2013 Itasca Meridian 34b

[bmorgner]

Hello Fellow Travelers!

Anyone purchase know anything about the 34B Meridian? I am considering purchasing- it would be my first RV in over 10 years- so pretty darn excited.

Dealer appears to be giving a good deal on the rig-

[gewilli]

We have a 2005 Itasca Meridian 36G. We love it. Of course they all have their moments of issues and repairs. I really like the fact that they are on a Freightliner chassis.

[jreichlin]

We have a 2013 34B Journey which is the same coach by Winnebago. The coach handles really nice. The layout is what sold us. We down sized from a 39' Excursion and have more storage space in the 34B. The only major problem we had was noisy heat pumps. The AC units were remounted and this has really reduced the noise level. Ours is an early production model.

[SAWTELLE]

We had a 2013 Meridian 34b and also noted the heat pumps were rather noisy. It was an early model also so that problem may have been corrected. For us it was just a little to tight so swapped out for the 40U, but really like the Meridian models-great quality!

[buzz_85]

My wife and I took delivery of our 2013 Meridian 34B in early February. It has been an excellent unit with very few problems. The only problem was the control boards with the coleman heatpump/ac units. The boards were not compatible with the thermostat and the ac would constantly cycle on and off every 1-3 seconds (up to 40 times per minute) or would not cycle off at all. The dealer installed new boards that were compatible and all has been well since.

The 34B is easier to maneuver and back than the unit we traded(we traded a 2008 Meridian 39z). We have been very pleased with the floor plan..i do wish there was a little more space between the end of the sectional sofa and the sink/counter.

[mgtr]

We took delivery of our 2013 Meridian 34B in September 2012. We have been pleased with the unit after motorhoming since 1985. Great floorplan, perfect for two (and a cat!). Would be tight for more than two. It drives very well, no problems with short wheelbase.

[Floatsflyer]

Have so far put about 3500 miles on our 2013 Itasca Meridian 34B. We are looking forward to getting back on the road next week for an 8000 mile, two month trip in it. Decided to buy the 34B over a Newmar Ventana 3434 and Tiffin Allegro RED. All nice coaches, but our Meridian's basement storage, with a factory standard sliding tray, is almost twice the size of any other 34' motorhome currently on the market. The 34B handles well, even in 25 to 30 mph west Texas crosswinds on I10. It is a huge step up from the 30' 2006 Holiday Rambler Admiral SE that we drove from AZ to Alaska and back last summer. We are not full-timers so the 34B has plenty of space for the two of us and our two Golden Retrievers. As others have stated, it is sized for two people so look elsewhere if you will be traveling with more folks than that. Winnebago's customer service folks are knowledgeable and promptly respond to information requests. The 34B has a few minor quirks (driver's mirror positioning is less than ideal for a 5'10" driver, under sink area not accessible with slides in, couch too close to sink with slides out) but we are convinced that we bought the best 34' motorhome for the way we use one. Good luck figuring out whether or not the 34B works for you.

[bmorgner]

Originally Posted by Floatsflyer

Have so far put about 3500 miles on our 2013 Itasca Meridian 34B. We are looking forward to getting back on the road next week for an 8000 mile, two month trip in it. Decided to buy the 34B over a Newmar Ventana 3434 and Tiffin Allegro RED. All nice coaches, but our Meridian's basement storage, with a factory standard sliding tray, is almost twice the size of any other 34' motorhome currently on the market. The 34B handles well, even in 25 to 30 mph west Texas crosswinds on I10. It is a huge step up from the 30' 2006 Holiday Rambler Admiral SE that we drove from AZ to Alaska and back last summer. We are not full-timers so the 34B has plenty of space for the two of us and our two Golden Retrievers. As others have stated, it is sized for two people so look elsewhere if you will be traveling with more folks than that. Winnebago's customer service folks are knowledgeable and promptly respond to information requests. The 34B has a few minor quirks (driver's mirror positioning is less than ideal for a 5'10" driver, under sink area not accessible with slides in, couch too close to sink with slides out) but we are convinced that we bought the best 34' motorhome for the way we use one. Good luck figuring out whether or not the 34B works for you.

I have a question- as I read another thread about the mirror being able to be flipped over in the frame - thereby changing the angle solving the issue for taller people. (I am 6'5 for example) -I read it was an issue on the 42 I believe. Is it also an issue on the 34b?

[Floatsflyer]

Originally Posted by bmorgner

I have a question- as I read another thread about the mirror being able to be flipped over in the frame - thereby changing the angle solving the issue for taller people. (I am 6'5 for example) -I read it was an issue on the 42 I believe. Is it also an issue on the 34b?

Yes, driver's mirror is an issue on 34B too. The only up/down adjustment built into the Velvac Revolution mirror is via the interior electronic joystick. As I stated in another thread, Winnebago installs the mirror to best suit (in their eyes anyway) the fixed camera in the top of the mirror. Unfortunately for anyone taller than about 5' the factory mirror mounting position means those electronic controls hit their limit before the mirror can be adjusted to comfortably see far enough behind the coach. In that other thread you refer to, it was suggested that flipping the internal frame over solved this issue on a 42' coach. To access the screws holding that frame in-place, it is necessary to remove the mirror glass. From what I have learned so far, it is a good bet the plastic clip holding that glass in-place will be destroyed in the process of removing the glass. Not having ready access to a replacement clip, I have not yet worked up the courage to attempt removing the glass to try flipping the internal frame over. If anyone else has had success removing the glass and flipping the internal frame over on a Revolution mirror, how about chiming in here with how you did it?

[mgtr]

There is a physical adjustment that will allow the mirror to tilt slightly in the desired direction. I loosened the allen wrench bolt, pushed firmly on the top of the mirror and retightened while still pushing. It didn't move much, but it was plenty for me, and I am right at 6' 0".