Coleman ChillGrille

An upgrade to the air conditioner vent in the Winnebago Fuse is the Coleman Deluxe ChillGrille.   This is a replacement for the existing register on the air conditioner.

The part number is 9430D7153.  You can get it at Amazon here but it is available from other places and Ebay for less.  It comes with all the parts you would need if you were installing the air conditioner from scratch.   The only part we will be using is the register itself.

It is a very easy changeout.  It is the same steps as in the earlier article on Opening the Air Conditioner:

• Turn the Air Conditioner off
• Remove the filters
• Remove the two knobs.  They just pull straight off
• There are 4 screws that hold the register on.  They are located in the 4 corners.  Unscrew them while holding the register so it does not fall.
• The old register is now off.
• Inspect the AC ducting.  Clean any dirt/dust and make sure all of the duct tape is still in place and stuck down.
• Put the new ChillGrille on.   The holes for the 4 screws should line up pretty close.  
• I used the screws that came with the ChillGrille.  There were slightly longer  than the original screws.  Do not over tighten.  Snug is good.  
• Once the screws are in then push the knobs back on.
• Re-install the filters.
• Now you can test it.

The best feature of the ChillGrille is the additional vents on the bottom.   One of the issues with the standard grille is that all of the air goes along the ceiling and does not get pushed down into the living space.   The additional outlets dump a good amount of the air down.  

Theses new vents can be directed both horizontally and vertically.  I have them at about a 30 degree angle to the sides and a 30 degree angle down so the air coming from these vents are blowing onto the beds.  These two vents probably only divert 20% of the air, but it makes a big difference.

It also seemed to reduce some of the noise from the air conditioner.  I did some objective tests with a sound meter on the phone, but that showed no difference.   But from an subjective perspective, I was able to here the TV easier.  With the Air Conditioner on low cool, I was able to reduce the volume from 95 to 75 and still here the TV fine.

This was a very worthwhile improvement.   It was easy to do even for a mechanically challenged person like myself and well worth the $50.00 to $80.00 it is advertised at.

A video of this is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsDfiGb4AAA&t=19s

Coleman ChillGrille Video

I created a video on the Coleman ChillGrille I installed in my Fuse.  It mostly try to answer if the ChillGrille makes the air conditioner any quieter.

Executive summary: The ChillGrille does not help to abate noise when using objective measurements.  On the other hand it did make the rear TV easier to hear when the air conditioner is on.  The airflow in the Fuse is greatly improved with the lower air vents opened.  From that standpoint alone this was a worthwhile improvement and worth the $50.00 to $80.00 it is advertised for.

The part number is 9430D7153.  You can get it at Amazon here but it is available from other places and Ebay for less.

Velcro Cinch Straps

From some of the articles in this blog you might think I am a neat freak.   If you ever come over to the house you will quickly discover that that is the far, far from the truth.

The thing is,  that in a small motorhome like the Fuse you really have to keep things organized.  The small size of the interior magnifies anything that is out of place or messy.  This can create tension in the vehicle and there is no way to defuse it with distance.

So, I am always on the lookout for things to organize the RV better.  I did a review on the best item in the world to have, a poncho liner a while back ago.     The small problem with the poncho liner like any blanket is that it takes up a lot of room when it is just folded up.  It fluffs up like it is designed to and takes up space.

So how to fix this.  How about rolling it up and securing it with some cinch straps.   I think this is  the perfect solution.

So I purchased some velcro cinch straps.   OK, velcro is sort of like Kleenex.  The exact ones I purchased were from a company called  Tiego, A 12 pack of assorted cinch straps and cable ties.   I need the  assortment since I had some other things on my mind as well.    I really needed the 22/24 inch size for the poncho.

It worked out great.  Much better than using cordage or rubber bands.   They are really easy to use.  Just roll up the blanket and use a couple of straps.   You can make it as tight or loose as you want.

You can also use the straps for other things as well.   These are just a real nice idea to keep things nice and tidy.

Opening the Air Conditioner

While we were in the Smokies we had something weird happen.   The air conditioner started to make some whistling noise and I reached up to the vent and pulled out a piece of metallic tape.   It was not making any difference with the operation of the air conditioner, so looking at it in detail could wait.  I had no idea where it came from, but I knew I had to figure it out when I got home.

So where to start.   I decided to take the filters off and see if I could see anything there.  Nope, but that was step one in gaining access to the inside of the air conditioner.   I needed to take the grill off and the screws holding it on were under the filters.

Step 1: Take the filters off of the grill.  Not a hard problem.  I had done this several times to clean the filters.

Step 2:  Take the knobs off.  Not a hard task either. They just pull off.  So I grabbed each one and pulled and they slid off.

Step 3:  Unscrew the 4 screws holding the grill to the roof.   Two on each side.  Not hard either.  A medium size Phillips head screwdriver and I made quick work of it.  They are inset at the ends of where the filters go.  Once the screws were gone, the grill came down.  I made sure to have a hold of it before the last screw came all of the way out so it would not wind up on the floor.

Now I had access to the air conditioner.  Best part, I found my problem.  The tape came from the air ducting.  Well let me say that the tape makes up a big chunk of the cool air path.  A piece of that tape was missing.  I inspected the tape and several other pieces were loose.

The first thing I did was to make sure the tape that was remaining was stuck up there good.  I went around and made sure it was making good contact and none of the edges were pulling up.  Then I replaced the piece that was missing.  I used real metal duct tape since that was what was being used.  Not the cloth stuff since metal is what came out of it, metal went back in.   I also added a couple more pieces to make sure nothing else would come loose.

