DEF tank location

[RedT]

Would like to know the location of the DEF tank on 2015-2018 Journey/Meridian 36M motorhomes. Looked at a 2014 Itasca Meridian 36M today - great looking coach, clean as a whistle, but the DEF tank was on the passenger side of the coach! Seems like that location puts one in the "service by the jug" procedure rather than at the pump.  :-\  Looked in the brochures, but they state "Diesel Exhaust Fluid Fill Tank
(Located in driver side compartment behind rear wheel, depending on model)"

Can anyone tell me the location of the DEF tank on 20-15 through 2018 Winnie Journeys or Meridians?

 

[Goodspike]

If purchasing at the pump is important to you then you need to make sure that the filler has the magnet that trips the pump.  My Chevy truck doesn't, and I'm not sure if any pickups do.  Note not all DEF pumps have the magnetic nozzle, but the ones in my area do.  And I've yet to find an adapter that actually works.  DEF pumps are really designed for semi-tractors.

If you do go by the bottle, Costco and Walmart are the places to buy.  Costco is also the place to buy diesel if they carry it at the particular station.

 

[afchap]

Most class A Winnebago diesel coaches have a diesel fill on both sides, so you could fill both diesel and def from the pax side in that case.

 

[RedT]

After viewing numerous You Tube videos, have learned that the 2015 through 2018 Journey 36M motorhomes have the DEF tank on the drivers side in a compartment just aft of the rear wheel. (Wish they didn't have DEF at all, but maybe that's progress?)   

 

[LarsMac]

Given the usage of DEF, it seems much simpler to just buy the DEF by the jug.
Just make a habit of topping off the DEF every three or four fuel stops.

That recommendation from our OTR driver son.

 

[Goodspike]

Given the usage of DEF, it seems much simpler to just buy the DEF by the jug.
Just make a habit of topping off the DEF every three or four fuel stops.

DEF does get old and motorhomes do sit.  Even on my truck with is my weekly driver (Covid-19 reference) I never add more than 2.5 gallons at a time and only when it gets below 20%.  That means it's probably never been above 75% because the dealer didn't fill it when delivered new.

But yeah, if your trip is 3,000 miles long you could probably safely fill the tank without worrying about DEF aging.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp located the DEF tank on the passenger side, adjacent to what they call the Exhaust After-Treatment System (ATS), so that's what Winnebago and others got when they bought the chassis. FCCC eventually saw the light (got tired of the complaints) and added an optional remote filler on the driver side. I think the actual tank is still on the passenger side. Apparently that happened in time for Winnebago's 2015 motorhome model year.

 

[Kevin Means]

The DEF tank's location must be model-specific, because it's on the driver's side of our 2011 Tour. To me, the biggest pain about its location is that it's at the rear of the coach, and the fuel doors are up front. I completely understand why it's at the rear, but having to pull forward to fill the DEF tank after fueling is kind of a pain. It also fakes out the truckers waiting in line behind you, because they think you're leaving.

Kev

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think the Tour is built on the XCM modular chassis (comes from FCCC in two separate sections) , so it would need its own DEF arrangement. Hadn't though about that when I wrote the earlier reply.