A/C replacement

[Ckernen]

Hello fellow trailmanor-ers.? We own a 2619 and a/c took a dive. Any sugestions on best replacement for the coleman? I have learned about the Atwood but I have had no luck finding one. This would need to be a non-ducted unit. They have been discontinued. Looking for the next best thing. Please help!

 

[Bill]

What do you mean by "took a dive"? Specifically? Do you have a roof air conditioner or a cabinet air conditioner?

Most air conditioner failures are cheap and simple to repair. As I discovered long ago on my own trailer, a repair shop would love to install a brand new unit for you, taking days or weeks and many hundreds of dollars to do it - when a $10 part and a half hour of labor would fix it. I'm talking about a start capacitor or run capacitor, one or the other of which accounts for most failures by far.

When the failure occurred, did you smell a terrible smell? Did clouds of vapor come out, either inside or outside? This a major failure, of course.

I've done the full-replacement-when-not-needed thing, which upset me a lot when I found out. And I've done the replace-the-capacitor-myself thing, which was a lot more pleasing.

Note that this is not a TM-specific issue. Most any RV service place can do it for you, either way.

Bill

 

[Ckernen]

Bill, the a/c didn't work when we bought it. I do know that the unit will run and sounds like it should cool but does not. This is a roof unit. How do I know what the issue is? What can I check? By the way this is the very first forum that i have ever been a part of, and thanks for the reply.

 

[Bill]

Take a look at this. It is kind of a generic way to test any air conditioner.
https://itstillruns.com/test-rv-air-conditioner-capacitor-7823972.html
It sounds complicated, but it is not. But it assumes you have a digital voltmeter with a capacitance scale.

Before you start, try to determine the make and model of your unit. When you find it, go online and download the manual. It will have good info that is specific to your unit. If you have the blue looseleaf notebook book that was originally supplied with your TM, it will be identified in there.

Next - assuming the temperature inside the TM is higher than 65 or 70 degrees, so the air conditioner will recognize that it needs to do some cooling ---
Turn the thermostat to COLDEST. Turn the operation knob to FAN. If it sounds like it's running as soon as you turn it on, you are hearing the fan. If that sound continues for more than 15-30 seconds, the fan and its capacitor are good.

Once the fan is running, turn the operation knob to LOW COOL. Very shortly, you should hear a deep rumbling sound. That it the compressor. It should keep running, and you should get cool air out of the vent.

If one or the other of these tests fails, you need to get up on the roof of the TM. Before you put weight on the roof, bring up a couple pieces of something stiff to distribute your weight. A couple 2x2 foot or 3x3 foot pieces of plywood or masonite or other thin board is ideal.

Unplug your TM from all shore power! Get up on the roof and take off the fiberglass shroud. It is probably held on with 3 or 4 screws, easily visible from the top. Don't drop it - it will break, and it is expensive. Inside, you will probably find a small (6x6" inch?) metal box with wires inside. Open the box. You will find a couple more-or-less tubular devices inside. These are the capacitors. Do either of them show signs of destruction? Burst open? Liquid leaked out? Smoke damage? Soot on the wall of the box? If so, you know you need to replace that unit. If not, proceed to the digital voltmeter tests.

Get back to us when you have identified the make/model of the air conditioner, or when you have done the checks and have some results.

Bill

 

[Bill]

There is a fair amount of info here on the Forum, but since you have allowed your Trial Membership to lapse, you won't be able to access most of it. You might consider becoming a Site Sponsor. Info on the entry page of the Forum at trailmanorowners.com.

Bill

 

[dab1950]

I replaced my Coleman with an Atwood in 2019

CKeren1,
First let me join in the sentiment that a membership in this forum is well worth the investment. I feel any TM owner needs access to the full forum.
This forum is phenomenal with the details available.
Secondly, I can't offer any further insights into troubleshooting A/C problems that Bill can't or hasn't already provided.
If you do come to the conclusion that the old Coleman needs to be replaced, then I can share my experience with you.
I replaced my A/C in 2019. I have a 2006 2720SL and the old unit was a roof top Coleman.
The replacement is a Atwood AirCommand, Non-ducted 13.5K BTU MFG PN
15025(white) and a Plenum kit(ceiling unit) MFG PN 15021(white) which comes
with a remote control. I bought it from Camping World and they installed it. Atwood was bought out by Dometic and you might still find one available.
It is an awesome A/C. So quiet and efficient. Only draws about 11 amps while cooling which means a 2000 watt generator can run the whole TM.
If you do join the forum for full access, then you can read my full accounting in the following thread >
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19724

Don't hesitate to ask me questions, either in this thread or by sending PM.
Good luck. Stay safe.