Remote thermostat

[rldriver]

I also posted earlier on this thread about the 10 deg variance with the unit in our new 2980RL and after a verbal contact with Bob at Dometic I received a replacement unit the next day, good job.

I finally install the new unit and found that I have the same problem so the next day I sent an email to Bob @ Dometic requesting the newer Comfort Control replacement unit but have not had a response back from him in a week.

Are you there Bob
rldriver
driver@vib.tv

[Montana_3378]

We have noticed much conversation on this web site regarding the temperature sensitivity of the Dometic Infrared Remote Control air conditioning system on Keystone Montana Fifth Wheel products. We wanted to offer some information that may help ease your mind.

The vast majorities of these systems are and will continue to function properly. If you have a system that is operating properly, it would be unusual for it to fail over time.

There have been a small number of Montana products exhibiting a temperature variation issue, most of which are furnace side only. Rest assured, this condition can be corrected through your dealer after a simple diagnostic procedure. We have been in contact with Keystone regarding this situation and we both stand ready to assist if you are experiencing this issue. If you feel you are having an issue with temperature variation, we would recommend making an appointment with your selling dealer at your earliest convenience to have it checked out.

If you need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us direct at customersupportcenter@dometicusa.com or Keystone at www.keystonerv.com.

Thank you,
Dometic Corporation

[Gypsy]

I, too, had the remote system replaced by an authorized dealer. It didn't work any better than the first one. I returned to the dealer, they checked it out and said it's working properly. I'm feeling like they think I'm crazy. But I'm now documenting every time I have to turn the temp down to 68 to get the a/c on, then back up to 86 to get it to turn off. Why can't I just set it at 75 and have it work correctly? I had similar problems with the furnace settings, but with 90's plus outside I'm not using the furnace these days. This is frustrating!

[mjcjtroy]

I replied to Dometics message with much dismay as to how they can keep ignoring that this is a real problem. We are just so thankful that ours was replaced with the Comfort Control and so sorry for those of you who have to keep fighting this battle. I would really like to hear from all of the satisfied remote users out there. So far there has only been one or two. How many Montana owners with the remote themostat are really satisfied 100 percent?

[mazeeff]

I am also dismayed and digusted by this response by Dometic. I'm one of the lucky ones who was sent a CCC replacement by Dometic, and am happy with it. I am absolutly convinced that the remote system is engineered incorrectly. It was not designed by Dometic, so I suspect they don't have a clue what the problem is. Dometic is just another company more interested in protecting the bottom line than in keeping their customers happy. Perhaps someone close the Dometic's HQ's could drop by with their unit, and ask the President to spend a couple of hours in their trailer to get a first hand idea of what is wrong.

[rldriver]

When I first had a problem with the heater remote control from Dometic in our brand new 2980RL I was sent a replacement unit the next day. I finally had time to replace the unit and to my dismay found it had the same problem as the original.

I have now sent 2 emails to Dometic requesting information on how to return the old units and would they send send me a replacement Comfort Control unit and I would install it myself and get this problem resolved. I have not had the courtesy of a reply from them.

I explained to them that I would have to travel over a 100 miles to my dealer to have them analyze the problem and another trip to get it repaired. This is just to expensive and I do not have the time to do this extra traveling when I am more than capable of determining the problem and installing the replacement myself.

I just got off the telephone with my dealer and he has not heard any thing about this problem from Keystone or Dometic but he has replaced 2 defective units.

All I want is to replace the remote with a working thermostat and get this resolved.

Richard Driver
2005 2980RL
Just venting

[Parrothead]

Richard,
Dometic replied to me almost instantly. Try again. They sent the comfort control to us. We haven't had time to install yet but will soon.

[mjcjtroy]

Parrothead,
You were among the lucky ones. Dometic is no longer replacing with Comfort Control or listening to what the real problem is.

