granvillebarker

4 hours ago, RevKev5064 said:

Granville,

Two of them have failed already.  They work but they do not cool or heat.  I am headed into the summer in North and South Carolina and I am afraid to trust just one unit that is the same age as the other two failed ones.  Also, I am concerned about having different thermostats and all of that.  If there is a better way, I am all about it.  I am not excited to spend $5,000.  

Honestly, I am kind of disappointed in the whole experience.  This is the newest and most expensive RV I have ever owned (by a LONG ways) and it is the first one that I have ever had a failed AC on.  I expected better.

I would look for a good ac guy that will

add charge ports, charge them, and check for leaks.  Assuming the compressors aren’t blown apart or shorted.   

Your coach isn’t really that old, you would think you could get a few more years out of them.

My brother-in-law has had three or four new ac’s on his rv in the past few years.   All warranty, but it doesn’t make new ac’s appealing to me.  
 

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Granville Barker

2 minutes ago, RevKev5064 said:

Thank you all for the valuable input.  This is what I have concluded based on all of the advice:

I am going to purchase three Penguin II 15k with Heat Pumps and two MicroAir thermostats (I already have two on the current AC units - I will make a heck of a deal).  I am going to set the dip switches to match what I currently have, which is three zones.  I should not have to replace the current wiring - plug and play.  Also, I should not have to mess with the intake vents or the distribution box on the inside, just use what I already have.  On my coach, there is a beautiful wood trim ring around the vent in the front and the one in the back with a much less beautiful distribution box in the center.

It should be a relatively simple install with no cutting, welding, wiring, etc. - Correct?

Thanks again.

Yes, they should fit in the same spot and use the same wires.   Just out of curiosity, why are you replacing all three units?   Did they all fail?   Personally I don’t think new ones are as reliable as the old ones.

22 minutes ago, Georgia Mike said:

Where is this connector for the TCM located that gets wet? I looked on line and some people say it’s in the front run bay on other Monaco’s. I haven’t had any problems with the transmission but if I do I want to know where to look first.

Its on the drivers side rear of transmission under the coach, huge round plug, aircraft style that screws together.

Richard,

Don't waste time/energy on those pressure sensors.   Everytime i replaced them, they only lasted one season for the black and gray.   You should see the black and grey sensors above your dump valves with phone wire and RJ11 plugs.
 

I also recommend the See Level with bluetooth setup, it took about two hours to install.  I put the sensors on the passenger side, the display on the drivers side and an alarm buzzer in the bathroom.    
 

I also added an actuator to the grey valve with a hidden switch under the bathroom counter.   You pull the drawer

out and reach in and up to flip it.   Theres another switch for it in the wet bay.   Lets me close the grey valve without going outside.   You can get them from Barker Mfg (no relation).   
https://www.barkermfg.com/auto-drains.html

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Granville Barker

Richard,

Thanks for the review, if you need to run that wire to the back, most if not all roadmaster chassis have a pipe from the front to the back just for wires like that.     My windsor had one and dynasty  has one.    It should be next to one of the big rails.    I will try to post a pic, I need to run a few CAT-6 runs for video and network myself.

Richard,

It’s great you guys are back home safe and sound.   Sorry to hear about your issues.

I had similar issues with my transmission last year.   In the end, I cleaned the hell out of the connector, put dielectric grease in it, tightened it as much as i could and then sealed it from the outside with rubberized tape.   I also replaced the input sensor ( cheap and easy to replace ).    I haven’t had any issues with it in the past six months since doing all that.  

The pins on that big connector are really short, so there isn’t much to make a connection.   I had all sorts of errors show up for a bit, once it wouldn’t read the level and said the level sensor was bad.   Twice, it just would not shift into gear at all, once at a fuel pump after filling up.   In those instances just wiggling the cables with the awning stick made her happy enough to drive.

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Granville Barker

05 Dynasty

Maybe its a push on/off with a broken switch.  Pull the bulb?

