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Old 01-30-2019, 12:04 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdf-texas View Post
You are still under warranty! The Maxxfan has a two year warranty. Contact Maxxair and have them send you a new control board.
https://www.airxcel.com/maxxair/contact-us
Yep we have just been putting it off but sounded like the company is pretty responsive to warranty issues so that's good. We rarely get hot enough to need much ventilation beyond an open window but its nice when you need it.
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Old 01-30-2019, 10:50 AM   #42
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Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
Shouldn’t this issue have been discovered in the design / engineering / wiring stage ?
This same problem / topic has been discussed on other forums going back 5 or 6 years .
It seems unreasonable for the average trailer owner to diagnose the problem , engineer a solution and apply / install the proper equipment
The devices in the trailer ( LED lights , furnace circuit board , refrigerator , roof fan need a regulated source of power . Asking the trailer owner to modify / install a DC regulator on every piece of DC equipment in the trailer seems a rather far stretch IMHO
Thanks Steve!!!! You are right!! It is too much for all of us who are novices when it comes to electricity, amps, circuits and regulators. As you can see as I read all these posts I am totally befuddled by all of this electrical talk and now afraid we are going to burn out our fan or lights. Not too happy to hear that ETI does not always hook up things just right.
We picked up our trailer in May 2017 with the solar panel installed on top and we also had the zamp port put in and purchased a folding solar panel. I think it is 100 amps or possibly 150, don't recall at the moment. We did not get it with a regulator because we were told that it would be regulated somehow to the set up in our trailer. We have the two golf cart cell batteries. We did not purchase extra converters, regulators, etc. We have only used the extra solar panel twice while at a National Park and probably didn't even need it then. We have the Max Fan with remote and so far no problems, is there anything we need to do to prevent burn out? We have had our light over our dinnette table flickering. I do not know what all this means.
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Old 01-30-2019, 10:58 AM   #43
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Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady View Post
Thanks Steve!!!! You are right!! It is too much for all of us who are novices when it comes to electricity, amps, circuits and regulators. As you can see as I read all these posts I am totally befuddled by all of this electrical talk and now afraid we are going to burn out our fan or lights. Not too happy to hear that ETI does not always hook up things just right.
We picked up our trailer in May 2017 with the solar panel installed on top and we also had the zamp port put in and purchased a folding solar panel. I think it is 100 amps or possibly 150, don't recall at the moment. We did not get it with a regulator because we were told that it would be regulated somehow to the set up in our trailer. We have the two golf cart cell batteries. We did not purchase extra converters, regulators, etc. We have only used the extra solar panel twice while at a National Park and probably didn't even need it then. We have the Max Fan with remote and so far no problems, is there anything we need to do to prevent burn out? We have had our light over our dinnette table flickering. I do not know what all this means.
I am also lost with this discussion and don't know what to say Pat
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Old 01-30-2019, 11:07 AM   #44
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Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady View Post
Thanks Steve!!!! You are right!! It is too much for all of us who are novices when it comes to electricity, amps, circuits and regulators. As you can see as I read all these posts I am totally befuddled by all of this electrical talk and now afraid we are going to burn out our fan or lights. Not too happy to hear that ETI does not always hook up things just right.
We picked up our trailer in May 2017 with the solar panel installed on top and we also had the zamp port put in and purchased a folding solar panel. I think it is 100 amps or possibly 150, don't recall at the moment. We did not get it with a regulator because we were told that it would be regulated somehow to the set up in our trailer. We have the two golf cart cell batteries. We did not purchase extra converters, regulators, etc. We have only used the extra solar panel twice while at a National Park and probably didn't even need it then. We have the Max Fan with remote and so far no problems, is there anything we need to do to prevent burn out? We have had our light over our dinnette table flickering. I do not know what all this means.
The flickering dinette light is going out - no big deal as they are easy to replace. Contact Rease and get him to send you another one. My trailer is Jan 2017 so is out of warranty - still no big deal as an upgraded model of the same light is available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Facon-Pancake...con%2Bled&th=1

Your solar from Escape uses a PWM solar controller - it doesn't put out the higher voltage like the MPPT controllers. Your Maxxfan should be fine operating at PWM voltages. If not, the Maxxfan control board is relatively inexpensive (<$40) and easy to change. If you are handy with tools or know someone, take a look at this post for a more permanent fix.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tor-14667.html

Don't let all the electrical talk get you worried. Yes, some of the Maxxfan control boards and the Facon LED lights have failed for some but there are others that these are working fine for.

