Installation of easy start soft starter

[Amg]

I have an 2020 Interstate lounge. I am installing a new model generator and am told I should install a soft starter. Has anybody installed such unit? How difficult is one to install? Can someone who is somewhat handy do it themselves or should it be installed by a dealer? Thanks

[CMHM]

With all things Airstream, it depends: I bought two soft starters for both the AC units on my Globetrotter.

You need a ladder to get on top, unscrew the front screws and lift the AC cover. From there it looks like a daunting job, but you’re basically re-touring three cables through the soft starter, attach it with double sided tape and you’re done.

First installation 20mins. The second one 2h, why? Because there is a tiny panel behind all the cables inside the AC control unit where there are about 15 tiny switches for various settings. While fiddling with the cable salad I must have touched that board and all the settings were wrong. So I had to go online, try to find the right settings and then finally I found the one switch that was in the wrong direction. (Take a photo of everything when you open the AC.

So, you can totally do it but put half a day aside and go slow.

[Shiny16]

It’s easy! Stick with the MicroAir easy start. They have great customer service if you should need some advice.

[Fungus]

Most difficult part is figuring out how to get on/off the roof. Step on the lines of rivets. I climbed up on the street side by leaning a ladder against the drip thingy above the window where the river lines were closely spaced.

The butt connectors weren’t large enough for one of my wires so I used a Wago lever nut. I wrapped the levers with electrical tape. You could use a crimp butt with shrink tubing.

I secured it to the housing using zip ties.

Follow the instructions to the letter. The learning mode is important.

This time of year would be even easier. It got a bit slippery up there in the heat of summer.

[llhenn]

You would be doing your new generator a big favor by installing an EasyStart. I had mine installed by the dealer and it was not that expensive. Saved worrying about scratching Lucy with a ladder or doing it wrong. The dealer I used did not have the Bluetooth EasyStart available so I provided it. We were all amazed at how fast the EasyStart learned in the 5 initial startups and the actual reduction in power required to start the AC which we watched on the cell phone app. The Bluetooth version was basically the same price and also give EasyStart the ability to diagnose any issues over my phone as I recall. Highly recommended. Easily starts AC with a 2K inverter.... Good luck..

[GAAirstreamr]

Simple. It was the first thing I did on our Lounge. It took longer to turn on and off the AC 5-7 times to program it after install then it did to splice in the wires. For that matter, it was more difficult to the break the screws free to remove the cover off the AC. You'll be fine, do it, its a great addition.

[Rig Rat]

Agree that it's an easy DIY project. I used this video as a guide;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4o0g4dTYYA&t=333s

[3bcamper]

Originally Posted by Amg

I have an 2020 Interstate lounge. I am installing a new model generator and am told I should install a soft starter. Has anybody installed such unit? How difficult is one to install? Can someone who is somewhat handy do it themselves or should it be installed by a dealer? Thanks

Yes, you should definitely install a soft start on your air conditioner if it does not already have one. The generator that you likely have is not well-suited to the inrush current of an air conditioner starting. It will be bad for both the air conditioning compressor and for your generator if you don’t use a soft start.

[Hawk-ination]

Ignore the comments about stepping on the rivets, I’m pretty sure. Thinking that advice was for a trailer, not an Interstate.

We were told you are not supposed sit/stand on our roof. We built a platform out of lumber to straddle the side wall bracing/edges and put padding on the bottom as not to scratch the roof. Hope that helps if you decide to tackle the project.

[waninae39]

This is replay from AS.
AS don’t install a Micro Easy Start.

Airstream says if someone installs a easy start, it will void the warranty on the A/C

[SeeMore]

For those who read the preceding post and feared wallet damage:

http://www.micro-air.com/kb-easystar...y_warranty.cfm

Disclaimer: I have been an EasyStart customer for about five years and have had the product mounted on both a 13.5 Dometic Duo-Therm and 15K Coleman Mach8 heat pump units without issue. Both were self installed and I delight in my ability to run either with a 2000i Honda generator under 4000 foot elevation.

[Rocinante]

We installed an EasyStart after the warranty ran out. On each of our Airstream units (a 27FB and now an Interstate). No problems.

[jeffb831]

Originally Posted by SeeMore

For those who read the preceding post and feared wallet damage:

http://www.micro-air.com/kb-easystar...y_warranty.cfm

While that warranty seems good, the limiting factor is:

your RV rooftop air conditioner experiences any compressor motor failure not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and caused by the EasyStart 364

First, it only covers compressor motor failure and second, the failure must be caused by the EasyStart, something that could be difficult to prove.

There are many other parts that could fail which the A/C manufacture could deny claim coverage because the of EasyStart such as circuit boards.

All that said, I do have them installed on both my units but I won't be counting on the warranty to provide any benefit if there is an issue.

[richard5933]

My calculation was pretty simple...

The a/c wouldn't start reliably on generator without the EasyStart. The vast majority of reviews and reports support the use of the EasyStart device. I have found no credible reports of an a/c unit being damaged by one. There were some I found showing failure, but on older or already used a/c units where it's impossible to know if the damage was done prior to the EasyStart installation.

Taking all this into consideration, I installed the EasyStart on the new a/c I installed earlier this year. It's a $750 risk I'm willing to take. Not everyone agrees, for sure, and they're free to figure out another way to run their a/c on a generator.

[Rocinante]

Easy: If things go awry, put the old hard start capacitor back in before seeking service.

[NevadaGeo]

How do I find the btu on the air conditioner? The stickers gives lots of watts and amps and volts and pressures, but BTU word is no where on any sticker. Made in Wichita.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by NevadaGeo

How do I find the btu on the air conditioner? The stickers gives lots of watts and amps and volts and pressures, but BTU word is no where on any sticker. Made in Wichita.

What make/model air conditioner are you asking about?

[Flyguy1]

I have a 2005 AC Classic with a Duo-Therm 15000 BTU on it. How difficult was it to install the Easy Start? Much re-wiring involved, etc.?

[Bill M.]

The easy start installation instructions are avaliable on the web. You could look through them. Installation involves removing the AC cover, inserting the device in a suitable spot, and connecting the 4 or so wires of the device in place of the wires that are already connected there. I was able to do it working from each side without actually getting on the roof. I am fairly comfortable with wiring. My AC is a Dometic but I doubt if the installation is any easier or harder on different brands.

[khocke]

Weird story... I just went up top to install a bluetooth-enabled Micro-Air 364 and was surprised to find that one was already installed (not a bluetooth model)! I'm the original owner of this '22 GT and there was no mention of this option (?) on any sales or ownership papers I got from Colonial Airstream.

The install looked clean and wires were all dressed very nicely. Wago's were used for the brown & blue leads, which made wiring the upgrade stupid easy. The Dometic's electric box still had the black start cap present, though un-connected.

I had no idea it was installed... the Dometic worked normally on AC or generator, just thought installing the Easy Start was a good idea. I'll go thru the learning process a little later today but don't expect any issues. Not sure whether to train it on AC or the Onan, but I guess having the bluetooth unit, it's easy to do the re-learn process one way or the other.

I guess the upshot is, if you have a +/- 2022 Interstate, before you buy anybody's easy start unit, make sure you actually need one! (PS I now have a non-bluetooth 364 for sale).