Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-21-2016, 11:07 PM   #1
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
a/c

Three weeks before we take off from AZ for a six month trip. My new to me 5er a/c's got tested out today. First I pulled the covers up top and cleaned every thing up. Inside I cleaned the intake screens and blew out the thermostat's gently to remove any dust in them. The a/c's worked good but my problem was getting them to regulate at a set temp. Once running they would not turn off at the set temp and the temp keep dropping until I raised the setting way up. The reverse was true also. I believe I gave them plenty of time to adjust. Do you guys think it could be the temp sensors or the controller or what? Thanks!
__________________

__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2016, 08:04 AM   #2
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
We are having issues with this, but not really on A/C. In our case, it is one of our furnaces. To begin with, it quit altogether and wouldn't come on. When the RV tech came out and looked at things, we had put the sensor at the wall "on ice" by putting it into a handful of ice cubes. The heater worked then.

So, tech ordered a new temp sensor and installed it. Not yet fixed, although now we can at least run that furnace, but we have to turn the thermostat for that zone on and up to 94 degrees to get it to maintain 71 degrees. He has since ordered a new board for up in the A/C unit.

We are on the verge of moving from Colorado to Oregon on the 30th, so if this gets fixed before we go, I'll try to come back and let you know whether it fixed it or not.

Terry
__________________

__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2016, 08:46 AM   #3
wingnut60
Site Team
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Where we park it
Posts: 2,838
Glenn,
The temp sensors are located near the upper pass side rear living area, and in the bedroom somewhere at the top of the vanity area. They are housed in small white plastic round 'thingies'--might look for those and see if the grille part looks to be clear.
There is supposed to be a 'reset' process for the 'stat, but I don't have the instructions.
Be sure you are in the correct mode for both zones--1 is the living area, 2 is the bedroom. Do you have the manual for the thermostat?
There are 4 mode controls--off/fan only/cool/furnace. If you put the mode in 'fan only' it will run in low, medium, or high speed ALL the time. Be sure it is in 'AUTO' mode.
The furnace will only operate in zone 1. The ACs in zone 1 and/or 2.
Its tricky till you get used to it.
Joe
__________________
2016 Tiffin 40 QBH
2015 38RSSA, traded
2005 TK3 #1869, 10 yrs of memories,
2017 F450 KR--one more Ford is it
2009 F450 4x4-died; 2010 F450-retired
wingnut60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2016, 09:34 AM   #4
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
Terry, I didn't know there were boards up in the ac units? Must have been behind a sheet metal enclosure when I was cleaning up the unit. Maybe its dirty? Let me know what you find out, Thanks

Joe, I understand all you said except this reset process for the stat's. I'll have to check into that. When I said gently blew out the temp sensors that's what I did, made sure they were clean. You say be sure its in 'auto' mode, that shouldn't made a difference, should it? It didn't in my old Travel Supreme anyway and its the same type controller. Thanks
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2016, 04:06 PM   #5
Eagle-eye
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 15
I have just recently developed the same problem. When the thermostat is set for 73 it just keeps cooling down to 71. The air continues to run until I turn it up to about 77 then it shuts off and will warm back up. That is in zone 1, Zone 2 is fine. I don't know what it would do on furnace as I rarely use it.
Eagle-eye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2016, 08:59 PM   #6
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
Today I call Dometic and a lot of things were talked about but it was mentioned a couple times to have the temp sensors checked. I went up top again and pulled the covers and this time I took the sheet metal off where the board is. I blew it out and unplugged the rj12? (looks like a phone plug) and cleaned them up. They said to do this also. It seemed to help but I still have problems. I'll have to figure out now how to test the temp sensors under the little white domes.
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2016, 11:45 AM   #7
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
If your thermostat is one of the Dometic 5 button ones, this is what I found on doing the reset.

1. Turn the ON/OFF switch to the "OFF" position. (Switch under thermostat)
2. Simultaneously depress and hold the MODE and ZONE push-buttons while turning the ON/OFF switch to "ON". FF should appear in LCD display until the mode and zone push-buttons are released.

That's the same procedure that the RV tech here had me do the other day. Still waiting here on him coming out with a new board. Weather is an issue in Colorado Springs, which is where he is out of.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2016, 03:40 PM   #8
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
I'll try that Terry. What happened after you did the reset? When you say new board, do you mean in the ac unit or in the thermostat?
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2016, 11:01 PM   #9
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
Basically, I just did as the tech asked me to do, but I think it was to reset it after he hooked in another temperature sensor at the A/C unit for testing purposes. He got in touch with me today and said he had received the board and will be out Friday afternoon at around 2:00 pm to install it.

