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Topic: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro? (Read 1015 times) previous topic - next topic

Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

We had an Adventism 240 (halogen cooking lights top and bottom with microwave) in our house and absolutely LOVED it.  Susan could cook a perfect lasagne in 17 minutes instead of the hour it would take in a conventional oven.  I know we'll have to get the circuit upgraded to a 240 to install it, but that's not that terribly hard, is it?  I'm guessing it would make sense to have FoT upgrade the circuit to add the second 15 amp breaker and line and wire it up. I've done one in a house but am unsure of any RV specific issues that should be considered.

Does anyone have any feedback, thoughts etc?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts!

James
James & Susan
Alex & Elizabeth
Tortie and Gigi ( the "Bird TV" cats )
1998 U320 42' Build 5298

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #1 –
Hi James and Susan,

Before you buy the 240 volt Advantium make sure that you have 240 volt in the coach.  It is very likely that you do not.  We wanted to use our generator in our 2000 U320 for home backup power but we did not have 220 and Foretravel absolutely refused to rewire so that we did have it.  We went to Power Tech in Florida and they rewired it for us.  Also, some 50 amp campground electric is not 220 (two standard 110s) and, of course, campground 30 amp will never be 220 volt.
Just something to check into before plopping down the bucks for an Advantium.
Paul
Paul
36' 2000 U320
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #2 –
Theres a number of people here who have 120v Advantium microwaves, myself included. 

I'm guessing your current microwave is powered off the inverter panel which means that you very likely don't have 240v power there to feed the microwave unless you've got upgraded it.  You'd have to rewire some things in the generator and wouldn't be able to use it on a 30amp circuit.  I personally wouldn't want 240v in my RV.  Anything can be done if you want to throw enough money at it but I really wouldn't recommend it.
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #3 –
Maybe things in an RV are different, but I installed the breakers and ran the wires to the 240 circuit for the Advantium 240 myself.  It was 2 110 breakers off the panel, it's just that you wire them in series instead of parallel to get a 220 circuit.  It's not inherently more dangerous than 110, in essence it's just 2 110 circuits wired together.

The difference in performance between the 120 advantium and the 240 was noticeable when we tried both before installing the 240 in the house.  That said, I certainly haven't used the 120 extensively.  What has your experience been like?  Have you been happy with it in the RV?

Really appreciate your feedback. :-)

James and Susan
James & Susan
Alex & Elizabeth
Tortie and Gigi ( the "Bird TV" cats )
1998 U320 42' Build 5298

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Tigratrus –
Maybe things in an RV are different, but I installed the breakers and ran the wires to the 240 circuit for the Advantium 240 myself.  It was 2 110 breakers off the panel, it's just that you wire them in series instead of parallel to get a 220 circuit.  It's not inherently more dangerous than 110, in essence it's just 2 110 circuits wired together.

Things in an RV are different.  I think you need to do a bit of reading up on RV electrical systems and how they are configured.  As an electrician, I assure you that 240v is more dangerous than 120v.  There are reasons that the electrical system on RVs are hooked up the way they are and it isn't because its cheaper or easier to assemble. 

I've been quite happy with the 120v Advantium unit and would recommend it but I've never used the 240v unit so I am unable to  compare them. 
Robert
Build # 5304
1998 34' U270 Cummins 6CTA8.3

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #5 –
I think the new all electric coaches have 240v for the stove top. I may be mistaken but I thought I read that in the specs when  I was inside an IH last summer.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: John S –
I think the new all electric coaches have 240v for the stove top. I may be mistaken but I thought I read that in the specs when  I was inside an IH last summer.


They also have 2 separate inverters for each phase/leg and many more batteries, all power runs through the inverters, even off the genset I believe.  Otherwise you have to rewire the genset to be 220 2-phase instead of 110.

On a pseudo-retrofit/wire there's the issue of whether or not the neutral is sized adequately for the 2 legs not being truly out of phase.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #7 –
Excellent feedback and insights.  So if the Advantium 240 is off the table due to the absurdity of re-building the entire electrical system (seems to be what we're hearing), then we're back to evaluating the 120 Advantium vs. other options to replace the aging Convection micro oven. 

Susan and our daughter Elizabeth are both VERY serious cooks, and the anemic baking abilities of the unit we have now isn't going to work in the long run given the lack of a conventional oven.  Herm.  I've heard that the convection micro ovens have gotten a lot better than they used to be... More research!

