jhofeditz Report post Posted June 16, 2018 I have a 2000 Holiday Rambler. Some things are starting to not work like the AC and the furnace. Should I replace or repair? thanks John Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 Usually replacement is more cost effective since its 18 years old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 John welcome to the forum. Depends on what the main problem is. What is it not doing? Have you reset power to the thermostat? Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted June 16, 2018 First an examination and then the decision... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted June 16, 2018 John, There are a number of possible answers to your question depending on the owners personal abilities and financial status. Having them repaired by a service facility can be costly, but replacing them can open up a different set of problems that the older coaches do not have because they where built with a simpler technology. With all the different regulations and newer convince items that open up issues caused by the push button / wireless and CAN system data networks that take specialized equipment to analyze. What do you like about the current coach and what items would be important when considering a different coach. It gets down to the positive and negatives of keeping the current coach verses getting a different one. Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 Are you asking about repair/replace with regard to the RV or just the offending appliances? If the rig is generally in good condition and structurally sound, then just repairing/replacing the appliances would be my choice, if possible, rather than replacing the rig. For the appliances themselves, it seems that things like roof-top a/c units are throw-a-way items and just replaced when bad, unless the problem is just something like a bad thermostat or wiring issue. We replaced ours by ourselves, and the only difficult part was getting the unit on the roof. Any RV shop should be able to handle that job. The furnace could be repairable, depending on what's wrong with it. There are replacement circuit boards available for many of the popular furnace models out there, and sometimes it's just a simple part or cleaning that's needed to bring it back in service. A little more information about the decision might help us give more specific advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 I took it as repair or replace the appliances not the coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 I am absolutely in the "diagnose the problem" and THEN make a decision on repair vs replacement. Can't see replacing a roof A/C when a $20 capacitor might fix it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 16 minutes ago, wolfe10 said: I am absolutely in the "diagnose the problem" and THEN make a decision on repair vs replacement. Can't see replacing a roof A/C when a $20 capacitor might fix it. You and I can do that but the average owner has to hire someone to do that at $100 an hour so you can see the costs mounting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 16, 2018 DD69. Your not gong to replace an AC for less than $1,200 avg. If you can't troubleshoot yourself and must heir someone, even at $100 an hour, it will not be near the cost of new! I agree with Brett and also you...18 years is the Q?! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted June 16, 2018 Without knowing the extent of the problem with the a/c and furnace there is no way for us to really know which is best, repair or replace. However, an Atwood Air Command 15K can be had for under $700 plus another hundred or so for the interior parts if needed (just one example - I know the OP might have different needs/wants). In our case we were able to wrestle the unit onto the roof and do the install ourselves, so it was an easy decision. If someone has to pay for the install things get more complicated and expensive. It's always difficult when we start talking about throwing money into an a/c unit which is 18 years old - if it's just a few inexpensive parts then I'd go for it. If it's anything more substantial the cost/benefit equation starts tilting towards replacement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted June 16, 2018 Where is the OP??? so we know if we are on the right track. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moonwink Report post Posted June 17, 2018 HR probably used a "zoned" Dometic thermostat back then. There were lots of problems with them and they no longer support it. The problem is, if the thermostat is bad, the control board and the thermostat must be replaced. The cost is unnecessarily high. If it were me, I'd change out the whole AC and get a new T-stat. The furnace shouldn't be a problem if the T-stat is the issue. Search for YouTube videos and previous posts for Dometic Thermostat problems. But of course, more information from the OP will get more precise help and direction for those of us that would like to help. There's enough expertise following this post to be very helpful but without knowing more about what the symptoms are and the models involved, we can only guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 17, 2018 OP is probably wrapped up in Fathers Day Weekend....Happy Fathers Day ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
