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Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Yahoo Message Number: 7696
We own a 2004 Intrigue and have not had a decent hot shower yet. We have the Hydro Hot system and it just dosen't seem to kick in soon enough and you end up with cold water before it warms up agin. This happens a couple times each shower. Frustrating after paying this kind of money.

Gary & Fernanda Bender
Intrigue 11701

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7698
Hi Gary,

I share your frustration. CCI jumps on new approaches without trying them first. It has been suggested they have a concept vehicle where they try things out for a year before they put them into production.
They seen to have 'keeping up with the Jones complex'. When many of us coach owners start talking to the marketing department can we expect tested appliances and components. You can make yourself heard by addressing your concerns to Carol Taylor Clay, Marketing at CTC@....
Fred Kovol

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7699
Hi, Gary and Fred,

My wife and I hosted a seminar at FMCA put on by the Hydro-hot people. Having experienced lack of hot water with my Hurricane when on electricity, I asked if the Hydro-hot will provide adequate hot water for showers when using electricity. I got a sheepish "no" and decided at that time to swallow my pride and always use deisel to heat enough water for showers. Since then I've never run out and until the latest episode of losing coolant have been well satisfied with the Hurricane. In a nutshell, electric hot water from both units will suffice for washing dishes, but not showers.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7703
This entire diesel heater problem is so un-necessary, other than for the original Hurricane fault of no high heat cutout. These systems have been used successfully in boats for years. Many boat owners leave the systems running for months while the boats are left during the winter. I've been boating for years and have heard of very few problems.
The basics are simple enough. The problems seem to be caused by two factors. First, the rush to electronics. The boat systems I have helped install did not require complicated control boards. Sometimes simple is better. Second, CC seems unable to grasp the simple design that has already been well tested--and is only common sense. The diesel system should not be expected to fire every time a cup of hot water is needed. There should be a storage tank / electric heater of at least 6 gallons. The thermostat to fire the boiler should be on this tank, not the small boiler tank. The storage tank stays hot longer, temperature is more uniform, the system fires less often, and runs longer. Engine heat is also captured in this tank, not wasted as in the factory system. On the boat we can do dishes and take two showers on stored engine heat alone. And the electric unit negates the need for the boiler most of the time while on shore power.
CC installed the 6 gallon tank in our coach, but still couldn't grasp the concept of putting the thermostat on this tank instead of the boiler. No system should have to be firing constantly to keep it working. No system should have any trouble supplying steady hot water to the shower. If after moving the thermostat to the storage tank, and after two boiler units and three control boards we still have trouble, we are going to expect CC to replace the entire system with something reliable.
Doug 03 Allure 30929

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7707
I have a 2004 Intrigue Ovation, with Hydro Hot and Carol and I have taken two showers in a row multiple times and yet to have run out of hot water, but then we have been RVing for 18 years and don't exspect to take a residential type shower. The grey water tank isn't big enough. TWI Intrigue 11731

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7711
Gary

Quote
>>We have the Hydro Hot system and it just dosen't seem to kick in
soon enough and you end up with cold water before it warms up agin.
This is a shame as CC had an excellent hydronic system in my 99 Magna. it consists of a Webasto furnace & 10 gal. propane water heater. It provides so much flexibility & has been trouble free for 5 years, I do the yearly maint. of changing the fuel nozzle & filter.

The hot water tank is heated 4 ways, when you drive down the road via the engine coolant, when you run the webasto heating, using the tanks electical heating element & finally by propane. I wouldn't buy another CC without it & I believe the 03 Magna's were the last to use it although with a Hurricane unit.

I don't understand CC anymore, why do they keep changing proven systems?

Terry

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7715
Terry,

You are exactly correct. You have the best system. There was no reason for CC to make the change, except possibly the clean looking installation of the Hurricane 45 having all components in one SS case. And thank goodness it was totally enclosed or mine would have burned to the ground and taken my house with it. The fact that CC switched to a new system without thorough testing and without checking for proper safety controls has left me with little confidence in CC in general.
Doug Allure 30929

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7741
Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your Hydro Hot system. Mine has worked very well on my coach ... no problems with hot water or waiting for hot water.

Rick,

2004 36' Allure
31018

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7742
Dear CC Hurricane owners,