Oh, and please update your info "selling 2015 Casita Freedom, buying Escape 21'" so we know what trailer you have. Thanks!
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Old 01-30-2019, 11:12 AM   #45
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When we purchased our 5.0 last October we were informed they no longer would install the remote version of the Maxxfan because of board failures. We received the manual Maxxfan. How many of you having problems have the manual (non-remote) version?

Thanks,

Perry
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Old 01-30-2019, 11:16 AM   #46
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I am also lost with this discussion and don't know what to say Pat

I do not fault Escape for any of this. There is nothing wrong with any of the stuff that they have manufactured. What’s wrong is that other component manufacturers - the same components used throughout the rest of the RV industry as well - have made some inferior quality parts. Shocker. Not. The specific issue here is that some of these parts don’t properly handle the voltage range that they ought to in a trailer that needs to charge onboard batteries correctly. The upshot is that you either don’t charge your batteries correctly, or you risk frying some electronics. Or you fix the electronics with voltage regulators so you then can properly charge your batteries. If you do nothing, you’re probably fine, because in stock condition Escape trailers don’t normally achieve the higher voltages that can cause failures. But that also means the batteries aren’t charged as well as they might be.
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Old 01-30-2019, 11:51 AM   #47
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Originally Posted by sclifrickson View Post
I do not fault Escape for any of this. There is nothing wrong with any of the stuff that they have manufactured. What’s wrong is that other component manufacturers - the same components used throughout the rest of the RV industry as well - have made some inferior quality parts. Shocker. Not. The specific issue here is that some of these parts don’t properly handle the voltage range that they ought to in a trailer that needs to charge onboard batteries correctly. The upshot is that you either don’t charge your batteries correctly, or you risk frying some electronics. Or you fix the electronics with voltage regulators so you then can properly charge your batteries. If you do nothing, you’re probably fine, because in stock condition Escape trailers don’t normally achieve the higher voltages that can cause failures. But that also means the batteries aren’t charged as well as they might be.
Great of you to post this. Thank you for this simplified version.
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Old 01-30-2019, 12:13 PM   #48
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Originally Posted by tdf-texas View Post
The flickering dinette light is going out - no big deal as they are easy to replace. Contact Rease and get him to send you another one. My trailer is Jan 2017 so is out of warranty - still no big deal as an upgraded model of the same light is available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Facon-Pancake...con%2Bled&th=1

Your solar from Escape uses a PWM solar controller - it doesn't put out the higher voltage like the MPPT controllers. Your Maxxfan should be fine operating at PWM voltages. If not, the Maxxfan control board is relatively inexpensive (<$40) and easy to change. If you are handy with tools or know someone, take a look at this post for a more permanent fix.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tor-14667.html

Don't let all the electrical talk get you worried. Yes, some of the Maxxfan control boards and the Facon LED lights have failed for some but there are others that these are working fine for.

Oh, and please update your info "selling 2015 Casita Freedom, buying Escape 21'" so we know what trailer you have. Thanks!
Thanks for the info. I did read about installing the 700 or 7000 regulator and that about did me in.LOL I guess I will just not use my additional solar panel and the fan at the same time. And wait and see what happens. I love my remote fan so much and use the remote during the night because of my ucky hot flashes.
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Old 01-30-2019, 12:26 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by sclifrickson View Post
I do not fault Escape for any of this. There is nothing wrong with any of the stuff that they have manufactured. What’s wrong is that other component manufacturers - the same components used throughout the rest of the RV industry as well - have made some inferior quality parts. Shocker. Not. The specific issue here is that some of these parts don’t properly handle the voltage range that they ought to in a trailer that needs to charge onboard batteries correctly. The upshot is that you either don’t charge your batteries correctly, or you risk frying some electronics. Or you fix the electronics with voltage regulators so you then can properly charge your batteries. If you do nothing, you’re probably fine, because in stock condition Escape trailers don’t normally achieve the higher voltages that can cause failures. But that also means the batteries aren’t charged as well as they might be.
Thankyou for the explanation ! My problem is do I need to worry about this now . Since last year we now have solar installed which is always charging our 2 6 volt batteries . Our batteries are now going on 6 years next Sept, they are dated . We have before the solar had flicking lights , which I removed and cleaned contacts and then reinstalled . The fan does not have a remote and never , knock on wood had a problem yet with . So do we just not worry ? Pat
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Old 01-30-2019, 12:30 PM   #50
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Originally Posted by tdf-texas View Post
The flickering dinette light is going out - no big deal as they are easy to replace. Contact Rease and get him to send you another one. My trailer is Jan 2017 so is out of warranty - still no big deal as an upgraded model of the same light is available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Facon-Pancake...con%2Bled&th=1

