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Old 05-18-2008, 05:24 PM   #1
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Is there anyone out there who can repair a basement air? Or more to the point, is there anyone who has actually repaired a basement air? Most of the techs (and I use that word very loosely) get the "deer in the headlights" look when you ask them if they can repair them. And those are the ones at the dealers! For two years I've been trying to get my basement air repaired. Here's the problem: The air comes on and cools the coach just fine. When the set point is reached, the compressor and indoor blower motor shut off (as they should) but the outdoor blower motor continues to run. When the temp. gets to the set point again, the compressor doesn't come back on unless you take off the cover and hit the reset button. When I explain this to the tech, he gives it the hmmmmm and removes the cover and guess what? Yes, he hits the reset button and it works fine! No problem found, that'l be 100 bucks..see the cashier. Since it seemed like I was speaking a language the tech didn't understand, I tried to speak to him in a language he does understand..you know, tech stuff about PC boards and relays, bumpy roads and stuff like that, usually followed by the "deer in the headlights" look again. When I suggest that it happens when you take it down the road (you know, loose connection, crack in the board, etc) I'm given that "who's the tech here" look (actually, since I know more about how these work than you...). Anyway, we're on the road again, heading east on I-40 then up the east coast to Maine. We plan to come back through Wichita in the fall and if I must, I'll stop at RVP. It would be nice if we could get it repaired before then. Any hints?

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Old 05-18-2008, 05:24 PM   #2
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Is there anyone out there who can repair a basement air? Or more to the point, is there anyone who has actually repaired a basement air? Most of the techs (and I use that word very loosely) get the "deer in the headlights" look when you ask them if they can repair them. And those are the ones at the dealers! For two years I've been trying to get my basement air repaired. Here's the problem: The air comes on and cools the coach just fine. When the set point is reached, the compressor and indoor blower motor shut off (as they should) but the outdoor blower motor continues to run. When the temp. gets to the set point again, the compressor doesn't come back on unless you take off the cover and hit the reset button. When I explain this to the tech, he gives it the hmmmmm and removes the cover and guess what? Yes, he hits the reset button and it works fine! No problem found, that'l be 100 bucks..see the cashier. Since it seemed like I was speaking a language the tech didn't understand, I tried to speak to him in a language he does understand..you know, tech stuff about PC boards and relays, bumpy roads and stuff like that, usually followed by the "deer in the headlights" look again. When I suggest that it happens when you take it down the road (you know, loose connection, crack in the board, etc) I'm given that "who's the tech here" look (actually, since I know more about how these work than you...). Anyway, we're on the road again, heading east on I-40 then up the east coast to Maine. We plan to come back through Wichita in the fall and if I must, I'll stop at RVP. It would be nice if we could get it repaired before then. Any hints?

Thanks

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Old 05-18-2008, 05:45 PM   #3
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I think you can go to the RVP website and download the repair manual which has a troubleshooting section. I don't have the manual in front of me but as I recall there is a step-by-step procedure for just about every symptom possible. Maybe yours is in there?
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Old 05-18-2008, 05:48 PM   #4
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If you still need help, when you get to Maine, try Steve Crowell, RVSA Cert. Master Tech. at SOS R/V Repair & Maintenance, 207-363-8573 in the Wells Maine Area. Really thorough trouble shooter and repairs.

If you were coming to Florida I could give you another guy in the Orlando Area that specializes in Air Conditioning Systems.

Good Luck
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Old 05-18-2008, 05:53 PM   #5
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Maybe a bad control board?
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Old 05-18-2008, 06:14 PM   #6
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How did you find the "techs" you have used so far?? I always recommend people go to the RVP website, and check for service centers wherever you are or will be. I have found dealers in general to be incompetent on the basement air, but have had great success with using techs found on the website. The two best I have used were an independent shop in Branson, and Flint Hills RV in Andover KS on the west side of Wichita. (RVP does not do service at the factory -- they referred me to Flint Hills. The tech there was superb -- both knowledgeable and fast.
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Old 05-19-2008, 03:14 AM   #7
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AFChap:
--snip--and Flint Hills RV in Andover KS on the west side of Wichita. (RVP does not do service at the factory -- they referred me to Flint Hills. The tech there was superb -- both knowledgeable and fast. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>RVP also recommends Adventure RV in Wichita. Adventure changed out our entire unit last year and they did a great job.
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Old 05-19-2008, 06:23 AM   #8
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We had a local home heating and cooling service work on ours. Most RV service know nothing of them. Unless they sell that type of MH with basement air. Even the RV service may call in an outside Home heating Cooling service.
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Old 05-19-2008, 07:34 AM   #9
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thats the same problem I run into, nobody knows how or wants to work on these units. I would pay extra for 2 rooftop units. I cant believe anyone would want these basement units unless you have a shop nearby and if you do your lucky!!!!!!!!
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Old 05-19-2008, 08:33 AM   #10
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If you are coming through nashville, I have success with Cullum and Maxey repairing our basement air. The are located out by the Opryland hotel and right next to Two Rivers RV park

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Old 05-20-2008, 03:35 AM   #11
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Thanks for all the help! We're in Arkansas now, heading toward Memphis. Since we will be spending a few days there, I'll try to contact someone. So far, one Winnebago dealer, one repair shop from the RVP site and two independent shops have had a shot at it. The level of expertise has been frightening. Mostly they push the reset button, wiggle the terminals and say "it's good now". BTW, it was 92 here yesterday. Good thing we're a couple of desert rats! It really wasn't that much fun sitting outside listening to the other a/c's humming. There's a new Voyage parked next to me....I'm getting so good at taking the cover off...now if they'll just go to town...Naw, I couldn't do that to a fellow 'bago.

