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08-15-2012, 12:20 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Alberta Canada
Posts: 440
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390BH-60 Does your roof air keep entire coach cool
We have a 2012 390BH-60 and have just returned from our first long trip through Califonia. The weaher was quite warm on our entire holiday (80-90 degree F). with both AC units running all of the time, we were able to cool the back bedroom but the front of the unit was always hot (very seldom below outside temp). In order to improve efficiency we ran the units with fan on high and the dump valve open. We have all blinds closed and both roof vents (bathroom and kitchen) closed
The air flow coming out of AC1 is slighlty cool but certainly no where near as cold as from AC2.
Are other people having similar problems? Is AC1 defunct? Is it undersized? Does the mostly black exterior make the unit too hard to cool.
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08-15-2012, 09:58 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lefaivre
Is AC1 defunct? Is it undersized? Does the mostly black exterior make the unit too hard to cool.
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Is AC1 defunct?- sounds like it may be. I would have it checked.
Is it undersized? - not sure what size your AC's are but on my coach, the rear is a 13.5k btu unit and the front is a 15k btu unit. We have had days when the front is not as cool as the rear but it is usually pretty well below the outside temp.
Does the mostly black exterior make the unit too hard to cool Pretty sure that is a contributing factor to the coach not cooling down as much.
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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08-15-2012, 09:40 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 9
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I'm having the same problem keeping my new 2011 390bh coach cool. I Had the dealer check the ac. He said you should see a 20-25 degree difference between the intake and exhaust air on the ac. Mine checked Ok. I checked the surface temps in various locations around the coach. In the shade the outside surface checked 87, in direct sunlight the temps went up to 110 in the gold painted areas and 135 in the black areas. Now I wish the thing was painted white.. I've put foil material in the front window and smaller pieces on the sunny side of the coach, this has helped. Also if it's going to be hot I turn the ac down to 67 in the morning to get a head start on temps. I'm also finding that parking the coach facing in a direction that uses the shade of the awning during the heat of the day helps. This issues is my only disappointment in my new Berk, wish it worked as good as my jayco travel trailer.
Mark
Michigan
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08-16-2012, 10:20 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 192
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There are definitely some issues about the Berk's ability to adequately cool in sunny/hot times with the stock A/C units, however it sounds like your front unit isn't working properly. The air coming out of there should feel quite a bit colder than the ambient air. Several possible reasons. You could probably find some step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting the problem on this forum if you like to do that sort I thing but I think most would take it in for repairs if you'll need the AC any more this season.
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08-16-2012, 11:06 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 522
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Yea the designers never test the units in different conditions or some of the poor designs (ideas) would never make it in the RV. The black color is a problem for southwest travel AZ in june outside air temp 110 inside 93. Walls stayed hot to the touch until 10:30 at night. The auto setting on the thermastat switches to furnace at 32 degrees the heatpump is effective to about 40.
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08-16-2012, 02:35 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Tom did you order your MH with the 15 front or did you change it. If you changed it how much and did you do it yourself?
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08-16-2012, 02:42 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Phil,
It was one of the options at the time that I took. Wasn't sure that I should do it but I'm glad that I did.
Tom
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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08-16-2012, 02:57 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 459
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Does anyone use the outside sun shades (reflecting the heat before it gets inside) and how much of a difference does it make?
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08-16-2012, 03:13 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Thanks Tom. We don't have much trouble where we live but a few time it hit 90 and no shade it was working very hard. I'm going to Indy for the FMCA rally and plan to have awnings put on the driver side windows. I think that will help.
We do use the sun shades and feel the help a lot.
Of any one is heading for Indy give me a pm.
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08-16-2012, 04:25 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 11
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I just took my first trip in my 2011 43 ft Charleston. In the great northwest it had no problem keeping us cool. After getting home to South Texas it struggled to keep the front of the coach ambient. I know this was a sales pitch, but I questioned the dealer about having only 2 air conditioners on a unit this size and he assured me there would be no issues keeping the unit cool. I have other issues with "lightweight" components that lead me to understand the reason this coach was so much cheaper than other comparable sized coaches. I'm assuming a 15,000 btu AC unit is the biggest unit on the overhead market?
