Replacement A/C

::)

Hello All!

I've been a long time fan of this site and have been enjoyed reading the many posts on it.

Question.  Has anyone replaced the standard window unit that comes in the wall?  If so, what brand?  How big (wattage and/or BTUs) should I consider.  My camper is now in it's 11th year and I've owned it for 4 of those.  The AC works, but it's noisey and doesn't seem to do a good job keeping the camper cool on a hot day.  Any suggestions?

[Chris_Bauer]

I pulled out my manual for the cabinet A/C in my 2001 2720SL. It is a Fedder's Model RQ10F2, 10,000 BTU with a 9.0 EER.  It works great for us in the hot South Texas weather.  Hope this helps.

Seems to me we've had discussions about A/C in the past. Sometimes it is not the A/C that's the problem but the airflow from the A/C to the remote parts of the trailer.
We put an oscillating fan in front of the unit, facing it. As the fan oscillates back and forth it blows air into the extremes of  the RV better than the A/C which tends to blow mostly toward the head (that's Navy talk for toilet).
You might also want to add a night light so you don't trip over the fan during the night.
Dick_B

:)

Dick:
Thanks for the suggestion.  I've tried that with one of the little oscillating fans we have in the camper.  This seems to be more of a problem in the day than the night.  Unfortunately, a fan on a stool gets in the way going in and out.  While we sleep in the aft bed at night, we like to use it for our kids during the day for naps.  It tends to get a little stuffy back there during the day.

[Happytrails]

Mine does not have an AC unit installed (yet), but have investigated it. When I get it back, it will have one, and as far as I can tell, they come with the 10,000btu fedders, but you can get up to 12,000btu on 115V ac. On another note, if you have a generator, you might consider checking the wattage as per what the generator can handle. I picked up a decent one at Harbor Frieght for $600.00 that runs 3100 watts with a Honda (quieter) engine. It should run my ac unit when I get it. I'm gonna start a new thread on this topic.

I bought a 27/20 in Feb 93 and it came with a 7500 btu Whirlpool,while in Texas in 97 it was not large enough to cool the trailer was  talking to other owners was told that Wal Mart had a 10,000 btu Fedders that would fit in the opening without too much trouble.I got one and did the job with great results,only had to modify a little trim and side with plenty of room,the Fedders pulls less amps and is less noisy with much better cooling.Just sold my TM the 6th of April 2002 because of age and health.
                          Jim E

Last weekend I pulled out our side-mounted A/C and will store it.  It's an simple task (if you're reasonably strong).  Here in Michigan we find the need for A/C to be low as we will camp the summer months "up north".

I was surprised at how heavy the unit is and will be glad not to carry this weight.  A lack of finesse in the original installation was also noted.

:D

Jim:

Thanks for the info on the Fedders. I'll check out Walmart and see what they have.  I found a Whirlpool model that looks like it will work as well.  http://www.whirlpool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=666568&prmenbr=181&catname= Air+Conditioners&itemsku=ACQ108XL

I need to get my camper out of winter storage and do some measuring before I make a purchase.

Joeber:

I'm a fellow Michiganian as well!  I agree that I would rather not use the AC (most of the time  ;D), but my wife is not a avid camper.  She camps as a labor of love (so she says ;)) She has ALOT of allergies, so a camper that has AC was a good compromise.

:D

Well,  Thanks to Jim's recommendation,  I went and purchased the 10,000 BTU Fedders model.  Turns out after I pulled the camper out of the garage and pull the old AC out, the Whirlpool model I mentioned wouldn't fit in the hole!  The fedders model will need a little trimming on the sides, but I think it will be ok.

Looking at the old box, it was only a 5000 BTU unit.  No wonder it had troubles keeping the camper cool on a hot day!

Hopefully this weekend, I can get the new one installed.  I'll keep you informed!

[Bill]

For you folks contemplating the purchase of a new TM, the roof-mounted air conditioner is mighty nice. Very little additional cost, a little more powerful, better air distribution, and it saves one of the best storage cabinets in a kitchen that already has too few.  Beware of the effect on the TM's closed height, though - the specs on the TM web site are wrong!

Bill

TM nows puts the A/Cs on the forward, outer shell.  To do so, the AC unit is further lifted so that it is flush to the inner surface of that shell in order to properly close over the inner shell.  This new location obviously improves the A/C performance for all sizes.  As an engineer it's a heck of a weight to counterbalance with the torsion bars.

I would think that the previous +13" height spec is in jeopardy as these units seem HIGH.  TM says these units go into garages.  But I imagine it's a close fit for a 7' garage door.  

[Bill]

The torsion bars seem to be up to it, no problem, and the central location is good from a weight distribution standpoint. And the air distribution from the center location is great. But you are exactly right, the +13" height spec no longer works.  I have exactly 1/4" clearance in my 83" door opening. That was a big Yikes! the first time we backed it in - I had been expecting about 6" of clearance.

As in all things, there are trades. We love having the extra kitchen cabinet and the excellent air distribution. On the down side, a larger airco requires a larger generator if you plan to operate that way. And it will be more painful to try to carry our kayaks up there.  But I think there was another thread where everyone pretty much agreed that canoes and kayaks were better carried on the tow vehicle anyway, and fortunately we can do that.

