Dometic Thermostat alternative?

[UnclKracker]

The thermostats in our Keystone Montana that came with the Dometic system are problematic. Temps. are inconsistent. Sometimes the fan will cycle off but the compressor keeps running which is normal when changing from high to low fan in auto but I've had times when the compressor keeps running for minutes after the fan has stopped.  Eventually I turn the system off then back on and it operates normally for awhile.

We reported this to the dealer when it was new and the service manager said it's the nature of the beast with the Dometic.  He said to leave the unit on manual, fan on high and control the temp setting by trial and error.  The "Whisper Quiet" main unit may be quieter than the one in the bedroom but it still makes it difficult to hear the TV.  We'd like to have it operate on auto to at least have some time without the noise.

Has anyone replaced the thermostat with an aftermarket one?  Have you experienced similar problems and was a thermostat replacement the fix?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You didn't mention what model Dometic thermostat you have, but rarely is the thermostat itself the issue.  Rvs have walls that get cold or hot quickly and distort what the thermostat senses, and RVs also tend to have air drafts that heat or cool the thermostat different than other parts of the room, maybe only a few feet away.  RVs also suffer badly from uneven heating or cooling from furnace or a/c, and hot/cold areas near windows.  Also, does your thermostat have multiple zones for heat & cooling? Or maybe even multiple thermotats?

That said, there are other choices if you want to try. Coleman-Mach has a line of RV thermostats, and often other major residential brands can be used with only minor loss of function. The most common drawback with a residential type thermostat in an RV is loss of fan speed control (if your a/c and/or furnace has 2 fan speeds). If you use SEARCH on this site, you should find many previous topics about installing a  different thermostats. There are also videos on YouTube showing upgrades to Honeywells or Hunters.

A/C noise in an RV is largely a matter of how well or poorly the ducting is designed. Many RVs have really crappy ducts that generate lots of noise as the air rushes through. The best thermostat or a/c unit in the world can't fix that.

 

[pz]

We replaced ours with a Honeywell alternative, and it was virtually plug and play. However, you need to be careful when making the selection of the unit because some are designed only for home use. Ours uses a couple of AAA batteries for powering the thermostat.