[Land Bertram]

From my previous post you can see that I have the thermostat problem as well. I have been in contact with Dometic. Dometic has sent me a new sensor and cable to attach to the ceiling of my Montana 3400Rl. Yesterday I sent Dometic an email asking exactly where they wanted the sensor mounted and where in the coach they wanted the temperature readings taken. I reminded Dometic that I have a ceiling fan just ahead of the AC if that made a difference and that the system must work in the heat or cool mode. Today I received an email with instructions from Dometic.

We just got home from a 10 day maiden voyage with our new Montana 3400RL and I was able to get the cool (one day) and heat (nine days) to work reasonable well with the remote in the I Feel Mode. Not my choice of operation but my dealer suggested I try the I Feel Mode to salvage my vacation plans. Had to position the remote at a level in the coach that was where we wanted to maintain a temperature. Chair level for the living area in the evening and bed level for sleeping at night. All while keeping the remote pointed at the sensor. In both incidences I had the remote set at 71 degrees for heat and 73 degrees for cool. No measurements were taken so I can not say how well the system maintained the temperature. Sure do wish I had the Comfort Control Center so I could just set the temperature and forget it.

[mike johnson]

hello,we just had our unit replaced by a comfort control unit and it is just so normal to walk up to a thermostat and just turn the darn thing on and have it work.i told our dealer "east bay rv in martinez calif" about the forum and all the problems the remote unit was having and they called keystone and was given the approval to change systems and it was all under warranty.so good luck to all

[mjcjtroy]

Once again I'd like to give my opinion on the I feel mode. It also worked the best for us and seemed to be the most reliable until it shut down completely while we were gone. Then disaster struck and for 6 weeks we had a thermostat hanging from our ceiling, climbing up and down a ladder to raise and lower the heat setting!! Finally after daily contact with dealer, dometic, and keystone we had the system replaced with Comfort Control Center. Is this the way a customer should be treated? Keystone, why are you still installing this system in your RV's? I am amazed! Do you really think we are all crazy? This will get bad enough that one of these days you will be the one who is suffering.

[Montana_3368]

Hi to all from Pearl Lake, South Beloit Illinois

We were fortunate to get in on this problem early, some where around page 5 or 6...Dometic was very responsive offering to replace the 1st remote with another that did not work any better, test different areas to hang the sensor no better results...don't forget with thermostates, close does'nt count regardless what they say. Close only counts in shuffel board..you all ( we all) paid good money for what ever model you have and should at least be able to set the thermostat and forget it...We replaced ours on the 3rd try with the
CCC and it works just fine, not close but on the button. I can not imagine that after all this time they are still ducking this issue and putting you all through these exercises in futility and not just switching you out to what they know works...Happy we were able to solve the problem with out our dealer involvement!!

[cs413]

Hey guys - I read where Dometic prefers e mail to phone calls about the remote stat we were stuck with when we bought our trailers. So I wrote them on 6/1 and haven't heard from them yet. How long does it take to get a response?? My next e mail or call is to Keystone. I just cannot believe they continue to put such a defective component in the Montanas. I asked what it would COST ME to replace it and still no response! I am not dragging my Montana to and from the dealer 3,4 or five times with the same end result in 3-6 months - A defective thermostat with a 10 degree temperature range. If anyone has heard from them sooner than 5 days, please let me know. Maybe I'm jumping the gun.
Thank you.

[sreigle]

During our factory tour week before last we were told they are (or maybe already have) moving away from the remote unit. So they are listening.

[rldriver]

After installing the second unit and finding that it will not work properly Dometic insisted that I take it into the dealer to have him move the pick up unit to the ceiling next to the AC unit. My dealer told me he would have to rewire the unit. I explained to him all he has to do is get a new telephone type cable (nothing from Dometic about this) about 3 foot long and plug it into the system a run his test.

If you move the pick up unit to the ceiling how in the hell is a vertically challenged individual like my wife and myself going to reach the buttons to use it in the manual position? I guess we have to Cary a broom stick around with us. To use the remote we will now have to stand under the pick up and point it up to receive the signal.

Last and finally who is going to pay for my time and fuel to keep running back to the dealer, over 100 miles each trip, and I have to leave it so we are talking about 200 miles. It all adds up. All I asked Dometic to do was replace the unit with the CCC and get this resolved. I also told them I would be more than happy to do it myself.

