I FAILED Repeatedly And Had To Walk Away Defeated: RV Tech Confessional Furrion RV Roof A/C

While not quite a year ago, I installed this Furrion RV Roof A/C on a Jayco Greyhawk. While the initial install went well, it did not take too long to hear from the customers that the wall thermostat never read the temperature correctly. Assuming the t-stat was bad based on advice from the helpful RV forums, they asked me to change it. Unfortunately, that did not fix the problem. Turns out the temperature sensor is inside the air box in the design from Furrion, and it is very sensitive and with discharge vents right next to the A/C, it grabs cold air and reads the wrong temperature very quickly. While, Furrion and Lippert developed a "premium" thermostat kit to fix the problem, they did not have them in stock for the near future so I tried a work around by extended the sensor outside the air box, but close to the ceiling, so it still didn't read the temperature very accurately. So finally, I decided to install a Easy Touch smart wall thermostat from Micro-Air which I was told would fix the problem and upgrade and enhance the experience.....but ultimately it had the same problem. So join me as I discover all this and it breaks me.
Thanks for watching!

[@WheelinwiththeWatsons]

As much as the situation sucks, this video shows the effort you will put in to make things right even when the cause was out your control. Rare in this world. True integrity!

[@ourrvsunsets]

Dude, as someone that has owned a service business for 20 years I so get this. You're doing everything you can to try and make things right for your client, but at every turn you run into a 30' thick brick wall of stupid!!! All I can say is goodonya amigo for pushing forward and doing what is right for your client. If it's anything like every time I have run into this situation you're gonna lose money on it, but you'll have a happy client in the end. All I can say is you have my respect!

[@jebutah9705]

Oh man how crazy! Your obvious frustration is well deserved. I guess Furrion will not step up and cover your losses. Guess you will not be using their product in the future

[@brianbiggs3484]

James you are a credit to this RV Technician that watches & learns constantly from you . I feel the pain you are going through. I’m a simple man & often wonder nowadays why we can’t go by the KISS theory . Hang in there James 👍👍🇨🇦✌️🇨🇦✌️

[@glennandpamlang190]

Feel bad for you. How frustrating! Don’t beat yourself up as you are ‘The Man’ when it comes to repairs. You will victorious in the end.

[@2manytoyz123]

What a PITA! As a retired electronics technician, I would have used the existing wiring between the A/C unit, and the thermostat, to pull new wiring with an extra couple of conductors. This way the thermistor could be relocated at the thermostat. No need for any new hardware other than some wiring, which you likely already have. Thank you for sharing your saga. This is exactly why I don’t like working on other people’s projects.

[@Blakehx]

I had the same thought… my only concern would be the resistance added by an extra 10’+ of wire as thermistor circuits are quite sensitive

[@davidew98]

This is not a valid solution.

[@johnrpizzaguy]

@@davidew98I completely agree, the manufacturer of the new unit designed it , sometimes you actually have to read the manual or make a call to tech support, that’s what they’re there for.

[@rja12]

​@@johnrpizzaguyI just looked at the manual and although there are wire diagrams supplied, there is zero mention of where the temperature sensor is located...which is just dumb on Furrion.

[@johnrpizzaguy]

@@rja12 not a surprise, happens all the time. Have a great day.

[@DavidHBurkart]

James, this would be nothing short of maddening for anyone to deal with. For you, with your integrity, work ethic and sense of commitment, you can tell this is devastating for your sense of responsibility. Remember, you did not create this problem. You discovered it and also are working diligently to solve the issue for your customer. This comes through clearly in your videos. Take a step back, take a deep breath and get away from it for a short spell of time before re-engaging with a renewed perspective. You will find the right solution. Thank you for who you are Sir. Blessings to you and your customer. He chose the right repair professional.

[@brians4167]

You will figure it out James. Wish I could help you out. Your still my RV hero!!!

[@WhereRV_Eh]

I would welcome having a tech such as you. I only hope that your client understands how much effort you have given. In our area the dealers control support and they would bill for each and everything done and blame it on someone else.

[@badgerpa9]

The replacement board probably is designed for a longer wire run for the thermistor to locate by the thermostat. If you just extend the current thermistor to the thermostat the board could short from the extra wire length. Doesn't sound like the engineer planned for this very well. Good to see you are well even with a conundrum, stay safe and healthy Sir..

