Wednesday, October 9, 2024

All the things You Must Know About Your RV Thermostat

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Local weather management is without doubt one of the largest causes to improve from tent tenting to RVing. Environment friendly, efficient heating and cooling techniques lengthen your tenting season and makes your RV’s inside cozy and cozy by merely adjusting the thermostat.

For a lot of RVers, the thermostat goes unnoticed till it doesn’t operate as anticipated. However a working information of the thermostat might help you forestall points and rapidly determine the issue when one thing goes unsuitable. Whether or not you’re studying extra about your RV otherwise you’re having a selected concern, right here’s the whole lot it’s worthwhile to find out about your RV thermostat. 

What’s an RV Thermostat?

what-is-rv-thermostats-09-2023
Picture by Tenting World

Like these present in residential properties, RV thermostats regulate your RV’s inside temperature by controlling the operation of your heating and cooling techniques, i.e., your furnace and air conditioner(s). 

Relying in your RV’s design, you in all probability have a number of thermostats. Your air conditioner and furnace are the commonest home equipment that make the most of a thermostat to manage their operation, however RV fridges and water heaters have their very own sensors for temperature management. 

For the needs of this text, we’ll deal with thermostats utilized in RV heating and cooling techniques. Listed here are a few assets if it’s worthwhile to study extra about water heaters or fridges: 

Are there Completely different Sorts of RV Thermostats?

The 4 major thermostats you’ll discover in RVs are analog, digital, programmable, and good thermostats. 

  • Analog thermostats are the best and most cost-effective to switch. Most analog designs are powered by your RV’s home battery. They make the most of a heat-sensitive metallic that bends when the temperature rises or falls. 
  • Digital thermostats are much like these you’d discover in a residential dwelling. They use electrical temperature sensors to detect your RV’s temperature after which relay the outcomes to the show so you’ll be able to alter settings accordingly.
  • Programmable thermostats additionally fall into the digital class, however they can help you schedule heating and cooling modifications utilizing preset temperature ranges. This helps you decrease power utilization by solely working your furnace or air conditioner while you’re inside your RV. 
  • Sensible thermostats are digital, programmable choices with fashionable options like Bluetooth connectivity. Most can help you join your smartphone to regulate your RV’s heating and cooling settings remotely. 

What Do All RV Thermostats Have in Frequent?

From analog to good, most RV thermostats require 12-volt DC energy, which separates them from residential thermostats. At their core, they’re principally a swap that turns your A/C or furnace on and off at specified temperatures. 

Some get DC energy from the management board within the air conditioner’s ceiling meeting and open or shut the management energy to a relay. These relays ship 120-volt AC energy to the air-con unit or DC energy to the furnace. Some furnaces provide their very own DC energy to the thermostat, which merely opens or closes the furnace circuit. No RV furnaces make the most of 120-volt AC energy. 

How Do I Reset My RV Thermostat?

Man operating power switch for RV thermostat
Picture by Tenting World

In case your thermostat isn’t working, it might want a easy reset. Do that earlier than buying and putting in a alternative RV thermostat. The precise strategy of resetting your thermostat relies on the producer, however a reset usually requires the next three steps: 

  1. Flip off the thermostat. 
  2. Await the producer’s really helpful time interval. 
  3. Flip the thermostat again on. 

With digital, programmable, and good thermostats, a full reset might erase any preset ranges or local weather management settings, so it’s possible you’ll must re-program your settings after a reset to make sure your RV’s heating and cooling techniques work as desired. 

How you can Troubleshoot an RV Thermostat

Man troubleshooting RV thermostat with faceplate removed
Picture by Tenting World

On common, RV thermostats final 10-15 years. However how do you inform if yours has gone dangerous? The primary points that warrant an RV thermostat alternative embrace:

  • The furnace or A/C runs constantly with out biking
  • The set temperature doesn’t match your RV’s precise temperature 
  • The show is dim or clean
  • The show temperature doesn’t change as soon as your A/C or furnace runs for some time
  • It’s fully unresponsive or has misplaced energy

All of those points can sometimes be linked to a scarcity of energy, dangerous wiring, or a defective thermostat. Use these troubleshooting choice bushes to additional examine your thermostat concern: 

In case your RV is so geared up, you may make the most of this inCommand Management Panel Troubleshooting Resolution Tree.

