theOrca

Footprint and the required opening are different subjects, not at all the same. Footprint equates to where and how much support the roof provides the upper unit. You do not want unsupported weight when fiberglass is being stressed by having that weight transferred to it by leverage. It is desirable to have the entire floor pan of the upper unit supported by the roof. Bolt pattern is always "outside" of the 14x14 opening, and is sometimes very different between brands. These are subjects which require "data" to resolve.

It never fails to amaze me how far out in front of Oliver corporate we owners are. I inquired of HWY RV in Salem Oregon as to the install of a Dometic Fresh Jet 3 to replace the Penguin II noise generator in my hull number 615. They messaged Jason E, and he advised them that "as we have not installed a Fresh Jet 3, we advise caution as the fit might not support the unit properly." That is a very reasonable decision, and stopped me from proceeding. However, in searching the Forums it appears that at least three of us have switched out the A/C and no one mentioned any problems. Lack of reporting is not "data," so I have asked Dometic to provide me with footprint and bolt pattern drawings of both the Penguin II and Fresh Jet 3. Will they do it? I guess that depends on the attitude and enthusiasm of the person at Dometic who gets my email. I sure hope they do as I am very leery of proceeding when "not 100% sure." Could someone who HAS switched a Penguin II for a FreshJet 3 please comment on footprint and bolt pattern? (Please!) In summary, so far I have not found actual data as to the direct comparison of any of the three units mentioned. If and when I get actual data, I will append it to this topic. I can say that I really liked the attitude and professionalism of the service folks at HWY RV in Salem, Oregon. If my replacement project becomes a go, you can be sure that they will be the folks that do the work.

That is the European model John. There are two models for here in the USA,, 15,000 and 13,500 BTU.

Yuk, bad math... Sorry! (And the Navy sent me to school on this stuff.)

Keep in mind that a 10db difference equates to 100 times the perceived noise level. Even a punk rock band member could distinguish that big a difference!

Flexibility is the key to indecision! (Lock, unlock, lock, etc.)

“Bravo Zulu!” That is navy speak for “ great decision.” Thank you all. BillS

Swell, just swell !

Just to the point it turns under the floor. The kinks and restrictions were between that point and the vent!

Search for "scanvik mixer" assembly.

There have been plenty of other discussion and "how to do it" on most of my recent modifications. In fact I relied to a great extent on member posts on what they did and where they got the parts to do it. The modifications I made, in no particular order are: - Installed quarter turn PEX shut-off valves in the hot and cold water PEX piping just prior to the outdoor shower. - Insulated the heck out of the space below the drivers side bunk bed with adhesive Reflectix. Two to four layers, depending on the available space - Used the well documented John Davies method of providing interior wall bump protection and anti breath condensation during cold weather use. (I had a wet mattress last Elk season just from my breath condensing on the wall near my face.) - Modified the bathroom heating duct with rigid flex ducting and rigid elbows to greatly improve the air flow. Almost doubled the velocity of exiting air! - Insulated the heck out of the undersink area of the bathroom, using the aforementioned adhesive backed Reflectix. Four to six layers in this case. - Used pipe insulation to cover all exposed PEX piping in the undersink area of the bathroom. - Installed a fixed bathroom faucet in the bathroom. - Installed a Scanvik Shower Mixer and shower hose to replace the prior "extendable" shower. - Installed shut-off valves in all four water connections under the bathroom sink. - Installed a marine deck hatch in place of the prior washcloth rack. Installed the pump switch in the lower left corner of the deck hatch. Photos will also show a prior modification where I replaced the kitchen faucet with one more suited to how I do dishes... Photos follow. Enjoy!

I agree with John on this. The “stern lecture mode” by ScubaRX kind of torqued me off a bit. A first for me on these forums.

When my Bright Way batteries finally die I will switch to Concordes. (They are made in USA; but with some Chinese parts, which caused no end of problems for Concorde a few years ago. I had these batteries in a 5th wheel trailer 10 years ago. They started showing blue electrolite corrosion at the + post bases of both batteries. Concorde customer service said some sailor words, but then send me a brand new set of batteries (6V) for free. When I asked them what to do with the replaced batteries they said "give them to someone who does not mind minor leaks, or recycle them." When Concorde sez "sealed", they mean SEALED. You can mount them in any orientation, even upside down if you are so inclined.

Is anyone else having trouble keeping the fresh water tank (and plumbing) free of slime mold? I have been using Chlorine Dioxide water treatment, and it just does not seem to do the job. For instance 6 weeks ago I flushed all lines in the trailer. I filled the fresh water tank with almost 100 parts per million of ClO2 in fresh water. I let it sit for 2 days, drained and refilled with a 10 parts per million solution (drinkable, but no taste). I am now getting ready for a trip, so I drained the fresh water tank again today. I saw dozens of colonies of slime mold exit the drain. Now I have to do the entire system again to be sure I got it all. That means all intake pipes, the city inlet has to hand pumped, and the filter has to be removed, washed and reinstalled. Grrr. Is anyone having better luck with household or swimming pool bleach? Slime mold, yuck, gives me the willies...

Meh! The written by Lawyers comment is spot on.