[@gary.joseph]

You're still the best RV technician on KZbin! ☺ Perhaps anywhere!

[@dennissprague5172]

Strange, I just watched that install vid yesterday. I too liked the look of it and admired the way James put the 80+ lbs unit on his back and climb up the ladder. So Furrion had a problem, knew about it and didn't make the buyer aware! Their bad! James, I wish all the techs I've worked with. worked as hard and as smart as you. No way have you let this customer down. I am a few months away from my purchase of a motorhome, will be based in AZ and would be honored to have your help in its maintenance. Kudos to you.

[@52cardsup]

Furrion - BOO! HISS! C’Mon, Furrion!! Step up to the plate and help this man out! Self employed individual, YOUR mistake - Man Up!!

[@ryanm7865]

Thanks for taking the time to highlight the issue with the Furrion AC, I have been keeping an eye on their units. Anyone who has ever done service work feels your pain. Hang in there and please keep us updated on the final solution. Your videos provide real value for those of us watching.

[@robertbrown3375]

Is there a distance restriction on the thermistor? Could you add two more wires to the thermostat area and move the thermistor near the thermostat? Just a thought. Glad to see someone with integrity still exists. Keep up the great work.

[@Charger1908]

I feel your pain James. I run into the same problems working on hot rods and motorcycles. I did however green some info on this problem you had, I need two thermostats for my motorhome and the digital one you had on your vid meets my needs so don’t fret all is not lost. I just walk away, cuss a lot and take a break.

[@seanbhaney]

Boy James, I sure do feel your pain. I responded with my issues with my Daikin Mini-Split issues on your ultimate fix which were just what I experienced. I can't fathom that they would be reading room temp right at the main unit, presumable to save a few feet of wire. I've got a 2023 GD Reflection 320MKS I just replaced the Dometic t-Stat in and it seems to be working fine, so I'm hoping Lippert finally realized their problem and took action. I am appalled at the trend which seems to remove the Thermostat room temp readings from the T-Stat, which was the primary reason why Thermostats existed. After seeing this video of your turmoil and already trying a 3rd party solution on my garage mini-split, I'm gonna call my HVAC friend and make him provide the proper solution to this similar issue I'm having with my garage system. It's time for me to quit providing my money to fix Daikin's stupid engineering.

[@garthfrenzel5836]

I feel your pain as an RV Tech. Just today having some simular issues. Not getting paid to make it right.

[@michaelprue9024]

I am the second owner of a keystone outback Sydney edition rv, and it came equipped with a carrier AC unit just like the one you replaced. The rv is a 2006 travel trailer. That carrier unit has been one tough unit. It is original to the trailer and still pumps out COLD air. I do everything I can to keep it maintained, but I do know eventually it too, will fail, and will need to be replaced. After watching this video, I am NOT looking forward to having to deal with this issue. As far as the experience you have had with this particular customers AC, I gotta say kudos to you. You’re standing behind your work to the bitter end. That’s called integrity, and at the very least, in the rv industry, that’s rare and you should take pride in that quality.

[@schlz69]

on our last rig, Grand Design Imagine 3250BH, when I added a second A/C I relocated the temp sensor to right below the thermostat, where it should be, this was easy because the OEM used 7 conductor T-Stat wire, so there were unused conductors, this was a huge improvement over the OEM set up

[@diverm2371]

I gotta say, there is probably not a one dam person here. Who would have not made the same mistakes. Thanks for saving us from going through all that.

[@AZExpert]

Thank you :)

[@JimmyShawsTidbits1]

Stay strong, brother. We all have had that 1 job from hell. Just think of all the people you are helping with your videos. We can't thank you enough.

[@jefreyjohnson4294]

Sorry James, forgot to tell you how much I enjoy your videos. Lots of work to make them, so much information, I appreciate you for taking the time to share your knowledge.👍👍👍👍

[@LayloNewt]

Wow I feel your frustration but I know you will figure it out. You are the AZ Expert who we all enjoy watching and learning from. James you got this. Enjoy the 4th come back refreshed.

[@johnfleming7729]

James, Your commitment is very admirable. The 'Do it right' attitude is uncommon these days. I applaud your efforts.

[@JoeWoolley-rf5fq]

James your still one of the best in the industry. No doubt about it , you will figure it out . Go relax in your Beaver for a few and just get away from it for a minute. My ole friend an aircraft mechanic always laughed and would say we just have to get smarter then the problem . James your the best and we sure enjoy your videos.

