Coleman Mach 8232 series to Atwood

I have two ancient (2003) Coleman A/C units which are ready for replacement. The system is run by the Intellitec 00-00591-200 controller and a no-longer-available Climate Controller also by Intellitec.

I want to replace these with two 15K BTU Atwood 15028 with 15022 interior cover. I have seen others talking about doing this, but I am wondering what I will run into.

The front A/C has a multiwire cable that plugs to the controller encased in a nylon mesh of some sort plus a Romex 110 ac cable, a 2-wire thermostat cable and a six-wire cable that plugs to a plug that has a short run to the controller of the A/C. this unit runs the furnace (ie, switch the thermostat to heat and the relay picks on the front A/C to provide power to the furnace which then uses the thermostat to call for heat or not.
Update: I am not able to find where the wires from the Climate Control go. They look like zip cord for speakers, but none of the units use that type of wire. They plug in like a phone plug on the thermostat, but I can't find the other end anywhere.

The rear A/C does not have the multiwire cable, but it does have the Romex for 110 ac, a 2-wire thermostat cable and a 6-wire cable to the controller, but the cable feeding into that cable does not have anything in the middle pair (furnace?)

I do not see that multiwire cable, but it makes no sense without it so I will look again for that.
Update: the cable in the mesh is there on the rear unit - I just couldn't see it. It looks like a 9-wire plug with about 6 wires in it. Hard to see.

From the Atwood, I don't see any of the need for Intellitec except that I would like to take advantage of the current sensing and shedding features of it. I would also use it for furnace operation. I am assuming that the new Atwood thermostats won't control the furnace on and off for temperature - just on and off for power available. If they will operate as a thermostat for the furnace, that would be good.

To take advantage of the current features, the output of the Intellitec would have to be the Atwood's ac supply which I think is already in the Romex cables. After that, everything should run from the Atwood units and thermostats.

The only problem I have noted so far is that the cable for the thermostat on the Atwood is a 4-wire communications cable. I am hoping to be able to pull a phone wire or a LAN cable from each of the units using the existing 2-wire cables from the Coleman to get the new setup in place. That could be a bearcat - depends on how the wires were installed - hopefully down the duct.

The MH is a 2004 Fleetwood Flair 33R with 6500 Onan genset. I could make the switch to direct wire, but I like having the automatic sensing of current plus the transfer switch is part of the Intellitec system although a separate box.

Anyone care to give me a 'this will get you' or 'you need this' to help me out with this? I have a method of hoisting the units onto and off from the rig all figured out. (Remote controlled winch mounted to the roof purlins and the coach parked directly below where I want it to go.)

Has anyone done this - what problems, what extras, any idea about trouble between Intellitec and Atwood? Etc.

Thanks in advance!

dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 13, 2017
All I can say is Carrier tried to penetrate the RV market and they ARE a BIG Daddy in AC systems. They failed miserably. I have worked on just 1 Atwood. Why? Because NOBODY uses them at the OEM level on the dozens of RV's I work on. Same with Carrier. I worked on a few that some of the OEM's we sold used them and I was NOT happy with how they functioned and poor level of support from Carrier RV division. It did not take long for most OEM's to drop Carrier. Sorry you felt I "threatened" you. Not my intention. Just trying to get info and the problems that may happen so you could not say, I wish I had known about this. Maybe Chris can chime in. I know of nobody that has really worked on the Atwood AC's. Just see that IF they were a great thing OEM's would jump on them and use them. That is another problem. Since there are very few Technicians that have worked on them getting Service Centers to do any warranty work will be difficult. What happens if they do drop the Atwood like Dometic has told me? Look at the posts from people trying to get parts for their Carrier AC units. I deal with Dometic weekly and I was told that they purchased Atwood to slowly drop them from the market. They have thousands out there that need to be sold. After 50 years I doubt both RVP and Dometic need to purchase another Brand AC company to "learn" something. Doug

PS, in all the years, I have NEVER heard anybody complain about the Intellitec AC control systems(design and function) on Fleetwood
jdubya
Explorer
Aug 13, 2017
Well, doug, thanks for that - it is what I was asking for - input. You don't have me on years of experience however. I have found that most often the problems with a maligned piece of equipment is not necessarily earned. I don't do my purchases based on other people's biases either, rather on the facts presented. And I appreciate your candor, but not your tone.

