Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Thermostat Blues (Read 972 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Thermostat Blues

Yahoo Message Number: 15023
The thermostat on our new coach seems to have a mind of its own. We have the RV Products thermostat with three zones - living, bath, and bedroom. We have the usual two zone Hydro-hot, living/bedroom, and three A/C units, Living/Kitchen/Bedroom. The thermostat seems to have its own mind. Sometimes when you press the zone button it will only show 1 or 2 zones. Wait awhile and it will show all three or maybe only 1 or 2 but different from the others. Also, and this may be due to sensor placement, the thermostat seems to always read 2-3 degrees warmer than the Oregon Scientific remotes that we've placed near the sensors. Tonight the thermostat froze up on zone three showing 00 temp with the backlight on. Switching the thermostat off made no difference, I finally had to cycle the 12V on the coach off and on then it seemed to be ok. Is this normal operation for this device or should we have it serviced? I read where it can take 20 seconds for the unit to respond to commands so I always give it lots of time.

Bob and Gloria

'05 Intrigue LE Ovation #11872

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15024
In a prior life, with our Dutch Star, we read a long, invloved saga about a bad controller (same type, but two zones). It turned out to be the routing of the serial com lines from the control unit to the roof top units ... apparantly they were run along the 120v lines at some point. Normally RS485 com lines are pretty secure, especially if twisted pairs, but this situation created big time troubs, similar to what you are experiencing.

There is a way to do a master reset on the inside controller, but I would think power down would work also.
I would think CC would take care in routing, more so than Newmar, but who knows.

Good luck.

John and Terry

2005 Affinity #6453

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15030
What you are going to find out upon further examination is that the surfaces the temp sensors are mounted on have a great influence on the ambient temp you feel. I have discovered that in the summer where we might enjoy 72 deg that a setting of 79 to 78 deg gives that desired result. In the winter with just the drapes closed we may have to set the thermostat at 74 to get 69 or 70. Hint go to Camping world and buy that aluminum with the bubbled plastic in layers for the front windshield. You'll cut your hydro-hot cycling in 1/2 and you'll be able to run the front heat only and not have to listen to the bed and bath heat exchanger fans all night. If it gets below 20 degrees we pull in our front two slides. Set your floor heat to 100 deg and you'll find you won't need any heat a lot times.. Of course it will change your thermostat readings versus your personal comfort factor.
"Practice makes perfect." Thomas W. Insall 42' Ovation 11731

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15791
Quote from: bobstep
The thermostat on our new coach seems to have a mind of its own.

We

Quote
have the RV Products thermostat with three zones - living, bath,

and

Quote
bedroom. We have the usual two zone Hydro-hot, living/bedroom,

and

Quote
three A/C units, Living/Kitchen/Bedroom. The thermostat seems to > have its own mind. Sometimes when you press the zone button it

will

Quote
only show 1 or 2 zones. Wait awhile and it will show all three or > maybe only 1 or 2 but different from the others. Also, and this

may

Quote
be due to sensor placement, the thermostat seems to always read 2-

3

Quote
degrees warmer than the Oregon Scientific remotes that we've

placed

Quote
near the sensors. Tonight the thermostat froze up on zone three > showing 00 temp with the backlight on. Switching the thermostat

off

Quote
made no difference, I finally had to cycle the 12V on the coach

off

Quote
and on then it seemed to be ok. Is this normal operation for

this

Quote
device or should we have it serviced? I read where it can take

20

Quote
seconds for the unit to respond to commands so I always give it

lots

Quote
of time.

Bob and Gloria

'05 Intrigue LE Ovation #11872
I am having exactly the same problem. For the last 2 days I have been trying to figure out why this 5" piece of white plastic was not responding. Glad to know I'm not alone. I will try dropping the 12V as you did and see if mine resets also. If so, there must be a glitch in the units that will need to be addressed by the manufacturer, RV Products/Coleman-Mach. We just purchased this unit and took delivery last week. According to the info sent with the Intrigue, this is not the thermostat that was installed.

