Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC(Dometic is Helping)

[blkdodge]

Bedroom a/c was working good for a couple of days, then yesterday it quit again. Took off shroud and found during Dometics' **** POOR building techniques and quality control. They left the capillary tube rubbing right against the compressor and it rubbed a hole in the tube and lost all refrigerant. This could have been avoided by bending the line away from the compressor or putting on some line protection. Now we have to pitch a two and a half year old unit and send a $1000.00+ for a new one.

 

[NWILSON]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

WOW! That's gotta be hugely disappointing.
I wouldn't spend money on a new one before talking with Dometic. I've found that politely telling Customer Service of my misfortune and asking if I can send them pictures to help them understand what the problem is makes for a good chance of getting their help in getting things corrected even though it's out of warranty.

 

[danemayer]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

You might try calling a home air conditioning company and see if they'll repair the line, add a set of recharge fittings, and add refrigerant. Although Dometic doesn't take that approach, it's not unusual on home and commercial units.

 

[donr827]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

You might try calling a home air conditioning company and see if they'll repair the line, add a set of recharge fittings, and add refrigerant. Although Dometic doesn't take that approach, it's not unusual on home and commercial units.

X2 Most of the time a line can be repaired depending on which line you are talking about. Use to sell these fittings all the time to home a/c repair people......Don

 

[mobilcastle]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Hope you can fix it-I would think it would be alot cheaper.

 

[klindgren]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

It's happening to me right now. For the 2nd time!! Had the 15K A/C on my 2010 Landmark Pinehurst go out about 4 months into ownership. It was replaced under warranty but it happened right in the middle of the summer and we had to spend some days camping without ac. Now fast forward to today. The 15K A/C unit on our 2014 Landmark San Antonio went out two weeks ago while we were camping. Dominic is going to replace this unit under warranty, but they said they will not ship it to the dealer until Wed. Jun 4 and we are leaving for two months (including a stop at the National Rally in Urbanna) on Saturday the 7th. As it stands right now I don't think the new unit will be at the dealer before we leave. That means two summer months of camping withour the main ac! I am NOT a happy camper!! Dominic clearly has some QC issues!!

 

[Garypowell]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Give them a call and have them drop ship it somewhere down your future path.

 

[pegmikef]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

X2 Most of the time a line can be repaired depending on which line you are talking about. Use to sell these fittings all the time to home a/c repair people......Don

X3 . . at Phu Bai, 'Nam, one of my cooks (who was also a refrigeration mechanic) had a very lucrative side business going repairing window and trailer style air conditioners and rebuilding them from cannabilized parts.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Doesn't the A/C units have more than 1 year warranty?? I would call Dometic and ask. Its clearly a Dometic QC issue.

 

[klindgren]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Doesn't the A/C units have more than 1 year warranty?? I would call Dometic and ask. Its clearly a Dometic QC issue.

Dometic has a two year warranty on the A/C according to Heartland Customer Service. And they said they would cover the replacement under that warranty, so that's not my problem. They told my repair dealer that they would not ship it till this coming Wednesday. Well, at my begging, pleading, crying, the dealer called Dometic this morning and was told the unit was shipped on Friday "2-day shipping" so hopefully it will be here tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. Dealers is going to call me as soon as it comes in so I can get my Landmark back over there. I'm not counting my chickens until they hatch, but maybe, just maybe, I'll be a happy camper by Saturday and will see everyone at Bethpage!!

 

[blkdodge]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Very Very Very impressed with Dometic Customer Service. Sent them pictures and video on the issue I have with my bedroom A/C. After 1.5 days and a couple of email correspondence they are sending me a check for 3/4 the cost that I paid to have a new unit installed. Of course I'm sure they would have paid more if I took the unit to a dealer and waited for weeks to get it repaired. Very happy with Dometic and giving them a HI-5 on this one.

 

[NWILSON]

Re: Air Conditioner lost due to poor Dometic QC

Good to hear that Dometic was willing to help!

 

[poseyjap]

I have a Dometic AC failure maybe some of you guys have had a similar issue. Really dumb excuse for quality control i think. I have a Sundance 30 foot fifth wheel 2013 model. The AC sits over the rear area of coach on an incline the roof slopes to rear where ac sits. The pan under the unit on the roof has no drain hole's in the rear so there was two inchs of water sitting there since new Im sure' with the coil bottom submerged in it it whole width. So it developed a leak and now wont cool at all. Going to dealer tomorrow. The pan is rusted out now so I dont want it fixed. The coil leaking even if fixable scares me now for future leaks due to the corrosion. I punched a hole on each corner and drained it. Ill point that out to the repair staff tomorrow. Im going to ask that a new unit be installed. Ill make sure it drains correctly from new. Something so simple to me concerning the drain holes I guess escapes the guys building the coach. Or girls. Want to be fair. I would have said something to my boss if I was the guy/person installing the ac. But that's just me. Anyone else had this issue. Thanks from the new guy.
JP

 

[danemayer]

I have a Dometic AC failure maybe some of you guys have had a similar issue. The pan under the unit on the roof has no drain hole's in the rear so there was two inchs of water sitting there since new Im sure' with the coil bottom submerged in it it whole width. So it developed a leak and now wont cool at all. Going to dealer tomorrow. The pan is rusted out now so I dont want it fixed. The coil leaking even if fixable scares me now for future leaks due to the corrosion. I punched a hole on each corner and drained it. Ill point that out to the repair staff tomorrow. Im going to ask that a new unit be installed.
JP

Hi JP,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. Sorry about the problem you're having.

I don't think you'll get any resistance to replacing the A/C unit. I don't think Dometic expects dealers to fix leaks.

 

[Postie307]

We have a 2013 5th wheel which is now 2 1/2 years old. interesting that our main ac quit working right after the warranty period is up. apparently they can't or won't repair due to a sealed unit so we likely have to purchase a new ac unit plus cost to have installed.

 

[danemayer]

We have a 2013 5th wheel which is now 2 1/2 years old. interesting that our main ac quit working right after the warranty period is up. apparently they can't or won't repair due to a sealed unit so we likely have to purchase a new ac unit plus cost to have installed.

I don't think too many RV techs have air conditioner repair training, which may be one reason it's not viewed as repairable. However, you might contact a local residential A/C company. They may be willing to work on it. Of course, if it needs parts that the manufacturer doesn't make available, it could be a wasted service call expense. On the other hand, they fix many different brands of very different ages, often using generic parts, so maybe...

 

[drsasser]

I have the same problem, My main unit 13,500 BTU would not cool this spring on our first camping trip of the year, I called my dealer and they came out to check it, My unit is 1.5 years old since we bought it and is still under warranty The tech said it had lost it's charge and they are contacting Dometic for warranty, This A/C unit is tilted to the rear also and I wonder if I have the same problem as the previous poster the the drain pan holding water. I will check that after they replace it.

Our dealer gave me the option to replace it with a bigger unit and I also ask about a heat pump instead with me paying the difference of course,
What is the best unit on the market these days? Any pros/cons on a heat pump?
Thanks

 

[Westwind]

Look at Atwood Command Air ( I think it's called). My friend had one installed in his older Holiday Rambler Presidential and I couldn't get over how quiet his unit is when running. He had it delivered to the campground and the campground owner used a front end loader to put it on the roof and he and a friend installed it, handyman experience but thats
it definitely not technican experience.

http://www.atwoodmobile.com/air-conditioners/rv-air-conditioners.asp