New A/C with 5 button CC

[Bobbyboy]

Ok, here is my problem.  I am replacing my middle A/C on my 08 dynasty.  I have the 5 button Control Center (CC).  I am replacing a 15000 btu with the newer 15000 btu Penguin II.  My old a/c finally gave out; it was the original.  The problem is Dometic tells me that the conversion kit needed to make the new unit work with the 5 button is on back order for over a year with no end in sight.  Two questions:  The board in my old unit is still good; can I place it in the new unit and have the 5 button work???  If not, tell me what I need to do to get it working.  (I can't replace the 5 button because my other two units are newer and when they were put in the conversion boards were readily accessible so I am kinda stuck)

Help would be appreciated cause it is hot.  The problem with the old one is compressor, not the board.  Or does anyone have the conversion kit they want to sell.

 

Thanks,  Bob L, 08 dynasty

[Michael Powell]

Not cheap but has big numbers easy to work... been wanting to change mine out.. I have A dometic 2 zone new controler and 1 of the old styles like you have. just don't know if they are compatible.  Blue tooth would be nice.. Keep me in the loop if you decide to do this... 

[vito.a]

Your options are limited.  Your old control board will not work on the new A/C unit.  You'd need to check with Micro-Air to see if their thermostat will control both an older unit and a newer one together, but I doubt it.  

I think your best option is to install the new A/C unit on the front along with a new thermostat.  Then move the old front unit to the middle.  I've done this and its really only about an extra hours work.  

Or, you could install two new middle and rear A/C units with a new thermostat. 

Also, check eBay for a conversion control board.   

Good luck!

Edited June 21, 2022 by vito.a

[Bobbyboy]

6 hours ago, vito.a said:

Your options are limited.  Your old control board will not work on the new A/C unit.  You'd need to check with Micro-Air to see if their thermostat will control both an older unit and a newer one together, but I doubt it.  

I think your best option is to install the new A/C unit on the front along with a new thermostat.  Then move the old front unit to the middle.  I've done this and its really only about an extra hours work.  

Or, you could install two new middle and rear A/C units with a new thermostat. 

Also, check eBay for a conversion control board.   

Good luck!

Thanks Vito;  I kinda figured the same thing but was thinking I could make the switch.  I am going to check with Micr Air but I think my best bet is toput in a separate thermostat for the new unit and be done with it.

Bob L.

[Bobbyboy]

Thanks everyone for your help;  but a miracle happened and I found the correct conversion board that will allow my new a/c to work with the 5 button CC.  I was told by Dometic that they were on back order for over a year with little hope for the future.  However Camping World in Pittsburgh had one.  Thanks again and saved by the bell.  The dw will be happy to get that a/c going again.

Bob L, 08 dynasty

[Frank McElroy]

Bob, you might want to keep the circuit board for that new middle AC unit.  If you ever change the other two roof AC units and upgrade the thermostat, you will also need use that circuit board in the middle AC unit and also upgrade the "hidden" control board that operates the aquahot zone 4 bath heaters.

[Bobbyboy]

Thanks Frank:  Where might that "hidden" control board that operates zone 4 be located???  

 

Bob L, 08 dynasty diamond iv

[Frank McElroy]

6 hours ago, Bobbyboy said:

Thanks Frank:  Where might that "hidden" control board that operates zone 4 be located???  

 

Bob L, 08 dynasty diamond iv

On the Dynasty Diamond IV it's in the wall behind the 5 button thermostat.  Open the cabinet behind the thermostat, remove the shelf and unscrew the side wall that will give you access to the control module.  Inside the box will be the dip switches that need to be set for zone 4.

[Bobbyboy]

I have owned my motorhome since original purchase in 2008;  14 years and I never knew where the control box for zone 4 of teh aqua hot was located.  Thanks Frank.  Guess I am lucky that I never had a problem with it otherwise I would have probably torn the bus upside down looking for it.

 

Bob L  08 dynasty

[Frank McElroy]

When Monaco custom built mine in April 2007, it only showed 3 zones.  Years later, when talking with other owners, who had coaches built a few months after mine, they all had 4 zones.  In checking my schematics, I found that I should have 4 zones.  It took a while before I found this "hidden" control box.  The dip switch was set to zone 2 instead of zone 4.  I made the change, rebooted the thermostat and low and behold, I now have 4 zones.

[Ivan K]

So this got my attention and i never thought about it because it just works. I have a thermostat for the front zone which only shows one zone. An other by the bed for center and rear zone, shows 2 zones.  Should I have an other zone and a hidden controller? The AH works just fine for the correct zones.

[Frank McElroy]

Ivan, I think monaco went to 4 zones when they put in the single thermostat with separate temp sensors.  I believe the first use of the single five button thermostat was with my 2008 model year coaches.

[Ivan K]

Thank you Frank, this is good news to me, appreciated. 

[Pduggs]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:41 AM, Bobbyboy said:

Ok, here is my problem.  I am replacing my middle A/C on my 08 dynasty.  I have the 5 button Control Center (CC).  I am replacing a 15000 btu with the newer 15000 btu Penguin II.  My old a/c finally gave out; it was the original.  The problem is Dometic tells me that the conversion kit needed to make the new unit work with the 5 button is on back order for over a year with no end in sight.  Two questions:  The board in my old unit is still good; can I place it in the new unit and have the 5 button work???  If not, tell me what I need to do to get it working.  (I can't replace the 5 button because my other two units are newer and when they were put in the conversion boards were readily accessible so I am kinda stuck)

Help would be appreciated cause it is hot.  The problem with the old one is compressor, not the board.  Or does anyone have the conversion kit they want to sell.

