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Vanha_Pieru's avatar
Vanha_Pieru
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014

2002 Winnebago Journey underbed storage area

Recent purchase and new to RVs. Not sure where to post this.
Back bedroom was full of dust and what appears to be diesel smoke. Removed little dresser & bed frame box, and I can see out under the headboard area and in the back corner passenger side! Screws on floor are gone, pulled out or never put in where I can see. I find several screws lying around. The screws that go into the back wall below headboard above engine compartment are all pulled out and there is almost 3/4" gap there and on the sidewall.
From below it looks like the back wall is about to slide off the floor on the back and passenger side, and I can see screws that are only partially screwed in at that level on the back. It appears one would have to remove the back cap to get at that area to fix it "right" (push the wall back in & secure it).
Also under the bed in the area behind the breaker panel, when I take the cover off that it is wide open to the outside. Is this normal or is something missing? Looks like an open invitation for rodents to access our home, and according to the little calling cards in that area they have done so! There is a vent in the pass. side of that area, what is the purpose of that? If this is to heat the "basement" than I will need to close this off from the outside, there is a square hole about 3"x4" in the side of that duct below the floor. perhaps a cover missing?
Wondering if I can close off the opening in the floor around the wiring harnesses with something (plywood, sheet metal or??) and put some insulation in there, and under the bed over the engine housing to insulate and sound deaden.
Any suggestions or how-to links in the forums?
Thanks!
Class A
  • Vanha_Pieru's avatar
    Vanha_Pieru
    Explorer
    Dec 09, 2014
    Well we got most of this "fixed". As expected, most of the screws all the way around were broke off. Not sure why the coach did not fall off on the road!! That duct work was a real project but we got some duct material like they use residential(it is foam stuff covered with foil) and a roll of reinforced foil tape from the local HVAC place. Removed the bumper which needed brackets reattached anyway, and was able to get at the ductwork as far up as it was bad. cut this stuff into shape and rebuilt the duct and covered it all with this tape.
    Someone must of had a blowout with this as the storage compartment behind rear tire passenger side is partially caved in and has sprung open the seams in the basement about half way across opening it up for dirt, etc to enter. Even gravel in there. We were able to bull it back in and screw it back together again, with liberal application of the good caulk and some light angle iron. Part was sprung so bad I finally ran the jacks down, put a 2x4 under the bad bent part, and let pressure off the jacks a bit to spring it back into place. Not exactly a Factory Fix but we got it closed up for now. Will have to cut off that compartment next summer and rebuild it.
    They was an inspection plate missing on the side of that compartment also, got that sealed too. Had professionals come in and try to clean the carpet & ceiling. They could not get all the soot/smoke residue out of the ceiling and we finally decided to replace all the flooring.
    I will post a "How to get old carpet off the slide" when we get done.
    Thanks to all for the tips!
  • smlranger's avatar
    smlranger
    Explorer
    Oct 29, 2014
    I was able to retape my duct by removing a metal panel just inside the engine access area at the top right. Raise the access door and look up and to your right.... remove screws and a small metal panel can be removed giving you some access to the duct. I used good metal duct tape... the foil stuff.
  • Vanha_Pieru's avatar
    Vanha_Pieru
    Explorer
    Oct 29, 2014
    Well Thanks to everyone for the help! I finally got the side pulled in and used about 2x as many screws as original. Once it started I kept tightening the screws along the side and it pulled in. Will remove the rest of the trim and do same all the way as every one was broke except one and it was about out.
    Now got to get the back reattached. What a method on that, it just hangs there and has some screws into that luan. Now will have screws thru the flange at the back or the engine housing cover below the headboard and out the back wall and into a light angle outside.
    Also checked the AC duct per the hint, thank you. It is a shambles. Lots of tape and split the rest of the way. Hope we can fix it with the back cap on.
  • smlranger's avatar
    smlranger
    Explorer
    Oct 27, 2014
    I would not twist the frame but leave it level for any repairs.

