Ro646a wrote:
I have a Winnebago Journey on a Freightliner XC chassis and Cat C7 with a rear radiator. The engine access is only possible from under the bed, and the the access is VERY restricted.
My alternator has not caused any problems in the 6000 miles I have owned and driven it, but it constantly overcharges. After startup, the voltage is typically 15.3 volts. On the road the voltage fluctuates between 14.6 and 15.1 volts. I'm thinking I should replace the alternator before I have a breakdown.
Can anyone offer any insight as to how difficult this job is going to be?
Ro646a,
Unless folks have the same EXACT coach, with the same EXACT bedroom layout and, shrouding/plumbing/wiring/air cleaner intake tube routing/and a whole lot more as you and your coach does, it's almost impossible for many to describe how easy it would be to gain access or do anything on yours. All of these are different. We have a sort of sister ship to yours, an '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 and, without a doubt, getting to that alternator requires the removal of the entire bed assembly and both engine bay covers. Even then, you're still somewhat restricted.
You can't even SEE our alternator from the bottom. In fact, you can't seen just about anything with the type of shroud we have and the way things are plumbed/constructed/routed etc. Different (and even some of the SAME) model and years of Winnebagos will put the exhaust on one side, while in others, the exhaust is on the other. That will make one serious difference in access from a bottom approach.
I have a zillion pictures of that alternator area on ours because I just finished replacing the infamous fan bearing assembly, water pump, hoses and a few other odds and ends but, I cannot post them on RV.net due to the change in photobuckets practices. And using another photo host site hasn't worked either. Now, whether or not you actually have a external voltage regulator, based on what I've seen of mine, it's darn hard to tell. I'm about 99.999% sure that you have an internal one but again, your coach could be quite different than ours but, the same engine.
Scott