[@markstench4470]

You say your not an engineer. I agree, your a mechanic and mechanics FIX ENGINEERS MISTAKES. Thank you for always educating the masses.

[@jimbernard6112]

I had this same Furrion unit installed by the OEM on my new (in 2021) trailer. I had the same issue with temperature control. Even worse than the AC temp control was the furnace control. The first time I ran my suburban propane furnace, I nearly burnt down the trailer. I turned on the furnace just as I did in all of my previous trailers and it never shut off. That's when I figured out that the thermistor was in the roof plenum reading essentially the 40 degree outside air temp. Turned out that Furrion expected you to run the AC fan in conjunction with the propane furnace so that the room air would be circulated through the AC return for the thermistor to register. The trailer OEM finally sent me the "updated" Furrion wall mounted thermostat and control box. This "thermostat" does contain a thermistor, but there is one very big catch: it only reads temperature from that thermistor in furnace mode. In AC mode, it still reads the thermistor in the AC plenum. So, unless they've recently come out with a third iteration that reads the wall mounted thermistor for both heat and AC, the new box and thermostat would not have fixed your issue.

[@rnreajr9184]

On the plus side, now we have a story to follow with some drama added to it! We still love you, brother.

[@toolman.dustin]

As usual, great video. Very sorry you have to keep addressing this issue. You do it because you're a man of integrity. Furrion and now Microaire are making you look bad. I would have NEVER imagined a thermostat would not have a temperature sensor built in. That makes my head hurt to try and comprehend. You have the best RV videos on KZbin. Thanks for sharing your skills with us.

[@stevelange819]

We all get to see the "total picture" of this challenge and what James is dealing with and working through. Yes, the situation to the "uninformed" would make James seem less competent than he truly is - outshines any "tech" I've dealt with in any discipline. Furrion design and application is at fault for not putting the sensor in the thermostat or at least making it clear the sensor is in the AC unit and not in the thermostat and warn/caution that hot/cold air vents shouldn't be near the AC unit. Microaire may not have previously been aware of this specific set of circumstances that James and his customer have found themselves in. Hopefully they'll re-address all the heating/cooling products their thermostat product(s) support and tweak the verbiage accordingly. So glad James has shed light on this problem as I'm going to need new AC relatively soon - I never would have thought an AC/Heating product would harbor such a flaw.

[@notreallyhere7719]

I appreciate your videos and the honesty. I cant imagine the frustration you're going through.

[@williamhague2768]

Working on inanimate objects sometimes makes you wonder if they can fight back…. I’m really sorry your having a trying time. That level of disappointment and frustration is hard on a soul. You’ll get through it and I’m glad you shared it as it helps others to know that even the worst kinds of jobs do have a good conclusion providing that one does not quit. Keep your chin up bud… your doing a great job, as usual.

[@tommarkosian2703]

Glad you made this video as us RV owner with a skill set not even close to yours get frustrated as well at least I do. Thanks for being real.

[@timburton3987]

From a 40 Year Master Cert. Tech. (including LCI/Furrion) The updated controller and T-stat will not fix the issue. The update kit only uses the thermistor in the T-stat for heating mode. It still senses temp in cooling mode from the return air thermister. The fix: Replace the T-stat and controller with a Dometic single zone kit. Furrion copied the Dometic connector for the upper unit, so it's plug and play. Dometic uses a thermistor in the T-stat. For future reference, Furrion is owned by LCI, that should tell you enough to never recommend a Furrion product. Good Luck Brother! Hope this helps,

[@kgrant594]

Have you considered running extended thermistor wires from the AC air box to the wall mounted thermostat location and installing the thermistor collocated with the thermostat on the wall?

[@TimothyMichaels]

Wondered if that would work. 🤔

[@badgerpa9]

Could end up burning up the board if it was not designed for a longer wire run.

[@kgrant594]

@@badgerpa9 Extremely unlikely. Thermistor is essentially a variable resistor that is temperature sensitive. The resistance of the thermistor will be significantly higher than the resistance of the extra wire making the change negligible to the circuit. The change to the performance of the system temperature regulation should be noticeably improved. Furion should have located the thermistor externally collocated with the thermostat in the first place. Locating the thermistor in the air box was just begging for problems. They obviously did not prototype or test their design enough to identify production problems.

