Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

[rlmurraysr59]

This is my first post and I hope it works. I own a 2002 Southwind 37U that has approx. 14,000 miles on it. I have had a lot of problems with this motorhome and have been unable to talk to anyone at the dealership except the operator. Fleetwood chooses to ignore my complaints, verbal or written.

Anyway, my front airconditioner, Coleman, has not functioned in two years. I have tried to find someone to service it but have been told by three different dealers that they do not work on them. I finally found a residential airconditioning shop that said they would take a look at it. They could find nothing wrong with the unit itself. Coleman has been very sympathetic but have not been able to recommend a solution.

I have been able to fix the defects in this motorhome myself, except for the ice maker that I was able to have replaced at a dealer. So I tracked down the Intellitec Electronic Control system and noticed a clicking sound coming from the control module mounted in the electrical cabinet. I turned the switch to "Test" and the airconditioner came on and cooled perfectly. But when I turn the test mode off and set the thermostat it starts shedding and the compressor won't come on. If I turn on both air conditioners, even though I am plugged into a 30 amp service, the rear air will work and the front sheds. If I put the front in test and turn on the rear they both cool.

I tried to contact General Dynamics and all I can do is leave a message. They don't return the phone calls.

Does anyone know of a different thermostat control unit that I can purchase to replace this faulty unit? I used the motorhome all last summer with only one air conditioner because I couldn't get anyone to service it and wasn't smart enough to track down the problem. I have become a pretty good motorhome repairman even though the unit is still under warranty.

I look forward to your response. Please don't tell me how stupid I was for buying a Fleetwood product in the first place. I have already been told that.

 

[Ed H.]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

See my reply in tallk back.

 

[ro.co3]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

I know this is going to sound strange but I had the exact same problem with my intellitec system and it was my fluorescent lights. I couldent beleave it either but try shuting off all the fluorescent lights and work your way through them till you find the right one. I had to replace one and after that I've had no more problems. Good luck. quote:Originally posted by rlmurraysr59

This is my first post and I hope it works. I own a 2002 Southwind 37U that has approx. 14,000 miles on it. I have had a lot of problems with this motorhome and have been unable to talk to anyone at the dealership except the operator. Fleetwood chooses to ignore my complaints, verbal or written.

Anyway, my front airconditioner, Coleman, has not functioned in two years. I have tried to find someone to service it but have been told by three different dealers that they do not work on them. I finally found a residential airconditioning shop that said they would take a look at it. They could find nothing wrong with the unit itself. Coleman has been very sympathetic but have not been able to recommend a solution.

I have been able to fix the defects in this motorhome myself, except for the ice maker that I was able to have replaced at a dealer. So I tracked down the Intellitec Electronic Control system and noticed a clicking sound coming from the control module mounted in the electrical cabinet. I turned the switch to "Test" and the airconditioner came on and cooled perfectly. But when I turn the test mode off and set the thermostat it starts shedding and the compressor won't come on. If I turn on both air conditioners, even though I am plugged into a 30 amp service, the rear air will work and the front sheds. If I put the front in test and turn on the rear they both cool.

I tried to contact General Dynamics and all I can do is leave a message. They don't return the phone calls.

Does anyone know of a different thermostat control unit that I can purchase to replace this faulty unit? I used the motorhome all last summer with only one air conditioner because I couldn't get anyone to service it and wasn't smart enough to track down the problem. I have become a pretty good motorhome repairman even though the unit is still under warranty.

I look forward to your response. Please don't tell me how stupid I was for buying a Fleetwood product in the first place. I have already been told that.

 

[rlmurraysr59]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

I finally got in touch with Intellitec and they basically told me the same thing you did in your post. However, there are only two flouresent lights in my motorhome and very seldom turned on. One is in the kitchen located in front of a skylight, and the second is in the middle of the living room ceiling and sticks out like a sore thumb. I don't think it has ever been turned on.

The tech from Intellitec said that Fleetwood started using a cheaper heavier gauge wire starting in 2000 and it acts as an antennea for noise to the control unit for the air conditioner. Then he said that Fleetwood also uses a "cheap" converter that puts out a lot of noise that can effect the control unit. I took the motorhome to a dealer and they are going to get in contact with Intellitec to track down the source of the noise that is causing the compressor to kick out. Sounds like a pretty complicated system for a simple act of trying to cool a motorhome. I never had that problem in the travel trailers I owned. Set the thermastat and let it cool.

Maybe I could just pull the wires out and wrap them with a few hundred miles of duct tape. I do live in the south and duct tape is used for everything down here.

Thanks for the response.

 

[ro.co3]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

ronsr59, I was told about the inverter also. I hope it ends up being the lights for you also as it was an easy fix.I had the same conversation with them, Its hard to beleave that a 2000w heart inverter would be considered cheap.Anyway good luck let me know how it comes out.

 

[rlmurraysr59]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

Not sure what type of inverter it has. I sent Fleetwood a letter containing 29 different defects in this motorhome within the first few months I owned it. Everything from a major leak in the slide out, caused by someone breaking the heads off the trim mounting screws and leaving it, to the exhaust pipes falling off, to major leaks in the gas tank fill tubing. I had to fix them all myself because my selling dealer, Walt Michaels RV Superstore in Belleville, Michigan only sells motorhomes. If you call to talk to the service department you get put on hold and then talk to the operator until you get disgusted and hang up. The only answer I got from Fleetwood was that it was someone elses problem, ie, Coleman Airconditioners, Workhorse Chassis, Norcold ice maker, etc. etc.

