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  • OneControl issues

    Ok here we go. I have debated as to if I want to post this here, since every time I ask questions, or complain about it, I get torched, including by GD's own on FB this morning. At this point GD's customer service and I just agree to disagree. Anyway, here is my experience.

    We have (I assume) the newest incarnation of this system in our rig (2021 M399THR) and I fight it every time I try to use it. A few days after we brought it home, is when we really started to try and learn how to use it, and as such discovered how poor of a system it is. Please note this was well before we found the panels behind the TV with switches.

    I went to our storage facility to start to load in for our first trip, and it took quite some time, just to open the slides and turn on lights. By quite some time, I mean over 15 minutes. The slide would move for a second and stop, again for a second and stop. While constantly give a fault, then going away. I called LCi a few times and was told to unplug my screen and 10 minutes later plug it back in.

    The last straw in my patience, was when we actually got to our site a couple days later. Elapsed time from when I started lowering jacks, leveling, opening slides, lights on, and AC going, 27 minutes(5-8 minutes MAX in our old rig). This is when, out of frustration I sent an email to GD asking for this POS to be removed and switches installed(again, before we found the panel behind the tv). The response, I received set me off even more, as it boiled down to, call a tech and if its broken we'll fix it, but user error is not warrantied. Although the email was slightly nicer than that, it wasn't much.

    Fast forward to last Friday. Essentially the same issue, 20+ minutes to run through everything, but as we try to extend the forward side awing for the first time, nothing. Trade the panel for phone ect, still nothing. So I call LCi for the 5th time or so. We trouble shoot, only to find the rear awning fully extended. So after talking to him, and explaining ongoing problems, he agrees there is an issue somewhere, along with a few devices hooked up wrong. That's also when we find out about the panel behind the tv.

    So my question here is, anyone else have these kinds of issues. I see complaints all over the different Facebook pages. I hate that it takes so long(5-10 minutes is some cases), just to turn on a light or change the AC temp. I have found using a iPad helps a little vs the panel or phone. The actual panel is by far the slowest means of operation.

    Now that we know of the switches we can only use OC for what we actually have to and we are down to about 15 minutes to open up etc. Still much longer than our old rig. GD cust service seems to be set that I am doing something wrong. If I am so be it, but tell me what that is rather than just blaming me for the issue and telling me to hire a tech. The current wait time is 4-6 MONTHS at my dealer so I'm not in a hurry to take a 3 week old rig back. I will just deal with these issues until my patience improves, I have time to drop it or go completely insane and buy something different.

    I love technology, but like everything, it has a place. Although its 2021, I'm not sure controlling RV systems is it.
    Robert & Cat
    2021 Momentum 399TH-R
    2019 F350 DRW
    2017 Yamaha Fully Custom GC built for the beach!

    Wreck'Em Tech!

  • #2
    Robert,
    First let me assure you there will be no "torching" here on this forum. The moderators refuse to allow discussions or posts of that nature here. Since I'm one of those moderators, I can with authority state that norm will be upheld on my watch. An occasional rant is OK (which is how I'd label your post) but within reason it's OK to vent. (I've posted a few rants myself.)

    The lack of responsiveness from the OneTouch Control Panel (OCTP) display is surprising. I don't have any first-hand experience with the OneControl system (that's what you have--Lippert's OneControl, not the CompassConnect as in many of the other GD units) but from what I've watched online the panel appeared relatively responsive.

    Are you interesting in digging into your system and seeing if we can figure out if there's anything that can be done? Trust me, I fully understand the unit is brand new and you shouldn't have to correct any issues yourself, but in your shoes I'd be troubleshooting it myself. (I have an avionics background from my time in the USAF so the OneControl is right up my alley.)

    For example, on the Unity X4 board is a section that is labeled Reversing Polarity Output LC (Low Current). There are probably four wires connected to that connector which power the awnings. There's a pair of wires for each awning--one wire powers the extension and one for retraction. It might be as simple as reprogramming your OCTP ("One Touch Control Panel") so the right output is tied to the right awning. Believe it or not, that's one of the advantages of the Unity X4--it's programmable.

    What's also great is the ability to have a switch control the same item controlled by the panel. On the board below the switches you found behind the TV are tied to the Latching Input and Polarity Reversing Input connectors. Many other boards don't have this ability or are very limited.