James
James & Susan
Alex & Elizabeth
Tortie and Gigi ( the "Bird TV" cats )
1998 U320 42' Build 5298

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #8 –
We have the Advantium 240 in our house and the Advantium 120 in our 2005 coach. The 240 unit cooks significantly faster and I wish the coach had the 240 unit.  That being said the difficulty in getting 240 in the coach likely means we will stay with the 120 unit. Our 240 unit is also larger in outside dimensions making the switch all the more harder.
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #9 –
Having both the 120 and 240 for comparison (thank you!) are you more or less happy with the 120?  You haven't been tempted to consider replacing the 120 with one of the newer model convection microwaves?  And just because I KNOW my daughter WILL ask me to ask: Can you effectively bake cookies and brownies in the 120? :p

On the positive side, if we're not making any electrical changes, switching out the convection micro for something new is almost certainly (probably a bad Idea to put that in print though...) something I can DIY and thus something I can take off my "must make decisions before the remodel starts!" list.

James
James & Susan
Alex & Elizabeth
Tortie and Gigi ( the "Bird TV" cats )
1998 U320 42' Build 5298

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Tigratrus –
And just because I KNOW my daughter WILL ask me to ask: Can you effectively bake cookies and brownies in the 120? :p


No problems here with either the original Sharp 1870 convection mw or the Advantium 120 we replaced it for cookies, brownies, coffee cake, muffins, popovers, lasagna, bread, etc.  Just make sure you preheat first, just like a regular oven (I actually don't use the speed cook mode of the Advantium much at all).  I don't change time or temperature in recipes written for a "normal" home oven.  The only weakness I've found is the Advantium does not seem to truly get to 450 F for pizza (seems to max out around 400; I think the preheat times out), whereas I had no issues with the Sharp (other than it did take a long time to preheat to 450).
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #11 –

We recently replaced our 1999 Sharp (OEM) with the current version of Sharp model (R-1874-T), and it does much better than the old one.  (and it installs using the exact mounting plate that the old one had.)  We can bake and roast in it, and it gets up to broiling temps.  Still not as good as a dedicated propane or elec oven (only 1300W - 11 amps @120V - when on convection only (not combined mode)), but it now works as an oven, and with the outside vent that we had Xtreme install, it doesn't blast us out and is quieter.  Would be nice to have the halogen broiler, but...

You may also want to consider a countertop convection oven, e.g. Amazon.com: Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven with Element IQ: Countertop...
or
Amazon.com: Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven...

if you have the room.  The Brevilles get good reviews from RVers.  We have an older Delonghi convection toaster oven that we love and will cook to perfection anything that fits.  Newer Delonghi models don't get good reviews on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #12 –
@ Michelle:

Good info.  I can't remember if the speed cook was the micro+halogen? I know we loved it's ability to brown things very effectively. :-)

 
@ Dave Katsuki:

Do you recall how much it cost to have the vent installed?  I can see that being really useful in warmer weather, not to mention the noise etc.  We can use the existing vent mounted right over the micro/cooktop so I hadn't really thought about an external vent.  Is it out the side or the roof?

James
James & Susan
Alex & Elizabeth
Tortie and Gigi ( the "Bird TV" cats )
1998 U320 42' Build 5298

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #13 –
@James
The vent is up through the roof, and capped with a standard fridge vent.  Exact placement of the hole in the roof will depend on where the roof framing goes, but Xtreme was able to put ours right over the microwave, and I took care of dropping the microwave and rotating the fan assembly to vent vertically (rather than recirculate into the room, which was standard.)  Had to find a backdraft flap from aftermarket, since I had discarded the one that came with our new microwave.  I also took care of making the ducting to connect the roof hole with the microwave (would have been much much easier if done before the microwave was back in place...)
Costs from Xtreme were about $650, but we had the new roof cap painted to match the coach at the top, so more expensive.
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #14 –
I havent baked cookies in the 120, but i have cooked biscuits and cinnamon rolls and they come out fine, it just takes nearly twice as long. 
Steve DeLange
2005 U320T 40'
Pearland, Texas

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #15 –
Our DYI  Sharp to Advantium replace we did is here: Advantium 120 Microwave Oven that should give you and idea of whats needed.  Its been in place 2 years now and has not bugged no matter what the roads have tried ;)
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Advantium 240 as replacement for Aging Convection micro?

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Steve –
Our DYI  Sharp to Advantium replace we did is here: Advantium 120 Microwave Oven

And you'll notice the newer Advantium has 2 horizontal racks for multiple trays of cookies  ;)  The turntable still turns but doesn't factor in.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320