Jay and Stephanie

04 Intrigue Ovation #11821

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15792
Quote

I am having exactly the same problem. For the last 2 days I have > been trying to figure out why this 5" piece of white plastic was not > responding. Glad to know I'm not alone. I will try dropping the 12V > as you did and see if mine resets also. If so, there must be a > glitch in the units that will need to be addressed by the > manufacturer, RV Products/Coleman-Mach. We just purchased this unit > and took delivery last week. According to the info sent with the > Intrigue, this is not the thermostat that was installed.

Jay and Stephanie

04 Intrigue Ovation #11821
We have not had the lock up problem for while. We have found that waiting about 20 seconds between commands helps the situation. (The 20 second time delay is documented in the RVP manual). We are still having issues with the placement of the thermostats as the front thermostat is mounted on the bottom of the entertainment center in front of a window and the rear thermostat is mounted on the wall adjacent to the dryer. We're going to the factory on May 10th and the thermostat operation is one of the issues we are going to discuss.

Bob and Gloria

05 Intrigue LE #11872

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15918
Quote from: Bob Stephens
>
>
>

> I am having exactly the same problem. For the last 2 days I

have

Quote
been trying to figure out why this 5" piece of white plastic was

not

Quote
responding. Glad to know I'm not alone. I will try dropping the

12V

Quote
as you did and see if mine resets also. If so, there must be a > > glitch in the units that will need to be addressed by the > > manufacturer, RV Products/Coleman-Mach. We just purchased this

unit

Quote
and took delivery last week. According to the info sent with

the

Quote
Intrigue, this is not the thermostat that was installed.
>

> Jay and Stephanie

> 04 Intrigue Ovation #11821

We have not had the lock up problem for while. We have found that > waiting about 20 seconds between commands helps the situation.

(The

Quote
20 second time delay is documented in the RVP manual). We are

still

Quote
having issues with the placement of the thermostats as the front > thermostat is mounted on the bottom of the entertainment center in > front of a window and the rear thermostat is mounted on the wall > adjacent to the dryer. We're going to the factory on May 10th and

the

Quote
thermostat operation is one of the issues we are going to discuss.

Bob and Gloria

05 Intrigue LE #11872
Unlike you, I only have one thermostat located on the sidewall above the drivers seat. It controls all three zones using remote sensors, so I guess the physical placement of the controller is not critical. Rather than shut down the 12v to the coach, you can simply pop off the thermostat cover and momentarily pull one side of the fuse on the circuit board. It resets the unit. I would be interested as to what the factory has to say.

Jay and Stephanie

04 Intrigue Ovation #11821

Re: Thermostat Blues

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 15944
Quote
Unlike you, I only have one thermostat located on the sidewall above > the drivers seat. It controls all three zones using remote sensors, > so I guess the physical placement of the controller is not > critical. Rather than shut down the 12v to the coach, you can > simply pop off the thermostat cover and momentarily pull one side of > the fuse on the circuit board. It resets the unit. I would be > interested as to what the factory has to say.

Jay and Stephanie

04 Intrigue Ovation #11821
Actually, I think we have the same system. Our "Thermostat" is located in a compartment over the dash on the passenger side. There are three remote ssnsors, one directly under the entertainment center over the passenger seat, one on the wall between the kitchen and bath, and one on the wall next to the dryer in the bedroom. We haven't had the lockup condition for a couple of months. The placement of the remotes and the fact that they are subject to higher temperatures than the rest of the room is an issue. The remote under the entertainment center is also right over a window. When the sun is on the passenger side of the coach the remote can indicate over 90 degrees when it is only about 80 in the coach, so the A/C will run continuously until it is cold in the living area. Running the dryer in the bedroom does the same thing to the rear remote. I mounted a remote temperature sensor (Oregon Scientific) near the rear remote and there can be as much as a 5 degree difference between the thermometer reading and the remote reading and a 10 degree difference between the remote reading and a thermometer placed on the dresser shelf. We have a factory appointment on May 10th and the thermostat operation/remote placement is part of the discussion.