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08-17-2012, 11:40 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 270
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The comparable Tiffin has 3 roof ac units. I replaced a 13.5 units with 15k unit on another motorhome and it about $600 for the ac unit(labor is extra but I sold the 13.5 for $300). It worked better but I'm not sure if it was the extra capacity or the fact that it was new. Others on the forum have added a third. With prechilling and direct venting, I manage to keep my coach liveable even on the hottest Texas days.
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08-19-2012, 02:52 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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Will a camp ground 50 amp service run all three A/C units?
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08-19-2012, 07:01 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Mechanicsburg - PA
Posts: 516
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil57
Will a camp ground 50 amp service run all three A/C units?
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Yes Sir it will.
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08-20-2012, 05:50 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Alberta Canada
Posts: 440
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Update to my A/C ordeal
Yikes ... what an ordeal this has been. After spending several days of self diagnosis, I had come to the conclusion that the front A/C Heat Pump is not working.
I searched the Dometic site high and low trying to find a telelphone number that will allow me to talk to a person. No Luck. In the interest of cost savings, it would appear that Dometic no longer feel it is a requirement of good customer service for the customer to actually have access to the service department.
THe best I could do was to get the telephone number of the "Dometic Service Centre" ni my area. A mobile service by the name of SureFire. Having dealt with them in the past on an other issue I game them a call. After explaining the problem over the telephone, they told me that teh A/C unit would likely be replace on warranty however Dometic would not cover the service call (approx $50). This seemed strange since they are "the Dometic service rep" in the area. I bit the bullet and called them out.
Within minutes, he confirmed that the A/C unit needed to be replaced. The compressor and fan were rinning but no cooling was taking place.
The kicker came when I was told that he no longer replaces A/C units due to problems with his back ... I was tols to take the unit to the dealer that I purchased the unit from and to contact Dometic for preauthorization.
Unfortunately ... I purchased it from a FR dealer in an other city that does not carrie or service andy motorized units ... the Berk dealer nearest to me has been reluctant to work on my unit since it was not purchased from them and when they do ... they charge through the nose.
Does anyone out there know how to get ahold of a "live person" at Dometic?
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08-20-2012, 08:27 PM
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#15
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2011 Berkshire 390BH
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lancaster, NY
Posts: 1,063
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Did you try:
1-800-544-4881
That is there customer service number for RV support in Elkhart, Indiana
__________________
Craig
Finally completed all State visits in August 2011 with a trip to North Dakota.
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08-20-2012, 10:41 PM
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#16
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marialee-Berkshire410qs
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 196
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We had to have front heat pump unit replaced, no AC, last summer. Called Dometic, found number in the Dometic manual. Took it to an RV dealer that worked on Dometic and Dometic paid the full bill...
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08-21-2012, 09:42 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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I too called Dometic (don't remember the number I called) looking for some technical assistance and was told that they do not provide any technical assistance and I should just take my coach into a dealer and have them look at my air conditioners. The have NON EXISTENT customer technical assistance.
__________________
Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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08-21-2012, 09:47 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
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That is not good news. Most dealers aren't real excited about working on A/C.
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09-02-2012, 05:12 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 6
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My 2011 Berkshire 390 is unable to keep up with California Central Valley temperatures. Both A/C units work fine, but noisy. Have tried everything i can think of to fix this situation. Two summers now and no relief. Am considering trading for a model with 3 A/C units.
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09-03-2012, 05:40 AM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 23
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3rd AC
I'm having the same problem with the 2012 390bh, cabin only cools to 83 when its 94 outside.... Looks like the solution is to add a 3rd A/C... Hoping that someone here can help with the particulars.
Thanks
Jim
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