Looks like another Dometic AC unit bites the dust.

WA

WackyDan

Advanced Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Posts
55
Location
Matthews
Bought new 2015 Aerolite in 2015. Used it a few times that year and everything worked fine. Used the AC a few times.

First trip in 2016 was a two week trip to Florida... Go to fire up the AC and no cooling at all. Did all the troubleshooting and call with dealer confirmed unit was likely one of the afflicted Dometic units.

Return from the trip, have the unit replaced under warranty and all is fine. next few trips are to the mountains and didn't really run AC much at all.

2017 used trailer lightly but spent week and half at outer banks running the AC daily in July/August. Couple more trips to mountains that year and didn't use AC.

This year finally took trailer out to smokies for two weeks and need to use AC... Unit is dead once again... Damn thing was used for less than two weeks after replacement and it is likely dead. Now out of warranty of course.

I've heard of people getting bit by bad replacement units... Afraid I might be one of them.

When troubleshooting this time I noticed that the furnace turned on all on it's own... So I'm hoping that maybe it is just a flaky thermostat now as the dealer quoted me $1400 for a new AC unit and $1600 for a 15k BTU upgrade. I asked for a coleman unit but they said that they wouldn't/couldn't retrofit the rig from a Dometic to coleman due to the thermostat wiring...

Generally happy with the dealer, but they also refused to go to bat for me with Dometic if it is a 2nd bad unit... Which is kinda ****ty of them.

Anyone have the same fight in their past? Any pointers?

Needless to say, we are thinking about upgrading to a new trailer in another year or so... I'll probably only look at manufacturers using coleman units at that point.
 
I have a 15k Dometik on my Aerolite. It's about 2 ½ years old now and I full time in it. In fact, the AC gets worked HARD in the Texas Coastal area that I live in.

I'm starting to believe using the air conditioner continuously might actually be a benefit to lifespan?

It's the only explanation I can think of considering how common it is for lightly used ones failing so often.

Also note you can buy these exact units for a fraction of the cost of the RV dealership charges. And they really aren't that complicated to replace.
 
snakebitten said:
I'm starting to believe using the air conditioner continuously might actually be a benefit to lifespan?
Click to expand...

You know, I'm inclined to agree...

I use 2 of my 3 AC units almost continuously, as I get warm pretty easily. All of mine are over 5 years old... and thus far (knock on wood!!), they've never given me any trouble. Hell, my bedroom unit works so well, I could hang meat in there if I wanted. :)

Sometimes though, I think it's just luck of the draw. In any mass-production item, there are bound to be flawed units that make it to market. And it doesn't have to be the entire unit itself that's bad... but the same can be said for any of the small components that make up that unit. And if one of them is flawed, then the whole unit is flawed.
 
ATCguy said:
You know, I'm inclined to agree...

I use 2 of my 3 AC units almost continuously, as I get warm pretty easily. All of mine are over 5 years old... and thus far (knock on wood!!), they've never given me any trouble. Hell, my bedroom unit works so well, I could hang meat in there if I wanted. :)

Sometimes though, I think it's just luck of the draw. In any mass-production item, there are bound to be flawed units that make it to market. And it doesn't have to be the entire unit itself that's bad... but the same can be said for any of the small components that make up that unit. And if one of them is flawed, then the whole unit is flawed.
Click to expand...
I'm good with that take.

I do think using them is a good thing.
But if you got one with defective parts, that'd be what it is no matter what.
 
Use it or lose it adage

May apply to Air Conditioners.


That is why in automobiles, why does the A/C run in the defrost mode, with temperature turned way up??


You use defrost mostly in winter and not the A/C. The manufacturers want it to run all year long.


I am guessing here, but I am sticking to my story.:rolleyes:
 
ArmyVeteran said:
May apply to Air Conditioners.


That is why in automobiles, why does the A/C run in the defrost mode, with temperature turned way up??


You use defrost mostly in winter and not the A/C. The manufacturers want it to run all year long.


I am guessing here, but I am sticking to my story.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It's actually because AC removes moisture from the air and dry air defrosts more efficiently. I just learned that on newer vehicles(especially my Chevy truck) the AC will come on at random times even if the ac button isn't pushed. I was told with all the modern electronics that they try to keep the cabin at the lowest possible humidity.

Not trying to be a know it all, but I did a lot of recherche on vehicle air conditioning after I bought my truck and it was turning on automatically ;)
 
wildwest450 said:
It's actually because AC removes moisture from the air and dry air defrosts more efficiently. I just learned that on newer vehicles(especially my Chevy truck) the AC will come on at random times even if the ac button isn't pushed. I was told with all the modern electronics that they try to keep the cabin at the lowest possible humidity.

Not trying to be a know it all, but I did a lot of recherche on vehicle air conditioning after I bought my truck and it was turning on automatically ;)
Click to expand...

And the highest static discharge factor. I hate sliding in and out of my truck sometimes.
 
wildwest450 said:
It's actually because AC removes moisture from the air and dry air defrosts more efficiently. I just learned that on newer vehicles(especially my Chevy truck) the AC will come on at random times even if the ac button isn't pushed. I was told with all the modern electronics that they try to keep the cabin at the lowest possible humidity.

Not trying to be a know it all, but I did a lot of recherche on vehicle air conditioning after I bought my truck and it was turning on automatically ;)
Click to expand...


Oki Doki!


I was referring to Yugos only hahaha
 
wildwest450 said:
It's actually because AC removes moisture from the air and dry air defrosts more efficiently. I just learned that on newer vehicles(especially my Chevy truck) the AC will come on at random times even if the ac button isn't pushed. I was told with all the modern electronics that they try to keep the cabin at the lowest possible humidity.

Not trying to be a know it all, but I did a lot of recherche on vehicle air conditioning after I bought my truck and it was turning on automatically ;)
Click to expand...


Oki Doki!


I was referring to Yugos only hahaha
 
ArmyVeteran said:
May apply to Air Conditioners.


That is why in automobiles, why does the A/C run in the defrost mode, with temperature turned way up??


You use defrost mostly in winter and not the A/C. The manufacturers want it to run all year long.


I am guessing here, but I am sticking to my story.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

In cars they also act as a dehumidifier...

Aaron:cool:
 
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