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01-26-2019, 08:36 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Harlingen, TX
Posts: 938
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Dometic Air Conditioner Comparisons
I am debating replacement of my 13 year old units (Dometic Duo-Therm 15K). Can anyone shed some light on the differences in Dometic’s different models, specifically the Brisk II, Penguin II and Blizzard? I know I’m going to have to replace my old thermostat with the CCC II. Will I be able to use the existing thermostat from zone 2 and existing wires from my old set up?
Any insight is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Tommy, Tiffany and Trace (along with the 4-legged children: Lexus and Chance)
2005 Alpine Coach 40FDTS
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01-26-2019, 10:38 PM
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#2
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,931
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I think the main differences are profile and heat pump included. PPL Motors Parts has some pretty decent prices and can tell you what components (thermostats) work with the newer units.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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01-27-2019, 03:08 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Fort Myers FL
Posts: 400
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I have a Brisk 2 installed 15 months ago by factory authorized... I'm torn as to what expletive to use here... service organization. If I ever get it to work properly I'll surely let you know if I like it. It's noisy, I can tell you that much, but I have no fan control, amongst other things. I have a new Dometic capacitive touch thermostat as well, make sure you mount it at eye level. I don't like it as installed. Good luck hope you do better than I did!
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2001 Winnebago Chieftain 36W F53
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01-27-2019, 03:34 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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I have 3 Brisk II units that replaced DuoTherms. The biggest difference between units is:
Brisk II and Blizzard are about 3 inches taller than the Penguin II or DuoTherm.
Blizzard and Penguin II have integrated control boards.
The Brisk II requires purchase of a separate control unit which can be installed under the shroud. The total price of the Brisk II + control unit then becomes about the same as the Penguin II.
The Blizzard is the newest design and the Penguin II is the oldest design.
The Penguin II is slightly less efficient than the other 2 because the condenser and fan/shroud are wraparound.
All 3 units will require new thermostats as shipped.
The Penguin II can be adapted to the older thermostat by using an adapter board ... however, the board is $100 so there is no point in not using new CCC2 thermostats.
I am very satisfied with my Brisk II installation and they are more efficient and quieter then the DuoTherms. My RV height has increased by about 3 inches which I don't consider an issue.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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01-27-2019, 03:39 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zigzag03
I have a Brisk 2 installed 15 months ago by factory authorized... I'm torn as to what expletive to use here... service organization. If I ever get it to work properly I'll surely let you know if I like it. It's noisy, I can tell you that much, but I have no fan control, amongst other things. I have a new Dometic capacitive touch thermostat as well, make sure you mount it at eye level. I don't like it as installed. Good luck hope you do better than I did!
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You indeed have bad luck and probably a faulty install. NOTE: in your 2003 RV you need a matching BriskII, new Control unit, and thermostat. Check the part numbers for compatibility.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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01-27-2019, 04:53 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Harlingen, TX
Posts: 938
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceisla
I have 3 Brisk II units that replaced DuoTherms. The biggest difference between units is:
Brisk II and Blizzard are about 3 inches taller than the Penguin II or DuoTherm.
Blizzard and Penguin II have integrated control boards.
The Brisk II requires purchase of a separate control unit which can be installed under the shroud. The total price of the Brisk II + control unit then becomes about the same as the Penguin II.
The Blizzard is the newest design and the Penguin II is the oldest design.
The Penguin II is slightly less efficient than the other 2 because the condenser and fan/shroud are wraparound.
All 3 units will require new thermostats as shipped.
The Penguin II can be adapted to the older thermostat by using an adapter board ... however, the board is $100 so there is no point in not using new CCC2 thermostats.
I am very satisfied with my Brisk II installation and they are more efficient and quieter then the DuoTherms. My RV height has increased by about 3 inches which I don't consider an issue.
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I have a few questions:
1. Some of the Brisk II units say multi zone and single zone. Do the multi zone units require the additional control board that you mention above?
2. Any idea of Blizzard compared to the Brisk II?
3. Were you able to use your existing air distribution boxes from the Duo Therms?
Thanks in advance!
