went directly below the One Place monitor area. The vent at that location makes access pretty easy.
- Replaced the stock bathroom vent fan with a Fantastic Vent Fan with rain sensor and installed rain sensor on the lounge fan.
- Installed a LED in the door entry (assist) handle. You’ll note the stock handle looks like it should be illuminated (light tubes and all) but it isn’t. Installing a LED is easy. Check my other posts for a how to on this project.
Issues:
- The entry door deadbolt was difficult to use and if you opened the door with the handle while the deadbolt was thrown, it was very difficult to get the door open. Winnebago has a free deadbolt modification available to correct this problem. Talk to a dealer.
- Windshield wipers aren't very robust. Ours over-centered once while on high and doing about 65 down the road. It wasn't pretty. The driver’s wiper was wiping the lower front of the coach and the passenger wiper was beating up the driver wiper. It also broke the washer fitting. Winnebago dealer repaired it and it has worked okay since but I still avoid running them on high while at highway speeds.
- Had a leak in the street-side bedroom window. My selling dealer tried and failed to fix the problem but another Winnie dealer made it water tight. No problems since.
- Water heater backflow preventer valve went bad. Started making a loud hum when the hot water was running. Replaced the valve ($8) and it works fine now.
- I dislike the wheel covers (simulators). They creak and groan sometimes and I don't like my $150,000 coach making noises like that. Aluminum wheels are in my future.
- I've replaced the RCA Home Theater system twice and still think it is a crappy unit. I suspect the thermal environment is the problem. Winnebago should not install all the electronics in small enclosed spaces, especially in the front cap where the sun greatly increases the heat in this poorly insulated area.
- I've never been able to make the IR relay system work properly. I have to leave the doors to the Home Theater and Satellite compartments open and aim the remotes up there.
- The outside TV was green whenever I routed a component signal from the switcher. It took six months but a dealer finally found an improperly connected cable in the long run from the switch panel to the TV.
- The sealants on the coach need a lot of attention. Don't get behind on this task. Be sure you understand the difference between Urethane and Silicon sealants. Check your manual, the Winnebago website, and use the approved products. I've had to reseal the roof to sidewall area just recently. The hardest part of that job was getting access to the area under the awning cover.
- Okay, this is kinda disgusting but it is a real problem so I'll mention it here. The "drop" from the toilet to the bottom of the black water tank is very short. So, quite often our "solids" will stack up and eventually clog the down tube from the toilet. That stinks! Literally! Solution, keep the black tank at least 1/3 full and, if you aren't driving for several days and are using the toilet, you may need to stir the black water tank.
- This isn't a fault but you may not be aware that your icemaker won't work if you aren't powering the refer from 100v AC. The icemaker has to have 100v even if the refer is running on LP. The AC power is required to power the mold heater that breaks the cubes loose before they are extracted. I haven't done it yet but I plan to put the refer on the inverter circuit or at least put the icemaker on the inverter circuit. This won't be an issue at all if you primarily run the refer on AC. As I said earlier, we do a lot of dry camping and so often run the refer on LP.
- Patio Awning. The 34Y patio awning is attached to the side of the coach and so must extend out over the front slideout. That limits the usefulness of the patio awning but you can adjust the declination angle – see the manual.
- Entry Door Awning. If these aren't properly adjusted, they will contact the top of the entry door. There are a couple of pins that must be properly installed and tightened in the arms or you will have this problem. I saw it on about 1/2 of the coaches on the lots where we viewed coaches with these awnings.
- I had some early trouble with the leveling system. Kept getting the jacks down alarm while driving. The sensor on top of the reservoir was the wrong part. Winnebago shipped me the correct part directly and I replaced it mid trip. Has worked perfectly since.
- Don't forget to use the alternate shift mode on your 2500MH transmission. Press MODE button on your transmission shift panel. This is the ONLY way to get into 6th gear below about 65 MPH. This way you'll be able to run at optimal RPM all the way down to about 57 MPH. I use the alternate shift mode about 90% of the time, only reverting to performance mode when I'm running around in town or pulling the big hills. In fact, I wish the transmission defaulted to this mode and forced me to manually select the PERFORMANCE mode.
- I have the CDI plastic impact mask on the front of my coach. During our big summer trip, it got some nasty white streaks in it that I couldn't get off with any cleaner I tried. I think it
was the result of letting window cleaner run down the front when I took the bugs off at fuel time. Often the front of the coach was either in the sun or was still hot from the sun. After much consultation with CDI (Winnebago’s’ Paint Company) and experimentation, I found a plastic polish (same stuff you use to fix cloudy headlights) that polished up the plastic to its original appearance.


