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Old 09-27-2018, 09:58 AM   #1
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Dynamax Isata 5 and Truma Water heater

I thought I would share information on a problem I had yesterday with my Truma water heater. Being new to the RV world and only having the coach for 2 weeks I thought I had things figured out - not! The Truma instantaneous water heater works awesome when it works. When there is a problem it is frustrating. I had tried off and on for most of the day to get the water heater to work as I turn off the bedroom switch at night so that I don’t constantly hear the propane running through the regulator valve off and on all night (I’m a light sleeper). Evidently the factory changes things slightly from time to time and this particular rig’s water heater power supply is controlled through the multiplex panel and labeled as “ LP Heater”. Somehow this had been turned off (in the multiplex panel) sometime after we had showered the night before. (I swear it wasn’t me -at least there is no video to prove it). I ran through all of the various efforts by resetting switches, checking propane level, checking water flow problems, letting water flow out the water heater low point drain for 10 minutes and flooding our campsite, running electrical diagnosis with Truma tech over the phone and all of this taking up a good portion of the day until a brilliant tech back at the dealer that we purchased from (Andrew at RnR RV in Spokane, WA) asked me to check the multiplex panel and to look for that icon. The water heater instantly fired up and we got a hot shower. Sorry to say that Mr. Jiggles got a cold shower and was not happy after that! So, it seems that the factory sometimes wires the water heater through the multiplex panel and some models are wired differently. If you run into the same scenario I hope this helps you to diagnose and solve your problem.
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Old 09-27-2018, 01:34 PM   #2
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If the vehicle has Multiplex, it has always been wired through the multiplex. It is not wired through multiplex of course if it is not a multiplexed unit.

I have however asked that it be removed from the multiplex as I also do not see the need and it does add some complexity. Originally the thought was that we could control it from there....but Truma has their own system/architecture and does not want to give access. I think they might have app control soon.

Maybe in certain situations....like laying in bed and the lp cycles, I can see you wanting to use the app to turn it off, but very rarely.

I will say, if you turn it to ECO, instead of Comfort, you don't need to turn it off as it will cycle much less. Comfort keeps the water in the reservoir at 102 degrees. Eco just keeps it at 46 degrees or so. The LP comes on and the circulation pump will come on for a bit to get the water to requested temp.
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Old 09-27-2018, 03:05 PM   #3
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I will say, if you turn it to ECO, instead of Comfort, you don't need to turn it off as it will cycle much less. Comfort keeps the water in the reservoir at 102 degrees. Eco just keeps it at 46 degrees or so. The LP comes on and the circulation pump will come on for a bit to get the water to requested temp.
Agree with this. I turn ours to "Eco" after the last person brushes their teeth at night and then turn it back to "Comfort" when I wake up in the morning. Back to "Eco" after the last person brushes their teeth in the morning. Never notice the water heater cycling during the night and I'm a light sleeper too.
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Old 09-27-2018, 08:21 PM   #4
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Agree with this. I turn ours to "Eco" after the last person brushes their teeth at night and then turn it back to "Comfort" when I wake up in the morning. Back to "Eco" after the last person brushes their teeth in the morning. Never notice the water heater cycling during the night and I'm a light sleeper too.
I’ve gone a step further and turn it off when we don’t need it. I just turn in on to comfort when we need hot water once or twice a day. I love the Truma for this reason. It makes hot water so fast when you turn it on I haven’t seen the need for the eco setting. From completely off to on is not much slower than from eco to on.
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Old 09-27-2018, 09:39 PM   #5
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Thanks to all for your comments and bc for further explanation of what the inside control does.
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Old 09-28-2018, 12:18 AM   #6
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Wow, I had the same type of experience with the AquaGo system. I actually took it in to a dealer to have it looked at and repaired via warranty. This is when I got really confused because they claimed it was a bad cable. So, I left thinking great, it works now. When I tried to make it work (on a trip) I was very frustrated to find out it did not. I'm an engineer so I was checking out everything thinking I can figure this out. After hours of jacking around with ensuring no air in the lines, switchology mania, I gave up and we just had to deal with cold water. So frustrating that I could not get hot water on my new RV. So, I called a mobile RV repair to go service it at my storage location. He called me to advise that he couldn't figure it out as he hadn't seen this AquaGo before and was calling Dynamax to inquire about it. He called me back and let me know it worked just fine once he learned the Precision Plex was linked in and needed to be enabled for the other manual switches to be enabled. Being an engineer I was quite embarrassed that I didn't figure this out myself. None of the manuals explained this integration. Also, I agree the ECO mode will probably work for you to keep it from cycling so much at night.

