FYI Newmar Academy Overview

[Chuggs]

The “New Unit” is the Freshjet 5. On the one hand…they say it is a direct replacement for the Penguin II. I would say YES if it is for A/C ONLY…AND…your RV uses a ceiling Air Distribution Box. Our Newmar Coaches do not use a ceiling mounted ADB…and our model of a Penguin II has the controller mounted in the rooftop unit. If they would go back to offering the controller “built-in” to the rooftop unit…it would be direct. The Heat Pump model, which hasn’t been released yet…it supposedly got a built-in controller but,,,of a new standard. It purportedly requires a new thermostat…and comm cables of RJ45 8 pin 8 conductor…vs our existing RJ11 6 pin 4 conductor. They will offer converters for your remaining Penguin II. I went back and forth with thier support team…and they would offer zero technical documents before its official release. I gave them a very hard time about not supporting Penguin II legacy users…hopefully, they will offer a version with the built-in CCC2 thermostat. But I don’t feel like Dometic will make the right decision on that point. Time will tell.

I purchased a 15k A/C only unit, it came with zero documentation other than an schematic of the hardware wired to the 6-pin molex…and decided not to try to mount a controller designed to go in an ADB in just any ol place. I scavenged my Penguin II controller and mounted it in the provided housing on the Freshjet 5. I had to rewire everything. The controller they recommend is basically the same as the one in our basement used for AGS starting. It is normally used for AGS and Air Conditioners…and can support heat strips. The built-in controllers are normally used, I believe with Heat Pumps…because the reversing valve adds two wires…and that means a 6-pin Molex connector would come up two short. The built-in controllers mostly use spade terminals… but still have plug type for two com ports, outside temp sensor, evaporator freeze sensor, and remote cabin temp sensor.

Regardless of what they do… I will try to find more information to support this..but I believe the Heat Pump can be wired to our existing models of a Penguin II controllers. Because really…the interior is just a compressor, a fan, and two capacitors and a PTCR just like the Penguin II.

 

[DennisT]

Day 3 of the Academy (Thursday):

DISCLAIMER: These are from my notes and may not necessarily be the gospel. Always a good idea to call or check Newgle for the proper information

The first part of the day was on batteries.

If you order the Lithium option from Newmar they are using Neverdie batteries. They are UL Listed, have a 7 - 10 year lifespan, and are rated for 3,000 cycles. They have a companion app to monitor them.
— The BMS on those is a separate component that is installed
— They have an internal heater for temperature control.

Normal battery maintenance, testing, etc. was discussed covering both AGM and wet cell batteries.

The next portion was a discussion with the Riverpart rep on the Xite radio.

Radios after 2020 are Apple Carplay compatible. They are still waiting for approval for the other.

One piece that was interesting on the Apple Carplay portion — If you are using the built in Nav and you are connected to Carplay, then turn on another Nav on your phone, the built in will stop. Something to do with the rules Apple has that only permits one app for navigation to be running at the same time.

For those that have been looking for a way to record the cameras while traveling, or while stopped - if you locate the box in the basement that the cameras connect through there may be an hdmi out connection available. This is on the HD camera systems (unfortunately mine is the analog system so no hdmi out). You can connect a dvr to that hdmi connection and record the video from the cameras.

For 2027 (planned model year at this time) they are looking to install an optional dvr when the coach is built so it will be available already. They are working out what to do with the front facing as well so you would not necessarily need to have a dash cam running. Interesting plans for the future at least and we shall see what all comes out.

For those that have the NavNGo navigation, the 3 years of free map updates starts when the coach leaves a Geofence that is setup around Newmar. This means that the time would start when the coach heads for the dealership or you do a factory pickup and travel outside that geofence. So you may not have the full three years depending on when the coach left Nappanee and when you purchased at the dealer.

For updates to the radio system overall, there is a usb port on the front of the box for the radio in the overhead of the driver area. That is where they would be loaded to the system if needed. You can reach out to Riverpark to see if there is one for your unit. Normally only updated every year and, for our 22, unless they see issues, there may not be a reason to update.

If you want to check, you can get the information from the radio screen as far as the software version you have and call or email them to see if there is an update. If there is they will send instructions on how to download and install the update to the radio.