He couldn't come out today because Colorado Springs and north of there was hit with high winds and snow with white-out conditions. 100+ vehicles stranded on I-25 between Colorado Springs and Denver, some for over 4 hours.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-24-2016, 12:33 AM   #10
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
I was reading to use a infrared temp sensor to 'see' the temp at the remote sensor and compare it to the temp inside and your thermostat setting. I'll be checking that out. I'm also wondering if the remote sensors can be changed out and how to test them. If you get a chance ask the tech guy !
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-24-2016, 08:36 AM   #11
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
Glenn,

What the tech did the other day was an ohms test on both the old sensor and the new one. While I'll ask him again (if I remember), I think he got a reading of something like 7.5 on one and 7.4 on the other. (Or, was it 9.5 and 9.4?) Anyway, he stated that the .1 ohm difference shouldn't make something like 20-25 degrees difference between the sensor temp and actual temps. Remember, we have the thermostat set on 94 degrees and it pretty much maintains 71 to 72 degrees in the coach.

Now, if I remember this correctly, he said that he had done something (bypass?) with the sensor at the board to where the furnace could operate off of the temperature sensor that is actually inside the case of the thermostat, but I'm pretty sure that the wife doesn't want to have to leave the jacket closet door open all the time.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-24-2016, 09:30 AM   #12
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
OK, I assume the remote sensors have a 'cap' or something on them that you pull off to ohm two wires? I'm just guessing here. To replace do you cut the wires and solder in a new one?
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2016, 06:51 AM   #13
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
Not capped. The sensor just ends with two wire ends which are then either soldered or by using crimp connectors.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2016, 05:23 PM   #14
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
OK. Our RV tech arrived at about 2:30 pm and installed the new board up at the A/C unit. I turned on the furnace and it is working within 1 to 2 degrees of my thermometer sitting on the kitchen counter. It is roughly 20 to 22 inched below the thermister mounted on the wall.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2016, 08:59 PM   #15
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
Interesting Terry, bad board. Hope he didn't get in your wallet to much, lol.
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2016, 11:56 PM   #16
terry and jo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Retired Okie now in Colorado
Posts: 531
We have an extended warranty on our coach, so all we paid was $50 for the deductible. The board itself was over $200.

I'm sure we saved much more because the tech made at least three trips down to here from Colorado Springs.

Terry
__________________
Terry and Jo
2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 #5332 - 2008 Ford F450
Terry's Smugmug Site
terry and jo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2016, 12:05 AM   #17
oldbird
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 299
Can a warranty be bought on a 08 that I bought five months ago?
__________________
Glenn 2008 36TK3 #4571
oldbird is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2016, 08:47 AM   #18
wingnut60
Site Team
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Where we park it
Posts: 2,838
There are lots of warrantys available for any trailer, just be sure you check for reviews on the internet from owners of the particular company you are considering--lots of horror stories out there. SOME of the warrantys you come across are designed to be hard to make a claim/get reimbursed/go out of business regularly. Fine print is very important.
If you find one you think you like--it should be an "exclusionary" one, that says what is NOT covered.
And, you HAVE to follow the instructions for a claim to the letter, also, many want proof of previous annual maintenance.
Outside of all that, an extended warranty can be a life-saver if the company is a good one. Remember, these are insurance policies and they have to take in more than they pay out to remain in business. You are betting you will need it, they are betting you will not.
Good Sam has one that can be ok, especially if you have the work done at a Camping World--but no Camping World will ever do any serious work on my trailer.
Do your homework, these warrantys are expensive critters...especially if you have to fight to get a claim paid.
Joe
__________________
2016 Tiffin 40 QBH
2015 38RSSA, traded
2005 TK3 #1869, 10 yrs of memories,
2017 F450 KR--one more Ford is it
2009 F450 4x4-died; 2010 F450-retired
wingnut60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-28-2016, 12:42 PM   #19
hitchup
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Currently: working on the road
Posts: 770
Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by terry and jo View Post
We have an extended warranty on our coach, so all we paid was $50 for the deductible. The board itself was over $200.

When we had the main furnace (we have 2) go out in OK, the technician replaced the board with a mfger's one. But he told us that if it was out of warranty, he would have used a Dinosaur Board.
__________________

__________________
2014 Mobile Suite Estates 38RSB - custom home
2014 F450 KR CC 4x4 ...... his office
2015 Lance 1172 - traveling Motel (solar and generator)
Working Fulltimers since 3/2005
hitchup is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:48 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
×