Much Ado About ALDE

[kendrick.l.j]

I recall the mention of the unusual noise a high altitudes. I believe James M. made a comment about it but I cannot find the post. I would PM James.

[james.mileur]

Originally Posted by jbhpetr

I know there's been a lot of discussion, but has a consensus been reached as to acceptable substitutes for Alde glycol? Winter's coming on and it time to check the unit!

I posted a message during the summer about a loud roaring noise coming from my Alde Unit while camping at high altitude......around 10,000'. I know the problem has been experienced by others using the Alde 3010 system in other brands of trailers and that the problem has been traced to incomplete combustion because of less oxygen at high altitude. Am I the only Airstream owner to encounter the problem???

John

Yup, too much gas at high altitude. I asked another poster sometime ago about his observation of a secondary regulator, but no response. The SLC Airstream service said they wouldn't add a regulator as it was not authorized by JC.

[james.mileur]

I've had it vibrate on the Park City side of Wasatch, but not in SLC at the service center. Also at Sadler Tx in the teens.

[Airhead2018]

CRAP, Did a DIY update on the Firefly panel and performed all the step-by-step instructions on the phone to install the GUI ver 3.3 and Logic Control ver 3.3 I thought no big deal. But now the Firefly panel no longer communicates with the Alde panel when calling for heat. Well called Firefly to confirm and they did plus added that the three or four wire connector going to the Firefly panel may be pinned incorrectly. So much for trying to save a trip to the dealer. CRAP!

[james.mileur]

Originally Posted by Airhead2018

CRAP, Did a DIY update on the Firefly panel and performed all the step-by-step instructions on the phone to install the GUI ver 3.3 and Logic Control ver 3.3 I thought no big deal. But now the Firefly panel no longer communicates with the Alde panel when calling for heat. Well called Firefly to confirm and they did plus added that the three or four wire connector going to the Firefly panel may be pinned incorrectly. So much for trying to save a trip to the dealer. CRAP!

Perhaps should repost this in the 2018 Classic heat and hot water thread.

[cbburke]

While at my local dealership today they received a new SB on the 2018 Classic.

Subject Alde Connector.

"It has come to our attention that there may be an opportunity for a 3 pin connector to be wired incorrectly on the G6 panel in certain 2018 Classic travel trailers. This may cause the Alde heating system to cycle incorrectly."
Affected units were built between 1/31/2017 and 11/02/2017 with a serial number range of 538263-542982.

Charlie
2018 30' Classic (AS #4)

[kendrick.l.j]

Thanks Charlie, I am sure there are a few 2018 Classic owners would could use this information. I think it would be very helpful to repost this in the 2018 Hot Water / Heater thread as well.
Oh and Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new Airstream. Once you get the Alde system up and running properly you are going to love your unit. As you can see it’s taken a while to get the bugs worked out but between this forum and few calls to JC things will get set up.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by cbburke

While at my local dealership today they received a new SB on the 2018 Classic.

Subject Alde Connector.

"It has come to our attention that there may be an opportunity for a 3 pin connector to be wired incorrectly on the G6 panel in certain 2018 Classic travel trailers. This may cause the Alde heating system to cycle incorrectly."
Affected units were built between 1/31/2017 and 11/02/2017 with a serial number range of 538263-542982.

Charlie
2018 30' Classic (AS #4)

Hi

One wonders how many 2018's were built between 1/31/2017 and 5/1/2017. Maybe the 32' models ....

Bob

[Airhead2018]

Originally Posted by cbburke

While at my local dealership today they received a new SB on the 2018 Classic.

Subject Alde Connector.

"It has come to our attention that there may be an opportunity for a 3 pin connector to be wired incorrectly on the G6 panel in certain 2018 Classic travel trailers. This may cause the Alde heating system to cycle incorrectly."
Affected units were built between 1/31/2017 and 11/02/2017 with a serial number range of 538263-542982.

Charlie
2018 30' Classic (AS #4)

That is exactly what Firefly told me and Airstream has to fix.

[ajwbarnard]

Originally Posted by cbburke

While at my local dealership today they received a new SB on the 2018 Classic.

Subject Alde Connector.

"It has come to our attention that there may be an opportunity for a 3 pin connector to be wired incorrectly on the G6 panel in certain 2018 Classic travel trailers. This may cause the Alde heating system to cycle incorrectly."
Affected units were built between 1/31/2017 and 11/02/2017 with a serial number range of 538263-542982.