[@kgrant594]

This approach is not ideal because the extra length of wires may inductively pick up noise, leading to erratic operation of the set point. However, this is an attempt to cost effectively fix a messed up design from the factory. Sometimes a field fix is less than ideal but may work well enough to move on down the road. It would be very easy to test this with a few feet of wire. Temporarily run the wires to the desired thermistor location and test. Once the fix is verified, run the wire more permanently in the walls.

[@MrPwilliams75]

There is a kit to extend the wire and place in the wall near thermostat. I did this on mine and works well.

[@billpogue3895]

James, I would never hesitate having you work on my rig. Thank you for your honestly and sharing you're frustration.

[@AZExpert]

Thank you

[@rickhicks3477]

I truly feel your pain. As automotive technician,I see problems like this alot. Never the engineer fault. Technicians have to be persistent and fix the engineers screw ups. Thanks for sharing 👍👍

[@wrenchleague9801]

As a test again, you can extend that sensor wire that have hanging out over to the t - stat and see what it does … if it works you can pull it through the wall and tuck it by the stat …

[@Libertad-o-MuerteAZ]

^^THIS^^ Seems like the logical solution to me.

[@notreallyhere7719]

Dam. Sorry that's just messed up.

[@rja12]

Doesn't the extra length of wire to relocate the sensor create resistance thus causing it to create more problems?

[@JoeFreud]

James, you have taught and guided me through so many situations, thank you. You will always be my go to source because of videos like this. On our recent trip from Kansas to the Gulf Cost and back we lost our front AC unit on our 95 Holiday Rambler Endeavor. Its age brings different challenges, I had my puke bucket handy when I had to change the AC control box from analog to digital when the thermostat died and still haven't figured out how to get the furnace working. We are going to get the coach all tuned up for the next owner so I'll wait to see what AC unit you recommend for replacement. Then we will do something like you and find a good diesel pusher in the spring. Thanks for all you do for the community. Joe

[@MrDIYMUSCLE]

I upgraded (two units) to furion from old carrier units when I saw the original video. After I installed the first unit I quickly recognized the AC was cycling too often. I upgrade the control box to digital version. Did not solve the problem. I realized the design flaw after looking at schematics. I took the new controller off and extended the thermocouple about 18 inches and mounted it on the base cover facing down and that was enough to get it working decent. Furion now offers the same workaround to relocate thermacouple under a cabinet. Yes,.it's embarrassing such a big company with engineers did not see such a fundamental flaw...

[@everyonelovesfriday2045]

That feeling right there is exactly what everyone of us DIY RV repair guys feel every weekend. Never worked so hard to fail.

[@goththicus]

I can commensurate with your frustration James. We’ve had our challenges as well. Looking forward to seeing the final fix.

[@fjamison44]

Man I love watching your videos. They portray reel life and are extremely relatable and give me hope that it's just not me!!! Keep plugging along, my friend!!

[@AZExpert]

Glad you like them!

[@drewhssd]

Stay strong James… everyone watch all the ads all the way through let’s hook him up

[@AZExpert]

Thank you

[@PinnacleWeddings]

Couple things First of all I love your videos Your sense of humor is great and your always smiling in almost every one you do You take so much pride in your work and it shows! Every one of us watching your videos is smarter because of your incredible skill set This video caused me so much anxiety knowing what it’s like to have a faulty design cause this much stress and self doubt Knowing you can’t seem to crack the enigma in the situation and knowing the amount of pride you take in solving problems like this is hard to watch but shows everyone how committed you are to your craft I have NEVER commented on your videos (or hardly any videos to be honest) but your work is so appreciated! We’re going to be living in Arizona and I’d love for you to take a look at my coach and help with some issues we’ve had Your really a powerful resource and we’re grateful for you documenting your success and you will conquer this as well! Appreciate you and your channel my friend Keep your chin up and keep crushing ❤

[@YallAintRight]

He is super booked, so if you know when you’re going, you might want to reach out to him in advance. Also, I’m jealous. i’m in Georgia.

[@rja12]

A separate paragraph for each sentence huh? 😉

[@PinnacleWeddings]

@@YallAintRight agreed and I absolutely would reach out before

[@PinnacleWeddings]

@@rja12 Spacing Makes It Easier To Read #mytestalk

[@YallAintRight]

@@rja12 Some people are visually impaired. They sometimes type in all caps as well.