    You've also got the ability to dim some of the lights controlled by the OCTP--another feature many owners desire but do not have in their CompassConnect setups. Without sounding too much like a GD 'fan boy', what I'm trying to convey is you have the best of the systems I've seen in GD's trailers.

    I can almost feel your blood pressure rising as you read this because all you want to do is press a button and have something work. I get it--in many respects I'm glad my '19 315RLTS is all analog. My trailer is simple to troubleshoot and I don't have to worry about an expensive control board going bad at some point in the future. (If ever there was a reason to get an Electrical Management System, "EMS", to protect your trailer's electrical system IMO the OneControl is it.)

    If you'd like to pursue some troubleshooting we can give it a try. I'd be happy to help, but it will be a slow process. (We have to be very careful--as stated previously, the Unity X4 board is expensive.)

    Howard

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    Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

    2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

    Comment


    • #3
      First of all, congrats on your new unit! It is always so exciting to get a new RV (we know; we are on #11). I can certainly appreciate your frustration with the one control system. Reading your post reminded us all to well of our last 5th wheel, a Forest River product. It had a wifi-based system which is what I believe GD installs on the Momentum line. Basically, there is a "hub" in the basement somewhere that generates its own local wifi signal. This can be problematic at times with communication to and from the touch panel and requested actions. Since you've already met Lippert's customer service, and were instructed to unplug the touch panel, you likely noticed that there are only two wires plugged into the panel. This is because the wifi does the messaging. Also, lippert loves to blame the touch screen for all of the system's ails. They sent us four different replacement units at no charge in the two years we owned it. It IS possible to remove the leveling function from the one control; there are three components involved in this: A new outside leveling control pad; its harness; and the front leveling control unit which is usually screwed to the bottom of the floor above the genset. We found that the leveling was the most frustrating component of the one control. I have part numbers if you would like them. There may also be a way to remove the slide function from it, but I have no experience with that. Thankfully many of the operations are redundant with the hard switches you located.

      When the panel freezes up as you have described, do not keep pushing buttons or making requests. It seems to have an uncanny ability to remember all of those requests, and then fulfill them when it decides to (sometimes several minutes later). I once ended up with all of the wheels off of the ground on a level concrete site by trying to fine tune the auto level when the system was responding as you described above. I found that stepping out of the RV and away 15-20 feet and making requests via the cell app often worked better than trying from inside. For actual help, you will find that Lippert has the knowledge base. However, if things were plugged in incorrectly, Lippert is going to blame GD for the incorrect install, which GD is responsible for.

      Good luck. If I can be of any help, just let me know.

      Dave
      Dave and Darren Bakersfield, CA
      2019 GMC Denali dually 4x4 duramax, BW puck hitch, timbrens
      2015 Chevrolet 3500 CC duramax SB SRW (much loved; replaced with dually)
      2021 Solitude 390 RK-R (3 A/C, solar, gen, 8K axles DP glass), comfort ride shocks, VIN 03584
      Max and Riley, our chihuahua/jack russell furbabies

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by DarnDave View Post
        This can be problematic at times with communication to and from the touch panel and requested actions.
        Dave,
        Fantastic post! It's awesome to have an owner with first-hand experience post about the OneControl. It is very interesting that owners have bypassed the OneControl by essentially down-converting their setups to the previous independent systems (like the Level-up).

        One clarification or maybe I don't understand. The WiFi portion of Lippert's system is so the owner can communicate with the system via their cell phone (using the OneControl app). This branch of the CANBUS system with the WiFi controller could be disconnected and the OCTP would still work and control the components in the system--right? If the WiFi portion is suspected of causing interference, that would be a troubleshooting step I'd try to isolate the issue with the OCTP.

        Howard

        Click image for larger version

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        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

        2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

        Comment


        • #5
          howsonDarnDave I appreciate your responses.

          Howard- I am definitely will to trouble shoot this thing. While I dont consider myself nearly as qualified as you. I do have experience working with electronic boards and the like. I am not in a position to take this on right away, I will be in touch with you to see if we can work something out. I know this system has potential, I just hate that owners like myself are the guinea pigs, and I REALLY hate being told its me doing something wrong like GD told me.