Charlie
2018 30' Classic (AS #4)

Ours is definitely in that serial number range. The Alde cycling incorrectly seems like a logical explanation for my heating woes.

[cbburke]

My coach is a Sep 2017 build. The tag on the Alde says it is model 3010. The coach has been winterized. I did not let any antifreeze in to the water heating jacket. Just blew it out and left the drain open.
Dealer says it is ok to run the heat function without water in the coach.

Outside temps range from upper 40's to upper 20's.
Yesterday I turned on the Alde, electric only. It raised the temp from the mid 40's about 10 deg. Adding the front heat pump ran the temp up another 20. I then turned off the heat pump. Down went the temp. So I turned gas on the Alde. and up goes the temp.

Repeated the sequence today. Outside temp 46 deg. All the same without the heat pump. Turning the gas on increased interior temp 8 degrees in 20 minutes

I've see on other posts that when hooked up to shore power the Alde prioritizes electric over gas. Not so with my coach. You can clearly hear the gas function turn on separately.
The Alde control panel, which is truly buried behind the sink drain pipe, is set for 82 deg. Same as the Firefly panel.

No joy
Charlie

[Kyet]

Anyone? I'm sitting at Jackson Center. My dogs and I are freezing. Been here a week. THe ALDE is pushing through but now neither heat pump works. I have checked the breakers. We retreated to the the bedroom because it worked earlier today and the front did not but now neither work and the temperature is down to 50 degrees. I literally am over it. 6 months. Life on hold. Kinda screwed. What am I missing?

[66Overlander]

Originally Posted by Kyet

Anyone? I'm sitting at Jackson Center. My dogs and I are freezing. Been here a week. THe ALDE is pushing through but now neither heat pump works. I have checked the breakers. We retreated to the the bedroom because it worked earlier today and the front did not but now neither work and the temperature is down to 50 degrees. I literally am over it. 6 months. Life on hold. Kinda screwed. What am I missing?

Not sure what the temp is in JC, but the heat pumps only work down to about 40 degrees or so exterior temperature. That is normal. As you approach the low 40s, they may need to enter de-ice mode, whatever that means, but I assume they will not heat the interior while that is going on.

Might be worth stopping by Walmart to buy a little 1500W ceramic cube heater (or two it you're plugged in to 50A).

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by Kyet

Anyone? I'm sitting at Jackson Center. My dogs and I are freezing. Been here a week. THe ALDE is pushing through but now neither heat pump works. I have checked the breakers. We retreated to the the bedroom because it worked earlier today and the front did not but now neither work and the temperature is down to 50 degrees. I literally am over it. 6 months. Life on hold. Kinda screwed. What am I missing?

I concur with what Joe said. I always travel and have for years with two Ceramic heaters, just in case. They will keep our past and present 30' warm on a very cold night.

That said, the Alde will keep your coach warm down to 18F which is the coldest we've been in so the coldest I can personally verify. But, both the electric (shore power) and the propane need to be on and the propane tanks need to have propane. When the electric can't keep the temperature up in the coach the propane kicks in and gets up to temp, then backs off and lets the electric do it's thing. When temp drops again propane kicks back in.

As an aside I never have used the AC units as a heat source, turned them on years ago, we did not like the heat source so have never used them. Plus, as Joe said, below 40F the heat pumps are useless as a heat source.

Bud

[kendrick.l.j]