[@mylodge312]

We have SAME ISSUE with DUCTED Atwood AC. Thank for expressing how endless RV DIY folks and even when hire other Pros feel. Your walking through is much appreciated

[@williaml5570]

James, as a recently retired remodeling contractor I get it. A quick example was a Delta grab bar. A simple project. After hours of frustration I had to return it. Seems like engineers should install stuff themselves before they sell it

[@danrambow7721]

I have watched your videos for a long time. Rarely in your area, but as a full timer for 13 years, I appreciate the ideas I get from your work. As a computer tech for 45 years, I really understand your frustration when you do all repairs correctly, but the underlying components do not do what they are supposed to. Not elegant, but if working on my own RV, I would run an extension wire from the control panel across the ceiling and down a wall to head high spot on an interior wall for the thermistor. If nothing else, perhaps a temporary solution until a better one presents itself.

[@FiveGunsWest]

Don't be too hard on yerself, dawg! You did your due diligence. I know that's not enough for you but miracles are in short supply these days.

[@AZExpert]

Thanks

[@paulshannon4576]

You didn’t fail but the manufacturers and vendors did. I’ve learned a lot from watching your videos and I remember you singing high praise for the Furrion unit so I’m glad you made this video pointing out the flaws in the unit. I have saved the video of you putting rollers on the kitchen slide to make it operate better and smother, something I plan on doing to my Keystone Cougar, the heaviest side and to try and have it slide on a plastic strip. Hang in there I’m positive you will come up with a fix for their bad design.

[@johncarkeet5767]

I retrofit a Furrion 15.5 in place of my Coleman Machs (one of which died so i replaced both) about 18 months ago, but I kept the Coleman electronics and the Honeywell residential thermostat (that I had previously installed). At the time I wasn't aware of the temp control problems that Furrion had been experiencing. I LOVE this install. Sorry for all your frustration. As an RV tech myself, I hate it when I can't fix it for the customers too.

[@3sons66]

Boy....I've had many of those moments in my life. I can relate to your frustration and thank you for posting the video.

[@jbeletti]

James - I remember watching your install video of this AC unit and now this thermostat upgrade attempt. I admire your work ethic. Also, this video is quite timely for me as I plan to have a new RV built and am considering AC controls and air units. I also appreciate learning more about the Furrion controls as it's one brand that I'm considering.

[@robertb5922]

This is as honest as it gets. Not every fix has a happy ending. I can appreciate the pure frustration of not being able to make it right for the client no matter how much time and materials you have to eat. We’ve all been in those situations.

[@Tony_in_AZ]

I spent 5 decades as a auto mechanic... Owned my first repair shop in 1981... So , yes I feel for you from my own experiences. I look forward to a resolution to this ...

[@orangecrocks]

James your frustration is understandable. You clearly take pride in your work and to have such a weird issue would make me tear what’s left of my thinning greying hair out. As an engineer I have to scratch my head at that design. I hope for the grey hawk owner you can get the parts and that Furrion actually get their act together. I do have a question, would running wires over to the thermostat and wiring up the thermister there at the wall dial work? In essence relocating it to the wall where it should be. Or would the length of wire prevent it from working correctly? Keep us posted and keep your head up. Your honesty and candor are always appreciated!

[@lorenjennings1127]

Even though this AC issue is very frustrating for you, I always find good and useful information in each of your videos. So much information that I have a notebook to keep a record of the tips you give from your videos. Thank you James!

[@YallAintRight]

I should do that!

[@wacofooddude4459]

I’ve experienced the exact problem on my 2022 Grand Design. I contacted Grand Design and they sent me a kit with a new thermistor on a much longer cable to relocate from the return air closer to the thermostat. I’ll be trying to tackle that install in the coming week.

[@Bigreddogs2007]

OOPS - I see that someone had already suggested moving the thermistor - please disregard my prior comment. Hopefully you have found a solution and have put this all behind you. You do great work, I enjoy your channel and can feel your pain in this situation. Keep your head up, I'm sure you will find a solution.

