Inadequate A/C interstate 2016 Grand tour

[SWH]

Originally Posted by avionstream

70 degree is unrealistic, sometimes we must face the facts. I cant get my truck to do a hundred mph, that's just the way it is. you have false expectations.

Expectations that an air conditioner in a $150k luxury van can cool the interior to standard 72 degrees on a normal summer day are not unreasonable. I'm a bit flabbergasted by the responses to the OP. You don't expect your truck to do 100 mph, but you do expect your truck to do 65 mph because that's a normal speed on interstate highways - OP isn't upset he can't store meat in his coach, he's upset the AC isn't sufficient to cool his coach to normal room temperature, which generally is considered 72 degrees. The AC units in larger cheapo class C motorhomes we have rented, that retail for half of what an Interstate costs, seemed to do fine. And that's leaving aside how ridiculously noisy the AC unit is... definitely doesn't feel best-in-class, although apparently maybe it is, which is a pathetic statement on the RV industry.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by SWH

Expectations that an air conditioner in a $150k luxury van can cool the interior to standard 72 degrees on a normal summer day are not unreasonable. I'm a bit flabbergasted by the responses to the OP. You don't expect your truck to do 100 mph, but you do expect your truck to do 65 mph because that's a normal speed on interstate highways - OP isn't upset he can't store meat in his coach, he's upset the AC isn't sufficient to cool his coach to normal room temperature, which generally is considered 72 degrees. The AC units in larger cheapo class C motorhomes we have rented, that retail for half of what an Interstate costs, seemed to do fine. And that's leaving aside how ridiculously noisy the AC unit is... definitely doesn't feel best-in-class, although apparently maybe it is, which is a pathetic statement on the RV industry.

OP refuses to take his unit to a compartment mechanic.

So I don't frankly buy 'sufficient to cool his coach to 72'. We don't know if his unit is defective, or his expectation is unrealistic.

I will say, in my opinion, anyone who *has* that expectation, in all conditions, at all latitudes, at all outside air temperatures, in an RV, hasn't spent a lot of time in an RV.

[SWH]

He didn't say all conditions - he referenced a 79 degree day. His unit may indeed be faulty, but many replies simply state that his experience is normal and he shouldn't expect any better. My point is he, and the rest of us, should indeed expect better.

[SWH]

But I will say that I chose silver over black because we also live in the South.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by SWH

He didn't say all conditions - he referenced a 79 degree day. His unit may indeed be faulty, but many replies simply state that his experience is normal and he shouldn't expect any better. My point is he, and the rest of us, should indeed expect better.

I gotcha.

But.

Again, if his Dometic AC is defective, why not just get an appointment to have it looked at?

One of our two Dometic ACs on our BRAND NEW 2016 Flying Cloud conked out in Tempe AZ last April. We got to Desert Autoplex and had to wait a week for a new unit to ship from San Diego.

My point is, things *do* break, and part of the process to address them is to afford the manufacturer the opportunity to fix it.

Which the OP does not seem inclined to do at this point.

What the following folks are trying to gently explain is that RVing is a compromise in living. If you aren't prepared for that compromise, you might be better off in a house.

Oh, good call on Silver. The MBZ silver paint is great at hiding dirt.

I've said more than enough at this point. Hopefully the OP either fixes his AC, learns to live with it, or sells it and buys something that will make him happier.

[SWH]

And silver is closest to the color of Airstream aluminum!

And I agree that expectations of any RV or RV component (even if best in class) -in terms of quality or performance - must be adjusted significantly downward from expectations one would have of a regular automobile.

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by sdemino

I will in good time but serveral people have also said that's the way it works. What are you guys paid by Airstream.? It either can bring the temperature down to the 72-75 degrees on a normal summer day or it can't. What does Airstream say?? Can it do that or not? I'm in the south, the sun shines,. I don't want to here how to modify my RV to get it to work. I bought it expecting it to work!

Originally Posted by SWH

I'm with sdemino. The Interstate is advertised as a "best in class" top-of-the-line luxury touring coach made by the best names in automobiles and RVs - Mercedes and Airstream. I hear what everyone is saying about the limits of the generator, but I too was shocked at how noisy the AC unit is and how noisy the generator is and how poorly it cools. An average consumer would expect the coach to be engineered to have a sufficiently sized generator and air conditioner to cool the coach to 72 degrees on an average summer day. I was also very surprised that it had no rear air tied into the motor like a full size SUV. I mean a passenger version of the Sprinter can be spec'd with that. We bought our AI this past January for road trips and based on everything I've read on these boards I'm already very concerned that my best-in-class luxury touring coach isn't going to leave my 5-7 passengers comfortable on planned trips to Dallas at the end of the month and to Orlando in early July.

No, not paid by Airstream. Just did our research and knew what to expect going in. You guys paid over 6 figures for something you apparently knew nothing about. Have you ever camped in a small RV in the heat with a 13k BTU AC unit on the roof??? I have, several times...it gets friggin' hot inside and that little AC unit can't hope to keep up. Did you read ANY of the reviews on the NOISE these little AC units make that they put in these small rigs (Airstream, Winnebago, RoadTrek, etc)??? There are tons of reports about it, going back many years. These are all very well documented limitations of these small coaches.

