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Nekit · 12-23-2015, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mcrider

Yes I'm constantly on a quest to improve. I added rubber washers to the genset mounting points today, but it doesn't make a noticeable difference so I don't recommend going to the trouble. AS mounting studs for the generator are welded in place so adding an isolating damper would be a major job. If I get industrious one of these days I'll drop the genset and dynamat the housing, remove the AS studs and install isolation dampers. It would have been so easy for them to do this OEM.

I have a Leisure Travel Free Spirit, but have done some similar mods. I installed vibration isolators that helped greatly with interior noise. They can be seen in this thread.
Making the Onan generator quieter - Sprinter-Forum

Rob

jeffbec51 · 01-04-2016, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

You are just too clever and imaginative.

. What great ideas you have!

Airstream should hire you, seriously, as a consultant for new and improved class B motor homes.

For us, though, who needs a second row?

Maggie

Maggie, Correct. For those of us with the GranTour model we have No seats
Behind the driver/passenger seats and
In this way we enjoy larger refrig/freezer and galley countertops.
We use our AS Interstate more for camping and less as a bus to transport crowds. Since space is a premium in a Class B, we use all we can get.

jeffbec51 · 01-04-2016, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73shark

My pull outs have successfully held up to medium McD's cup. I set the cup in and adjust the grippers. Then remove the cup and tighten the gripper one more notch and the cup is secure. I believe the recesses on each end of the top of the dash will hold the same size. What I put in mine was an insulated drink container w/ my coffee. Because it was in the sun, it stayed hot a long time. It was one of those that's plastic on the outside and stainless steel on the inside w/ a removable gasketed lid.

Yes I agree. The Mercedes cup holder in the center with adjustable gripper is terrific for different sized coffee cups. It handles a Pilot truck stop coffee very well!

InterBlog · 01-23-2016, 04:03 PM

I probably would have lived with the old thermostat if it were just me, but I have a teenager with an urban mindset and she is not a big fan of roughing it. The compromise is that I try to make her as comfortable as possible on road trips. I must have climbed over her sleeping form five times one night last week as the outdoor temp fell to 32 degrees and I was trying to get the furnace set at the sweet spot where we would neither be too cold nor burn more propane than necessary. Hopefully my days of struggling with an obsolete thermostat are now over.

THE INTERSTATE BLOG: REPLACING THE FURNACE THERMOSTAT IN AN AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE

73shark · 01-24-2016, 07:31 PM

Sounds like the original t-stat had a fairly wide dead band. Wonder if it was adjustable.

InterBlog · 01-25-2016, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73shark

Sounds like the original t-stat had a fairly wide dead band. Wonder if it was adjustable.

Even if it could have been, there still would not have been a way to set an actual specific temperature on it other than by trial and error. The new one was about $28, Amazon Prime, so not worth thinking about it. My husband did the research and said that a lot of people use that model in RVs, even though it wasn't necessarily intended for RVs (products declared to be "RV" thermostats tend to be much more expensive).

russ240 · 01-26-2016, 05:38 AM

I would love to go digital ... but the NCV3 needs a stat that will control either heat or A/C ... any idea what special considerations there are for selecting one compatible with the RV? Is it actually any different than one for your sticks and bricks house?

InterBlog · 01-26-2016, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russ240

I would love to go digital ... but the NCV3 needs a stat that will control either heat or A/C ... any idea what special considerations there are for selecting one compatible with the RV? Is it actually any different than one for your sticks and bricks house?

Is the NCV3 like the T1N in having physically separate a/c and heater units? If so, the ancillary question is, could the situation be simplified by potentially splitting the thermostat into two units?

Somewhat of an academic question but I'm curious on account of people who might lean heavily toward boondocking. Air conditioners obviously can't be run unless shore power is present (or generator, if you can stand the combined noise). Propane furnaces can run all day long with very little battery impact (the propane combustion supplies the heat but the fan is run by the coach battery). Myself, I would want to have separate controls for the sake of simplicity and so that there doesn't arise a situation in which the a/c maybe attempts to either kick in or override the furnace.

Protagonist · 01-26-2016, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Myself, I would want to have separate controls for the sake of simplicity and so that there doesn't arise a situation in which the a/c maybe attempts to either kick in or override the furnace.

That can't happen with my non-digital combined thermostat. There is a three-position switch labeled "Cool-Off-Heat" so you're manually selecting whether to use the A/C or the furnace. The thermostat doesn't get to decide which to use. I'm reasonably sure that you could find a combined digital thermostat with the same feature.

InterBlog · 01-26-2016, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protagonist

That can't happen with my non-digital combined thermostat. There is a three-position switch labeled "Cool-Off-Heat" so you're manually selecting whether to use the A/C or the furnace. The thermostat doesn't get to decide which to use. I'm reasonably sure that you could find a combined digital thermostat with the same feature.

That sounds quite like my stick-and-brick thermostat.

Expounding on Russ's original question, if I got the gist of it correctly from my husband's research, you sort of have to evaluate each model of thermostat individually to get a sense of its suitability for use in an RV.

The potential issues are that they basically won't stand up very well to the shake-and-bake conditions inside not just any RV, but this Class B RV that has a reputation for being pretty rough in the back. The "shake" reference is obvious, and by "bake" I mean the extreme temperature swings that are typically not experienced in residential homes. Some consumer goods simply don't handle that very well. Common batteries are an example - I keep replacing 9 volt batteries over and over again, I assume due to constant temperature swings shortening their little lives.

The thermostat model we installed was not rated for RV performance, but my husband read reviews from RVers saying "this thing works". If it does die prematurely, we are out 28 bucks - that's a chance I am willing to take. On expensive items, I wouldn't make the same decision. For instance I wouldn't invest in a TV unless it was specified for RV use.

LB_3 · 01-27-2016, 07:52 AM

I wouldn't worry about vibrations effecting modern electronics. Most mass produced circuit boards have surface mount components and there really isn't any moment arm of any consequence on that stuff. As harsh as our ride quality can be, it's nothing compared to the launch spectrum we test most of our rocket bound hardware at work and we fly lots of commercial off the shelf electronics.

Most heat/cool thermostats also have a separate fan on/auto control. I assume that relay wouldn't be needed on the newer Interstates. If the furnace is the only heat option, most any battery operated non-programmable thermostat would work. However if the A/C unit has electric heat or dual speed fans, a more complicated thermostat might be needed. I would recommend searching the trailer forums for their solutions.

Protagonist · 01-27-2016, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LB_3

Most heat/cool thermostats also have a separate fan on/auto control. I assume that relay wouldn't be needed on the newer Interstates.

If you have separate thermostats for A/C and furnace, you'd need the fan/auto switch for the A/C thermostat, but not for the furnace thermostat. If it's a combined thermostat, you'll want the fan/auto switch for the A/C but it doesn't control the furnace fan.

LB_3 · 01-27-2016, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russ240

I would love to go digital ... but the NCV3 needs a stat that will control either heat or A/C ... any idea what special considerations there are for selecting one compatible with the RV? Is it actually any different than one for your sticks and bricks house?

Modmyrv.com has a decent write up on wiring an A/C - heat system with hi and low fan speeds:

http://www.modmyrv.com/2012/01/03/mo...tal-thermostat

73shark · 01-27-2016, 07:27 PM

One thing to consider when changing the t-stat is ensuring it can control the proper signals req'd by the A/C and the furnace. IOW, it may be more than just an open/close function.

For example, my latest home t-stat uses just three wires to communicate w/ modules at the furnace and A/C unit.