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Kurt Ickler · 05-24-2013, 07:38

I want to replace the the air conditioners on my 2001 Lx....my questions are, From members experience, what are the best units to buy, based on how quiet they are and how well they work. Also, I am considering adding a fourth unit where the vent is in the bathroom. I can use the laundry circuit (we don't have the washer/dryer combo) to power this. This fourth unit would be a stand alone unit, not tied to the thermostat. My thought is that with the typical 2 or 3 inch drop down vents I could direct air back to the bedroom. I can exhaust air from the bathroom through the toilet room as needed. Any thoughts?

davidbrady · (This post was last modified: 05-24-2013 11:17 by davidbrady.)

Hi Kurt,

I've never removed, replaced, or added an AC unit so I don't have much to add here, but I thought I might provide a drawing of the LXi's roof structure:

We can see that there are longitudinal stringers extending between the roof bows. I can see why the original ACs were placed in the center of the roof. I can also see that if you cut a hole the roof skin and interior panels will no doubt flop around until it's shored up with some sort of header box. The header box will probably be required for fastening in the new AC unit. I'd pull open an existing unit to see how BB did the roof support for the AC.

I think most people install Penguin DuoTherm AC units by Dometic. I've heard reports that they're noisy, but I think the noise has been traced to the compressor mounts and soft grommet kits are available.

Kurt Ickler · 05-24-2013, 11:45

David, good info...Thanks, my thought was to remove the aprox. 14 x14" vent in the bathroom and use that opening for the fourth unit. You have made me stop and think.... even though the opening might work, there might not be the structure to support the new unit. I need to remove the vent and check it out.

***Arcticdude*** · 05-24-2013, 14:38

Kurt,

I'm pretty sure others have done what you intend. I don't remember reading of anybody having any issues or having to do lots of extra work to replace the vent with an ac. Using the existing wiring for the nonexistant washer should work great. As David has mentioned, some Penguins have some noise issues. A quick search should turn up all the pertinent info. Easy to fix.

al perna · 05-25-2013, 10:00

Does someone know if we are able to replace the Air Conditioners , Without changing the thermostat on the LXI . Our 2000 model has 1 thermostat that controls all 3 Air Units .

My rear unit is noisy and makes irregular noises . I would rather change it out before it goes completely . The folks at Parliament said I would need to add a new thermostat in @ area , has any one else know if this is the only option ?

davidbrady · (This post was last modified: 05-25-2013 22:17 by travelite.)

Hi Al,

You should be able to swap it out for another Dometic Duo-Therm Air Conditioner, but if you go to some other brand then the Dometic Comfort Control Center (CCC) won't work and you'll have to go to a traditional thermostat that uses the usual Yellow, Green, Blue, and White control wires. The CCC uses a 4 wire RJ11 Tele-communications cable that runs a CCC protocol. On the air conditioner side there's a control box assembly that the RJ11 cable plugs into. This control box assembly generates the Yellow, Green, Blue, and White wires that the compressor, heat strip, and fan use.

al perna · 05-26-2013, 09:07

Thanks David , would you have a recommended source for the replacement unit ?

timetravelers · 05-27-2013, 14:20

When did the four button thermostat change kick in?

davidbrady · 05-27-2013, 16:55

(05-26-2013 09:07)al perna Wrote: Thanks David , would you have a recommended source for the replacement unit ?

Al, I have yet to buy a replacement AC unit, so I'm afraid I don't have a preferred vendor. I'd shop around online.

(05-27-2013 14:20)timetravelers Wrote: When did the four button thermostat change kick in?

Morey, my '02 has a 5 button Dometic CCC. I now see that Dometic is selling its Climate Control Center II. Looks like it has an automatic generator start function (AGS), two operation programs, and an outdoor temperature sensor. The AGS feature is kinda neat, if a zone requires cooling the CCC first starts the generator (if programmed to do so). Of course, I want mine with an XBee interface! Sad

cmillsap · (This post was last modified: 05-27-2013 18:14 by cmillsap.)

Upgrading to a newer version CCC would probably get you a control that also displays the current interior temps. The 4 button OEM CCC as designed in our busses lacks the actual room temp readout. So, you aren't sure how many degrees to raise or lower the temp settings if you want to change it a degree or so. Seperate room thermometers do not correlate well with the ccc temp display so you end up wondering which temp reading is correct; the CCC's setting or the other thermometers in the bus.