A/C question - Montana Owners Club

akf15e · 03-25-2009, 12:17 PM

I just took delivery on a new 3400RL. The dealer added a front A/C as part of the deal. During the PDI the tech showed me how to use the thermostat and the rear A/C (Zone 1). He showed my the bedroom A/C which is basically a window unit in the ceiling, i.e. controls are on the unit. Seemed OK to me.

Last night I was reading through the brochure and read about the 2nd A/C being ducted and on a thermostat, and then remembered the Keystone rep at the RV show telling me about ducting and using dual zones, etc.

My question is this - did I screw up by not specifying what type of A/C I wanted in the front? Or would it be reasonable to assume that they would give me something that can be controlled by the thermostat in the back? How exactly does that work?

Thanks in advance!

H. John Kohl · 03-25-2009, 12:40 PM

I would check with your dealer. However, if you have controls on the AC in the bedroom I am guessing it is not tied to the single thermostat.
That is the way our unit is and it works ok. We normally only run the bedroom AC to help cool initially or when we are watching TV and the living room one is too noise.
Good luck.

billben1 · 03-25-2009, 04:06 PM

I am getting ready to install a second AC over the bed in our new 3400RL. The dealer quoted a price of around $900.00 installed, which would have been installed with the controls on the ceiling. But after doing a little research found that the trailer is indeed ducted and wired to a existing temperature control in the bedroom and can be controlled by the dual zone thermostat in the main living area. There was a little more expense to hook it up that way but I figured it was worth it. Total cost to do myself around $625.00

Bill

bsmeaton · 03-25-2009, 04:08 PM

Your Dealer shortcutted you. If you have the small white sensor by the closet door, and dual row of AC vents in the ceiling, your rig was prefabbed for dual ducted ACs both controlled by the living room thermostat (as shown in the brochure). Your dealer stuck the same old unit on the front they probably have been using as dealer installs for years, and bypassed all the ducting and central functions built into your Montana.

I think I would have talk with him.

You should have the same ducted type AC in the front as you do in the back, no controls.

cman · 03-25-2009, 11:59 PM

What kind of A/C did they put on . The dual zone control (CCC Comfort Control Center) only works with Dometic unit.

SlickWillie · 03-26-2009, 12:58 AM

Perhaps Keystone is different, but there is a rental unit(SOB) here at our park. An older upper price unit, and it has the zone cooling in it. I had heard reports it didn't cool very well, and my kids were renting it last summer. I checked it out, and both units are tied to a common duct. Even when one zone called for cooling, both areas still got cooling. They got by, but I can assure you it wasn't impressive. We can cool our RV where you can hang meat in it (if you're willing to pay the bill!) I haven't seen a Montana with the zones, but I would be interested to see how their ducting is.

NCFischers · 03-26-2009, 01:06 AM

Our unit's front AC has no controls on it and is controlled by the thermostat (zone 2). I'd check with the dealer.

TLightning · 03-26-2009, 04:00 AM

We had our front A/C added after we had the rig for a while. It has it's own controls and is not tied into the rear unit.

bsmeaton · 03-26-2009, 04:58 AM

The change to the front AC didn't occur until the 10th anniversary edition.

SlickWillie · 03-26-2009, 06:19 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by NCFischers

Our unit's front AC has no controls on it and is controlled by the thermostat (zone 2). I'd check with the dealer.

Just out of curiosity. Are the two units on the same duct? I've never had dealings with zoned residential AC. I have however worked on industrial zone systems with pneumatic controls. They used dampers to send air to the necessary zones.

blamb · 03-26-2009, 02:04 PM

I have the non-ducted AC in the bedroom (in the front). Mine is also wired and ducted for dual AC, as it was on the lot with only the one main one, and they offered me the one that is "like a window unit in the ceiling". I honestly for the life of me cannot remember why I didn't pursue the dual ducted AC's, but I kind of wish I had. However, it's not a total loss, the AC in the bedroom does an incredible job of cooling if you shut the bedroom door, so at least one room is cool. Plus, it's nice having the space heater in the ceiling when it's cold out. OH!! That's right! I got the ceiling unit because I wanted the electric space heater to save on propane, so I'd always have a heat option in case I didn't have propane.

bsmeaton · 03-26-2009, 02:38 PM

just a note: All dometic ACs are now available in heat pumps as well, which are better than the heat strips providing the outside temp is above 30 degrees.

SOB uses the thermostat to control the heat pump, furnace, and ACs harmoniously so that the rooftop heat pumps run until the outside temp drops below 30 then the LP furnace comes on. Quite a setup.

Irregardless, the heat pump systems aren't much more than the standard. If I were to do again.............

billben1 · 03-26-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Just out of curiosity. Are the two units on the same duct? I've never had dealings with zoned residential AC. I have however worked on industrial zone systems with pneumatic controls. They used dampers to send air to the necessary zones.