A strong magnet will find the cross members in a dynasty, if you want to check before you cut.

On 2/14/2022 at 8:57 AM, GypsyJo said:

I have been using a TPMS, Tire Minder. I'm still not sure how to properly set it on my phone. If I set it to what the pressure is cold,  one on the road the tires warm up and I have a continuous alarm.  Also the pressure changes with the heat . What do you set yours at to not have the alarm driving you crazy? 

Typically, you can set a low and high point for alarms.   To set it properly you need to know your coach weight per axle and proper pressure for each tire position.   On my coach, the front tires are at 115psi cold, so I have the alarm set for 114, I don't want them any lower.   On a typical long day of driving, i've seen them reach 130 psi, so I have the upper alarms set at 135 for those tires.   If I start getting too many alarms for the upper  side, I'll bump it up a bit, slow down, or stop and let the tires rest a bit.   As Ed says, we aren't as worried about over pressure as we are under pressure.

I have had TPMS on my coach and toad since I started RV'ing in 2002, and my Dynasty has two systems.   A smart tire system installed in 2005 that shows up on my silverleaf box; it has bands around the inside of the wheels.   I have one of the cheap made in china systems from amazon for the new toad, but after loosing a tire on a trailer with no notification in a reasonable time last year, I'm replacing the china/amazon system with a pressure pro.   

I wouldn't leave the house without a TPMS, I don't think any of us would know about a flat on our toad until it was way too late without one.

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Granville Barker

05 Dynasty / 21 Jeep 4xE

It’s not as much about the cooling as it is about your rv not burning down.   As others have mentioned the fires aren’t propane related, they are usually from those electric elements you are using right now.   That coupled with the hydrogen mixed with the ammonia makes for a very nice fire.  ARPrv helps prevent that fire.

Bob,

If you going to run your Norcold, I highly recommend the ARPrv.   https://www.arprv.com/.  He has fans to go inside the fridge as well as better fans to go behind it, and his controller operates the fans as well as monitors the boiler for any issues.     I updated mine with the propane amish unit many years ago.  

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Granville Barker

Here is the USA amazon link to Bob’s mount:  

VIVO Manual Flip Down Ceiling Mount for 13 to 27 inch Flat Screens, Folding Tilt Pitched Roof and Under Cabinet Mounting for LCD TV and Monitors, MOUNT-M-FD27 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGRJM4U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_04QFRM1JH694V688X0BS

21 hours ago, Chuck B 2004 Windsor said:

IMO, if nitrogen is the greatest gas used in tires since Carter invented liver pills, everybody would be using it.  In my area, you cannot find a tire store that has nitrogen.  

Just drive up to Starkville, it seems like every tire shop has a nitrogen machine.   ( probably just a dried air compressor ).  There must have been a good sales guy selling them.

Most HVAC places that make metal ductwork can usually make pans, and they are usually pretty cheap.

Monaco apparently made their own for my coach:

On 2/9/2022 at 2:22 AM, Dalton07 said:

I purchased an RV thermostat from Dometic when the factory one in my RV started going out. It replaced my old one perfectly and has been functioning very well for a month now. I love that this thermostat connects to both the air conditioner and the furnace. As you probably know, some models only link to the furnace, which isn’t ideal for someone like me who values convenience.

This thread is about the engine thermostat, not the HVAC type.

21 hours ago, RS lakeshore said:

I didn't realize there was a pressure regulator for the tag axle until I started checking for air leaks. One of my air leaks was the supply line to the regulator. My regulator pressure is 30 psi seems low from what I am reading. Is there a recommended psi setting? Thanks. Richard Silcox 2006 Signature

My 05 Dynasty has a 0-30 regulator as well, mine is set around 18 psi, based on scale weight.   I am not sure why we are reading about such high psi settings as well.
 

I wonder if some of you are talking about tire pressure.  If not, how are you adjusting a 30 PSI regulator to more, or did you replace it???

