My DW and I looked at a 2004 Winnebago Journey DP 32. Were looking for the good the bad or the ugly on this model, any advice or opinions would be appreciated
It has 14,000 mile, the unit appears to have been well cared for.
Thank You
Bob
Terry and Jo said
03:15 AM Feb 19, 2012
Robert,
I noticed that this was your first post. Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. There are a lot of knowledgable folks here with a lot of answers for questions on about every type of RV. Feel free to ask away.
Terry
JayKim-no regrets said
08:38 AM Feb 19, 2012
Winnebago is on my list of good DP's, noone can really tell you if you have found a good deal or not, if you are not an 'expert' on what to look out for in a used RV, my advice would be to get one (an expert) to check it over for you before you make any decision to buy it.
That is our plan, once we have narrowed down our search:)
Welcome to the forum, i'm sure there will be members that have a winnebago DP, that can be more helpful than I can. Good luck:)
baysailor said
02:49 PM Feb 19, 2012
Where do you find an "RV expert" to make an independent survey, I have googled RV Surveyors with no luck?
bjoyce said
03:11 PM Feb 19, 2012
One of the perks of getting an RV Consumer Group, http://rv.org/ , membership is they send you a book called "How to Select, Inspect and Buy an RV". Then you can be your own inspector.
RVPAINTER said
03:30 PM Feb 19, 2012
I would suggest a PRO to inspect unless you have knowledge in RV construction. Check with large RV dealerships (not the one you might buy from) and ask if they provided RV inspection services. Also companies that refurbish RV interiors would be a good starting point.
If you buy from a place like PPL they have contacts for RV inspections services as well as chassis inspection services.
Do it yourself is wonderful but some things you should pay to have done IMHO Book learning just does not replace years of experience.
bjoyce said
05:09 PM Feb 19, 2012
Unfortunately I have had some bad advice from dealers, they can be clueless and one sent us to someone massively incompetent for a safety related issue. The reason for getting the book and reading it is so you can do some inspection yourself and have a clue that the person you are hiring to do the inspection knows what they are doing. Some techs can be very prejudice, they might hate some brand of appliance and will tell you all units using it are junk since once they see that brand they go negative on everything else. You have to make yourself as informed as possible to find a pro or expert that really is one and to give you confidence to realize that someone might know what they are talking about but is a bad hire for you, personally.
RVPAINTER said
05:49 PM Feb 19, 2012
Well said Bill and self - education is important. There are sooooo many possible factors with a used RV - especially Class C. Delamination for expample - big problem and with "book learning" you may discover it - maybe. Water leaks etc etc. it's kind of like being your own Dr. perhaps you can 2nd guess what is wrong with you but perhaps better off finding a trained MD :>)
Finding a qualified RV inspection facility I agree can be interesting.
When looking for a used RV from PPL, we got the names of 3 vendors to choose from - however we decided to buy new. Knowledge of self inspection is valuable but a highly trained eye is priceless.
:>)
kb0zke said
03:31 AM Feb 20, 2012
Some brands have volunteer inspectors who will inspect the prospective coach for you. They are generally people who are very familiar with that particular brand and know what to look for. If there is a Winnebago owner's forum, you might consider joining it and asking.
Terry and Jo said
11:21 AM Feb 20, 2012
JayKim-no regrets wrote:Jay says I have a tendency for transparency when we are looking for cars, big money items etc, he says I am a salesmans dream buyer I'm practising my poker face for when we are seriously looking to buy
Kim,
Thanks for the laugh. I used to be a salesman, although only for a short time on cars and trucks. I can appreciate how it is the little things that a salesman picks up on with their customers.
But, I can be a sucker as well. What sold me on my DroidX Android phone was a compass app. (I tend to get my directions for North, South, East and West mixed up when Jo and I go to Tulsa.)