What really bothered me is the dealer service center flat out lying to me about what they repaired. What they really did was say that so they could get Dynamax to pay for their labor checking it out. That is very disappointing and disturbing to me. I usually fix everything myself so I know things are done right.

Glad you got it sorted out.

Dynamax - Please update the user manuals (or create one) that explains how the coach works. There is too much separate manuals for everything and nothing that explains how all the systems are integrated and work together. For example, I never found anything about how the video distribution is wire up between the various TV's, entertainment systems and satellite system. I guess you figure most people will likely have a professional mess with any of that stuff but it would be nice to have documentation about how they are integrated so it makes it easier to integrate other items for those who can.

Btw, just sold our I5 to the dealer that we ordered a new Dynaquest XL 37RB from. Looking forward to going FT when the RB arrives in the next few months.

Cheers,
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Old 09-28-2018, 08:33 AM   #7
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What really bothered me is the dealer service center flat out lying to me about what they repaired. What they really did was say that so they could get Dynamax to pay for their labor checking it out. That is very disappointing and disturbing to me. I usually fix everything myself so I know things are done right.
Cheers,
let's withhold judgement for a bit...while I am an optimist by nature and can't fathom anyone doing things on purpose to cheat or extort....I have also seen similar issues with no purposeful intent.

Someone thinks it is the cable...and in the process, someone will attempt to cut power and end up actually turning power on at the multiplex panel. Replace the cable and in doing so, unknowingly fix the issue that was the cause in the first place. it works now so they're like "Hey, it was the cable".

We will be working on more detailed manuals....but we have really started to focus more on videos. I actually discuss the Truma's location on the Multiplex panel in the Truma video that is on our Facebook page and also included with the flash drives now. Head to the 1:30 mark

https://www.facebook.com/DynamaxMoto...7755296722677/
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Old 09-28-2018, 09:29 AM   #8
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I somehow stumbled across that video when I was having the same issue with my Truma water heater. Saved me a lot of frustration!! I'm all for more videos!
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Old 09-28-2018, 09:30 AM   #9
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How about a video on how to replace a slide motor in an Isata 5??
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Old 09-28-2018, 10:02 AM   #10
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We'll see what we can do.
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Old 09-28-2018, 10:39 AM   #11
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How about a video on how to replace a slide motor in an Isata 5??
X2
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:18 PM   #12
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How about putting these videos on the Dynamax Web page?? I and many other people don't use Social Media for a multitude of reasons.
Thanks





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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
let's withhold judgement for a bit...while I am an optimist by nature and can't fathom anyone doing things on purpose to cheat or extort....I have also seen similar issues with no purposeful intent.

Someone thinks it is the cable...and in the process, someone will attempt to cut power and end up actually turning power on at the multiplex panel. Replace the cable and in doing so, unknowingly fix the issue that was the cause in the first place. it works now so they're like "Hey, it was the cable".

We will be working on more detailed manuals....but we have really started to focus more on videos. I actually discuss the Truma's location on the Multiplex panel in the Truma video that is on our Facebook page and also included with the flash drives now. Head to the 1:30 mark

https://www.facebook.com/DynamaxMoto...7755296722677/
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:21 PM   #13
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You mean like this?

Videos by Dynamax

Other than "Live" FB videos. We post all videos on Facebook, Youtube and host them on our website.
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:23 PM   #14
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Yes....Thanks.
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:40 PM   #15
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Another item that should be taken off the multiplex is the ceiling fans. Why do I need to turn them on at the panel then use the remote to actually start them?
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Old 09-28-2018, 01:43 PM   #16
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Another item that should be taken off the multiplex is the ceiling fans. Why do I need to turn them on at the panel then use the remote to actually start them?
We have done that for current builds. Well...I guess they are still on there, but defaulted to "Powered" and no way to change it. I think that was the quickest way to get that done.

Again, the thought was, we would be able to control ALL functions of the fan from the remote or the multiplex. I actually thought they were going to get that done. I need to look into that one again.