The next portion of the day was slideouts and emergency retraction (hopefully none of us ever need that).

For electric slides, when there are multiple motors in play (full wall slide for example), there is an encoder on the motors (small round silver piece that is mounted to the motor housing). That is used to keep the motors in sync by counting the number of revolutions. There are screws holding that to the motor housing. One of the checks they mentioned was taking a screwdriver periodically and verifying those screws are not getting loose.

The slides with one motor use a force setting in the controller to determine when the slide is in or out.

For the single motor slides, if you ever need to replace the controller, ensure you get the proper one. Mine, for example, I have one rated at 15 amps and one rated at 30 amps (bedroom and living area respectively). Need to ensure you replace with the same rating - 30 amp on the bedroom slide could cause issues due to additional force applied from the controller.

We went through the emergency retraction process of both hydraulic and electric slides. If you do a search on Newgle and look for emergency retraction they have a complete document written up for both types as well as whether they are single or dual motor (for electric).

All I'll say is I am glad I have all electric slides . The process is a little easier for those than the hydraulic. But hopefully, will never be needed.

On the electric, if you ever need to loosen the tran torque bushing - another item they discussed as there have been issues when a mobile tech, etc. had to loosen that remove that for repairs.
— loosen a quarter turn then tap on the bushing with a hammer
— this will cause the internals to come lose from the inside of the shaft
— then it can be loosened the rest of the way

If you don’t tap the bushing before removing the rest of the way it could stay stuck to the internals of the shaft and you may ruin the bushing by removing.

The last part of the day was going through the maintenance items they provide when coming to the service center to get work done. Essentially what they recommended letting them do and what we all may be able to do ourselves.

 

[DennisT]

Day 4 of the Academy (Friday):

DISCLAIMER: These are from my notes and may not necessarily be the gospel. Always a good idea to call or check Newgle for the proper information

The first part of the day was the chassis portion. We split into two groups (Spartan and Freightliner).

The Freightliner rep went through the information they put out when you take the class at the National or other rallies. They also went through information provided by Michelin for the tires.

One item I found interesting was Michelin recommends max pressure in the tires when storing the coach. They also recommend placing a barrier (rubber mat, cardboard, etc) between the tires and the storage surface.

They also recommend tire covers to protect from UV if outside stored or longer term at a campground.

From the chassis perspective they discussed the drain lanyards for the air tanks. Should do every 6 months if you have them.

After the chassis portion we had the lead for the customer support team and the lead for the group that works with dealers for a discussion.

The support team is now from 8 am to 8 pm that there is someone available to answer the phones and not have to wait for a call back. They are working to modify the hours to be able to assist west coast and other timezones more efficiently.

For the dealership side, there is a rule in place - when the dealership submits paperwork for a warranty repair Newmar has a four hour turnaround time to get a response back to the dealer. So, if the dealer is telling you they are still waiting on Newmar day after day, they are probably not telling you the truth - or they have not submitted what Newmar has requested in a timely fashion.

They have Diamond dealerships that do change periodically. This is based on the level and quality of service they provide. If you go to the Newmar website (Find a Service Center) you can put in your location and will get a list.

The above list will have Diamond service centers listed. There are some that have lost their Diamond status and some that have gained that level from Newmar. This “should” get you to a dealership where you will have the best service experience. You can see the Diamond Servicing in the below pic.

If you have warranty work done at a dealership, you will get a survey after the work is completed. This is important to respond to as that is what Newmar uses to rate the dealership service for the Diamond status as well as pushing dealerships that are not doing work as well.

After those discussions we had our graduation.

Hopefully the above summaries have provided good info and an overview of the Academy they started.

From my perspective it was well worth the cost and I did not hear any of the people in the class say they should not have taken it. I think I can safely say that everyone in the class learned things and were more than happy to have the additional information to help take care of their coach.

I would recommend taking it to any that feel like it may help them in their Newmar journey (no I’m not getting anything for getting others to sign up ).

 

[Neemer]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to report on this!

 

[au176]

Day 4 of the Academy (Friday):

DISCLAIMER: These are from my notes and may not necessarily be the gospel. Always a good idea to call or check Newgle for the proper information

The first part of the day was the chassis portion. We split into two groups (Spartan and Freightliner).