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 20th of February 2012 11:22:25 AM
JayKim-no regrets said
06:50 PM Feb 20, 2012
We joined RV.ORG last week, yes it's a good idea to educate yourself as far as possible, but even after reading all the great info/books etc available with that membership, we would still prefer an 'expert' to look over any used RV we are thinking of investing our hard earned cash into:)
Jay says I have a tendency for transparency when we are looking for cars, big money items etc, he says I am a salesmans dream buyer I'm practising my poker face for when we are seriously looking to buy
53 Merc said
07:50 PM Feb 20, 2012
kb0zke wrote:
Some brands have volunteer inspectors who will inspect the prospective coach for you. They are generally people who are very familiar with that particular brand and know what to look for. If there is a Winnebago owner's forum, you might consider joining it and asking.
This is the best idea to get an opinion. However, it will be a bit biased since it will be a Winnie owner. At least, it will be a reasonably accurate picture of the rig. Finding an inspector is a shot in the dark at best, unless you have a relationship with someone with knowledge. Failing all else, get a diesel mechanic to look at the engine. The rest of the rig, if the fit and finish is pleasing to the eye, that is doable by you. The water heater and frig is one of those things that if they operate on both gas and electric, no one can tell you how long they will operate.
bjoyce said
11:33 PM Feb 20, 2012
Terry and Jo wrote:
But, I can be a sucker as well. What sold me on my DroidX Android phone was a compass app. (I tend to get my directions for North, South, East and West mixed up when Jo and I go to Tulsa.)
Terry
At least it was not the bubble level app.
(Seriously I now use "GPS Essentials" for a compass since the app has more useful stuff in it than a compass.) I think a few smartphones have been sold to RVs to get Dish Pointer, which helps you point a satellite dish.
baysailor said
02:06 PM Feb 21, 2012
I think a diesel mechanic is the way to go, engine/mechanicle checks, and a test drive.
My DW and I looked at a 2004 Winnebago Journey DP 32. Were looking for the good the bad or the ugly on this model, any advice or opinions would be appreciated
It has 14,000 mile, the unit appears to have been well cared for.
Thank You
Bob
Robert,
I noticed that this was your first post. Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. There are a lot of knowledgable folks here with a lot of answers for questions on about every type of RV. Feel free to ask away.
Terry
That is our plan, once we have narrowed down our search:)
Welcome to the forum, i'm sure there will be members that have a winnebago DP, that can be more helpful than I can. Good luck:)
One of the perks of getting an RV Consumer Group, http://rv.org/ , membership is they send you a book called "How to Select, Inspect and Buy an RV". Then you can be your own inspector.
If you buy from a place like PPL they have contacts for RV inspections services as well as chassis inspection services.
Do it yourself is wonderful but some things you should pay to have done IMHO Book learning just does not replace years of experience.
Finding a qualified RV inspection facility I agree can be interesting.
When looking for a used RV from PPL, we got the names of 3 vendors to choose from - however we decided to buy new. Knowledge of self inspection is valuable but a highly trained eye is priceless.
:>)
Kim,
Thanks for the laugh. I used to be a salesman, although only for a short time on cars and trucks. I can appreciate how it is the little things that a salesman picks up on with their customers.
But, I can be a sucker as well. What sold me on my DroidX Android phone was a compass app. (I tend to get my directions for North, South, East and West mixed up when Jo and I go to Tulsa.)
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 20th of February 2012 11:22:25 AM
Jay says I have a tendency for transparency when we are looking for cars, big money items etc, he says I am a salesmans dream buyer
This is the best idea to get an opinion. However, it will be a bit biased since it will be a Winnie owner. At least, it will be a reasonably accurate picture of the rig. Finding an inspector is a shot in the dark at best, unless you have a relationship with someone with knowledge. Failing all else, get a diesel mechanic to look at the engine. The rest of the rig, if the fit and finish is pleasing to the eye, that is doable by you. The water heater and frig is one of those things that if they operate on both gas and electric, no one can tell you how long they will operate.
I think a diesel mechanic is the way to go, engine/mechanicle checks, and a test drive.
Thanks for all the feed back.