 

Thanks,  Bob L, 08 dynasty

Hi Bob, can you tell me how you determined it was a bad compressor on the AC unit that failed?  My rear AC unit blows air but it’s not cold. I replaced the run capacitor and the coil solenoid, without success. 

[MyronTruex]

I am glad you found the board. For a long while, I could not even get an AC unit and had to resort to a portable one. Noisy and not effective but got us through a hot summer.

I found the boards on Amazon to my surprise. I have not checked lately to see if they are still there.

I wish I had not sold the take-out boards on the new ones because eventually, I got a new second AC. That is, I had to buy a total of two new boards to replace two new boards in two new units. Sheesh.

When you get the new AC be sure to inspect it closely. Take the plastic shroud off and see if the freeze sensor is still in the fins.

I received a physically damaged AC unit, the next one with five or more major mechanical flaws, and the third one had a cracked outside shroud. It was a miserable ordeal getting a new unit that was not damaged in transit so I just fixed the one that had all the bad wiring and physical problems myself.

The suggestion of moving AC units around was a great one for someone having these issues. Yours being resolved of course.

Pay particular attention to the ductwork when you remove the broken one. There are some great youtubes on how to improve the airflow. I managed to at least double the airflow from mine. 

Ours being built at the end of 2007 some things were just thrown together. 

 

Cheers, and hope you have a cool Summer.

Myron

08 Endeavor

[Bobbyboy]

3 hours ago, Pduggs said:

Hi Bob, can you tell me how you determined it was a bad compressor on the AC unit that failed?  My rear AC unit blows air but it’s not cold. I replaced the run capacitor and the coil solenoid, without success. 

Basically you need to use an ohm meter.  Not very hard to do.  There are several you tube videos that explain it.  You measure the ohms from the common terminal to  the other two terminals, individually.  then add them for total ohms;  then measure ohms between the two terminals (not the common)  and those ohms should be the same as the total from the other two readings.  Kinda hard to explain but that  is the best I can do.

 

Bob L, 08 dynasty

12 hours ago, Frank McElroy said:

Ivan, I think monaco went to 4 zones when they put in the single thermostat with separate temp sensors.  I believe the first use of the single five button thermostat was with my 2008 model year coaches.

Frank:  Mine came with zone 4, which as you said, is the bathroom and hallway.  Zones1 is a/c and aqua hot;  zone 2 is a/c only;  zone 3 is a/c and aqua hot.  Of course 1,2, and 3 also have heat pump

Bob L, 08 dynasty

[Pduggs]

3 minutes ago, Bobbyboy said:

Basically you need to use an ohm meter.  Not very hard to do.  There are several you tube videos that explain it.  You measure the ohms from the common terminal to  the other two terminals, individually.  then add them for total ohms;  then measure ohms between the two terminals (not the common)  and those ohms should be the same as the total from the other two readings.  Kinda hard to explain but that  is the best I can do.

 

Bob L, 08 dynasty

Thanks. I did see a YouTube by an RV tech do that very thing. I’ll give it a try. If the ohm readings don’t match, what does this mean?

[Ivan K]

Ideally, to confirm a bad compressor you would see a total short or open between any of them, with compressor cool. Then you know the windings are fried. Also a short between ground and any of the posts but that would just blow your breaker. You can also just feel the compressor to know if it is running and then it is just low on gas, the thinner line coming out of it should normally be very hot. I have a portable AC compressor that ohms out perfectly and still does not run, haven't figured that one out yet but will likely swap it tomorrow because I am at the end of rope with this one.

[Frank McElroy]

1 hour ago, Bobbyboy said:

 

Frank:  Mine came with zone 4, which as you said, is the bathroom and hallway.  Zones1 is a/c and aqua hot;  zone 2 is a/c only;  zone 3 is a/c and aqua hot.  Of course 1,2, and 3 also have heat pump

Bob L, 08 dynasty

Bob, that is correct.  It turns out that all AC units must be on the first zones.  So that's why they must be on the first 3 zones.  After that, heat only zones can follow.  That's why the center bath is on zone 4.  Logic would have the center bath on zone 3 and the rear bedroom AC on zone 4 but the thermostat programming won't allow an AC unit to be programmed after a heat only zone.

[Greg G]

I have a 2006 Navigator that we have had for 4 years.  Previous owner put a new a/c with what I assume is the new thermostat in the front.  My middle and rear a/c appear to be original with a thermostat with 5 buttons.  In this climate of shortages I have decided I would like to go with new for the rear a/c’s which appears will require the new thermostat.  My question is, is that all I need to do for the a/c upgrade?  We live in this thing and the aqua hot needs to work as well.

The Houghton a/c has very good reviews but I cannot find enough information to figure out how to make the aqua hot work with it and the calls to the company did not give me any satisfaction that they would supply any useful tech support.

 Thanks in advance, I have learned allot from this site.

Greg

 

[Frank McElroy]

The aquahot is wired to the AC control board.  The new unit would be connected the same way assuming that your new unit also has a furnace option on the control board like your existing AC unit.