Upgrade to Bluetooth Coleman Mach AC head unit?

[STREMON]

Hello! I am working on upgrading my Coleman Mach AC head unit to the Bluetooth unit. Seems like a simple project from watching some YouTube videos but there does not seem to be enough room to place the control panel where it is supposed to go. I cannot reach my hand up in there because the heat strip is in the way. Has anyone else completed this upgrade? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[richard5933]

I just did this a few weeks ago.

It is possible to slither the control box into place with the heat strip in place, but without a doubt the easier way is to pull the heat strip down first. Use a hex wrench to remove it, and when you put it back be sure to only put it over the metal of the a/c frame and not over the plastic drip tray.

[Pizzaman276]

I like the sound of this upgrade. What parts are needed and was it an easy process?
Thank you for sharing the details!

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Pizzaman276

I like the sound of this upgrade. What parts are needed and was it an easy process?
Thank you for sharing the details!

I installed this on a Coleman Mach 3, and the only part needed was one of these:

https://www.airxcel.com/rv/coleman-m...iling-assembly

The install is all done inside the trailer and is pretty straightforward. Remove the old ceiling assembly and install the new one according to the instructions.

Biggest benefit I see is that the Bluetooth ceiling assembly provides the option of not having the fan running all the time - when the compressor is not making cold the fan will turn off if you set it to 'auto' which makes for a much quieter inside.

There is a Bluetooth app you can use to control the unit, but it is a bit quirky and wouldn't be a reason to upgrade if it were the only new feature.

I believe that there is also an option to add a remote thermostat to the control box which comes with the ceiling assembly, but I have not investigated to be sure.

[STREMON]

Richard, thanks for the help! I am a little nervous to take off the heat strip and decided to hire a professional to do it. There is no way on ours to slither the control panel in to place. Like you said, we ordered the Bluetooth assembly to help with the noise issue of the fan always being on. Also, it will be nice to set a temperature and not guess with the dial. I have seen that some people have added soundproofing material to the inside of the of head unit to take down the noise level by a few decibels. Have you tried this as well?

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by STREMON

Richard, thanks for the help! I am a little nervous to take off the heat strip and decided to hire a professional to do it. There is no way on ours to slither the control panel in to place. Like you said, we ordered the Bluetooth assembly to help with the noise issue of the fan always being on. Also, it will be nice to set a temperature and not guess with the dial. I have seen that some people have added soundproofing material to the inside of the of head unit to take down the noise level by a few decibels. Have you tried this as well?

I did swap out the black foam that came pre-installed on the inside of the ceiling assembly for something a little better, but to be honest I'm not sure there is enough surface area in the ceiling assembly to make that much difference in the noise.

The black foam from the factory is about 1/8" thick and has a rather rough surface which contacts the air flow. My thought was as much to increase air flow as it was to reduce noise, as the stuff I installed has a smooth surface on the side that contacts the air flow. It is designed for doing sound deadening on auto interiors, and is about 3/16" thick - only slightly thicker than the original stuff, but much more dense.

Here's to hoping that the reduced friction will increase air flow and reduce noise, and the thicker/denser sound insulation will help as well.

(original is the first photo, new is the second)

[Pizzaman276]

Originally Posted by richard5933

I installed this on a Coleman Mach 3, and the only part needed was one of these:

https://www.airxcel.com/rv/coleman-m...iling-assembly

The install is all done inside the trailer and is pretty straightforward. Remove the old ceiling assembly and install the new one according to the instructions.

Biggest benefit I see is that the Bluetooth ceiling assembly provides the option of not having the fan running all the time - when the compressor is not making cold the fan will turn off if you set it to 'auto' which makes for a much quieter inside.

There is a Bluetooth app you can use to control the unit, but it is a bit quirky and wouldn't be a reason to upgrade if it were the only new feature.

I believe that there is also an option to add a remote thermostat to the control box which comes with the ceiling assembly, but I have not investigated to be sure.

Thank you for the details! Looks like I have a new project ahead of me!