          Dave- Thank you for the information. As I mentioned to Howard, I know this thing has potential, and I would really like to get it to work well. To answer some of your questions, yes at first, when the panel would freeze we kept trying to give it commands. Quickly realizing what was going on, we would stop and give it time to work. While I would not say it is like this 100% of the time. I would say we experience these delays 3 or 4 times out of 5. As you mentioned, stepping out and using the cell app does help, but we only notice a significant difference when using the iPad app rather than the iPhone app. Just for grins, I started timing the operation of certain items. You’ll see this below, copied directly from the email I sent GD customer service. As you can see there are some significant lags. Just as a reminder, these were all done through the system before we found the panel switches behind the TV.


          1- Turning the head unit on by pressing button. Some cases 1-2 minutes others 5+

          2- Unit is now on, I want to turn on a light. Press home button- 2-3 minutes later Home Screen, press light button, 1-2 minutes later list of lights. Turn on light- 3-5 minutes later light comes on.

          3- Open/close slides- Slide will move for 1-2 seconds then fault occurs. Again, 1-2 seconds, fault. Sometimes it can take as much as 10-15 minutes to open/close main slides. Other times they work in 3-5 minutes. All that is AFTER I can actually get to the slide screen.

          4-A/C or Heat, see above about the slides and its about the same.

          5- Awnings- Again See above and replace slides with awnings.

          6- Landing Gear- I have given up using the system for the landing gear. It will not auto level, and “retract all” does not retract all, all the way. (1 or 2 jacks retract to about 3/4 and stop)

          7- Numerous items mislabeled. I.E rear awing is the side, patio awing is the rear.


          Robert & Cat
          2021 Momentum 399TH-R
          2019 F350 DRW
          2017 Yamaha Fully Custom GC built for the beach!

          Wreck'Em Tech!

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm wondering if you are also having the infamous breaker problem on the hydraulic pump. If the (too small breaker) is tripping that could be causing the slide and/or jack issues.
            Jim (& Sharon)
            2015 GD Momentum 385TH w/ Joy Rider shocks, Sailun 637s & 3" Garage extension, LifeBlue Lithium.
            2015 Ford F-350 DRW 4x4 Lariat w/ AirLift bags, Titan 65 gal. OEM replacement fuel tank.
            The toys:
            2017 RZR XP 1000 EPS SE
            2018 Fiat Abarth Cabrio

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            • #7
              Is there a CANBUS termination issue somewhere?
              2021 Solitude S-2930 RL
              1200 watts solar, 3KW inverter, 400 A/Hr LiFePO4 batteries
              2020 Ford F-350 CC LB Crew Cab SRW 6.7L 4x4 3.55

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              • #8
                Originally posted by JCR GD View Post
                I'm wondering if you are also having the infamous breaker problem on the hydraulic pump. If the (too small breaker) is tripping that could be causing the slide and/or jack issues.
                Not sure this is the issue. When I use the manual controls for both the jacks and main slides, I do not have any issues. It is only when I use OneControl.
                Robert & Cat
                2021 Momentum 399TH-R
                2019 F350 DRW
                2017 Yamaha Fully Custom GC built for the beach!

                Wreck'Em Tech!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by TTremmy View Post
                  howsonDarnDave
                  7- Numerous items mislabeled. I.E rear awing is the side, patio awing is the rear.

                  That's not a miss label. The "rear" means the back awning and "patio" is the back awning because when you set up the rear patio that's the awning that goes with it.

                  I've seen several posts that the slow response is the "tablet" or touchscreen. Try working with LCI to see if they will send you another.

                  For the leveling, are you using the outside controller or the touchscreen?
                  Curtis, Christine, Cole, and Charlotte
                  2007 Chevrolet Silverado Duramax LBZ, CCLB
                  2020 Momentum 351M
                  2004 Essex Vortex

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by OffToHavasu View Post

                    That's not a miss label. The "rear" means the back awning and "patio" is the back awning because when you set up the rear patio that's the awning that goes with it.

                    I've seen several posts that the slow response is the "tablet" or touchscreen. Try working with LCI to see if they will send you another.

                    For the leveling, are you using the outside controller or the touchscreen?
                    I had wondered if that may be the case but LCi told me it was hooked up wrong. ie Rear is rear and patio is over side patio. Either way I don't care but there are also lights not correct, which is bothersome. For leveling I only use the outside controller now. I could never get decent response from the panel or phone. I did have to use my phone in manual mode when I installed my RV Snap Pads. It took forever and the jacks would not retract all way.
                    Robert & Cat
                    2021 Momentum 399TH-R
                    2019 F350 DRW
                    2017 Yamaha Fully Custom GC built for the beach!