I sent 3 email to Dometic and they finally answered that "we talked to your dealer this morning". I sent an email to Keystone requesting assistance but no answer.

I am pulling out my hair and I don't have much left.

[cs413]

My point exactly! I am not going to waste my time and money taking my trailer to the dealership 3 or 4 times just to prove that stat does not work. To put it on the ceiling anyway is totally ridiculous.
I have an a/c background and there is a reason thermostats are set 60" from the floor in your living space. It gives you the best control of what you are trying to heat or cool. It's where you live. I realize the box on the wall is basicly a relay, but it must sense something - it has slots in it for I assume air flow to sense temperature. Whatever it is, it's not working. By the time you drive to and from the dealer you could have bought the CCC, which is why I asked how much it would cost to upgrade. I saw somewhere the CCC was around $115.00. I don't know if that included the whole kit or not. I'm going to start doing some checking on it and do it myself since Dometic obviously isn't listening now.

[rogersuemegan]

We too have problems with this remote thermostats!! I called our dealer yesterday to ask what it would cost to have them put in the "old fashion" kind, nearly dropped the phone when he said $500! Think we will just live with the one we have. We can only hope that when the people that are now coming up with all these new ideas are our age and buying new campers, that they too will have to deal with all the new and "better" gadgets the company dreams up! he! he! he! We are heading out this morning to camp with several family members for some birthday partys, one is 13 and one is 65 this friday. I also am having surgery in Ann Arbor on thur. to replace a battery in my Spinal Cord Stimulator implant, not really a big deal but still surgery, never the less. We God Bless all of you and will see you when we get home in about a week.

[mazeeff]

quote:Originally posted by rldriver

I explained to him all he has to do is get a new telephone type cable (nothing from Dometic about this) about 3 foot long and plug it into the system a run his test.

Keep in mind that this cable is wired differently than a normal telephone cable. One connector is flipped, which wires pin 1 to the last pin (can't recall if it has 4,6, or 8 pins). The service manual I posted back on page 7 described this.

[OntMont]

Nothing new to add to what has already been written here, but last weekend we went out to a campground to vist friends who had just got a new Montana. They are not MOC members and do not read this forum, nor have I ever mentioned this problem to them. When we arrived, they took us into the trailer and told us how much they liked it, but they could not get that "thermostat thing" to work right. "Its freezing in here and we have it set for 24(Celsius). I checked the room temperature reading and it showed 19. I had to put the set point up to 27 to get the air conditioner to shut off. Now none of this is a surprise to any of us, but it was somewhat satisfying to hear it coming from an unbiased observer.

I hope the comment above that Keystome are phasing it out is true. Now, if only we can get something done about the existing units.

$500 sounds like a lot to downgrade the system to a conventional analog one, but that would be my preferred option if the wiring could be changed to accomodate it. Then I could install a progammable digital thermostat and be a very happy camper. (Actually I have already done that for the furnace operation.)

Regarding contact with Dometic, I e-mailed them and got a message back asking me to call there customer service number.

[cs413]

Well I took the Monty in this morning to have the second a/c unit and a Trailair pin box installed and have a few warranty items taken care of. One of which included - guess what - the thermostat. I no sooner got the word thermostat out of my mouth than the service manager just shook his head and said "OH YAH- the remote stat." He already had one in there working on it and said that stat has been the biggest service pain he's had since they began installing them. So, we are not a unique few here. THIS IS A BAD PRODUCT AND A BAD IDEA. I told him don't even think about installing that unit on the ceiling - that's not going to happen. He said absolutely not - that's part of the problem now, the sensor's on the ceiling in the unit. I don't think there is an easy answer short of replacement and we paid more than enough for these trailers they could replace a universal problem like this. This is not an isolated problem. I checked on the price of the CCC and the stat is $90.00 and the control box is $120.00. They should at least split the difference with us. I may have to buy it but I won't go quietly - I'm going down yelling.