New Dometic AC prevents MicroAir install

[The Boot]

that would be great news
I am waiting for a 2020 international 27fb
with 2 ac's
hope factory starts up soon

[The Boot]

Originally Posted by AdvToaster

I have a brand new 2020 trailer, which makes me wonder if there’s a chance I have this new version with the factory “Smart Start”, especially since I have two Easy Starts in the mail right now. So, this is definitely not scientific, but since my trailer is parked somewhere that I can’t get to the top I figured I’d just plug it in to a 15A outlet and see what happens.

I can (happily for my bank account) report that both the 13.5k and 15k ACs were able to run (not at the same time of course) off a 15A circuit without popping the breaker. I’m still going to check under the covers to confirm when I am able, but this leads me to believe that I do have the new model with the factory Smart Start.

Which 2020 model do you have?

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by The Boot

Which 2020 model do you have?

International Serenity 30RB. Rolled off the factory floor about two weeks ago.

[ProTech]

Seems to me that anyone has a 2020 AS should have been told about the new ac feature. Or it should be in the manual. But that doesn’t seem to be the way AS does things. The manual is a comic book, not a technical manual like everyone needs. The “orientation “ is done by a salesperson and not a technician. This thread should have been a boast about the cool new ac feature not a question that needs investigating. Airstream again has shown they don’t care much for the customers. Where’s the Airstream rep who trolls this site ? Shouldn’t he have been the first post with the answer? Well I guess he only post “email me” though he never responds when you do.

[BayouBiker]

Mine is a 2018 and both my units have soft start..... I didn't even get a manual for the two Dometic Penguin II Heat pumps. They are the only manuals missing.

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by ProTech

Seems to me that anyone has a 2020 AS should have been told about the new ac feature. Or it should be in the manual. But that doesn’t seem to be the way AS does things. The manual is a comic book, not a technical manual like everyone needs. The “orientation “ is done by a salesperson and not a technician. This thread should have been a boast about the cool new ac feature not a question that needs investigating. Airstream again has shown they don’t care much for the customers. Where’s the Airstream rep who trolls this site ? Shouldn’t he have been the first post with the answer? Well I guess he only post “email me” though he never responds when you do.

Don’t jump to blame anyone yet, I (and the rest of us) don’t know for certain that any Airstreams come with this new AC. My observations just cause me to think it’s more likely. I still need to climb up on the roof and look.

[mtflybox]

I just installed the Micro Air in my '20 Globetrotter today. In the research I did, you can find, and look at the schematic for the unit to see if it has a start capacitor. If you have the model/serial number you can find it on the Dometic website. Other wise you can crawl on the roof, and screw the 4 bolts, and the schematic is right there.

Whats really odd is in the original post, the schematic in the first picture clearly shows a Start Capacitor which is a big problem IMO ...

For reference, mine is below.

[wulfraat]

Note that the MicroAir EasyStart (and dometic SmartStart, which is actually a re-branded hyper engineering SureStart) does also have a physical start capacitor inside the enclosure. It is software controlled but it does have one too [emoji6]

The key to all these units is:

Quality of the enclosure / IP rating
Intelligence of the software embedded on the chipset
Customer service

MicroAir wins hands down in all 3 categories in my humble opinion. Especially customer service, which at the end of the day is the ultimate differentiator in most any market [emoji6] when you need them - they are there for you.

[Dollie]

2018 globetrotter
Your penguin 2 does not have a soft start kit for it. *However, you’re a/c does come already with a hard start capacitor already in it. *
Even with this capacitor we recommend a generator of a 3.5 kw to allow for the most appropriate amps available to start this unit. From technical support at Domestic

[BayouBiker]

Wulfraat,

So true about customer service. As I mentioned, my 2018 units have the Dometic SmartStart. I am the second owner so it's possible the original owners had them added but I don't think so as they didn't mention it. The diagrams on my units also show the old school start capacitor and precision thermal resistor, same with the manual. I think that qualifies as poor support.....

[JunkYard]

No jumping to conclusions. I have a new 2020 trailer. I didn’t know anything about this and bought/installed a micro air less than a month ago. Have only had the trailer a month and half. In any case the instructions made sense so I’m guessing I didn’t have it from the factory. The 13k ac would start and run on my 2200 but from what I read, it was a matter of time until one of them died. Maybe it wasn’t necessary.

[lsbrodsky]

All right, I am confused! I do not have a personal stake , yet, because my heat pump still works and it seems there won't be any camping this year. But, I spent some time looking at every Penguin II and Brisk manual on the Dometic site and the schematics are all the same, the conventional design. I could find no indication or mention, anywhere on their site, about soft start devices built-in. Certainly their site could be out-of-date. How do you really know if your new or replacement Dometic has their OEM soft start device?
Larry

[BayouBiker]

IMO, the only sure way is to remove the cover and have a look.

Larry, even if your unit has the simpler start capacitor and precision variable resistor only, circumstances allow the compressor to start without tripping the breaker or locking the compressor motor rotor. Consider that the soft starts are microprocessor controlled start capacitor/resistor circuits that provides sufficient reserve power (the start capacitor gets charged just prior to and out of phase from when the rotor requires the current) precisely phase shifted to initiate rotation without relying on high source power inrush to compensate for less than ideal circumstances, For whatever reason, your specific setup seems to be doing that adequately.

[lsbrodsky]

No, no I have a MicroAir unit. In fact I was an early adopter, I have the circuit board installed in my box, not a separate 364 box. I am just curious when the time comes that my heat pump has to be replaced or I am helping out a club member. seems like a visual inspection is the only way to know.
Larry

[BayouBiker]

Well that explains it! My confusion... Yeah I think you just have to look.

[AdvToaster]

I definitely still need to look at it, but FWIW, my 13.5k is a model number 651815H751C0, which does not appear in any of the Dometic docs. There are two other 651815’s in their docs, but they show LRAs in the mid 60s and my tag says 52.

Tag attached for the curious.

[lsbrodsky]

I would not think that the LRA would be an indicator of a soft starting device, more with compressor design. Let us know what you find when you look in there!
Larry

[AdvToaster]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

I would not think that the LRA would be an indicator of a soft starting device, more with compressor design. Let us know what you find when you look in there!
Larry

Agreed, just noting that it doesn’t match any documents I can find.

[KCurtis]

Jeremy, please do report back. I have a new 2020 I bought last month and I am wondering the same thing.

[mike28]

I am getting the micro-air installed on Monday. Too many wires for me and I don’t like climbing on roof! Dometic with heat pump replaced a couple of years ago, so I should be ok.