    To remove the belt line trim, look under the bottom edge of that trim and you will see very small Phillips screws. Remove those screws and the trim will come off revealing the screws that attach the side walls to the floor structure. I had many broken off and many completely loose and wallowing in the holes. I drilled new holes, added new screws with blue loctite on them. As I noted, in an otherwise pretty good coach, I was disappointed in the cheesy way they attached the side walls.
  • Vanha_Pieru's avatar
    Vanha_Pieru
    Explorer
    Oct 26, 2014
    Now we have about everything removed in the back or the coach, and can see the wall & floor joints.
    From below on passenger side we can see that the back of the wall is slid out maybe 3/4" and tapers in to where it should be at about junction of the A/C door and the next one forward on that side. From below I can see one broke off screw and another place there is a hole for a screw but nothing in it. Seems like not a lot of fasteners holding the thing together!
    Drivers side is slid out about same but there is just the short piece between the back and the slide.
    We tried to push on the side but of course that was fruitless. Anyone had this issue and successfully got it back together?
    Just Wondering: IF I run the jacks on RF and LR down, would that give me enough twist to take pressure off this corner?
    Also, how do I get that trim piece off the side above the side doors? Appears to be no way to run screws in from the side unless that is off.
    Thanks again.
    :h
  • smlranger's avatar
    smlranger
    Explorer
    Oct 26, 2014
    I had that coach (36GD floor plan) for 8 years and knew it intimately. The engine hatch box is mounted to the floor so it has likely not slipped forward unless someone removed it and did not reinstall it properly. I suspect the back wall has moved backward. Winnebago used, IMO, a poor method of attaching the walls to the coach floor. They used self drilling sheet metal screws and I found several of those broken off on my Journey, causing part of the driver's side wall to pull away front the coach. Perhaps that has happened with the back wall. However, if you see no gap between the back wall and the edge of the floor, it may be that the gap between the metal box and wall has always been there. I would push on the wall at the bottom and, if it does not move, I would use something to fill the gap and try and reattach the box to the wall.

    If you find that you must eventually remove the rear cap to fix things, check your AC duct that runs up behind the cap. They were famous for splitting along the side letting much of the output of the heat pump into the rear cap area.
  • SCVJeff's avatar
    SCVJeff
    Explorer
    Oct 26, 2014
    This is a MUCH better description...
    As you've probably noticed, that cover is heavy. You might want to think about installing a handle on it. Likely the ripped rubber is the folks working on the engine are butterfingers. When that thing comes down not lined, it could cut it up.

    I have heard about the back cap before. I would suggest posting the cap question on RV Forums and iRV2 where there are Winnebago specific forums. You will likely find a fix already done.

    For the open box end under the bed, if you are referring to the access hole on the right side, that's normal. For one thing it provides cooling for the inverter, and cabin heat for the wet area (fresh) on mine. If the left side is open, then you are missing a maintenance plate.
  • Vanha_Pieru's avatar
    Vanha_Pieru
    Explorer
    Oct 25, 2014
    Thanks for the help. Guess I did not describe it very good.
    The heavy metal box over the motor under the bed is intact, although the foam seal stuff is sticking out in places and may not be as tight as it should be. The opening is between the back of that box where the screws all pulled out of the wall and the back wall, like the back wall has slid back maybe 3/4". If I could figure out how to pull that wall back in I would be ok there, but not lots of solid anchor points in there unless I screw something through the carpet into the floor and pull from that, might try that. Any issue with putting a piece of angle iron on the outside and running the screws all the way thru the wall and into that, with a good sealant like the roof caulk or similar between the layers? One should not have to take it off again that I can see short of an accident.

    The other opening is where the wires come through the floor to that breaker panel. I doubt one should be able to see the ground below the floor through that opening. (Wish I was smart enough to post pics)
    I will try to figure that out. The opening on the passenger side of the bedbox that must be the A/C return, the foam seal between that and that motor cover was not in place either. I agree, someone worked on this who was pretty inept at putting stuff back, but that I'm pretty sure happened with the first owner not the one I got it from. Too bad we did not see all this in our inspection but part of the learning process.
    Thanks again.
  • SCVJeff's avatar
    SCVJeff
    Explorer
    Oct 25, 2014
    Someone has been into that coach that had no business working on it. Nothing you describe is normal for this chassis. Everything is solidly attached and secure, and there are no openings whatsoever. You have a reasonable amount of work ahead, and if you keep it I would go find the identical coach and take copious pix of what it should look like.
  • jorbill2or's avatar
    jorbill2or
    Explorer II
    Oct 25, 2014
    The bed on mine (2003 dl34hd) is a wood "box" and under the bed (lift the plywood top platform.) there is a sealed THICK heavy metal stair stepped black cover over the engine with 2 insulated ( the whole area is insulated under the metal) hatches that come up( 4 screws) and out to expose the engine for access The foot of the bed is a wood box that is where all the electrical power comes into the circuit breaker boxes
    what you are describing at first sounds like they removed all that and just put the bed platform back in place !!! My engine is fully covered by the metal box under the bed. lifting the bed i just see the metal. what you have sounds like a serious problem
    The vent is the air return for the air conditioner .. It is connected ( solidly and with no openings ) other than the filter slide in between the wood bed frame and the metal box to the large ac unit on the passenger rear side of the coach.
    I really dont know what they have done to this coach but you need that metal box!!!!! fumes and worse yet a Fire are possible. If you were looking to buy I'd say run forest run.
    I really wish you good luck .. Can you return it?

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