Talked to Jim Rixen today. Remember him? He was the owner of the US franchise for Hurricane. He had a shop in Jantzen Beach(Portland, OR. We were discussing the possibility of using Ethyl Glycol as opposed to Propelyen(sp)Glycol in the Hurricane. I was sold a bill of goods at Waltham's in Medford, and bought a gallon of the red stuff. Jim told me he was replacing one hurricane a week. He has put together a great replacement that he will sell for a pretty good deal off retail and basically install for free. He says that Tiffin, has told their customers that they can use his replacement and they will pay for the replacement and installation. I asked about CC. He says that are waiting to see what's going to happen? ie waiting for the warranties with ITR (hurricane OEM) to expire before they take any action. Jim was very knowledgeable about the whole business with ITR, and is currently in court with them over "issues." He also stated that although the brochure says 45KBTU it actually only puts out 30K, maybe that's why it continually cycles.
So, I guess my question is; "How do we hurricane owners who are NOT happy, persuade?influence? CC to allow us to replace our units with something that works?" I mean if it was so great would they have switched to Hyrdohot/Aquahot? I don't think so. Don't lawyers buy CCs? Isn't there a lawyer out there that would help us file a class action suit? Or at least begin negotiations with CC. Here's my list of stuff with Hurricane:
1. Would not run
2. Would not heat water
3. Puffed smoke out and quit
4. Replaced board
a. Would not heat water
5. error message 7
6. error message 2
7. Puffed out smoke

above are visits to factory to fix, below are issues still not fixed
8. disappearing radiator fluid
9. on-off cycles every 30 seconds

10. Heats living area 2 degrees BELOW thermostat 11. Heats bedroom area 3 degrees ABOVE thermostat 12. brief squealing noise when pump shuts off (has been doing since day one)
Oh yeah, the above visits do NOT count the time I took it to Jim Rixen himself at his shop. He had it for over a week, and assured me it was working properly.
Our last visit to CC they really worked hard at making this thing work. The time before they told me it was fixed and when I checked the hours, I noted they had not run it since I dropped it off. When I pointed that out, and asked how they fixed it without running it, there was a long pause. This last time, they told me how many hours they ran it. And, it really does work better now. It's just not the best, and when we pay for coaches that aspire to be, "The best coaches in the world." I think it's reasonable to have a heating/water heat system that works right. Merry Christmas to all !! !

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7745
Joe,
1. You didn't finish, what was Jim's answer re: Ethylene vs Propylene Glycol?
2. What the name of his product? Does he manufacture himself or have
it mfg'd for him under a private brand name?

THanks, Mike ....Allure 30898.....Needs replacement for Hurricane

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7748
Joe and Patti,

I agree with you about getting CCI to do something to make these units more reliable. However, I feel as do others that the basic unit is sound but the complexities that have been built in have made it unreliable. I spoke to Rixen last time I had a total failure of the Hurricane system and they approached me with the same idea of replacing my heater for one of theirs.
I've had nothing but problems, from my unit, that began 2 months after I purchased my 03 Allure. I'm more than willing to join you or any others who have had similar problems with their heating system and I'll back that up by by putting my money where my mouth is. Below is a list of problems and resolutions revolving around the Hurricane heating system. The one positive thing I can say is that the unit continued to heat the bays and holding tanks during the winter although I had the control board problems.
Feb 03 - Dometic thermostat would not register heating zone two. Attempted numerous resets of the thermostat but would get error code in the display.
Dometic suggested that I run a new control lead back connecting the front air- conditioner to the rear air-conditioner. All attempts failed. Snow and ice- bound in northeast so could not travel to get it fixed.
April 03 - Dometic thermostat would now not register heating zone one either.
Still snow and ice-bound.

May 03 - Took coach to Stouts where they replaced the rear air-conditioning control board.

May 03 - Aug 03 - Happy days!!!!! No Hurricane problems. Could it have been because we weren't taxing it at all since it was summer?
Sep 03 - Lost hot water. Replaced blower fan twice, Replaced control board in heating bay twice. Flames and black smoke coming from exhaust pipe. Finally unit refused to start.

Oct 03 Took coach to Lazydays where they replaced heating bay control board to the latest and greatest, completely cleaned the combustion chamber, replaced burner nozzle, changed the blower fan, changed the fuel filter and the circulating pump.

Nov 03 - Dometic thermostat registers heating Zone 2 but blowers won't turn on in zone two. This happened three days after getting home from Lazydays.
Worked with CCI to find the problem in a broken wire connecting zone two to the heating bay control board.

Dec 03 - Dometic thermostat has lost zone two. Zone one registers and works fine, but for how long. Called CCI they thought it was the Dometic thermostat and would be sending one to me. We'll see. Soon to be snow and ice bound again. It's amazing how history repeats itself.

--

Regards

Jose' Ferrer
201-326-3231

201-481-0717 (Cell)
Jose Ferrer
06 Magna Rembrandt #6568
Towed 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Cat C13  with Allison Transmission
Hydralift, Blue Ox Avail tow bar

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot (Rixen website)

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7756
Hi, Mike

Here is the link to Rixen's website.
http://www.rixens.com/index.htm
Bill Harris

03 Allure 1st Ave 30912
Datastorm

Quote from: allure012000

Joe,

1. You didn't finish, what was Jim's answer re: Ethylene vs

Propylene

Quote
Glycol?

2. What the name of his product? Does he manufacture himself or

have
 

Re: Hurricane verses Hydro Hot

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 7773
The answer was absolutely not, although I have to say the guy at Cummins said it was not big deal and they were compatible. I decided to take the safe way out and just buy the darn stuff.
Rixen said the burner was german made and yes, this is a unit that he has built.