Your solar from Escape uses a PWM solar controller - it doesn't put out the higher voltage like the MPPT controllers. Your Maxxfan should be fine operating at PWM voltages. If not, the Maxxfan control board is relatively inexpensive (<$40) and easy to change. If you are handy with tools or know someone, take a look at this post for a more permanent fix.
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...tor-14667.html

Don't let all the electrical talk get you worried. Yes, some of the Maxxfan control boards and the Facon LED lights have failed for some but there are others that these are working fine for.

Oh, and please update your info "selling 2015 Casita Freedom, buying Escape 21'" so we know what trailer you have. Thanks!

The light that ETI recommended as a replacement and the one they say they are currently using is LED Double Ceiling Light, 18 LED, L09-0111-NW
Bezel Option: Light L09-0111-NW Only
SKU: L09-0111-NW
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Old 01-30-2019, 12:41 PM   #51
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Originally Posted by Patandlinda View Post
Thankyou for the explanation ! My problem is do I need to worry about this now . Since last year we now have solar installed which is always charging our 2 6 volt batteries . Our batteries are now going on 6 years next Sept, they are dated . We have before the solar had flicking lights , which I removed and cleaned contacts and then reinstalled . The fan does not have a remote and never , knock on wood had a problem yet with . So do we just not worry ? Pat

I’d think that if you were going to have a problem it would have shown up long before now. Six years is a good indicator that you’re fine [emoji1303]
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Old 01-30-2019, 01:46 PM   #52
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Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady View Post
It is too much for all of us who are novices when it comes to electricity, amps, circuits and regulators. As you can see as I read all these posts I am totally befuddled by all of this electrical talk and now afraid we are going to burn out our fan or lights.

...We picked up our trailer in May 2017 with the solar panel installed on top and we also had the zamp port put in and purchased a folding solar panel. I think it is 100 amps or possibly 150, don't recall at the moment.
Watts, not amps. I have posted in another thread that this is likely overwhelming for non-engineers. The best part is the guys that are tinkering and are technically adept are trying their best to explain why they are doing what they are doing. They aren't just dumping a bunch of technical info and running. Bottom line is that this doesn't affect all trailers. Aftermarket solar set for high charging rates appears to be a likely cause, but maybe not the only cause. There are also just plain failures of any mass produced electronics with printed circuit boards. I acknowledge that some of the appliances in the trailer may (on paper) not be rated for the 14.4V produced by both the stock WFCO converter/charger and the 14.4V produced by the stock Go Power solar controller. Right now I don't have solar. If I did and had flooded lead acid batteries I would consider setting my Go Power solar controller to AGM type so that it did not allow auto equalization at 14.9V. You will still attain the same float and absorption voltages. Not to Interstate flooded lead acid battery specs, but I'll contend adequate for most owners. If I wanted to equalize I would throw the battery disconnect switch to protect the trailer systems and then manually enable equalization if this is possible. Otherwise if my batteries were ready for replacement I would consider an upgrade to AGM and then not even worry about equalization.
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Old 01-30-2019, 01:54 PM   #53
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When we purchased our 5.0 last October we were informed they no longer would install the remote version of the Maxxfan because of board failures. We received the manual Maxxfan. How many of you having problems have the manual (non-remote) version?

Thanks,

Perry
Our Maxxfan failure was the manual version. We wanted the remote version but it was no longer offered as you noted.