[@mickeymouse-lu2yk]

Hi James - i hope this is my last post on this - the furrion chill has a legacy thermostat mode the micro air seems to mimic the proprietary furrion thermostat so by definition is still using the horrible furrion built in thermistor, but using the digital to analog dip switch and the supplied analog thermostat cable you can use a home battery powered thermostat and the thermostats built in thermistor. The cable has the compressor and two fan wires along with ground and furnace wires and a non operational heat pump wire. It plugs into the header right next to the dip switches in the furrion control board and thus you can unhook the 4 furrion thermostat wires. And use those to get the new compressor, fan high, gnd wires to the standard battery powered home thermostat. Hope this solves your customers issue too.

[@AZExpert]

Thanks for the comment

[@marin082164]

Thank you James for sharing all your experiences, bravo for been so professional!!

[@Onemoreking010]

Thank you James for showing this. I appreciate you sharing all the problems you have had with it.

[@stevesmith9173]

Very sorry to hear about your "issues" & frustrations! That being said, I am VERY, very happy to see that I'm not the only one that experiences "issues" like this as well... love your video's & good luck with this issue!

[@user-io8ty3oz7y]

Ah James, sorry your in this mess. I’ve been in similar position with auto repair, it is sooooo maddening! Your customer is fortunate to have you as their tech, others would have given up long ago. Keep the faith - for what it’s worth, I’m proud of you and refer many to your channel.

[@AZExpert]

I appreciate it

[@YallAintRight]

I’m proud of you on this one. You worked sooooo hard for your customers.

[@drewski6843]

Trials and errors. Damn, you figured out where parts are when parts are placed in weird and odd places. Doesn't make any sense why that company would do such a thing. Ya man, enjoy watching your vids and at least you know now what to do when dealing with this company or anything similar. Great vids man!

[@AstrologerJoe]

Hang in there James, you'll figure it out....you're a smart guy. Sometimes we need to walk away and regroup and the solution will come. Thanks for the video!

[@mbdavid6993]

You'll figure it out James. We all watch you because you're very informative and explain in detail. 👍

[@gsp2west]

Everything you explained was easy to follow. Good video for us RV owners. Would like to see the final fix when you have the parts.. Hang in there..!!

[@philipchesley9615]

In the meantime, I'm in Az with dual roof heatpumps and I've been tormented for years with "settings" that stop their reliable functioning after 110 degrees. One day while discussing other DYI stuff at my local parts/service shop, the owner Loren looked at me like: Hello, were in Az. Leave it ON. On HIGH. So I thought maybe he was missing something so I'd go over it again... "Leave it on High" he'd tell me again. By the third time I started to understand what he was saying.... Right about then, the clouds parted with heavenly music........ It's now set: ON Mode: HIGH Zone: 1 & 2 (Automatic is bypassed) And when it hits over 110 (like next week!) I break out the portable & run the exhaust hose out a screen window with temporary plywood insert. Until Halloween. So we get it that all RV owners should be able to crossover their home HVAC experience into their high teh RVs, but we're at the mercy of the manufacturer's tech* and our climate. Frustrating is an understatement! Cheers! ---------- And my spiffy Norcold side by side fridge/freezer? At 110-115, I shut it down to defrost until Halloween. It becomes a nice pantry & I use the smaller 110v fridge/freezer and a serious high tech ice chest to survive until the season's over. Only a few months more or less. Camping in my RV park lol *Norcold sent out the "fix": Install 2 tiny fans at the in & out air vents.....seriously! It's a good pantry until Halloween plus it gets a yearly defrost... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@philw7174]

Interesting. I can imagine your frustration, absurd is right. Yikes! Thank you James for this video. Happy trails!

[@AZExpert]

Thanks for watching!

[@RustyOutdoors101]

thanks for sharing. I know that is frustrating. I don't understand why manufactures make it so hard for techs like us. I hope you get this figured out without any more trouble. looking forward to see the updated video where you can put this to rest once and for all. good luck brother.

[@PrevostJoe]

I feel your pain and fustration, 3 decades in the RV and auto repair bussness. It took its toll on me because of situations like this...

[@deanh7190]

Thanks James for sharing your hard fought experiences.

[@Weird600]

Nothing sucks more than having to start over several times..... I see in my future this same scenario when it comes time to work on my basement air conditioner.

[@MrMrWrench]

An excellent technician. Honesty and humility are admirable qualities to have in a mechanic. I wish this man could work on my camper. (But I don't get to Arizona too often.)