What we love:
- The FLOORPLAN. It is perfect for the two of us and our dogs. We especially like the seating in the lounge and the big king bed.
- The ride and the view. What a great upgrade over our 35 foot gasser.
- Winnebago Customer Service. I can't say enough good things about Winnebago. I always call their Service Assistance number before I even think about talking with a dealer.
- The front TV. I was disappointed when I saw the 2011 and 2012 models didn't have a TV up front. We are about 75/25 on usage of our front vs buffet TV.
- The Freightliner chassis, Cummins engine and Allison transmission. Completely trouble free since delivery.
- Our paint job. It looks great and is holding up well.
- The bathroom layout. The shower is big, the lav is nice and has lots of storage.
- The quality of the fit and finish throughout the coach, especially the cabinetry.

If you have the opportunity to visit the Winnebago Factory you should. Schedule a service appointment and get all those little nagging issues taken care of before you go out of warranty. The Factory Service Center is FAR superior to any dealer I’ve used.­­

To sum it all up, we are very happy with the coach and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Take care,
Randy ­

[f14av8r]

Dave, I find the onboard mileage computer to be very accurate. The added advantage of this feature is you can differentiate your miles per gallon (coach) from your generator fuel useage. The onboard computer doesn't sense generator fuel usage so the difference between its calculation and the fuel you pump is the generator comsumption.

I've averaged 9.9 MPG over my 24,000 miles and my 8KW generator averages .65 gallons per hour. We run the generator a lot (over 500 hours so far) and often have the main AC going while on the road as the dash unit isn't adequate in the Florida heat.

I use the LEG function to track my mileage between fuel stops, the DAY function to track each day of travel and the TRIP function for multi-day trips. Each one independently calculates average MPG, Idle Time, Distance, and Time underway.

[Yoda2405]

Randy:

We just returned home from our maiden voyage and stayed in a hotel truck lot for a couple days using the generator a fair amount with the auto gen start. Every time the generator would shut down the Xantrex 1000 would cut off with a E05 error. Was this what you experienced? I could reset the Xantrex by shutting it down and then turning back on and it seemed to work normally. The problem was in the middle of the night when the AC was satisfied and the gen shut down we would get the alarm as well as loose AC to other items powered by the inverter. I wouldn't think this would be normal, but it works perfectly otherwise.

I have a TST System I removed from my 07 Voyage and plan to install on the Journey but looking at the stems going through the steel wheels and simulators I am not sure how to place the sensors, looks like they will be pressed against the side of the wheel which would put pressure on them as well as the valve stems. Did you have this issue and if so how did you overcome?

We only have the buffet TV in the lounge area. All the electronics are now Samsung, so far they seem good. Have not even turned the outside unit on.

We picked up the coach at 8 PM and left the next morning for a funeral 600 miles away and stayed in the area with family for help and support. Stayed a couple days longer than planned, now am back home and will try to get the unit organized and checked out.

Thanks for all the information,

[f14av8r]

Hi David,
The E05 error and sequence of failure is EXACTLY what we experienced with the Xantrex. I worked with three different dealers and finally the factory and none of them could fix the problem. It is really the ONLY thing about my coach that has been hard to resolve. Last summer, after three days of troubleshooting, the pros at the Winnebago Factory gave up and we installed the Dimensions 2000 watt inverter with a new sub-panel. I can't tell you how much better that makes the living experience in the coach. If I were you, I would agressively pursue this with your dealer and with Winnebago. Clearly there is a problem with that inverter or the way it is integrated into the coach. I promise you, you will get tired of having to reset that thing and losing your AC power to appliances (microwave, coffeepot) and electronics (satellite, TVs, etc.) means resetting the clocks and restarts, often at the worst times. We often run the generator in auto while underway so it comes off and on automatically when the airconditioner needs to run. The inverter usually failed when the generator shut down causing the alarm. That means somebody has to go reset the inverter everytime. We watch our satellite TV going down the road often so we especially disliked having the power interrupted to that system as it required the satellite to require the signal and the receiver to restart.