How you can Exchange an RV Thermostat

Man unscrewing RV thermostat
Picture by Tenting World

Like most RV equipment replacements, the precise methodology for changing elements will rely in your RV and the design of the half you’re changing. Nonetheless, right here’s the overview of the method: 

  1. Take away the thermostat’s fuse out of your electrical management panel. This sometimes requires a mild contact with needle-nose pliers. There needs to be no energy to the thermostat when engaged on it.
  2. Take away the faceplate on the thermostat’s housing. 
  3. {Photograph} the wiring connections for later reference.
  4. Loosen the wire connection screws and take away the wiring. It will sometimes require a small flathead screwdriver.
  5. Take away the thermostat housing screws holding it to the wall.
  6. Take the housing off the wall and gently pull the wiring by means of the again of the housing.
  7. Stow or throw away the previous thermostat housing to keep away from complicated it together with your new unit.
  8. Fastidiously feed the wires by means of the housing of the brand new thermostat and organize them based on their respective terminals. Use the photograph you took earlier for reference.
  9. Join every wire to the suitable terminal and tighten the set screws. Gently pull every wire to make sure the set screws are correctly tightened to stop motion.
  10. Reattach the thermostat housing to the wall and reinstall the faceplate. 
  11. Exchange the thermostat’s fuse in your RV’s electrical panel. The thermostat’s show ought to instantly gentle up. 
  12. Take a look at the brand new thermostat. 

As talked about, the precise strategies will differ, and the small print required in every step will fluctuate. Because of the integral position your thermostat(s) play in regulating your RV’s heating and cooling techniques, we extremely advocate trusting a licensed RV technician to switch the damaged unit. Name your native Tenting World to schedule a service appointment as we speak.

Technician Tip: If an improve to a extra fashionable or feature-packed thermostat is required or desired, keep in mind that conversion kits could also be required to match up the present wiring and communications techniques.

Can I Exchange My RV Thermostat with Any Thermostat?

The thermostat alternative you select should be designed for RV electrical techniques, which don’t present the identical energy supply utilized by most residential thermostats. They have to even be designed for the precise make and mannequin of your RV’s air conditioner and furnace. They aren’t interchangeable.

Can You Put a Sensible Thermostat in an RV?

As long as it’s designed for RV use, you’ll be able to set up a wise thermostat in your unit. Nonetheless, these received’t be off-the-shelf merchandise from an enormous field retailer. They’ll solely work if particularly made to be used with the A/C and furnace within the RV by the A/C producer. 

One instance is the Simple Contact by Micro Air aftermarket good thermostat, which guarantees to “substitute all main model A/C thermostats with out dropping any options.” Beware that it is a declare and never a assure, and any use of aftermarket elements will usually void any present warranties. 

That’s why we advocate trusting the prognosis, restore, and, if needed, alternative of your RV thermostat to a licensed RV technician.

Can You Use a Home Thermostat in an RV?

Normal residential thermostats can’t be put in in an RV as a result of they require a supply of 24-volt AC energy that isn’t current in RV electrical techniques. RV thermostats should operate whether or not or not your unit is plugged into shore energy (AC). That’s why they’re designed to work with 12-volt home battery energy. 

Tenting World’s Finest Promoting RV Thermostats

Whether or not you’re in search of a thermostat alternative otherwise you’re able to improve, listed below are three of our top-selling RV thermostat fashions:

Dometic Consolation Management Middle

Sort: Digital

This thermostat is designed to be used with appropriate air conditioners in multi-room RVs with as much as 4 cooling zones. It’s designed to sync with distant sensors in every zone to obtain suggestions with a purpose to keep your required temperature.

Verify the pricing and availability of the Dometic Consolation Management Middle in white.

Or see if the black mannequin higher fits your RV’s inside decor. 

Dometic Normal Single Zone Thermostat

Dometic CT Single Zone RV Thermostat
Picture by Tenting World

Sort: Digital

This Dometic thermostat is greatest for smaller campers with a single cooling zone. It’s appropriate with ducted and non-ducted rooftop air conditioners. It options elective Bluetooth know-how, permitting you to function it remotely from the Dometic app in your Apple or Android machine.

See the total checklist of specs for this Dometic thermostat.

Dometic Analog Thermostat

Dometic Analog Thermostat
Picture by Tenting World

Sort: Analog

This Dometic analog thermostat is a direct alternative for the Duo-Therm 3106995.032 Thermostat. It really works to manage your air conditioner and furnace however should be utilized in partnership with a 3107541.009 Management Relay. 

Study extra about this analog RV thermostat.


A working thermostat is integral to your RV’s capability to keep up your required temperature. Listed here are a couple of extra assets that can assist you keep comfy in your subsequent tenting journey: 

What questions do you may have about RV thermostats? Tell us within the feedback under.


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