Can Furrion Chill Cube Be Used On Grand Design 397TH Fifth Wheel With 3 Coleman AC Units?

Question

Question:

I have a Grand Design 397TH Fifth Wheel with 3 Coleman AC units and a Lippert OneControl system that controls them. The main unit has a heat pump. The other two are standalone AC. I have seen comments that Furrion is going to release a heat strip for the Chill Cube soon. I would like to replace the two main units with a Chill Cube FR39TD and the bedroom unit with a smaller system while keeping everything the same manufacturer, but I could also go with different manufacturers if absolutely necessary. Is it possible to get the Furrions to work with OneControl? The main AC with the heat pump is controlled with OneControl. It would not be easy to bypass since it also controls the furnace as well. I could bypass OneControl for the other two units and use a regular remote to control them. What are your thoughts and recommendations?

asked by: Jim K

0

Expert Reply:

Hello Jim, thanks for reaching out. We actually get this question a lot, and sadly, the Chill Cube units will not work with the OneControl system. They will not intercommunicate correctly. The Chill Cube can only be used with other Chill Cube parts, and they are not cross compatible with other brands. This is the official word from Furrion.

So it is possible to put the Chill Cube Units on your 5th wheel, but you will need to replace the AC, distribution box and thermostats.

Then you would want to use the # FR49TD to replace the main unit since it comes with a thermostat that can control the furnace as well as the AC.

I hope this helps. Hit the reply button below and let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist.

expert reply by: Jesse M

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Jim K.

5/30/2025

I came across a Furrion Adapter Wiring Kit for Coleman, Dometic, or Advent Air RV AC Units https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Furrion/FR67AD.html. The Coleman has an interface box that the OneControl system connects to. Then the box connects to the controls in the Mach. The interface box has an output port that looks likes the same connector that is in this kit. Would this adapt the Chill Cube to the existing Coleman Mach Thermostat?

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Jesse M.

5/30/2025

@JimK According to Furrion, the Chill Cube can only work with other Chill Cube components. The # FR67AD adapter kit you mentioned is for the Furrion Chill AC, not the Chill Cube. And even then it doesn't work half of the time.

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Jim K.

6/9/2025

@JesseM I ordered and installed a Chill Cube for the garage. I just removed it form the OneControl config settings and I purchased a Cielo mini-split wireless thermostat that controls it no problem. The Cielo is nice because it can be accessed remotely. It works perfectly. I was thinking of installing a Chill AC in the main location with the heat pump and use the adapter that would connect it to the OneControl. Since that unit also controls the furnace and heat I need to keep the OEM wiring configuration. The current Coleman Mach has an internal Heat Pump. I would like to have all 3 units Furrion. They make better equipment. When installing the garage system I got to look at the wiring. The Furrion adapter cable just plugs into the original Mach control box. The box has an internal circuitboard that converts the camper HVAC wiring to the square pin adapter that the Wiring Kit comes with. This is not something I can experiment with. By the time the AC is mounted on the roof there is no turning back. If the adapter does not work reliably with the Mach control box then they should not sell it! What it is sounding like is I need to stay with a Mach system for the main unit. I can bypass the OneControl for the bedroom just like I did the garage. Rewiring the furnace is not practical. I would loose remote access to control the heat.

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Jesse M.

6/9/2025

@JimK I hear you, Jim. And I 100% agree with you about the adapter kit. We really should not sell it. Believe me I have been going back and forth with our people here regarding this exact thing. It really isn't up to me though. I wish I could assure you it would work for your setup, but I just can't promise something I am not confident in. Just being honest. They are not reliable. In some cases the adapter plugs in and matches up, but things are not pinned correctly inside the adapter itself, and it will not work with certain AC systems. The adapter MIGHT work with certain older units that use the old r410a refrigerant. But with everything going over to the new R32 I have to recommend using all new components. That is the only way we can guarantee everything will work. It is really good to know you were able to make the Chill Cube work with the Cielo mini-split wireless thermostat. I have passed this on to my associates so perhaps we can look at giving that a try the next time the situation arises. Did everything wire up normally? Just curious how it went. As of right now, the only way to have heat with the Furrion Chill Cube is with a furnace on a ducted setup using the Chill Cube thermostat. At least that is the only way we have tested it but again we have to go with what the manufacturer says and we typically don't experiment with stuff here either.

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Jim K.

6/11/2025

@JesseM The Chill Cube works normally. Only wiring needed is power. Try the Cielo thermostat. Quick and easy setup. Would be an easy product for you to add. It solves lot of problems with the units that have internal controls. I think it works with all of the inverter system AC's from different manufacturers. The thermostat recognizes the remote IR and programs itself. Takes 2 seconds. If it is connected to wifi that enables connectivity from anywhere in the world from the free Cielo app. Just some things to keep in mind. Since it is basically a remote control, it needs to have a line of sight to the HVAC unit. If there are two or more units in the camper the thermostat can only control one of them. If it has line of sight to more units it will control them, but they can get out of sync. Best to have one Cielo thermostat per HVAC unit and make sure they are pointed in a way that can only be seen by the unit it is linked to. It has been working flawlessly since I installed it. I could rewire the OneControl and have it set for heat only and control the furnace. That would solve the middle AC unit problem, but it is a bit of a pain running wires to the OneControl control board. Do'able if I need to go that route, but I do like having the main AC unit integrated. It toggles heat pump to furnace automatically. The Mach is the best solution for that location right now. The one I have works fine. It just uses more power and not as efficient. Fingers crossed someone comes out with something that will work better in that location. Thank you for your help!

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Can Furrion Chill Cube Be Used On Grand Design 397TH Fifth Wheel With 3 Coleman AC Units?

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