You can get valve extensions and adapters to get the sensors past the simulators (covers). Use metal ones though and get them good and tight.

Check with TST about upgrading to the 507 system if you have the old 510. The new sensors are MUCH nicer and have user replaceable batteries.

I'm sure you will love the coach. Feel free to send me a note anytime with questions and let us know what issues you run into.
Best regards,
Randy

[Texas TC]

"- Don't forget to use the alternate shift mode on your 2500MH transmission. Press MODE button on your transmission shift panel. This is the ONLY way to get into 6th gear below about 65 MPH. This way you'll be able to run at optimal RPM all the way down to about 57 MPH. I use the alternate shift mode about 90% of the time, only reverting to performance mode when I'm running around in town or pulling the big hills. In fact, I wish the transmission defaulted to this mode and forced me to manually select the PERFORMANCE mode."

Interesting.....My mode button was inoperable when I first picked up the coach. Mike Cody brought me a new one to Camp Freighliner in Houston and I installed it after class. On my previous coach with the Allison 2500MH transmission, I used the economy mode all the time. On this coach, I rarely use it. Most of my driving is on Interstate highways and I guess I don't have an issue with the 6th gear shift point being higher. Also, I tend to drive the speed limit which is usually 70-75 mph so it stays in the top gear most of the time. We are leaving for Arizona in the morning, I may just have to give the economy mode a try on this trip.


TxTC

[Pusherman]

Economy mode does its thing when you're driving in hilly or mountainous terrain. It won't do anything for you on flat roads, especially if you're driving at 65mph +.

It will help the coach shift into 6th gear at lower speeds, closer to 55mph, however.

I live in hilly terrain, and I use it almost always. When I get into the mountains, it depends. If I want to keep up with traffic, I don't use it, as it slows your downshift points.

[Auggie]

The is a Camp Frieghtliner the week after the Grand National Rally in Forest City, Iowa if you are going.

[Yoda2405]

I went to clean up the MH today and checked on the mode switch as I had not used it. When I press it nothing seems to happen, no display indicating anything like economy or performance.
Another issue developed as well, the FWS doesn't seem to be coming in completely as the slide lock will not engage and it seems there is a slight gap at the top of the back end of the FWS. I hope the dealer can handle this as we have several trips planned. It worked fine for our maiden trip!
The corner caps on the bottom of the FWS rattle, has anyone else experienced this? They are audible while driving. I removed them and will be seeing what the dealer can do to resolve the issue. I was worried about loosing them, but after removing them I do not think they would have come off.
Also I found a broken wire behind the cabinet door that opens to under the sink from the hallway edge of the cabinet. I went to some kind of piece mounted to the rear cabinet wall on the buffet side close to the door hinge edge. Any idea what this is? I can see where it broke from a crimp connector so an easy fix but I do not see anything not working so wonder what this circuit does.

[f14av8r]

Hi David,
Post a photo of the broken wire / connection point and I'll compare it to my coach.

The slideout travel should be an easy fix. I haven't had any problemw with the full wall slide (which is what I think you mean by FWS) but the front curb side slideout occassionally gives me trouble. Fixing it is a simple matter of resyncing the travel stops. Your manual tells you how or you can just have the dealer do it for you. It is best to know how yourself though because if they get out of sync enough the slideout will not move at all until you reset.

The corner pieces on the slideouts are a pain. I've repeatedly broken the front right corner one several times just by bumbing it while working under the coach. They attach to the slides with two screws so they are relatively easy to fix and replace. I haven't noticed a rattle. I wonder if that might have to do with your slideout not seating properly.

When you tried the mode switch, did you have the engine running and transmission in drive? I'm not positive those are requirements but it seems logicial. I'm not at the coach right now or I would try it for you. The only light you will get is the small red light in the corner of the mode button itself. There are no other indications. Economoy mode is automatically deselected every time you turn the key off so you have to push the button again once you restart. I actually put a small label near the speedometer to remind me to select economy mode.

Hope that helps,
Randy

[rream]

Great advise on the mode button I drove mine about 1000 miles before a friend suggested I use it more, works great except on hills/mountains I just passed through in Arkansas and Missouri.

According to the built in fuel consumption calculator I am getting right at 10 MPG towing a small honda FIT at 60

[Yoda2405]

Here is a picture of the broken wire in the sink cabinet. Any idea what it is?