                    Wreck'Em Tech!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      My only two guesses are bad touchscreen or bad controller board, and that's only speculation. My touchscreen isn't the fastest to respond, but nothing ever takes minutes to work. Sometimes I can count, "One thousand one, one thousand two" for a different category to come up, but once the button is pushed it responds immediately.

                      How are you battery voltages? Are you plugged in to shore power with the battery switch in the "on" position when doing this? If not, try that and see if it improves any. If it does, you may have a bad battery that might appear fine but can't take a load.
                      Curtis, Christine, Cole, and Charlotte
                      2007 Chevrolet Silverado Duramax LBZ, CCLB
                      2020 Momentum 351M
                      2004 Essex Vortex

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by OffToHavasu View Post
                        My only two guesses are bad touchscreen or bad controller board, and that's only speculation. My touchscreen isn't the fastest to respond, but nothing ever takes minutes to work. Sometimes I can count, "One thousand one, one thousand two" for a different category to come up, but once the button is pushed it responds immediately.

                        How are you battery voltages? Are you plugged in to shore power with the battery switch in the "on" position when doing this? If not, try that and see if it improves any. If it does, you may have a bad battery that might appear fine but can't take a load.
                        I've tried it every which way but loose. I would say 75% of the time I am connected to shore power in some form or fashion.

                        Don't get me wrong, there are times it works relatively quickly, especially if I am using the iPad app. But its few and far between for sure.
                        Robert & Cat
                        2021 Momentum 399TH-R
                        2019 F350 DRW
                        2017 Yamaha Fully Custom GC built for the beach!

                        Wreck'Em Tech!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I'd try working with LCI on the sluggish part. The labels can be easily worked out later, the main problem is why it's so sluggish. From what I've read, LCI is pretty good at diagnosing this setup.
                          Curtis, Christine, Cole, and Charlotte
                          2007 Chevrolet Silverado Duramax LBZ, CCLB
                          2020 Momentum 351M
                          2004 Essex Vortex

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            DarnDave I don't mean to jump on someone's thread but I posted in another thread about my concerns of controlling my leveling system with the touch screen. Howson and another member were kind enough to give me some advice. I see you have the same 2021 390RK as I do and I would like to eliminate the mini touch pad controller in my storage bay and go with the multi function controller with the digital display like I had in my Prime Time Spartan toy hauler. I was going to contact Grand Design or Lippert to see what I would have to do, if I could install other controller in conjunction with the inside touch screen, or if I would have to eliminate level control from the touch screen,(which wouldn't bother me). I did have an issue with the multi function screen in my toy hauler, I came home from a trip on a heavy rainy day and I think the controller got shorted out from water. My controller was behind the propane door which was an open area by the front landing jack. It was doing all kinds of funky movements with the jacks and the display and jack led's weren't all working. After a couple days the jacks were operating normally but the display and jack lights didn't all come back to normal. I did end up replacing the touch pad with a new one and everything was back to normal. Thanks for any advice you might have.
                            Greg and Cyndi 2021 Solitude 390RK 2018 F450 DRW

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                            • #15
                              gregz, I eliminated the leveling from the one control on my previous 5er, with three items purchased from Lippert via the dealer: exterior touch pad, harness between that and the front leveling controller, also replaced (its screwed to the ceiling, above where the generator is). I have the part numbers somewhere, but not with me at the moment. If you google the level up system, there is good support documentation there. They show diagrams and part numbers for various components with and without the OCTP (one control). I don't know if you could get away with just changing the touchpad and harness. The controller has different inputs (everything just plugs into it; will be obvious once you see it). Memory says list price was in the $500 range for all, and a total DIY project. Lippert told me this was not possible; I don't do "no" very well, lol. Would guess that GD might have the same opinion. You will be able to find at least the touch panel and controller on the internet; not sure about the harness. Let me know if you have problems finding part numbers and I'll find my receipt for you.

                              Dave
                              Dave and Darren Bakersfield, CA
                              2019 GMC Denali dually 4x4 duramax, BW puck hitch, timbrens
                              2015 Chevrolet 3500 CC duramax SB SRW (much loved; replaced with dually)
                              2021 Solitude 390 RK-R (3 A/C, solar, gen, 8K axles DP glass), comfort ride shocks, VIN 03584
                              Max and Riley, our chihuahua/jack russell furbabies

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