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Tommy, Tiffany and Trace (along with the 4-legged children: Lexus and Chance)
2005 Alpine Coach 40FDTS
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01-28-2019, 04:29 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HamboneTHW
I have a few questions:
1. Some of the Brisk II units say multi zone and single zone. Do the multi zone units require the additional control board that you mention above?
2. Any idea of Blizzard compared to the Brisk II?
3. Were you able to use your existing air distribution boxes from the Duo Therms?
Thanks in advance!
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1. All multi-zone units (blizzard/penguin/brisk) require a control unit ... the penguin/blizzard are integrated and included ... the brisk requires a separate purchase.
2. Brisk and blizzard are very similar in performance and technology but have a different shape.
3. original air distribution boxes can be reused with all 3. (assuming they are all Dometic multizone boxes and don't have knobs/controls on the box .. I.E., they must have remote thermostat that matches control boards). NOTE: reuse of original air boxes requires careful removal and reuse of the baffles inside the boxes. This can be labor intensive and, if you are not doing the work yourself, the labor cost could exceed the cost of a new box (that has a newer style baffle assembly).
BTW, I missed one of your questions .... communication cables between the multizone thermostat and the units is the same for duotherm, penguin, brisk, blizzard.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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01-28-2019, 06:29 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 5,771
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Dometic Air Conditioner Comparisons
Why are you considering changing, are they not working?
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2015 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
2018 Chevrolet Colorado Toad
Roadmaster Tow Setup
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01-28-2019, 07:40 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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I'm not the OP but I'll tell you why I changed mine (the OP will probably have a similar answer).
1. End of life is about 9 years for a typical Dometic.
2. End of life for the metal tape used to seal the ductwork to the plenum in a Newmar is about 7 years (the adhesive fails).
3. I found a "sale" for 3 units with low-cost shipping.
4. I found a campground that allowed me to do the work.
5. The weather cooperated and I didn't want to get into another hot summer with well used units.
6. I had 1 unit that was "under performing" (16 degree delta-T) and 1 unit with a noisy motor.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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01-31-2019, 09:23 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Harlingen, TX
Posts: 938
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vettenuts
Why are you considering changing, are they not working?
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Vette,
My rear unit has given us issues since we bought it and is now totally unresponsive. I have changed both capacitors and worked on the fan motor.
I figure if we are replacing one, we should probably replace both and get the most up to date thermostat too.
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Tommy, Tiffany and Trace (along with the 4-legged children: Lexus and Chance)
2005 Alpine Coach 40FDTS
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01-31-2019, 09:24 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Harlingen, TX
Posts: 938
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Bruce,
I have a secondary temperature sensor for the rear of the coach. I was getting great response from Dometic and then radio silence. Do you know if the old temp sensor will work with the new units and new CCC II thermostat?
__________________
Tommy, Tiffany and Trace (along with the 4-legged children: Lexus and Chance)
2005 Alpine Coach 40FDTS
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02-01-2019, 04:35 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HamboneTHW
Bruce,
I have a secondary temperature sensor for the rear of the coach. I was getting great response from Dometic and then radio silence. Do you know if the old temp sensor will work with the new units and new CCC II thermostat?
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The old remote sensors work fine with the new CCC2 thermostat and plug into the new A/C units on the board just like before.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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02-01-2019, 05:23 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 5,771
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Other than the manual labor of this swap, how difficult is this job, especially the electrical portion? Is new wiring required or do the new units and thermostat simply use existing wiring and parts swapping?
__________________
2015 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
2018 Chevrolet Colorado Toad
Roadmaster Tow Setup
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02-01-2019, 01:06 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Foley AL
Posts: 7,138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vettenuts
Other than the manual labor of this swap, how difficult is this job, especially the electrical portion? Is new wiring required or do the new units and thermostat simply use existing wiring and parts swapping?
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There is a big difference in the installation of units on a Newmar and on "other" RVs.
Install variations depend on what model of Dometic (Penguin II, Brisk II, or Blizzard) you choose. The Penguin II is nearly plug-and-play on a Newmar .... no wiring changes are necessary. There are numerous threads on installation of new Dometic units on Newmars.
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2005 Newmar Essex 4502, 2013 Caddy SRX
1997 HR Endeavor 37, CAT, 1996 Geo Tracker
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