Yes, both share the same Duct, When I opened the hole where the second AC would mount I turned on the fan of the 1st AC and the air blew out the ducts in the bedroom. So basicly you are feeding the system from both ends. I do have the option to open the quick cool in the bedroom to allow most of the air flow from the 2nd AC to dump directly into the bedroom.

Bill

KathyandDave · 03-27-2009, 03:30 PM

blamb wrote, "it's nice having the space heater in the ceiling when it's cold out. OH!! That's right! I got the ceiling unit because I wanted the electric space heater..."
Verrry interesting! Do you mean a heater coil for the A/C unit? We got a heater coil for the A/C of our last trailer (a pop-up) and found that it took the edge off cold mornings very quickly. Does anybody have reports of how this works in a 5er - single or dual A/C?

akf15e · 04-08-2009, 01:26 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by bsmeaton

Your Dealer shortcutted you. If you have the small white sensor by the closet door, and dual row of AC vents in the ceiling, your rig was prefabbed for dual ducted ACs both controlled by the living room thermostat (as shown in the brochure). Your dealer stuck the same old unit on the front they probably have been using as dealer installs for years, and bypassed all the ducting and central functions built into your Montana.

I think I would have talk with him.

You should have the same ducted type AC in the front as you do in the back, no controls.

Thanks for the words. I did call and am dropping the rig off next week to get the new a/c put on that is tied to the ducting and thermostat. Dealer was more than accomodating, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that it was not an intentional shortcut.

tim43 · 04-08-2009, 03:32 PM

Butch, I'd heard about that a couple of days ago and was wondering if that was your rig that they were replacing ACs in. How did your shakedown at the KOA go?
tim

akf15e · 04-08-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by tim43

Butch, I'd heard about that a couple of days ago and was wondering if that was your rig that they were replacing ACs in. How did your shakedown at the KOA go?
tim

Hey Tim - it went great. Everything worked as advertised. That is a shakedown cruise first for us on any of the 4 RVs we have owned. I am even more impressed with Montana now.

My only disappointment is a minor one - the electric awning. It rained all night and I realized that there is no way to make one side lower then the other to shed water. Also there is no way to connect deflappers to minimize wind effects. To have to bring it in during rain kind of defeats the purpose in my mind. All the chairs and mats get soaked! Also, we spend a lot of time at the breezy beach, so I have to find a way to use a deflapper of some sort.

I also got to meet Jim and Vickie (NCFischer) and got some great ideas from him on a number of things.

Have you had a shakedown yet? We'll be using 3 of our 40 free nights from Hawley's at Sycamore Lodge next Tues-Fri. Join us if you can! I'm dropping it off for the A/C swap and repair of the new "ding" on the way home.

tim43 · 04-08-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by akf15e
Have you had a shakedown yet? We'll be using 3 of our 40 free nights from Hawley's at Sycamore Lodge next Tues-Fri. Join us if you can! I'm dropping it off for the A/C swap and repair of the new "ding" on the way home.

Butch, The 3585SA arrived at Hawley's in Fayetteville on Monday with some road damage to the lower right front corner molding where it was broken off and a small dent in the lower right front side panel. Waiting for parts to fix this and also ordered a Fifth Airborne Hitch and that will be in this coming Tuesday. Will do the formal PDI and take it home on the 17th and then head for Ocean Lakes at Myrtle Beach from the 22d to 27th. Where are you getting the repairs done, Garner or Fayetteville? As to the awning, I'm thinking mine has the same type. Not too good for the beach, but after a couple of close calls with line squalls on the Outer Banks a couple of years ago, I'd rather roll up than pick up the pieces. Tim

akf15e · 04-09-2009, 02:16 AM

Tim,
Hope the repairs go well. We're getting ours done in Fayetteville.

Ocean Lakes is where we did the shakedown on our Mountaineer 5er. Great choice - easy to get in and out, lots of pull throughs, etc.

I agree that the awning is not so good for the beach, but I do have to admit that when it started pouring at 4 AM last week it was very convenient to get out of bed, walk over to the control panel, and push the switch for "retract awning"!!

Good luck with the PDI.

Butch

tim43 · 04-09-2009, 07:55 AM

Butch, If the electric awning is made by A&E/Dometic and is the Dometic 9100 awning, there is a Dometic 9100 awning kit. Specifically: Svc kit, adjustable pitch army asm std. Two Dometic part #s depending on the awning. The first seven numbers are the same - 3312508.017B or 009B. When I go down to Hawley's in the morning to do the paperwork and drop off the traded 5er, I'll do some more checking. Supposedly the arm is free. Tim

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