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02-09-2016, 12:27 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Charleston County SC
Posts: 767
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Dometic HP/AC
We have a Dometic High Capacity AC unit with Heat Pump. The unit stopped cooling and heating. Had a technician check it out today. Turns out it has no cooling/heating due to lack of freon. There is no way to add freon to these sealed systems, the whole unit must be replaced.
Since the unit was once replaced under the Dometic warranty it is not under warranty anymore even though the new unit is only 1 1/2 years old. Only a 2 year warranty from Dometic based on the original date of purchase.
This will have to go under my extended warranty. Thankfully I have one as the new unit is about $1200. What a bummer.
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02-09-2016, 12:51 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Cut Off, La.
Posts: 1,830
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Did the service guy say how the freon might have escaped?
That sucks, Dometic should honor a 2 year warranty on a replaced unit.
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2013 Berkshire 390BH
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02-09-2016, 12:59 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Marty, do they go by date of purchase of the coach or the ac unit? As Cajun said, if the warranty is on the ac unit, Domestic should replace the unit under their warranty.
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Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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02-09-2016, 04:09 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Charleston County SC
Posts: 767
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I talked to Dometic and they said that the warranty goes by the date you purchased the coach and Not the date of installation. Had I purchased the replacement unit it would be covered but not if it is a warranty replacement unit.
This is the second unit to fail for the same reason.
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02-09-2016, 04:34 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Pearl River, Louisiana
Posts: 842
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legally you have a year warranty from the date of the last repair. Talk to the boss of the person you talk to on the phone. Then when you get that person on the phone, ask for their boss. Amazing how that works.
Karen
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Karen and Rick
2020 Forester 2251SLE
Previous: 2018 Berkshire XL 40C
2011 Honda CR-V toad
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02-09-2016, 04:37 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Pearl River, Louisiana
Posts: 842
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and it is 1 year from the date of last repair, no matter who replaced it. Warranty work or not.
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Karen and Rick
2020 Forester 2251SLE
Previous: 2018 Berkshire XL 40C
2011 Honda CR-V toad
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02-09-2016, 05:46 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Cut Off, La.
Posts: 1,830
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Karen it's been on there longer than 1 year.
I'd like to know what part failed on the unit that a let the freon escape.
__________________
2013 Berkshire 390BH
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02-09-2016, 06:46 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Charleston County SC
Posts: 767
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The freon leaked from the system and we will never know specifically where the leak occurred. These are now disposable units. You need to change the whole thing.
The tech told me the specific freon that is used in the unit a special license is required to handle that type of freon. If you knew someone in the AC business they could solder in access ports on the lines but with the current design there is no easy way to added freon.
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02-09-2016, 06:47 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 79
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Under what statute?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RKNOLA
legally you have a year warranty from the date of the last repair. Talk to the boss of the person you talk to on the phone. Then when you get that person on the phone, ask for their boss. Amazing how that works.
Karen
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Under cover of what local, state or federal statute or authority is there a one year warranty on repairs? This would be good to know.
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2016 Berkshire XLT 43a
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02-10-2016, 07:05 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 741
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I had a tech look at my rear unit on my BH last year and he told me that those units were disposable.
Paul
2015 XL 40QL-60
2015 Jeep Wrangler Unltd. Sahara
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02-10-2016, 07:28 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 795
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If replacing the unit under warranty other than Dometic’s, you may take a look at the Coleman AC/Heat pumps.
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02-10-2016, 08:07 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Long Island (Nassau County), NY
Posts: 4,352
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Would need to make sure the Coleman would work with the Domestic thermostat.
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Tom and Margaret
2014 Berkshire 390bh-60
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02-10-2016, 04:22 PM
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#13
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2013 Berkshire 390 BH-60
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 99
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My bedroom unit took a crap last summer, I was 6 months out of warranty. Dometic said that there was nothing they can do. She basically told me they are disposable units. $1700 later after parts and labor I put a high capacity unit on. Sounds like Dometic is pushing out some inferior AC units. Time for us to band together and throw some publicity their way.
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Mike
2013 Berkshire 390BH-60
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02-10-2016, 05:29 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
Posts: 1,024
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I sent an email to Dometic reflecting the forums bad experience with the AC units and a link to this thread.
Hank
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Gale & Hank- 2012 Berkshire 390BH
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02-10-2016, 06:10 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Charleston County SC
Posts: 767
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jersey Guy
My bedroom unit took a crap last summer, I was 6 months out of warranty. Dometic said that there was nothing they can do. She basically told me they are disposable units. $1700 later after parts and labor I put a high capacity unit on. Sounds like Dometic is pushing out some inferior AC units. Time for us to band together and throw some publicity their way.
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Amen
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02-10-2016, 06:33 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Easley, South Carolina
Posts: 659
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I-RV
I sent an email to Dometic reflecting the forums bad experience with the AC units and a link to this thread.
Hank
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Curious to see if they respond .
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Joe & Lori
2014 Berkshire 390 RB-40
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02-10-2016, 06:38 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
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First of all the repair person is full of BS, There is no way to tell if you lost your charge without gages. These units do not have schrader valves on them to check. They are just a disposable unit as they said but not for 1200.00 dollars. They can install a access valve and put dye in to find the leak if that is the problem. There is no way humanly possible to make that call. Now any good repair person can weld an aluminum coil or line. I have done repairs for over 20 years employed 45 mechanics. Trust me you are getting ripped off. If you have a leak it could just be a schrader valve the same as a bicycle. Get a repreableA/C company to take care of it. I don't mean to sound mean or condescending but they just can't guess. I would rather pay 300.00 dollars then 1200.00. The unit only cost retail around 400.00 dollars. If you need more help either repost or send me a PM. I'm so tied of hearing how they keep ripping us off. If you do not have a direct short in the windings, it is repairable and I will tell you how. DO NOT TAKE IT TO A DEALER...Good Luck hope to hear from you.
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Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC
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02-10-2016, 06:53 PM
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#18
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Berkshire 390QS
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,489
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The orginial date of purchase is the date you bought your Berkshire, not when FR purchased. If there is a 2 year warrenty by dometic have them replace the unit, you might have to pay for labor for the install, which is easy job once you get it up on the roof. Contact a authorized DOMETIC service center, not just any RV place.
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2011: 54 days, 2012: 218 days, 2013: 175 days, 2014: 196 days
2015: 188 days, 2016: 72 days, 2017: 185 days: 2018 182 days
2019: 156 days (2009 Berkshire, 390QS, and toad)
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02-10-2016, 07:17 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 1,645
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As long as it's covered by your extended warranty, a new unit is probably the way to go if the company will cover a replacement rather than a repair.
If the warranty company wants a repair, make sure that you have a reputable A/C specialist handle it and insist on a warranty equal to a new unit.
__________________
2019 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS
2015 T12RBST Flagstaff Hardside
Disclaimer: The actual value of my "Two Cents" of advice varies just like a bitcoin.
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