A/C Thermostat

[Devoman]

Does my 2005 19' Bambi Have an A/C Thermostat where it does not have to run all day and night or is that what it is supposed to do.
Would putting one in be ok or is that a bad thing?

[smily]

The Dometic Penguins come with thermostat, at least the ones I have seen.

Adding a T-Stat is not a bad thing. I would be willing to bet that there may be an optional interface within your AC that is intended for T-Stat hook up.

If you AC uses twelve volts for controls, it is even more simple to do.

[SilverRanger]

Devo,

Which AC did you get? Mine came with the LS upgrade and has a thermostat on the wall over the bathroom sink that operates the AC, heat pump, and gas furnace. The AC unit has three fan settings: auto, low, and high. If left on auto, the AC cycles on and off and can be kind of noisy, making it necessary to adjust the sound levels of the television, DVD/CD player, or radio. So lately I just set the desired temperature and set the fan on low. That way, the compressor cycles on and off at will, but at least the fan noise is at a constant level.

[dtbw]

Devoman,
Your Bambi , unless is was an LS model, came with an 11,000BTU Penguin. This unit is has manual controls located on the AC interior shell. With those controls there is NO way to have the fan cycle with the compressor. These units CAN be upgraded to have the Dometic Digital Comfort Control Center (CCC) thermostat. This thermostat controls the AC, the heatstrip if installed, and the furnace. It allows you to set a constant fan speed or have the thermostat select a speed based on the delta between the set temp and the actual temp. In this mode it then turns off the fan as well as the compressor once the set temp is reached.

Fortunately A/S prewires all safari and bambi models to use the Dometic CCC. To convert the AC, an electronic module has to be added to the AC unit itself which replaces the manual controls, a new interior air distibution plenum (ie the plastic part where the air exits) is installed and the CCC is installed replacing the original wall thermostat used presently for only the furnace. The wiring to the original thermostat has to be connected to the prewire leads located near the existing thermostat which are in turn connected to the electronic module in the AC. A 4wire phone-wire type cable has to have connectors installed and that cable connects the CCC upto the electronics board installed as part of the upgrade in the AC unit. 12V is also required for the system to work, so that must be connected into the AC and the battery system, again, A/S prewires, but does not connect those wires.

All in all, the upgrade comes in a bit under $400 for parts and labor. We have done a number of these upgrades here at our dealership and while straightforward it is not a typical DIY project as you must know what you are doing and what wires go where. Dometics instructions are vague and aimed at trained technicians.

David Tidmore
WBCCI #7548
GM Roger Williams Airstream
Weatherford, TX

[SilverRanger]

David,
That was great information you gave Devoman. And based on what I have read on this forum, I would bet that Airstream pre-wires for all possible upgrades. The Bambi was already on the lot, and during the negotiations, I told the salesman that I would probably have not ordered the A/V and LS upgrades, so he knocked off the price of all extras. In reality, I am really enjoying all those bells and whistles. The $400 tag on the AC upgrade makes me especially glad I got the LS package. The 13,500 BTU unit is probably more than the 19 footer really needs, but it cools the trailer off in just a few minutes on the hottest of days.

[Devoman]

Man...That is great info to know.Thank You.I think this is a good upgrade to get.