[@SuperSushidog]

I have had a Furrion AC for the last 2 years and love it. I don't use a wall mounted thermostat. I use the one with rooftop controls. It is the 14.5 kbtu model that blows much colder air than my old 13.5kbtu Dometic. If it gets too cold just turn the knob lower or turn it off. If too hot, turn it up. The fan must be left on high, or it will freeze up. If you want fancy, then get one that has all the bells and whistles, will cost twice as much and may not cool as well.

[@RVIntoRetirement]

There is an adjustment on the Micro Air where you can calibrate the temp reading on the faceplate to actual air temp. In your case if it was reading 68 and it was actually 78 you would add a +20

[@carykneupper1405]

I was just as frustrated as you were just watching the video. I've been there, keep your head up buddy. You exposing this problem has got to get someone motivated to help find a solution.

[@josephharrell5724]

I installed a Furrion AC in part because of your recommendation and in part due to "All about RVs" recommendation. It works great but as you say the thermostat is not accurate. I knew as I was installing it that the thermistor was in the air box and tried to route it such that only return air was touching it. I use the indoor outdoor thermometer to set the AC and ignore what the thermostat says. It was my understanding that most new RV ACs have this digital thermostat issue. It is also possible to connect the AC using a old analog thermostat that uses its own thermistor or even an old mercury switch. I think you would lose other features of the furrion in the process. At least Furrion has acknowledged the issue and came up with an improvement but it is probably expensive. The problem is that you not only installed the Furrion but you recommended it making you feel responsible for not only the installation but the operation and design as well. The customer needs to take some responsibility for the choice as well. This was a design issue and not a install issue. Most installers would have just said take it up with the manufacturer but you are too conscientious for that.

[@RamblinRoadies]

Damn James. I've never seen you so down. Hopefully you will resolve this issue and share it with us. I have confidence in you. 👍🏻

[@ralphwilliams6123]

My Coleman went bad a year ago and the only thing I could find was the Furrion. I hate that the Furrion is made in China, but have to admit that the unit works very well and puts out a ton of cold air. It is also quieter both inside and out. I recently replaced my RVcompfort 2 zone thermostat with the MicroAir Easy Touch. It literally was plug and play to the old thermostat connector. It takes a tiny bit of learning to use, but once learned, is super easy to use and easy to wi-fi connect. Plus, being able to turn on, change to heat or cold, change temp, and more...from the bedroom of the RV or my house is SUPER convenient. Sorry your experience was not the same. Can you not just move the temp sensor to be next to the thermostat?

[@calvinbarnes1721]

That was my thought as well, James has already done the hard part for that. Just run two wires and move the thermistor to the wall wart.

[@CH-mp8eu]

I had the same thought. Run extension wires down to where the thermostat is and connect the thermistor to the end of the two wires. you could put it in the wall right under the control unit to hide it. BUT FIRST - I'd verify that the Micro-Air unit does not have it's own thermistor. On that note - if there are two thermistors in place, it seems to me the AC unit will rely on the onboard one to control temp, not a secondary one in an aftermarket control unit. To say that differently - I think you'd have to disconnect the thermostor in the AC itself from the board in the AC to get an aftermarket controller to read an alternate thermistor. I could be wrong, but I'd have disconnected it to begin with because you don't want it reading the temp anyway.

[@RamblinRoadies]

​@@CH-mp8euhe verified that the new thermostat has no thermistor.

[@rbnhood39]

Hi James, I totally feel your frustration with this situation. I’ve been working in the HVAC wholesale industry for nearly 20 years. The over engineering and the unnecessary complexity of some air conditioning systems is mind boggling.

[@vprsrul]

I have battled the same issue with a furrion ac, I thought the controller was going bad and nothing ever stopped it from short cycling, customer hasn’t returned with the unit but I appreciate this video. This was the first furrion I had worked on and your video will certainly help me diagnosis theirs. At this point I’d rather dump the furrion though!

[@garrisonaerialimages2951]

James, We still consider you the upmost authority in RV repair. Looking forward to you concurring this issue.

[@michelmichael8957]

I don’t know what to say. Nothing I can say that has not been said about this video. Whoa. Love you James. You’re still the best there is.