I was just telling Bud that I haven’t heard that much from the ‘18 Classics owners regarding heating failures. I was hoping that maybe Airstream and the dealers had learned from the ‘17 roll out and had set up the Alde systems properly. It was just about this time last year when the ‘17 Classic owners started popping up here of the forum and having problems with heat and hot water failure. So here we are a year later and low and behold we are hearing from ‘18 folks having the same huddle.
Kyet...First, to keep you from freezing, go get a couple of ceramic heaters to keep you and your dogs warm while you work through all of the steps to get the Alde working. Then start reading from the beginning the Much Ado Alde. Have you bled the times at all 6 bleed points? If you miss one your system will not be functioning. Is the reservoir full? Located in the bathroom, above towel warmer compartment, left hand side, behind panel. It is very likely you will need to bled a couple of times, this is normal. You may need to top of the fluid a couple of times while you get the air out of the system.
As stated earlier, the heat pumps only work when outside temps are above 40 degrees. This is true of all heat pumps and not just an Alde design flaw. I always have a couple of ceramic heaters in the unit for emergency. When the Alde system is up and running as it is supposed to it will heat the trailer very nicely even with outside temps in the teens...yes, I have data on this as well as other 2017 Classic owners. The system is great and there will be no hot spots or cold spots throughout the TT when set up properly and I as said before it works great even in very cold weather.
The 2018 Classic are configured differently than the ‘17 as the Firefly and Alde are supposed to be linked together. It is my guess that there is a bug between the two, how to fit the issue is great question but until that linked is updated it is my hope that there is some way to override the Firefly and work with just the Alde on its own. If it turns out to be a firmware problem then getting it fixed and fixed quickly may be a very difficult process for individual owners to do on theirs own without a trip to a dealer.

[ajwbarnard]

You can override the Firefly by using the Alde panel under the sink. I got my 2018 warm on a 40 degree morning by going under the sink and turning the electric off on the panel leaving only the propane on on the panel. Even though that is what I had done on the Firefly it was still gas and electric under the sink. This warmed the trailer up quickly. But it doesn't stay that way. If you reach the desired temperature or if you change the the temperature on the Firefly, it goes back to its default of electric and gas. But just gas can be done and works.

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by ajwbarnard

You can override the Firefly by using the Alde panel under the sink. I got my 2018 warm on a 40 degree morning by going under the sink and turning the electric off on the panel leaving only the propane on on the panel. Even though that is what I had done on the Firefly it was still gas and electric under the sink. This warmed the trailer up quickly. But it doesn't stay that way. If you reach the desired temperature or if you change the the temperature on the Firefly, it goes back to its default of electric and gas. But just gas can be done and works.

I am guessing that you continue to have an issue which somehow involves the Firefly either firmware or connections.

When the Alde is on both electric and propane the electric is the default, however, if the inside temperature of the trailer cannot be maintained at the desired temperature the propane will kick on as a supplement to the electric, bring the trailer up to set temperature and then the propane kicks off, electric maintains and if it cannot then the propone kicks on again and so on. Ours worked perfectly last winter after bleeding four times and re-filling about 1/4 of a bottle of Alde fluid to bring the reservoir back up to where it should be.

Bud

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Over the last few weeks, our 2017 has been set up with both electric and propane turned on. Part of the time it has been set with one electric element and the rest of the time it's been on two electric elements. On the 2017, you do that on the first page in the Alde control panel. There never was a situation where it did not keep the trailer nice and warm. The temperature went into the 20's on several nights and has been in the 30's quite a bit. After two weeks of playing this way, I've run through roughly one bottle of propane.

Like the electric, the propane actually has multiple burner settings. You don't get to pick which setting it is on. How it decides which setting to use - who knows? It's firmware magic. The same magic decides when to just use electric. I suspect it looks at how long the "fire" was running on the last try to decide what to do on the next try.

Lots of fun !!!

Bob

[lukeysh714]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Over the last few weeks, our 2017 has been set up with both electric and propane turned on. Part of the time it has been set with one electric element and the rest of the time it's been on two electric elements. On the 2017, you do that on the first page in the Alde control panel. There never was a situation where it did not keep the trailer nice and warm. The temperature went into the 20's on several nights and has been in the 30's quite a bit. After two weeks of playing this way, I've run through roughly one bottle of propane.

Like the electric, the propane actually has multiple burner settings. You don't get to pick which setting it is on. How it decides which setting to use - who knows? It's firmware magic. The same magic decides when to just use electric. I suspect it looks at how long the "fire" was running on the last try to decide what to do on the next try.

Lots of fun !!!

Bob

We’re in the 20’s. On electric only the Alde glycol temp levels out at 118 F. Turning on propane raises to 149. So I use electric only when just maintaining temp but turn on propane when I want a quicker warmup in morning.

[paiceman]

Originally Posted by lukeysh714

We’re in the 20’s. On electric only the Alde glycol temp levels out at 118 F. Turning on propane raises to 149. So I use electric only when just maintaining temp but turn on propane when I want a quicker warmup in morning.

Your temperature readings sound right on. In winter we now leave the propane on and the electric and let the Alde decide. Worked and hope it works when we go back on January 1 for three months.

Bud