AC Unit in 171 |
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Wyn
Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Hudson Valley, Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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Posted: 03 May 2009 at 6:56pm |
We tried out the A/C unit in our 171, according to the manual, when the unit is on, the fan will run full time and the compressor will cycle on and off, this is the way most A/C units work. However, the fan in ours cycled on and off with the compressor, it was therefore ineffective in maintaining an even temperature, and it was annoying to have the entire unit, fan & compressor turning on and off every few minutes.
Before I call the Dealer to discuss this, I am wondering what your experiences have been with the A/C in your R-Pods.
Thanks
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Wyn & Gail
R-171 Hudson Valley, NY |
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jim
Groupie Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Location: jasper alabama Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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My A\C unit is working the same as yours,and does not do a good job keeping the camper cool and its just May, hotter weather is on its way. Would like to know if you find out anything more. Happy camping Jim.
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jlhyatt
Groupie Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Oak Island, NC Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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My a/c unit operates the same way. The whole unit cycles on\off when it reaches the set temp. Do you think maybe this is the way the unit was designed to work? It does seem like it would be very inefficient, and use a lot of power to keep it on for a long period of time.
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jim
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Wyn
Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Hudson Valley, Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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I called Dometic to discuss the operation of the AC in my R-Pod, the customer service person confirmed that the fan cycles on and off with the compressor in the model AC that we have in the R-Pods and that the manuals have not been updated yet. My manual states that the fan runs continuously. I asked if the units can be modified to permit continuous operation of the fan and I was told "NO".
I then called my dealer to discuss this, they agreed with me that having the fan cycle on and off did not seem efficient, they called Forest River and voiced their concern. Forest River requested I return the trailer to the dealer and they will inspect the AC and see if there is a way to modify it. If not, the dealer "may" work with me in replacing the Dometic unit with a Carrier V, which in my opinion is the best RV air conditioner made. I do not have my hopes up too high, but I will keep you posted.
As a suggestion to anyone considering buying AC with their R-Pod, try to negotiate for a Carrier unit as a substitution to the Dometic. Even the Coleman AC is better than Dometic.
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Wyn & Gail
R-171 Hudson Valley, NY |
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Tiogajoe
Newbie Joined: 08 Mar 2009 Location: wellsboro, PA Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Thank you for the information on the Air. We have our 175 into a dealer for warranty work on the fresh water valve that needs replacing and the problem you mention on the air. We had the camper out once and it didn't stay cool at all. Fan kept turning off and camper was still hot. I'll call the dealer tomorrow and let them know what other people are saying about the problem. It seems if you pay for an air conditioner you should get one that works well enough to cool the camper in May in PA. It will be interesting to see what Forest River plans on doing to address this.
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campyman1977
Newbie Joined: 21 Apr 2009 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 21 |
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Thanks for the info on the air unit. I've only turned ours on for a short test. Has not been warm enough here to warrent its use. Still, I'm sure it will do what you say as it's the Dometic low profile. I am amazed again at another story about the check valve on the water line. I've seen about seven posts on this problem. Seems like a common defect. The dealer fixed ours and it has worked fine since but it was still disconcerting to hear that pop then see the fresh water streaming out the side of our camper with the pump humming away!
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Get out there.
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TattieB
Newbie Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Status: Offline Points: 6 |
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Hey everyone!
I've been reading everyone's input back and forth for some time now, and I'm wondering? With all the problems, are you still happy that you bought the r-pod, or would you choose something else. As a single, non-mechanical woman, it's important to ask.
Really appreciated!
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Tattie
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Wyn
Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Hudson Valley, Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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I would still buy an R-Pod, I think the trailer is a quality product overall as compared to other trailers. My concern is the Dometic Air Conditioner, this is the second trailer I have owned with a Dometic, and I was not satisified with the AC in that one either. In my opinion, the Dometic is extremely noisy and does not cool well, and to make matters worse, the model that is installed in the R-Pods has the fan cycle on and off with the compressor so the cooling effectiveness is compromised. I bought my R-Pod out of dealer stock so I was 'stuck' with the Dometic AC. I had 'faith' that the unit was better than my previous Dometic, as that one was in a trailer I bought in 1997 and that the units had to be better now. If I were to buy another R-Pod, I would negotiate to have a Carrier V unit installed. I had the Carrier on the trailer I traded in for the R-Pod, and the Carrier unit was by far the best RV air conditioner I've had. I've had two trailers with the Coleman air conditioner also, it is better than a Dometic, but not as good as a Carrier. In my experience the Carrier is the quietest and the coldest, that is why I consider it the best. (and no, I do not work for Carrier, nor do I own any of their stock)
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Wyn & Gail
R-171 Hudson Valley, NY |
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jherald02
Senior Member Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Status: Offline Points: 110 |
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I may have to return mine to the dealer. My unit runs until it's cool and then kicks off. It will not kick back on all by itself without me adjusting the the temperature up. I mean it stays off and I waited a really long time. The temp was in the high 80's and still did not kick on. Is anyone else having this issue?
I don't even know where to begin to test this thing to find out what the problem may be.
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Let's hit the road!
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Wyn
Newbie Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Hudson Valley, Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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I want to update the status of the AC unit on my trailer. My dealer communicated with the engineering departmentat Dometic, and copied me on the e-mails, to see if the unit could be modified to have the fan run continuously rather than cycle on and off with the compressor; Dometic stated the unit was designed to operate that way and there was not a way to modify it. Forest River was then contacted to see if they could do anything, their response was the AC is operating the way Dometic designed it, so there was nothing they could or would do. Since the warranty would not cover any work on the AC, my dealer stepped up and agreed to swap out the Dometic and replace it with a 13,500 BTU Carrier V. I agreed to cover the labor, the dealer furnished the unit at no cost, even though the Carrier is a more expensive unit. The Carrier is very quiet and is colder than the Dometic. I am very happy with the AC and am pleased with the customer service from my dealer.
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Wyn & Gail
R-171 Hudson Valley, NY |
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