Three Months with the Truma Aventa

Truma Aventa Eco Air Conditioner

Updates 2025-2-14:

  

2025-02-14: The system continues to operate as it did during the test the only issue we've had was when birds decided to build a nest in the Aventa. Beth made a winter cover that solved that problem.

Pleasure-Way is now installing Aventas in most of their new RV's. 

Truma is offering to install upgrades with a Soft Start unit that lowers the starting current needed allowing the units to start more easily from battery bank / inverter combinations or low amperage shore power connections.

Original Post 2022-10-17:

After two years of testing beta units, a shiny black production model of Truma’s Aventa Eco air conditioner is now installed on our roof. Lots of questions have  been asked, so here is our take after three months with the production model in our 2018 Pleasure-Way Lexor TS camper van. 

"Is it quieter?" and "How quiet is it?" are questions we get all the time, so let's jump right to the noise levels. The first thing we noticed, even with the beta units, was that the Aventa is noticeably quieter than the Dometic Penguin II it replaced. While we were asked not to share specific details during the beta test, now that we have a production unit, we can share some quantitative measurements. Using the sound pressure meter we use to calibrate home theater systems, here are the measured results from the same place, with the same meter, in our van. Note that the ambient noise levels were measured without the air conditioner on to get a base level of the surrounding noise.

The take-away, for us, is a 9 decibel noise level difference with the fan on low speed. Because sound pressure is measured on a logarithmic scale, a difference of 9 dB shows that at low speed, the old Dometic was much louder* than the new Truma. We can carry on a conversation, watch TV, and talk on the phone with the Aventa running. Low speed is where we usually have the fan set. We only run it on high or auto when we come back to a hot van and want to cool it down quickly. Once cool, the low fan level has kept us at a comfortable temperature.

Several people have asked: "How does the Truma compare to the Australian Houghton Belaire "quiet" air conditioner currently available." We did have one opportunity to measure a Belaire unit in a friend's Pleasure-Way Ascent. Although we used the same meter, it is a different van, in a different location, so can't be an exact comparison. The Belaire seemed very quiet to my ears and measured 58.0 dBA on our meter. I'd like to do measurements comparing two identical Lexors with the different air conditioners. That might be a fun project for a future rally.

*Note: There is much more to understanding loudness and sound pressure levels than I can wrap my head around. Here's a link, courtesy of PW owner Peter Tourin, that goes into interesting detail. www.sengpielaudio.com

The next question that comes up is usually: How is the Aventa controlled? It comes with a wireless infrared remote, much like those used to control a television. 

Power, mode, fan speed, and up and down temperature controls are readily accessible on the main panel of the remote control.

Less commonly used keys are hidden under a sliding panel. 

 The Aventa has more modes than the OEM Dometic. These modes are:

• Automatic Cooling
• Air Circulation
• Dehumidification
• Night

It also has three fan speeds, one more than the Dometic. 

Additionally, the remote allows for setting a  timer.  We can set a timer for the air conditioner to start or turn off, but not both together. 

Another control related question is: "Can the Aventa be controlled by the Spyder Panel in our existing van?"

While it can be integrated into multiplex system like the Spyder Controls system used by Pleasure-Way, the Aventa isn't a 1:1 match for the old Dometic air conditioner. Representatives from both Spyder Controls and Truma said the existing system would need to have software modifications to incorporate the Aventa. If future RV's are built with the Aventa as standard equipment, then it could be integrated as part of the system design.

Manual controls include multiple settings on the air distributor.

Air flow can be directed by a set of seven physical sliders and dials. The dark grey circle is the IR receiver for the signal from the remote control.

The air distributor has a very low interior profile giving us a little bit more headroom than the old air conditioner.

Air is pulled into the Aventa through filters that run the full length of the left and right sides of the air distributor.

This question has been asked several times since publishing the post, so I'm adding it here.

What is the power consumption?

Here's an excerpt from the manual:

The full manual is available here: Aventa Operating Manual

A major question, is “What does it cost.” There isn’t a price for aftermarket on their website yet, so I asked Brody Erb at Truma about cost and installation options. Here are my questions and his responses in italics.

What is the current price? 

The is the Price is dependent on installation scenario (location of service performance, materials required, eco vs comfort, etc.). Pricing can be better determined after the installation details are discussed with our technicians

 

2025-02-14 Update: The price is $2,499.99 including system, parts, and labor for a basic installation at a Truma Service Center. Current Pricing can be found at this link: Truma Retrofitting Services.

Where can the Aventa be installed?

• Truma Service Centers in Lakeland, Florida & Elkhart, Indiana.
• We are now rolling out to our Mobile locations. FL, TX are ready and CO and AZ will be ready here very soon.
• 2025-02-14 Update: Pheonix, Arizona and Austin, Texas Mobile Service Centers are now open.

Are dealers in the “authorized Truma dealer network” installing Aventas?

Not at this time. For those interested in having Aventas installed, they should reach out to Truma Customer Care and we can work to get them taken care of.

One last question that comes up is color. You get twice as many options as Ford gave original Model A buyers. You can get any color as long as it is black or white. We had white beta units. When given a choice for the production unit we choose black as it compliments the black trim on our Lexor.

Here's the unit with the white cover.

And in all black.

Minor Disappointments 

• No backlighting on the remote
• No heat pump option
• Existing Spyder Controls and AGS don’t support the Aventa.

Pleasant Surprises 

• There is an extra year of warranty for registering the unit (2 years total)
• An adapter conforms to the contours of the RAM ProMaster roof
• The Eco fits on a 2018 Lexor without moving any of the 3 solar panels  

Truma installation crew in Elkhart, Indiana.
(L to R, Brody Erb, Nick Dunning, Tim Nye, Andrew Smith, and Michael Schicker)

Final Thoughts

Modern materials and design that minimize noise and vibration have us very happy with the Aventa. We really tried to avoid using the old air conditioner because it was just too loud. The Aventa solves that problem and comes from a company that has an active service organization in North America. 

The testing process was interesting. Truma marketing and engineering groups were truly interested in our data and suggestions. Truma gave us the option of having our original Dometic air conditioner reinstalled or receiving the final production model. It wasn’t a hard decision. 

Disclaimer 

Truma provided us with a free production unit at the end of the test.

For more detailed information check out these links:

Aventa Operating Manual

Truma Air Conditioning Systems

Additional Views

For those interested in the interior construction, here are some photos of the cut-away unit on display at Truma's Elkhart facility.