Now, what is it that I want to do that is a 'NEVER'? Change from Coleman to another brand made by Dometic that has features that I like while Coleman doesn't? Is it cheaper because it doesn't sell? Are people using them unhappy with them? What is going wrong that they cannot have fixed by now (it has been out for quite awhile). You are not the first who have said they are not a good unit, but the other guy's reason was that they are a knockoff of the Cormorant made in Australia - in fact, based on the installation manual, they are a cheapened version of Cormorant made by Dometic in Australia. And the cheapening was to replace several metal parts with plastic (shields, etc.) If you know something about that, I am willing to listen, but so far your rhetoric has been too broad and not aimed at persuading, rather abusive threatening which is of little help.

By the way, many companies buy out others to get something that the other company has that they want. That could range all of the way from a technology to sales areas. Why is Atwood cheaper? I can think of several reasons - one is that they make a better product for less money. Your suggesting that it is because they are inferior somehow - that is what I want to know - how are they inferior because what I see does not appear to be inferior - especially not to Dometic who is failing miserably with, what was it, the Penguin - not sure. So now they have a replacement called Atwood branded that has a pretty good name. Some problems with people who work in their customer service, but is that abnormal?

I don't know why Dometic and Coleman seem to have a lock on the US market. Some of the larger RVs use Dometic, but I cannot see why. My Colemans have worked reasonably well, too, but they are not without problems either.

I do know that for the time my RV has left that I own it, I do not want to spend a bunch of money on it. If I can get two working 15K with heatpump units that work, are lighter than the Coleman, quieter, lower power usage, have digital thermostats and can be made to work with my Intellitec unit (the part of it that I use), I am inclined to do so.

I am open to logical reasons, not to irrational threatening - you have been warned, really?
dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 12, 2017
jdubya wrote:
@dougranier: about $400 each difference. Plus I can see no advantage to Coleman. Do you have some inside information or something? This Atwood is a trimmed down version of the Cormorant from Australia - supposed to be a pretty good unit. They are made by Dometic for Atwood, right?

The only option that I see is Coleman, but $1200 each plus shipping is steep while the Atwood is $700 plus shipping - that is almost $1000 difference. That is why I am seeking the information - why do I want to stay with Coleman?

Dometic PURCHASED Atwood to remove them from competition. Ask yourself WHY, is the Atwood cheaper. ALSO, Research and determine if the Atwoods are so much cheaper, then WHY do almost all the OEMs only use Dometic Or Coleman. I am giving you 38 years of experience as a RV Technician and still working. I would NEVER recommend that a customer do what you want to do. But, you have been given my take on this, so if you have a problem down the line you cannot say you were not warned:B Doug
jdubya
Explorer
Aug 12, 2017
Another thing is that the Coleman doesn't come with the thermostat. The Intellitec is an enormous monstrosity that is virtually unusable as a climate controller. The settings require a flashlight to see, the setting of temperature is not reproducible, and now that I look into it more, I find that the Flair has the thermistors almost right next to each other. That would be ok for the furnace, but for the A/C not so good. If I can figure out how to do it, I will put the thermostats in different places. The bedroom one - in the bedroom and the other one near the access door. I suspect that these locations will be too hard to achieve, but I am still in the dreaming stage.
jdubya
Explorer
Aug 12, 2017
@dougranier: about $400 each difference. Plus I can see no advantage to Coleman. Do you have some inside information or something? This Atwood is a trimmed down version of the Cormorant from Australia - supposed to be a pretty good unit. They are made by Dometic for Atwood, right?

The only option that I see is Coleman, but $1200 each plus shipping is steep while the Atwood is $700 plus shipping - that is almost $1000 difference. That is why I am seeking the information - why do I want to stay with Coleman?
dougrainer
Nomad
Aug 12, 2017
WHY would you go with a Orphan AC (Atwood)? The major players on RV AC units are RVP (Coleman) and Dometic. Replace your AC units with the updated RVP (Coleman). What is your problem using Coleman units? The upper units ALL (Coleman) have the same 120 plug harness. You still use your existing Intellitec control system. Doug

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Coleman Mach 8232 series to Atwood

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