Please clarify!!!

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Granville Barker

We are about an hour away, will be there today at check-in as well.   Look forward to seeing and meeting everyone.

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Granville

I take the 4 9/16” bolts out and remove the whole assembly when i work on it.   Its always the brushes for me.   While you have it out, you can get a short wire and test it with a 12v source.   I usually pop the hood and  use the toad battery for testing.   I did have to clean the overtemp contacts once, but be careful not to bend them.

There is a thread on here about moving it inside a real bay, I plan to do that next time it stops.    Or maybe over the propane tank.    That would be better than next to the back wheels.

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Granville Barker

I’ve had several of them over the years, and the Crealty Ender 3D is my favorite and least expensive.   My flashforge is enclosed and sometimes prints better because the enclosure helps maintain the temperature.

The Ender 3 can print bigger prints and they have even bigger Enders’ if you need them.   I’ve also seen kits to make expand the ender 3 as well.

I recently installed a glass bed, but the magnetic/plastic plate was good for years.  I keep it on a piece of concrete board, they can catch fire.   I have printed 70+ hour prints that came out great.

Learning curve, isn’t really that bad, you can download stuff from the web and its pretty easy to print.

Designing your own things can be done with a variety if software with various learning curves.    I use OpenSCAD mostly, you write code to create objects with it.

TinkerCAD and Fusion 360 are popular design programs.    There are good tutorials on youtube for fusion, i watched some by Paul McWorter that were excellent a few years ago.

When messing with batteries I always disconnect grounds first, if the wrench hits bare metal, you shouldn't have a short that way.   You can also wrap your wrench in electrical tape or heat shrink to help avoid shorting anything.   That's a trick for tight spaces mainly, where you have to take the positive off first.   Good luck and lift with your legs. not your back!

I've made much progress in getting home assistant going in the Dynasty.   We moved back into the RV last week, so I'm able get the configuration files finished and everything working.   This is what it all looks like so for, same interface is available on my phone from anywhere.

I'll post a video in a few days of me remote controlling everything.   Ultimately, I'd like to get everything into home assistant that's currently in Aladdin, home assistant will add trend charts to temperatures, holding tanks, and stuff like that.   I'm not as concerned with engine info, but that would be nice.

One of my todo items is upgrade the inverter to pure sine.  I'm down to either Victron or Magnum, Viktron is much cheaper and possibly quieter from what I've read.   I'll get much better power information into home assistant after that upgrade.   I don't think we are seeing updates and innovation in the RV inverter market that we should be seeing.   These things should be smaller, quieter, and more efficient.   The ones I'm seeing look bigger to me.   I'd love to hear from others on this.

In the long run, Aladdin will be turned off, and I'd prefer just to be notified if there's something that needs dealing with rather than looking at any of the data.   In my Tesla a yellow warning triangle with an exclamation point pops up if there's something that needs attention.   So have the RV more like that, let it send me a message when the holding tanks are approaching full, or there's an issue with power or water or whatever.

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Granville Barker

05 Dynasty

That's awesome.   Do you take you 3d printer in the RV, I wanted to bring it. on my current trip, but couldn't find a good spot for it.

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Granville Barker

I'd love to see pics and hear more about their Aladdin replacement parts as you journey through the install.  

I bought an enclosed car trailer a few years ago to be able to bring a Tesla along on trips.   Dealing with a trailer wasn't right for us, so we just traded the Tesla for a 4xE that can be towed flat and has 20 miles of electric range.   Currently adding a base plate, tow wiring, and the M&G Braking system to the new Jeep.   Can't wait to get on the road with the new setup.

If anyone is interested In a nice enclosed like-new aluminum Featherlite car trailer, let me know.    

I've been SilverLeaf products in my coach for 20 years now that show engine data, there stuff works well and appears to be made well.   I haven't used their Aladdin replacement products though.