Community Forums

Brad Felmey · 04-28-2016, 08:27 PM

The old (1998 era) Dometic Duo-Therm A/C still runs, but the condenser has been beaten to death by hail. Yes, I've tried combing it with a good-quality comb. The fins are so smashed that they tear away from the coils. Enough of that nonsense.

I'm looking at a Dometic Brisk II 15,000 BTU Air Conditioner (B59516.XX1C0).

My confusion comes into play because the unit I have now has a Dometic 5-Button Comfort Control Center (3109228.001) thermostat. I don't know if this will work with the Brisk II, or if I need to order a newer Dometic Single Zone LCD Thermostat and Control Center (3313189.000).

For visual and product reference, searching Amazon using those part numbers will bring them up.

I've searched online, reviewed product data from Dometic's site, and I just can't figure out what I do or don't need to order so I have everything I need to succeed.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I plan to contact Dometic for a shopping list, but I'd like empirical input as well to backstop what I'm told by Dometic.

RV Wizard · 04-29-2016, 04:04 AM

If you do not change the lower section (ceiling assembly) you should not have to change the T'stat. Sounds like all you need to do is purchase the roof unit only. Good luck and keep us posted.

Brad Felmey · 04-29-2016, 05:10 PM

Dometic's reply when I called today was "does your current thermostat and control box work?"

"Yes"

"Then you're good to go with the new Brisk II"

Flight Test · 07-06-2016, 10:03 PM

Howdy, I am in the same boat you are and am about to order a Brisk II or perhaps a Penguin II to replace our old Dometic unit. How did the install end up working with your existing control board? I have a 5 button CCC thermostat and would really like to hear how everything functioned after you put everything together. Are you happy with the 15K Brisk II or would you recommend something else?

Thank you

RV Wizard · 07-07-2016, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flight Test

Howdy, I am in the same boat you are and am about to order a Brisk II or perhaps a Penguin II to replace our old Dometic unit. How did the install end up working with your existing control board? I have a 5 button CCC thermostat and would really like to hear how everything functioned after you put everything together. Are you happy with the 15K Brisk II or would you recommend something else?

Thank you

Hello and

We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. I am sure you will enjoy our website and forums. Good luck, stay safe and keep us posted.

Brad Felmey · 07-07-2016, 06:55 AM

It worked perfectly with the existing controls right out of the box. Install was about 15 minutes. It's the lone A/C on top of a 32' class A in Texas, and it's actually succeeding at keeping everything around 70' when the unit is in direct sunlight on a 99F day.

bruceisla · 07-07-2016, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flight Test

Howdy, I am in the same boat you are and am about to order a Brisk II or perhaps a Penguin II to replace our old Dometic unit. How did the install end up working with your existing control board? I have a 5 button CCC thermostat and would really like to hear how everything functioned after you put everything together. Are you happy with the 15K Brisk II or would you recommend something else?

Thank you

Greetings and welcome to IRV2. You may want to include some more info (make/model/year etc.) for a more answer to your question. In general, if you have a separate control unit and thermostat that matches the control unit, the Brisk II upper unit (compressor/fan/etc.) will directly replace your old Duotherm/Dometic ... and they work very well. Take extra care and time to replace all of the metallic tape in the air box ... the old tape will have lost its adhesive quality and leak air. You can get new air conditioner duct-work tape (not the same as Duct Tape) at Lowes/HD. It's in the heating/cooling aisle near plumbing. It is NOT in the paint department.

Flight Test · 07-07-2016, 10:33 PM

I am humbled by such a warm welcome! Thank you!

I have been reading articles for years on IRV2 and really admire all the technical expertise that is out there.

The unit in question is a 2005 Dometic P/N 6003120331 which is an 11K unit on the back of a 38' 2005 Monaco Knight. The unit up front was replaced just before we bought it last year and is a 13,500 Penguin 2. The rear has gotten weaker and weaker and wont keep up with the Texas heat. The current set up is marginal in the Texas heat at best.

I bought a couple cans of Plasti Dip white spray-on removable rubber coating and sprayed over the two sky lights which helped lower the heat input into the coach significantly. In the winter I can just peal it right off.

I have a 15K Brisk II ordered from Brad's suggestion. Amazon had it for $604 delivered.

Thank you again for such a kind welcome.

Flight Test · 07-21-2016, 03:09 PM

Thanks again for the help on this forum. The 15K Brisk 2 went in easy as possible and plugged right into the existing control board and worked perfectly with the existing CCC 5 button thermostat. The new unit also lined up with my existing plenum ski jump modification that was mentioned awhile ago in this forum. (This mod increased my airflow through the vents by about double). I also streamlined the floor of the AC plenum to make the transition to the dual duct tubes as aerodynamic as possible. While I had the unit apart I also changed the original mounting position of the control board box since it blocked about 50% of the air filter area. I was able to use one of the existing control box holes to mount it on its side. ( see pictures)

Although the old 11k unit was working, the new 15K makes a huge difference in the Texas heat. On an 85 degree morning the new unit was blowing air right above freezing!

Thanks again for all the tips! The Brisk 2 is a little quieter than the unit it replaced but it still has quite a bit of induction fan noise. I think I will try some sound absorbing foam To line the intake side. Has anyone had success in making the AC units quieter?

Flight Test · 07-21-2016, 03:17 PM

Sorry, for some reason I can only get one picture to attach per post.

Flight Test · 07-21-2016, 03:21 PM

You can see the Ski jump duct mod on the plenum. It diverts the air smoothly to each side of the ducting. You loose the air dump feature but the flow through the vents increases dramatically. Whe I first did it all kinds of stuff blew out of the ducts!

Thanks to IRV2 for the idea.

Brad Felmey · 07-21-2016, 03:50 PM

Great ideas for airflow improvement. I had pondered the poor design myself. Now I'm thinking I might do the same things to mine to improve duct output (which is rather weak).

Flight Test · 07-22-2016, 10:04 PM

The ski jump or tent vent as others call it made a huge difference in air flow. With the entire plenum off, just find where the center of the air column is exiting and put the peak of the divider right in the middle of it. That will split the flow equally between the left and right air ducts. I cut the ends of the sheet metal to fit right inside the tabs of the original vent dump opening. That secured it real nice. Prior to that I taped off the vent dump to make it quieter.

The flow through the vents improved a ton. It has been one of the best mods I have made to both ACs. When I first installed it all kinds of crud blew out of the vents! It improved that much.

Once you get the ski ramp installed spend time with your aluminum duct tape smoothing out the transition from the bottom of the plenum to the two duct openings.

It is a wonderful mod that costs almost nothing except some duct tape and some sheet metal I had in the shop.