Thermostat replacement - original one does not go below 60F

TheRealRoland

Advanced Member
Joined
May 17, 2021
Messages
83
Location
Sugar Grove, IL
Hey everybody,

With winter quickly approaching in SW WI, i was looking at perhaps replacing the thermostat the camper came with. The current one does not go below 60F. We're ok with temps below 60, perhaps around 50F. So, right now we're cranking up the heat to about 65F before going to bed, then switching off the thermostat altogether. With the weather we've had so far (30mph winds, temps around 27 at the lowest overnight), in the morning it's still 42F in the camper. Note that we're winterized, carrying in some water for washing up, tea/coffee only.

What thermostats are you all using, after-market? Any new bells and whistles like Bluetooth connectivity, etc.?

Thanks,

R.
 
Holy crap! You all are waaaaay tougher than I am. 42F in the camper? I'd be divorced and over half my stuff gone if I ever let that happen. LOL
 
LOL

With some nice and warm blankets, it's doable. We tent-camped for 10 yrs, coldest we got (by accident) in that same spot was 18F...

Must admit, last weekend we kept the door closed in the bedroom, thinking the warmth would stay in the room better - it actually condensed up the metal window and doorframes so much that condensation froze up :-/ When keeping the bedroom door open, we did not have this issue at all.
 
Just out of curiosity I checked... our OEM AIRXCEL thermostat goes down to 33F on heat. We set it to 45F when we're gone overnight and not winterized.

Rob
 
yeah, same here.

This is the thermostat, https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-support/parts/detail/71195 , will be reading the manual again.

ETA:

Screenshot 2021-12-07 160934.png

Confirmed via manual, 60F is the lowest temp that can be set :-(
 
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I don't have that T-stat but is it possible that there are different temp setting for different modes? I would think that a 60* to 86* range would be used for AC settings.

I concur. Have set mine on propane heat to 48 deg to keep pipes from freezing last winter between trips.

Bill
 
No, unfortunately, that's it. When set to F (Furnace), 60 in the min temp to set. I may just replace it with something else, maybe even an old-style manual one. Not a lot of width available on that part of the wall to mount something wider on.
 
No, unfortunately, that's it. When set to F (Furnace), 60 in the min temp to set. I may just replace it with something else, maybe even an old-style manual one. Not a lot of width available on that part of the wall to mount something wider on.

Try calling GD Customer Service and talk to them... I really think they installed the wrong T-stat. I believe that stat is for an AC unit with a heat strip installed in it. In the 337RLS the bedroom stat controls just the smaller AC unit. The hallway stat controls the living room AC unit and the furnace. When in heat mode I can set the temp down to 35°
 
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No, unfortunately, that's it. When set to F (Furnace), 60 in the min temp to set. I may just replace it with something else, maybe even an old-style manual one. Not a lot of width available on that part of the wall to mount something wider on.

So I went and looked up the Furrion and you are correct, for heat mode the lowest is 60 deg f. Really weird temp boundary. I would think for heat it should go to at least 50. Bad design on Furrion. I don’t think there is much you can do about it unless a different control is compatible.
 
You have a Furrion with zip customer service. I have had trouble with my Furrion systems since August. My bedroom AC will not shut off at the set temp. It will drop the bedroom down to 64 deg and keep on running. The only way to shut it off is to push the button on the control. The same thing has been happening with the furnace. Furrion can only take emails not phone calls. I have asked Grand Design to change out my systems since this has been going on before the warranty expired. Grand Design is sending me an extension kit for the sensor. I hope it works. The problem is the way Furrion designed the systems. If I purchase another RV I will not have Furrion products on it.
 
in the ceiling unit. it is a small black wire. It is identified with a label. I punched a hole in the foam screen and lowered thru the cover. It works better now but I not happy with Furrion.
 
in the ceiling unit. it is a small black wire. It is identified with a label. I punched a hole in the foam screen and lowered thru the cover. It works better now but I not happy with Furrion.

Thanks, my mistake I missed understood and didn't realize you were taking about a Furrion AC unit.... both of mine are Coleman AC units. Back in September I installed the AirFlow system AC upgrade kits in each and I recall all of the wiring looking like a 10 year old had installed it. I neatened it all up with some tie wraps and tucked it all back up and out of the way... Now I'm wondering if I need to go back in and find the sensors and relocate them. Anyone know if Coleman AC units also have these sensors and where is the optimal place for them to be located?
 
Nope, it's really limited to not go below 60F in the heating mode (when the display says 'F' when it's starting, and then furnace fan starts and heater springs into action). Further up i posted a link to the manual, even says so in there. So that's by design, unfortunately.
 
It is really a design flaw/bad design. Not sure what they were thinking of with a low temp of 60 for heat.
 
Final update on this. Contacted GrandDesign customer service; initially they said as well 'you're using it wrong', but then came back and said 'yup, 60F is as low as it goes'.

They did not suggest a different thermostat, most probably because a) still under warranty, and b) then they could be held liable for providing info on something that may not be supported.

Question - what thermostat is installed on the 22MLE, 2600RB? My guess is that those are similar 'systems' that may have a different thermostat installed? I may just start up a new thread for this question.

Oh, also notified Customer Service that one of the outside speakers was no longer lit up - they are sending me a replacement speaker via USPS. Did not think it was worth wile to schlep the camper back to the dealer for a simple repair like that.

R.
 
OK, final final - found a youtube video where someone is talking about the exact same thermostat, and shows the limitation of not being able to heat lower than 60F. Also talks about what to change (wiring, dip switches) to make the system work with any regular analogue thermostat.

I may just leave it like it is - apparently the 'dry' setting of that furrion thermostat, a specific function of it, will help with reducing the moisture in the air. It kinda works like having the AC on, but not to cool the air, but circulating the air and taking the moisture out of it. I'll experiment with this next time i'm at the camper.
 

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