Dometic PTC Heater Kit 1500W for CDADB RV Air Conditioner

This is Dometic's 1500-watt PTC heater kit, the add-on that turns a cooling-only rooftop air conditioner into a unit that can also warm the cabin on a cold morning. It's engineered for the CDADB non-ducted ceiling assembly and works with the FreshJet 3, FreshJet 5, Brisk II, and Penguin II series. If your RV's rooftop AC keeps you comfortable in July but leaves you reaching for a plug-in space heater come October, this is the part that closes that gap.

Here's what it actually is. PTC stands for positive temperature coefficient, and it describes how the ceramic heating element behaves. As the element warms up, its electrical resistance climbs, which naturally throttles the current it pulls. In plain terms, it self-regulates. It won't glow red, it won't run away, and it settles into a steady output on its own. That's exactly the behavior you want from a heater tucked inside a sealed ceiling assembly a few inches above your head. Ceramic PTC heat also warms up fast from a cold start, so you feel it within a minute or two instead of waiting on a slow coil. And because the element caps its own draw, it's easier on your wiring and easier on your nerves.

Installation drops the element into the CDADB air distribution box, the non-ducted ceiling grille assembly that sits under a FreshJet, Brisk II, or Penguin II unit. You're wiring a 120-volt element into that box, so this is shore-power or generator territory, not a 12-volt battery job. At 1500 watts it pulls right around 12 to 13 amps, so plan on a dedicated circuit and don't expect a small inverter to carry it. If you're comfortable pulling the ceiling assembly and making a clean line-voltage connection, it's a manageable afternoon project. If 120-volt wiring isn't something you want to tackle, hand it to your RV tech and it's a quick job for them.

Who's this for? Shoulder-season campers, mostly. The folks who head out in early spring and late fall, when the days are fine but the mornings bite. Instead of firing up the propane furnace just to take the edge off before coffee, you flip on electric heat through the rooftop unit you already own. It's quiet, it's clean, and when you're plugged in at a campground it costs you nothing extra in propane. For boondockers running a big enough generator, it's the same story without the shore cord. One kit, one part number, and it covers Dometic's common non-ducted rooftop families, so you're not hunting for a series-specific element. For a lot of owners, it's the single upgrade that stretches the camping season by a couple of months on each end.

Let's be honest about what it isn't. This is resistive electric heat, not a heat pump, so think of it as supplemental warmth rather than a furnace replacement for deep-winter camping. It heats the same regardless of how cold it is outside, which a heat pump can't say, but 1500 watts is 1500 watts. It'll comfortably knock the chill out of a small-to-mid rig, not roast a big fifth wheel in a January cold snap. It also won't run on 12 volts, and it's built specifically for the non-ducted CDADB assembly, not for ducted rooftop systems.

Fitment is the one thing worth double-checking before you order. This kit is matched to the CDADB ceiling assembly paired with the FreshJet 3, FreshJet 5, Brisk II, or Penguin II. Confirm your ceiling assembly model and your air conditioner series, and you're set. It's a factory Dometic part, part number 9620017649, engineered for these units rather than a universal element you're hoping fits. Get the match right and you've added real cold-morning comfort to a rooftop unit that used to only do one season.