PS. just leave them on at the multiplex, never turn them off. It just means they get power, but until the remote calls for power they are still shut off at the fan, not using power.
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Old 09-28-2018, 10:33 PM   #17
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How about a video on how to replace a slide motor in an Isata 5??
Same with the Isata 3. Slide issues worry lots of people and a video would really take the mystery out of it. Some say it is done from the outside. Others say only from the inside. Others say both. Can be confusing. Seeing is absolute...
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Old 09-29-2018, 06:34 AM   #18
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Same with the Isata 3. Slide issues worry lots of people and a video would really take the mystery out of it. Some say it is done from the outside. Others say only from the inside. Others say both. Can be confusing. Seeing is absolute...
I’d like to see that as well.
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Old 09-29-2018, 09:55 AM   #19
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We have done that for current builds. Well...I guess they are still on there, but defaulted to "Powered" and no way to change it. I think that was the quickest way to get that done.

Again, the thought was, we would be able to control ALL functions of the fan from the remote or the multiplex. I actually thought they were going to get that done. I need to look into that one again.

PS. just leave them on at the multiplex, never turn them off. It just means they get power, but until the remote calls for power they are still shut off at the fan, not using power.
BC, that works. I leave them on at the panel and just use the remotes to control the individual fans as needed.
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Old 09-29-2018, 12:48 PM   #20
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Mr Clemens,
I appreciate your input however I believe the real issue when technicians charged with troubleshooting a customer complaint fail to actually root cause the problem. This comes down to a talent issue where they are not properly trained or able to effectively apply their training and experience in basic problem solving and troubleshooting. When a good technician who really understands the systems they are charged to maintain faces a problem, they understand not only the theory on how a system is designed, they also understand how to checkout that system to first validate that the reported issue is actually a problem or not. Then they communicate with the person who raised the issue to verify what they were experiencing to rule out miscommunication and the potential of an intermittent problem that is much more difficult to chase down. Regardless, they have enough of a deep understanding of how something works combined with communication with the user to determine a course of action.

In my case, I was never called and asked about why I had this complaint or to inquire about how I operate the system. This simple inquiry would have clearly identified that I did not understand the proper process for enabling the system (via the Precision Plex) and then would have confirmed there was actually no issue at all, except operator error. I'm 100% confident there was no issue with the system. Regarding your point about misinterpreting powered states and changing something and believing they fixed it, while interesting, shows that they are not adequate technicians. Because, if something like that happens, a good technician also verifies the fix by checking the very item they changed to ensure that was the actual root cause. This would have been a simple step to remove the changed cable back to the original to see if it was actually the problem. They could have also completed a check on the cable itself to verify the issue (lack of continuity, bent pins, pinched wire, etc.) to determine root cause. An outstanding technician would have also verified (if there was a cable issue) what potentially caused that cable issue to arise in the first place and mitigate it from happing again.

This story plays out on many examples sighted in this forum across many RV owners frustrating experiences when something goes wrong with their coach and all they ask for is a competent service department to properly assess and troubleshoot their coach issues so it's truly root caused and corrected (the first time) so they don't experience the issue again out on the road which starts the pain point all over again.

This frustration is amplified when the customer is actually paying for the services. When it's a warranty claim, you are still impacted in lost time and cost to get the rig to the service center and then back to where you left off in your journey but the troubleshooting and repair costs are covered by either the manufacturer or the warranty company. Still a pain point, but less severe.

I know there are good technicians in the industry based on the fact that eventually most problems are fixed once the coach actually gets into the capable hands of someone who actually knows what they are doing.

So, let's call a spade a spade and identify when poor technical competence is the root cause of lack of performance.

A competent technician would have properly root caused the issue and had a clear explanation for the fix along with some evidence of the bad part and not just "it was a bad cable".

My root caused was actually determined by a competent mobile RV technician who actually had no experience or knowledge of the AquaGo system. He immediately recognized his lack of knowledge and took it upon himself to call Dynamax to find out how this system actually works, then proceeded to check it out only to discover it was actually working just fine. Then he called me to discuss his findings and inquire as to how I was operating the system. Behold, we together realized that I was the root cause of the issue by not understanding how to properly operate it, problem verified and solved. I gladly paid for his services and couldn't be happier because I now understand the proper operation and reliably have hot water on demand. This is exactly why I suggested improvement in the literature, manuals or videos on how these systems are integrated into a given coach so the users can better understand how their rig is configured to work.

I've seen your many helpful engagements with the forum users and truly appreciate the uncompensated service you provide as you are clearly passionate about your work, your product, and name brand. You are a credit to Dynamax and the RV industry and why many of us own the product your team design, build, deliver and improve on a daily basis.

Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to my new Dynaquest XL 37RB to be built and delivered by your team in the coming months.

Apologies for the long-winded reply, but my intent was to provide clear context around this particular event and help others to understand what good looks like along the way.

Cheers,
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