BTW, it is a good-quality unit - DuoTherm by Dometic, it says on the outside.

Bill

:D Well, I got my new AC unit installed this weekend. I ended up having to put in a Fedders 8000 BTU unit in. I bought the 10,000 and it was just way too deep for the hole in my 91 M23. Maybe in newer models campers, they set up the cabinet different, but to put the 10,000 BTU unit in would have required quite of bit of cutting of the cabinet facia as well as having the unit stick out and inch or more on the inside of the camper.

The 8000 unit fit in the hole snugly, required very little modification of trim, it doesnt' stick out of the cabinet either on the inside of the camper or the outside. I love this unit because of it's has an Electronic thermosat so you can set the exact temp you want, an auto-fan setting which will automatically lower the fan speed as you approach the desire temperature. It even has a remote so if it gets too cold at night, I don't even have to get out bed! It's so much quieter than that Whirlpool unit I had in there before.

I'm really looking forward to some quiet and comfortable nights camping this year. Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Gary

[Happytrails]

Gmallia, what unit did ya get? Brand/model wise....as well as the price? Does it cool the camper well? Just curious, still looking for one as we speak. BTW, as per Jimmy Davis, the roof mounted AC unit would require changing out the torsion bars......at $99.00 a pop, plus special wiring as well to get 120v up there. Bill, I'm curious what all you went through to get your unit up there....did you install it yourself? What kind of cost was involved? I'd be looking at around $600.00 + the cost of the new torsion bars to have one installed by a shop here. Just curious. That's seriously the way I originally wanted to go, but just shy of the cost involved for better air flow, and a nice spot for a microwave.


Happytrails

[Bill]

I ordered mine form the factory with roof air.

Bill

Happytrails:

I got a Fedders 8000 BTU unit.  It's a window unit (or in my case, a cabinet unit).  I picked it up at Walmart for around $239.   As far as cooling, while I haven't had a chance to really test it (weather hasn't been real warm in Michigan), it should have no problem getting the camper cooled off.  I agree that the position in the cabinet doesn't allow for the best airflow, but the Fedders unit has 2 separate vents, so I can direct 1 towards the front and 1 towards the back.  It certainly is much quieter than the old Whirlpool 5000 BTU unit I had in there.  While I would have loved to put in a ceiling unit, I didn't even consider it due to the cost and the age of the camper.  Hope that helps.

GMallia

[Happytrails]

Do ya have a model number? I went to the local "Sams" club today......the only thing they had even close to what would fit was only 5,200 btw, which is 300btu short of marginal for a 3023.........Do ya know what the wattage is by any chance? Sure could use the info!

Happytrails

Happytrails:


Here's the specs:

Fedders Model A6Q08F2A  8000 BTU AC

Cooling Area:  340 sq ft
BTU Cooling:     8000
E.E.R                 9.8
Pints/Hour         2.2
Voltage             115
Amps                 7.5
Watts                815
Plug Cap. Amp  125/15
Air Direction      4 Way
Fan Speed:       3
Cabinet width:  20"  
Height:              12 1/2"
Depth:               19 3/8"
Weight:              73 lbs          

Pulled this info from Fedders site

Here's a URL to Walmart.  I believe you could order the unit on-line and have it shipped to you.  Might be worth checking out if you can't find a model you're looking for.

Good Luck!

Gary






http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=4064&dept=4044&product_id=1711500& path=0%3A4044%3A4064%3A46319%3A14940

[Happytrails]

Gmallia,
I purchased an emerson quiet cool 8,000 btu unit used for 45 bucks.....it needs a recharge tho. (the guy will do it for free btw, or exchange it out for one he knows is good). I bought a lawn mower off him for 35 bucks that works great for my work.....lol, tho it only has to mow an area the size of 4 parking spaces.....But I do trust him, he's a pretty good fella. Thanks for posting the specs, very interesting.....mine's 1110 watts, with a 7.2 EER. Just about pushing the limit for my generator. I would really be curious to know how well it cools your trailer tho. I'd really appreciate the followup!

Happytrails:

I'm glad you were able to get a unit.  I'll be happy to post how well it does, but my wife is recovering from hernia surgery at the moment so are next trip isn't scheduled until the weekend of July 12th.  I'll be gone 10 days, so I should be able to test it pretty extensively.

Gary

[Happytrails]

Yikes! Hope she's ok!  :o I know how that feels having gone through that myself......no fun at all!  :-/

[ccc123]

Before reading this whole thread, my husband just installed a Home Depot window 10000 BTU A/C.

Now that I read the thread, I have some questions:

Does anyone else's unit sweat?

Where does the excess condensation/water flow out of?

I noticed it wet under the cabinet, is this normaL?

Help!!

[azroadrunner]

There should be a pan under the evaporator coil (the one that gets cold) which should have a hose connected to it. That's where the condensation leaves the unit. You will have to route the hose out of the unit (or possibly catch the water in a pan). Condensation happens when the air being cooled is moist and is cooled below the dew point.

[Happytrails]

In mine, the cabinet where the AC unit sits has a wooden bottom with a 2.5-3" hole drilled in it on the rear of the righthand side. Then, a plastic funnel has been siliconed in there which has a hose that is routed through the bottom of the trailer attached. Also, the bottom of the cabinet is well treated, and extra painted for added protection from the water.

Happytrails........