network, a/c & compressor control issues - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: network, a/c & compressor control issues (/showthread.php?tid=8612)
network, a/c & compressor control issues - byarb1504 - 07-13-2025
Coach 1618-
Did not see a thread- hopefully helps someone else with these issues. Just finished emergency trip to Miami. Coach lost all 4 roof airs on shore power- if doing hard reset it would work for 24 hours or so but been mostly running on generator. Coach was showing slow function with intrepid screens but they seemed to work. A/c showing on when looking at intrepid screen. There is a Pecan router in electrical bay they thought may have gone bad which is $2400 in parts- it ended up being okay. They added a resister in electrical bay, and found network was out of balance. They had to hook a laptop to coach in electrical bay and rebalance network. They then found a rsi board went bad and had to be replaced. This all seems to have fixed the issue.
I was in Miami about month ago for an emergency repair on aux air compressors. One kept cycling non stop and burned up. They had to replace the compressor but found another control board burned up that was triggering the compressor to fun all the time. I asked about this on the second trip. They thought the network being out of alignment could be associated with that.
They claim both issues are very very rare and rare to have both close together. All seems to be fine now- hope it helps someone else.
RE: network, a/c & compressor control issues - [email protected] - 07-13-2025
(07-13-2025, 07:38 AM)byarb1504 Wrote: Coach 1618-
Did not see a thread- hopefully helps someone else with these issues. Just finished emergency trip to Miami. Coach lost all 4 roof airs on shore power- if doing hard reset it would work for 24 hours or so but been mostly running on generator. Coach was showing slow function with intrepid screens but they seemed to work. A/c showing on when looking at intrepid screen. There is a Pecan router in electrical bay they thought may have gone bad which is $2400 in parts- it ended up being okay. They added a resister in electrical bay, and found network was out of balance. They had to hook a laptop to coach in electrical bay and rebalance network. They then found a rsi board went bad and had to be replaced. This all seems to have fixed the issue.
I was in Miami about month ago for an emergency repair on aux air compressors. One kept cycling non stop and burned up. They had to replace the compressor but found another control board burned up that was triggering the compressor to fun all the time. I asked about this on the second trip. They thought the network being out of alignment could be associated with that.
They claim both issues are very very rare and rare to have both close together. All seems to be fine now- hope it helps someone else.
Thanks for adding this, I am sure at some point coaches in your year range are going to need support. I can say I am glad I can only afford an older coach. I am not a fan of these systems that seem to go extinct rather quickly. Hopefully as they stated this is a rare event, never heard of a network needing to be balanced but I am no expert in this area. I am an industrial electrician so I am familiar with industrial controls, which have all mostly gone to electronic controls via PLC's etc.
BTW what model year is this coach, just for reference?
RE: network, a/c & compressor control issues - byarb1504 - 07-13-2025
2018, they tried to help on the phone but just ended up having to go to them.
RE: network, a/c & compressor control issues - CaptainGizmo - 07-13-2025
This, sadly, is a VERY complex issue to which I am all to familiar with!
I have many LONG conversations with one of the smartest electronics engineers I know, who not only has a 2020, but has developed what he calls a Coach Processor that is designed to take all of the heavy lifting off of the Coach network.
It’s not about “balance”; it’s about overload. Just yesterday, I was discussing this with my friend. Firefly continues to BREAK more than they FIX. Every “update” seems to cause other issues. The cause, from this expert friend is simply too much constant polling and traffic on the RVC/CANBUS network.
This is why Newell can’t fix the problem. They rely on Firefly…and that company is a disaster and I won’t go into my 5-month crap show I just ended with them on our 2015; and NO…we don’t have Intrepid, Thank God.
So, this lets you know the problem. My friend would tell you to use his processor, but many would argue against it to say the problem should be fixed without the need for a special device.
It’s a big issue that, unfortunately, Newell continues to battle since…realistically…they are but a “small fish” without much weight to push around. And taking on a complete rewrite of their system would be cost and labor intensive.
RE: network, a/c & compressor control issues - [email protected] - 07-13-2025
(07-13-2025, 01:40 PM)CaptainGizmo Wrote: This, sadly, is a VERY complex issue to which I am all to familiar with!
I have many LONG conversations with one of the smartest electronics engineers I know, who not only has a 2020, but has developed what he calls a Coach Processor that is designed to take all of the heavy lifting off of the Coach network.
It’s not about “balance”; it’s about overload. Just yesterday, I was discussing this with my friend. Firefly continues to BREAK more than they FIX. Every “update” seems to cause other issues. The cause, from this expert friend is simply too much constant polling and traffic on the RVC/CANBUS network.
This is why Newell can’t fix the problem. They rely on Firefly…and that company is a disaster and I won’t go into my 5-month crap show I just ended with them on our 2015; and NO…we don’t have Intrepid, Thank God.
So, this lets you know the problem. My friend would tell you to use his processor, but many would argue against it to say the problem should be fixed without the need for a special device.
It’s a big issue that, unfortunately, Newell continues to battle since…realistically…they are but a “small fish” without much weight to push around. And taking on a complete rewrite of their system would be cost and labor intensive.
Steve, appreciate the insight. Too much traffic on the network sounds more like something I could understand, again I am no expert on this stuff but I do understand the concepts. I have considered automating some things on my coach and I actually have a PLC that I am thinking about playing around using for this. PLC's have been used for a long time to automate many things and they are quite robust, powerplants and many production facilities all run on PLC's. This seems like something that could be adapted for this use and would be much more reliable.
RE: network, a/c & compressor control issues - CaptainGizmo - 07-13-2025
The issue on the newer coaches start with the Spyder system being control by Intrepid. Prior to 2016, it was Silverleaf as the "operating system", if you will. HOWEVER, Silverleaf didn't touch the Spyder system/network. Instead, the CRESTRON AV automation system was thrown in which contolled everything AV and Spyder related. Sadly, not only did it reach End Of Life, but Firefly has been EXTREMELY costly to update something so simple as changing a TV or adding an AppleTV. Now, however, they've completely given up and have abandoned the entire CRESTRON programming all together; leaving every Crestron-coach high and dry!!
But...once Intrepid 1.0 was introduced, that's when the wonderful world of coach network JENGA all started. Still, even with 2.0 and beyond...the troubles just seem to continue multiplying. The common thread? Yup...Firefly!