The Freightliner rep went through the information they put out when you take the class at the National or other rallies. They also went through information provided by Michelin for the tires.

One item I found interesting was Michelin recommends max pressure in the tires when storing the coach. They also recommend placing a barrier (rubber mat, cardboard, etc) between the tires and the storage surface.

They also recommend tire covers to protect from UV if outside stored or longer term at a campground.

From the chassis perspective they discussed the drain lanyards for the air tanks. Should do every 6 months if you have them.

After the chassis portion we had the lead for the customer support team and the lead for the group that works with dealers for a discussion.

The support team is now from 8 am to 8 pm that there is someone available to answer the phones and not have to wait for a call back. They are working to modify the hours to be able to assist west coast and other timezones more efficiently.

For the dealership side, there is a rule in place - when the dealership submits paperwork for a warranty repair Newmar has a four hour turnaround time to get a response back to the dealer. So, if the dealer is telling you they are still waiting on Newmar day after day, they are probably not telling you the truth - or they have not submitted what Newmar has requested in a timely fashion.

They have Diamond dealerships that do change periodically. This is based on the level and quality of service they provide. If you go to the Newmar website (Find a Service Center) you can put in your location and will get a list.

The above list will have Diamond service centers listed. There are some that have lost their Diamond status and some that have gained that level from Newmar. This “should” get you to a dealership where you will have the best service experience. You can see the Diamond Servicing in the below pic.

View attachment 29281

If you have warranty work done at a dealership, you will get a survey after the work is completed. This is important to respond to as that is what Newmar uses to rate the dealership service for the Diamond status as well as pushing dealerships that are not doing work as well.

After those discussions we had our graduation.

Hopefully the above summaries have provided good info and an overview of the Academy they started.

From my perspective it was well worth the cost and I did not hear any of the people in the class say they should not have taken it. I think I can safely say that everyone in the class learned things and were more than happy to have the additional information to help take care of their coach.

I would recommend taking it to any that feel like it may help them in their Newmar journey (no I’m not getting anything for getting others to sign up ).

Are there informational handouts that we can keep from the seminars? How many notes did you find yourself taking? This seems like it will be a worthwhile experience.

As a retired technician, I was intrigued when I read that they discuss "encoders" in the class when talking about synchronizing motors. I had a "work-flashback"!

Thank you for your daily summaries!

-Tom

 

[DennisT]

Are there informational handouts that we can keep from the seminars? How many notes did you find yourself taking? This seems like it will be a worthwhile experience.

As a retired technician, I was intrigued when I read that they discuss "encoders" in the class when talking about synchronizing motors. I had a "work-flashback"!

Thank you for your daily summaries!

-Tom

Yes they provide handouts specific to your coach and floor plan.

I took a bunch of notes personally - can’t have too much information.

They are looking for a way to make the power points etc available to those that take the class so we would have everything they went through. I suggested Newgle and linked to the coach page as people attend - will see what happens as all classes have asked for the info.

 

[JBright11]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to report on this!

Ditto!

 

[DennisT]

A couple other items I remembered….

If you are getting the back of the coach like an icebox and the front seems to be having trouble keeping up (ours does this at times)
— turn the fan on the rear a/c on low.

Since the ductwork is all one big loop the fan pressure from the rear will help keep the cooling up front. A few people here tried that after the A/C day and we were all happy that it actually made a difference.

One other nice thing that came out of it - one couple had a replacement of an air conditioner done and it didn’t seem to work right after that. Turns out the installing dealer did not install the triangular gasket they use underneath to split the supply and return. They checked after the class and it was missing. Had Newmar fix it here and they were going back to the dealer for refunding money.

 

[Chuggs]

Thanks for the write up … and the fan tidbit too. I just reset ours to see if it helps. It’s 100 degrees sensed by the rooftop sensor right now..and we are definitely in full sun…. A/C unit’s getting a workout.

 

[DavidinNEFL]

@DennisT Excellent Info. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share ask this.

 

[Buster]

As others mentioned, thanks for taking the time to share your notes. Much appreciated!!