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Old 09-29-2012, 05:01 PM   #1
Alpine3500RE
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Exclamation Alpine 3500RE 2012

We got our rig April 2011. It has not been a smooth ride. The only feature I still like is the floor plan. It started right out of the gate. Here is the laundry list.
1. Would not fill the water tank at the fill spout. The monitor registered, full, less than a third.
2. Shower leaked around the surround.
3. Scratches on the cupboards.
4. Scratches on the surround.
5. Border around the stove ripped and scratched.
6. Outdoor keypad didn't work and still doesn't.
7. Glue on the fabric around the windows.
8. Hydraulic seals leaked on the landing gears.
9. Refrigerator would not stay cold on either electric or propane longer than 36 to 48 hours and would jump to 50 plus degrees.
10. Door on battery not adjusted to stay shut.
11. Awning retracts skewed so doesn't line up with supports.
12. Scratches on the microwave.
13. Shower didn't drain but very slowly. Stood in soapy water.

So we kept out list going all summer and took it back in the fall after the season. It was there for 3 or so weeks. It is a 6 hour round trip.

It turns out the plumbing had to be re strung to make everything flow and fill.
The replaced doors, borders, shower surround, microwave, replaced the battery on the keypad (didn't last till we got home and not worked since), replaced the refrigerator, adjusted the battery door (just so so), and my husband had fixed the o ring on the hydraulics so we could at least use it. Th dealer had put the wrong size one in when we showed it to them before we bought it. I took pictures of everything and emailed the dealer right away so they kept the service order open all past summer. Guess I will need another one started.

So most of that stuff is ok now. I just don't have a lot of faith and trust each time we go out with this rig. We use it a lot too.

So this weekend (48 degrees) we have no heat. Turned the thermostat to furnace and it came on with the unit on the roof, not the furnace. Searched online for troubleshooting the problem, and found nothing. Just says the dual zone control can sometimes not make the right connection. Dahhhhh. So running with electric heaters, but floor is cold.

Had other minor issues this summer too. So my enjoyment is always tempered when planning to travel with the rig. We are planning this rig for our winter home, but want to find a dealer close by!

So if anyone has suggestions about the furnace problem, would love to hear from them. And also the keypad.
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Old 09-30-2012, 04:41 AM   #2
SAD
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On your keypad.... I had a problem with both the door and the overhead lights in the living room...

I found those two circuits were the lowest two on the 12v panel. The fuses were loose in their sockets. The socket is just lightweight metal bent over itself. I disconnected the battery (and unplugged RV) and simply used needle nose plyers to slightly squeeze the metal such that the socket would grip the fuse more firmly. Problem solved.
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Old 09-30-2012, 07:02 AM   #3
DocData757
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I'm wondering about your thermostat. I have a 2011 and found a program issue with the Thermostat. It was not corrected until early 2012. I wonder if you got a new one but they missed replacing the boards in both AC and heat pump.

I installed the thermostat myself and nothing worked correctly. Talking to Keystone, we figured out that with the new thermostat, the boards in the AC and heat pump needed to be replaced as well. They sent me the boards, I replaced them and everything worked fine.

Were both your AC and Heat Pumps working correctly during the warm weather? If so, the following may not apply but here it is anyway...

An easy way to tell if you are correct or not is to 'initialize' the thermostat (described as 'System Reset' in the manual for it.) This won't hurt anything.

Make sure your thermostat is OFF.
Press and holdthe Mode and Zone buttons at the same time.
The LCD should display 'IniT'. Release the buttons. Below that you should see 'Zones 1 2'. If you see anything else (mine showed Zones 1 4'), there is a high probability that one or both of your boards are wrong.

Good luck!
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Old 09-30-2012, 07:21 AM   #4
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If the "Fan" setting on the thermostat is not correct the A/C fan and furnace fan will both come on. I believe it should be set to "Auto" for correct operation. JM2¢, Hank
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Old 09-30-2012, 07:27 AM   #5
Bigsky3625
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hankpage View Post
If the "Fan" setting on the thermostat is not correct the A/C fan and furnace fan will both come on. I believe it should be set to "Auto" for correct operation. JM2¢, Hank
You are correct. If not the AC will run. Took me a few minutes to figure that one out.
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Old 09-30-2012, 07:48 AM   #6
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That does not happen with mine. I run the fan by itself (no AC/No heat) a lot. I also run the fan on Hi during the nights with the AC set. The AC cycles off and on according to the temperature I have set and the fan runs steady. Makes for great 'white noise' for sleeping. My furnace fan only runs when I have the FURN set.
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Old 10-01-2012, 03:02 PM   #7
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Alpine3500RE -

This probably won't help your situation, but you might want to search for some of my posts about the Arctic/Polar/Glacier Package, about tank heaters, and about insulating the underbelly. (There are those who have declared me "Lord of the Underbelly"). You might want to look up Hankaye's postings about how to make and install skirting. This might be good information if you plan to use your Alpine as a winter home in a climate that has occasional cold weather and freezes.

Unless Keystone made some major changes, you will find that your tanks and plumbing are pretty much exposed to outside air temperatures. Plus the utility basement area exposes and directly connects the uninsulated underbelly to the living space and bypassed the six inches of Styrofoam insulation in the floor. The rear cap is open to the underbelly and probably isn't sealed against the coroplast. The rear cap also might only have a sheet of R-7 fiberglass insulation. The slide walls (not the outside slide wall) have only R-7 insulation.

If you plan to camp much in freezing weather, you will want to augment the insulation, protect the tanks and plumbing, and probably add an electric heater or two in the storage basement and underneath. If you skirt, don't skirt in the area beneath the propane tanks. That's because if you have a leak, you don't want the propane to accumulate under the Alpine.

Ron
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