[@tracymangus3294]

you should just run some 18 gauge wire from the AC unit down to the thermostat and move the Thermistor down by the thermostat, if you have access, or tie string to control wire, pull it back to AC , add wires, and pull back into wall with additional wire for Thermistor bulb

[@user-wv9vy4rw1f]

I feel your pain James! Im a service guy in a different industry. But I have been on these godawful no fault wild goose chases too. Why does it seem like we are the only ones who care at all about customer satisfaction? Mfg's and distributors don't seem to.

[@markdemedeiros3239]

Wow James .....thanks for sharing?.....Your still my #1 go to guy for learning all there is to know about rv stuff. I felt bad for you in this video. STILL A BIG FAN

[@diesylone]

So sorry James, keep up the good work it doesn rain every day!

[@Michael.of.Barrett]

Hey James, it looked like the Furion thermostat was still plugged into the board when you turned on the AC for your test (See 17:28 of your video). Did you tray unplugging the Furion thermostat from the board and just use the Micro Air thermostat to control the temp? I love your videos and think you're one of the best repairmen around. I really respect that you always try to do people a solid and that you take pride in your work.

[@mattkaminski6618]

Thanks for the update. It's the issue we've been having with our Furrion unit. I installed the MicroAir t-stat which works great but doesn't solve the issue, as you found out the hard way. I purchased an extension kit and relocated the sensor to a more appropriate location in the room; however, it is very slow to read the temperature and seems to be off by 2~3°F. For whatever reason, the MicroAir has turned on the A/C accidently a couple of times as well while our rig is in storage on 120v/20a power. Thankfully, the rig is connected with a 10 gauge extension cord and the Furrions built in soft start (14,500 btu unit) allowed it to run without any issues. I would not recommend running the a/c on 120v power but apparently, it works. The extension cord or the connections on either end never even got warm. Surprising. I'd order the new controller and t-stat; however, I like the remote WI-FI capability of the MicroAir. Furrion was too cheap to implement or offer that in their t-stats.

[@pdirv]

6:40 - "Customers, OEM's, and Furrion has known about it for some time" ... This is an understatement. I had gone through this much of the same about a year ago myself right down to the run around and lack of availability on the "repair" offered by Furrion with the new thermostat that has the relocated thermister. The extension is pretty much the way to go if you find someone using the Furrion unit, and don't mind modifying it. It's not as sleek as the unit, which seems to be why people them them, but it works. I'm honestly a little hesitant to even try the relocation repair at this point, as you're potentially just introducing new variables. The worse part is that Furrion seems to have clearly not tested the unit all that well, at least in a southern climate, and left the customers via OEM's the guinea pigs of their product. It's like when their Elysium "prototype" or whatever you want to call it was on display, and people are drawn to it because it's sleek and attractive .... yet, you hear how half the components don't work while it's on display, and they keep saying it's because this is a prototype, but those are the same components being put in actual boats and RV's ...

[@Fieldsinv]

James’s im glad you upgraded them to the micro-air. Even though it didn’t work in this case, I would do a update and see what happens.

[@tomandmissynortham9683]

Great video. Has to be extremely frustrating.

[@dennisbutler349]

It was so hard to watch you deal with this mess. I so enjoy your professionalism and competence, but poor design can often frustrate the best-you’re the best. Please do a short follow-up to tell us if the new parts worked. Thank you for what you share with us.

[@AZExpert]

Thank you, I'm sure I'll do a follow up

[@Chief351L]

Frustrating bunch of BS and kinda makes you wonder about the manufacturers Company Name “Furrion/Furrious”! Even with all the pain you’ve gone through, I’m thankful that you took the time to post a video because this is ridiculous to say the least… Man I hope you’ve told the customer that this is the End of the Road for you and if they can’t understand why, then you’re only going to cause yourself more pain. While I’ve not had near the level of problems you hav with the Furrion AC, I had a ton of problems with their camera system and ripped it all out and sent back. The customer needs to hit the Reset button and pony-up for a new Reputable AC and pay you to install that instead!

[@clarencewiles963]

Thumbs up 👍 for stepping up $ you are more than just an asset in repairs 😊

[@SkiddingF350]

Wow!!!! I feel for you. Good luck!!

[@MagaRickn]

I feel your pain! The technology I grew up with was adding tin foil to the rabbit ears on my TV to get better reception! ;) I have never understood why some engineers/designers/inventors, etc seem to go out of their way to make things more difficult than they should be! I admire your efforts to try and "fix" what you have to work with. That is true customer service! Good luck. Was still an informative and entertaining video.