MPG A/C Warning - Do not install heat strip in Dometic unit

brains77396

Active Member
If you are thinking of installing a heat strip in your Dometic, A/C, DO NOT. I just had one installed and picked it up yesterday. Another member took his to his dealer to have the heat strip installed and they refused, stating that Dometic had declared it a fire hazard. I just finished speaking with Dometic about the heat strip and they said, "No, do not install the heat strip." It doesn't matter if there is a position on the front that says "Heat". The housing is plastic and the heat will melt the plastic, possibly causing it to catch fire. My dealer knew nothing of this, but said bring it back and they would remove it and reimburse me the cost. They are doing a follow up with Dometic now.
 

hoefler

Well-known member
Sounds fishy! What A/C unit do you have?? Have you anything in writing from Dometic to back this??
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
I don't know but we were told several years ago that our AC was not compatable with installing a heat strip. We have the Dometic Duo-therm low profile.
 

brains77396

Active Member
Dometic 11,000 BTU. No, I do not. Here is the story. I posted a while back that while my unit was in the shop, I would have the heat strip installed. Another MPG member ask for the price and ask to be updated. I picked it up from the dealer day before yesterday. He took his to a different dealer to get his installed. The dealer refused to install the heat strip because Dometic told them it was a fire hazard and he e-mailed me of this fact yesterday. One of the two dealers is wrong. Mine for installing the strip or his for refusing to install. Flip a coin? Since I had the reportedly fire hazard, I decided to call Dometic. I gave the lady the model number 600312.331 and the air distribution box number 330700. Of two possible boxes, one is metal, the other plastic. Mine is plastic, therefore I was told by Dometic NOT to install the heat strip as it would melt the plastic and could cause a fire. My AC owners manual states that the heat strip is an option and can be installed. Dometic, who wrote the manual is now telling people not to install the strip in the plastic. I followed this up with a call to Heartlands service dept. and was told that it would be brought up at their weekly meeting and that they would contact Dometic about this matter. My dealer said to return the trailer and they would remove the heat strip and refund my full purchase price. Fishy or not, thats the story. Being a MPG, it was posted on the MPG forum, not the one size fits all forum.

Sounds fishy! What A/C unit do you have?? Have you anything in writing from Dometic to back this??
 

hoefler

Well-known member
It sounds like all you need to do is to get the metal box. When I installed the heat strip in my Dometic unit, I had to change the controller. Not a big deal if the right components are used.
 

brains77396

Active Member
A/C heat strip update

Returned to the dealer yesterday to have the heat strip removed. While there I looked at three new MPG's on the lot. None of them had the position on the A/C unit that said heat. Somewhere up the line they decided to omit the heat unit and and install non-upgradeable A/C units. Also noticed they had changed the 183 so the top and bottom bunks lift up and can be latched into that position. Also a very large storage door was added aft of the slide to put a bicycle or something like that in the compartment. When the kids depart we hope to upgrade to the 184 with the full time bed. Also looked at the Edge, which is a very nice unit but would not want to go to the expense of having to upgrade my tow truck. BTW, my dealer refunded the full price of having the heat strip installed.
 
Top