On the basement air vs. roof air, I much prefer the basement air. There isn't any indication that fixing roof air would be any easier, considering the above mentioned expertise, and I don't have someone clomping around on my roof, dragging thier tools behind them. I'll get it fixed, I'm confident somewhere there's someone who can fix it. Course, I'm also confident that gas prices will drop below $2.50 a gallon too!
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Old 05-20-2008, 03:02 PM   #12
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I had problems with my basement heat pump for months. Finally it got so bad that no heat or cooling occurred on stage 1. We took it to a dealer while in Vegas and they messed around with it and completely misdiagnosed it. We talked RVP and got a list of dealers, many of them didn't really want to work on it. We finally took it to Bill Plemmons RV (Winnebago dealer) north of Winston-Salem, NC (not far off I-40) and they were able to diagnose it and repair it. That was last fall and our heat pump worked fine all winter, maintaining thermostat temp down to around 35 degrees before needing help from the gas.
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Old 05-21-2008, 12:49 AM   #13
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jdsr:
thats the same problem I run into, nobody knows how or wants to work on these units. I would pay extra for 2 rooftop units. I cant believe anyone would want these basement units unless you have a shop nearby and if you do your lucky!!!!!!!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I showed mine to a friend who services residential units and his take was "what took them so long to come up with this?". Nothing that exotic and anyone who can repair a refridgerator should be able to work on it. Don't even have to climb up on a roof and the electronics are all accessable via an access door and panel.

Even has trouble shooting lights on the control board to make it even simpler for anyone who has taken the time to download the check sheet from RVP for the particular unit they are working on to diagnose a problem.

All capacitors and starters are right out in the open it dosn't get much better then this.

He really liked it and saw no reason except for the lack of competance of the service techs for all the problems people are experiencing.

Lets face it, too many techs out there do not know what they are doing and lack the ablility to figure it out on their own. If they haven't seen somone else do it first too many won't be able to fix it themselves. Monkey see monkey do can work out a good deal of the time until monkey comes accros something he has not seen someone else deal with before no matter how simple it may be.

There are a lot of really good techs out there but there are even more that are not so good or may not be allowed to be good by the policies put in force by their employers.
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Old 05-21-2008, 03:21 AM   #14
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John Bleakley in Atlanta is a Winnebago dealer that I know will be able to repair your A/C unit.

I currently have a problem with mine in that my unit freezes up, and the freeze switch will shut the unit down. In my case the evaporator coil needs cleaning.
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Old 05-21-2008, 03:25 AM   #15
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I've had basement AC for years. First in my 1994 Vectra and now in my '05 Suncruiser. I've never had a problem.

If I ever have a problem I'll have a residential heating cooling company look at it. I have the service manual printed and I'd give them a copy of the manual. I would never go to an RV dealer for basement AC repairs. Save lots of $$ by using a local heating/cooling company. Basement AC is nothing more than a large window unit.

I just had my home furnace replaced and my motorhome was parked in the drive way. I asked the service people if they'd work on my basement AC if I ever needed service and they said they would.

-Tom
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Old 05-21-2008, 05:39 AM   #16
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These basement model AC/Heat Pumps are very very similar to motel units. If all else fails, bet you could find a repairman who services the local motel units.
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Old 07-09-2008, 01:57 PM   #17
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Here is an update on my never-ending saga of "fix my A/C, please. We called yet another "highly reccommended" RV tech to look at my A/C. While waiting for him to show up, I thought I would be helpful and open up the A/C for him (I'm getting pretty good at that). Anyway, while waiting I "wiggled" the wires going to the compressor relay, and guess what? It worked! I got two relays from RVP and we where cool again!....Until..Yesterday. The indoor blower comes on, but not the compressor or the outdoor blower motor. And so the search continues. Today we visited the Winnebago dealer in Manchester, NH and where told "we don't work on basement air, we remove them and send them to a shop in Manchester". We don't work on basement air? And you sell Winnebagos? I guess having a service department isn't a requirement to get a franchise. We got the name of the repair shop and paid them a visit. He had fixed one unit for them, and he didn't have any idea how to repair anything not connected to the compressor.

So, now what. How bad would the 'Bago look with a "window shaker" hanging off the back? The search continues, but not for much longer.
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Old 07-09-2008, 02:19 PM   #18
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Sounds like you have a slight problem with the control circuit board. Since you are going to be in Maine stop by Motor Home and RV Super Center in Auburn. I had problems with my 04 Adventurer and Jeff at that dealership put in a new circit board and problems solved. It was expensive, but I now have air to go back south with. These rolling boxes are one hot place without air conditioning. The dealership phone number is 800-244-6686. We had to stay several days parked in their lot hooked up waiting on parts but all turned out aok. Hope this helps. Regards, Al
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Old 07-09-2008, 02:58 PM   #19
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Winnebago dealer in Manchester, NH </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have learned the hard way that many Winnebago dealers have limited service departments, especially in regard to the ac/heat pump. The RVP website service section (http://www.rvcomfort.com/rvp/service/need_repairs.php) does not list any certified service location for their units in Manchester. For the state of NH, they list only Camper's Inn in Merrimack; Cold Springs RV Center in Weare; and White Mountain RV in Ossipee.
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Old 07-10-2008, 11:04 AM   #20
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It was Campers Inn. Merrimac is between Manchester and Nashua.
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