I have spent a lot of time and considerable amount of energy, not counting the cost of long distance phone calls, and I have not been able to solve the air conditioner problem. Coleman was at a loss to tell me what to do because I couldn't find anyone willing to work on the air conditioners. It was through my own investigation, which I should have done first, that I found out about the climate control unit and the "test" switch which proved that my airconditioners where working.

I will keep you posted as to what the dealer finds out. I took it to Allsport RV Center in Fayetteville, NC. They fixed the ice maker for me and are really nice people.

I only have one problem that no one will touch. My toilet backs up like it is plugged. I have to us a plunger to get the toilet paper and waste to go down into the holding tank. And if you flush it with the lid open it splashes water and urine on you. I checked the vent pipe and it was against the cover so I cut it off. The only thing we can figure is that it is against the bottom of the tank.

I'm a Happy Camper!

 

[ralphie]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

Sounds like a typical FW product and dealer situation to me. We have a Bounder; I'm a pretty fair RV mechanic at this point. At least you were able to find your ECC. Mine was over the fridge where FW said it was, but some bozo didn't bother to mount it; they just left it lying behind the cabinet. I had to cut the back of the cabinet out to find it.

With respect to the toilet, your down pipe probably takes a bend before getting to the tank, and there's probably a burr at the end of the pipe that starts the plugging. I've discovered, after lots of trial and error, that my awning rod is flexible enough to take the bend and will push the stuff down the pipe. I keep a package of Clorox Wipes handy to clean off the awning rod after I'm done.

Plungers will not work, and I've even tried a flexible flushing thingie know as the Swivel-Stick. The Stick works, but you have to connect it to a water hose that you have to haul through a window and its a bit messy.

 

[rlmurraysr59]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

ralphie, thanks for letting me know I am not alone.

The plunger does work. You have to flush the toilet and then wait until a little water builds up around the plunger. Then you can push down and hear the debri go down the pipe. I have checked the burr issue. The Southwind is equipped with a black water tank rinsing system but it doesn't seem to work very well.

I made up a sprayer using a brass faucet. I put a female water hose connection on the pipe end of the faucet and then soldered a female fitting and a length of copper tubing to screw onto the faucet. The faucet gives me good control of the tubing as I spray inside the tank. I also soldered a 90 degree elbow and a brass nipple on the end of the tube to increase the pressure of the water. It works very well and I can turn the water off at the faucet. The last trailer I had I cut an access hole under the sink and placed a small locking door on the outside. That way I could feed the hose through the side of the trailer into the bathroom. A lot easier than through a window.

Thanks again for the info. My motorhome has been at a dealership for two weeks now while they try to figure out how to get the airconditioner to work. I have an extended warranty and I am waiting to see just how good it is too.

I check the RVUSA Forums regularly now.

RonSr

'02 Southwind 37U/Workhorse
'01 GMC Sonoma w/Brake Buddy

 

[the7ofus]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

It sounds like you have had more than your fair share of problems. Like you, I have driven to many different 'superstores' to have someone look at a problem, left my RV overnight, rescheduled trips, etc, to end up going home with no solution. I found a shop called PALCO on Common Rd in Rosevile MI. One thing I noticed is their parking lot is usually full of older model rv's and trailers. I took this as a good thing, someone who serves all makes, models, years, and budgets.

Good Luck

 

[rlmurraysr59]

Intellitec Electronic Climate Control

You are right "7". I have had my share of problems. But my wife and I still love the look of the motorhome and the experiences of camping. Workhorse has proven to stand behind their product. Every problem that I have had associated with the chassis has been fixed without question. Terry Labonte Chevy in Greensboro, NC is a top notch dealer with good people and made me feel that my problem was important. They sell Holiday Rambler motorhomes. If I am in the market for a new diesel pusher some day I am going there first.

There is also a facility in Redford, Michigan called Power Products, or something like that, who did some work on my GMC Crewcab. They had a lot of diesel pushers and older motorhomes on their lot too. They really knew there business. I had some major engine work done, putting on a Banks Power Pack, and they finished it in two days. And it was installed properly.

So there are good people out there who know and, more importantly, care about keeping the wheels rolling. I just got the feeling that Walt Michael's RV "Superstore" was more interested in pumping the big rigs out the door so they could make the Big money to pay for Mr. Michael's yacht than they were trying to build a list of "repeat" happy customers.

I ordered a hot water heater vent cover from them because the original one wasn't installed properly and fell off on the road. I waited for 6 weeks, even though they said they had it in stock, and still never got it. I stopped at another dealer and bought one from them. I called Walt Michael's and told them not to send it and credit my credit card for the charge. I received the cover three days later and refused to accept it at the Post Office. I returned it to the sender and called them to let them know I had called and canceled the order. They kept my $13.00. I didn't go bankrupt because of it. But you won't hear me singing their praises either.

Thanks for all the post.