I did take time to look around and you could see the construction of the roof.   It was fiberglass with a 2 inch layer of styrofoam sandwiched between.  I am not sure what the inside layer was since it was covered.  Two  inches of styrofoam is equivalent of R-8 to 10 insulation from my research.

So I put it back together and it was very easy.  I just reversed the steps.  No big deal.

There is now a new option for a grill.  Coleman has made a Deluxe ChillGrille option you can buy.   This has vents in the center of the grill so you can push air down as opposed to just along the roof.      The part number is 9430D7153.  You can get it the entire kit on Amazon here but the grill itself which is all you need is available from other places and Ebay for less.

Fuses for the Fuse

Something you should carry in your Fuse are a few spare fuses.  I have put a couple of assorted sized in my tool box, but you may just want to put a couple in your glove box if you don't have a tool box.

This raises a question of where are the fuses located and what sizes do I need?

The fuses in a Fuse are used for the 12v system and the circuit breakers are for the 110v system.  Almost everything in the Fuse are on the 12V system other than the A/C, refrigerator, the 110v receptacles, the 110v to 12v converter and the microwave.

The circuit breakers are easy to reset, just flip the switch.  To fix a popped fuse you need a replacement.  The fuses are ATO type, also known as standard or regular, which are the most common you will find.  There are different types of fuses in the Ford Transit portion of the vehicle.  It uses an assortment of different types.   A helpful reference on automotive fuse types is at wikipedia.

On the 23A, the power panel which has both the circuit breakers and the fuses is located at the foot of the passenger side bed.    On the 23T the power panel is located across the aisle from the kitchen.   To access it, you just pop the plastic cover off.

Inside you have fuses on one side and circuit breakers on the other.

Remember if you ever need to replace a fuse, replace it with one of the same size.  If you put a bigger size in you can create a fire hazard.  The fuses are there to protect the electric devices, you and your coach from damage.

So what sizes should I carry with me in case I need one?   The Fuse uses:

• 5 amp
• 15 amp
• 20 amp

So I am carrying a couple of each.  There are a couple of devices in the Fuse such as the slide controller that has a fuse in the device.  It uses one of these standard size fuses as well.

Here is the funny problem.  It is almost as cheap to buy 120 assorted sizes as it is to buy a pack of 5 of one size.   So buy a pack of assorted sizes and pull out 3 or 4 of each type you need and put them in a zip lock bag.  Share the rest with some friends or look in your other vehicles to see if you have some already.   These are just standard automotive fuses.

An assortment is available from Amazon at: RamPro 120 Pc Car Truck Boat Fuses Assortment Kit - 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 AMP - Regular Standard APR/ATO (Open)/ATS Fuses

Collapsable Bucket

We are always looking for things that can make being in the Fuse more comfortable.  I always want to find things that are light, take up little space and are multi-tasking.   The silicone collapsible bucket that Sonya purchased hits all of those points.

Sonya bought me this one for our anniversary back in April.   As normal, we thought we were on to something special, but others had found our discovery way before us.  At the Get Together we saw several couples with these buckets.  The best use I saw was one being used as ice bucket for cooling beer & wine.

These buckets are available from various outlets.   The brand we purchased was from "Blue Sky Gear".   It is similar to many others out there.   Ours holds 5 liters or about 1.3 gallons.   There are ones out there that are twice the size holding 10 liters.  

All of them fold up flat taking up very little space, about an inch high.   Ours is 12" in diameter at the mouth and weighs just under a pound.    Interestingly, the 10 liter bucket is just an inch in diameter bigger.  The price is a wash.  Either size bucket is available on Amazon for around $10.00.

These silicone buckets are fairly sturdy.  I remember the rubber coated cloth buckets from back in the day.   Though they would hold water, they always collapsed at the most inopportune time and made a mess.   This bucket won't do that.  Once opened up it takes a little finesse to get it folded back down.  I don't think that it would flop down under its own weight.  You pushed with some force.

It is a pretty handy device to keep in the Fuse.   

You can find the 10 liter bucket on Amazon at Southern Homewares Foldable Silicone Collapsible Bucket, 2.65 gallon.

Camco Water Tank Filler

Someone was complaining about it being difficult to fill up the Fuse water tank.  Getting water into the fill hole is a little challenging unless you just shove the hose down into it.  It wants to splash back as it fills.   Pushing a potentially dirty hose down into the fresh water tank is not something I really want to do. 

I have been using a 1' piece of hose that came with my water filter for this.  My issue has been that it it a two person job.  There was no way to turn off the water remotely.    That is where the Camco 40003 Water Tank Filler comes in.  

This ~$5.00 widget solves the common problems I pointed out.  First it has a shutoff so that when you are ready to turn off the water you can do it right there.  With the shutoff you can also slow down the flow of water if it is coming too fast.

There is no need to have your partner over at the spigot to turn it on and off.   No need to run over there if your partner is unable to help.  My experience is half the time the hose tries to back its way out of the receptacle, falling on the ground and getting dirty.

 It is clear so you can make sure it is clean before using it. It is 8 inches long and once inserted it down in the system so the water does not spurt back up.

I won't say that this is an absolute necessary accessory.   You can still just fill the tank with the hose.  But if you are traveling alone or have to take of the utilities by yourself, it makes filling the tank a whole lot easier and is well worth the low price.