We also do not have solar.
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Old 01-30-2019, 02:20 PM   #54
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Just had it a year and a half and camped about 8 weeks total.
I have the 7000k and it went poof at 2 years 2 weeks. The Maxxfan warranty is for two years.
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Old 01-30-2019, 02:20 PM   #55
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Watts, not amps. I have posted in another thread that this is likely overwhelming for non-engineers. The best part is the guys that are tinkering and are technically adept are trying their best to explain why they are doing what they are doing. They aren't just dumping a bunch of technical info and running. Bottom line is that this doesn't affect all trailers. Aftermarket solar set for high charging rates appears to be a likely cause, but maybe not the only cause. There are also just plain failures of any mass produced electronics with printed circuit boards. I acknowledge that some of the appliances in the trailer may (on paper) not be rated for the 14.4V produced by both the stock WFCO converter/charger and the 14.4V produced by the stock Go Power solar controller. Right now I don't have solar. If I did and had flooded lead acid batteries I would consider setting my Go Power solar
controller to AGM type so that it did not allow auto equalization at 14.9V. You will still attain the same float and absorption voltages. Not to Interstate flooded lead acid battery specs, but I'll contend adequate for most owners. If I wanted to equalize I would throw the battery disconnect switch to protect the trailer systems and then manually enable equalization if this is possible. Otherwise if my batteries were ready for replacement I would consider an upgrade to AGM and then not even worry about equalization.
I think I will just give up rving and buy a cabin somewhere.
I appreciate you guys trying to make it simple for me, but what you just wrote didn't make too much sense aftert the first two sentences... but thanks anyways.
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Old 01-30-2019, 03:11 PM   #56
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Old 01-30-2019, 03:17 PM   #57
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I’d think that if you were going to have a problem it would have shown up long before now. Six years is a good indicator that you’re fine [emoji1303]
Thankyou ! Hopefully everything stays good . I just added solar last year , myself .I used a battery charger before and always check batteries water . I do use more water now I noticed with the solar charging . I have a Victron MPPT controller . Pat
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Old 01-30-2019, 03:48 PM   #58
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Trying to find who or what is at fault in order to cast blame solves nothing .
The one thing I am sure of is that the customer who buys a new Escape with factory installed solar / wiring is not at fault and has the right to expect that the trailer he/ she purchased functions properly .
The more I examine my trailer’s wiring , the less confident and more frustrated I get
I have the skills to fix the problems but not the desire !
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Old 01-31-2019, 09:47 AM   #59
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I appreciate you guys trying to make it simple for me, but what you just wrote didn't make too much sense after the first two sentences... but thanks anyways.
Are you really trying or just curling up into the fetal position?

For those so inclined...12volt Side of Life Part 1
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

Part 2:
The 12volt Side of Life Part 2

Knowing RV electrical system basics will take anyone a long way in troubleshooting and avoiding issues. We like to think of our trailers as simple, but in reality they are more complicated electrically than a standard house. Besides 120V AC power we have a 12V DC system with a converter/charger, fuse board, battery bank and all associated wiring. The 12 volt system also has the ability to provide some charge to the batteries from the tow vehicle. In some cases owners also have a solar system with panels and controller, automatic transfer switch, inverter and additional AC panel with breakers.
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Old 09-27-2019, 09:44 PM   #60
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MaxxFan Problems

From the get go with a new 2018 21ft, the Maxxfan has tripped off when operated at the minimum speed;- typically at night to help control condensation. This is very occasional, and if run continuously can take days to occur.
This occurs when we are plugged into shore power or operating on battery.

I have changed the control PCB out twice (once from Maxxfan and once from Escape) with the problem still present. So this is not a control board problem;- it is either how they work or something else is causing the issue.

MaxxFan told me about the max/min voltage limits (as noted by others);- but the max (13.5-ish) would not occur when on battery power, and minimum was unlikely as battery had good charge.
And yes, having a max rating of 13.5 on something designed for a RV is totally NUTS.

So if it is not a control board issue, and not the battery voltage, the only other item in the circuit is the motor. Does anyone think the motor could be doing something that causes this ? Changing out the motor is more of a pain than the control board, but do-able.
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