I don't think anyone makes a quiet roof-mounted, unducted AC unit. Even on the big Class A rigs an unducted AC is very loud. Most big coaches sold today have gone to ducting to reduce the noise, but so far the little B's have not. Frankly, I think they should all dump the noisy rooftop AC's and just put a larger AC unit under the hood and duct it throughout the whole van. The B's aren't THAT much bigger than something like a Chevy Suburban and certainly those things have sufficient AC to cool the kids sitting in the back. But....the B's haven't gone that route (yet), so you get what you get. If you didn't do your homework and are getting a big surprise, well, shame on you, because none of what you're experiencing is new news, no matter how much you paid.......

And yes, the Interstate IS a luxury touring vehicle. If you bought the Lounge, you can carry up to 9 passengers (actually more like 6-7 comfortably), have a fridge for drinks and snacks, a bathroom so you don't have to squat in the woods or wait for a roadside rest stop (though you should stop and not allow people to use the lav while moving), plenty of entertainment options for the youngin's (radio, 2 TV's, etc), lots of windows to look out at the countryside, and a very usable galley for prep'ing some snacks at a park. If you want to go for overnight stays, you can do that too. If you did your homework and shopped the competition, you'd see that the Airstream really is head and shoulders above the competition in terms of luxury and quality (the only one that came close was the Leisure Travel B+ vans, but they are a bit wider, more like a Class C). When I looked at the Winnebago and RoadTrek B's, I was horrified at how poorly they were made!!! Is the Airstream perfect? Nope. Will you have issues with it? Probably. Is it better than the other guys? IMO, yes, but that's pretty subjective. Is it worth the money? To some of us, yes. To you guys, probably not.

Next time do your research before you buy (go to RV shows, go to sales lots, take test drives....I spent 2 years doing this before I took the plunge!!!!) and be honest about how and where you want to use your rig. You'll likely end up less grumpy.....

[ATownTX]

I'm wondering if the humidity is responsible for the AC's poor performance? If you and others are constantly going in and out, leaving the door open at times and other stuff, the AC may not be able to keep up.

[LB_3]

Humidity plays a huge role. The latent heat load in humid climates can easily exceed the sensible heat load.

For those who didn't just work a bunch of HVAC practice engineering problems, the sensible heat load is the energy used to cool the air. The latent heat load is the energy that goes to drying the air.

Overall this is an issue of expectations. I flew down to the Bahamas several years ago to meet some family friends who spend the winter on a fairly sizable sailboat. It looked pretty fancy to me but one of the first things they told me when they showed me to my berth was that living in a boat was just a fancy way to camp. The price of their boat dwarfs the price of our vans and even they wouldn't spend the summer on their boat.

That said, Airstream cuts lots of corners (as does the entire RV industry) which can be infuriating at times.

[ATownTX]

A hotel I stayed at in Corpus Christi had warnings on their balcony doors that said not to leave the door open longer than 30 (or 15??) seconds or the AC would be overwhelmed.

But my FC 19 did well in Corpus on a spring day with highs in the 80's and no shade. the OP's AI should handle that too unless he is maybe in direct sun, broadside to the sun, parked on asphalt pavement, etc etc.

[SWH]

FlyFishin - I read every review of the Interstate I could find - never saw anything about loud or insufficient AC. I don't have tons of RV experience but have rented larger 32 ft class Cs which are fitted with the same size AC unit, so assumed the smaller Interstate would cool even better.

That said, I have zero buyers' remorse because, shortcomings aside, as you say, I'm confident that that there isn't a better vehicle made for our needs/use. The AI is an awesome vehicle. I also have yet to actually experience any issues with keeping the interior cool - but the conversation here got me a little worried and prompted the purchase of a reflective windshield cover for when we are parked in warm weather this summer!

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by SWH

FlyFishin - I read every review of the Interstate I could find - never saw anything about loud or insufficient AC. I don't have tons of RV experience but have rented larger 32 ft class Cs which are fitted with the same size AC unit, so assumed the smaller Interstate would cool even better.

Here are just a few from this forum. There are many more on other forums, with the same info. relative to other makes and models (Winnebago, RoadTrek, etc).

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...er-154978.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ml#post1830828

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ud-121339.html

FWIW, I've rented 24' and 28' C's. The C's had single units the same as what are on the AI, and in 90*+ all-day sun, they were pretty useless. We had 2 big dogs, and it wasn't very pleasant for any of us.

When I was shopping, I tried the AC's on Winnebago's (C's and B's), RoadTrek's, Leisure Travel B+'s, Interstates, Forest River, Thor, and a few others. Noise from the C's was less than the B's, but I think the best was the Leisure Travel rigs because they went to ducted AC a few model years back. One day on a dealer lot it was over 100* so the sales guy didn't want to come out of his nice air conditioned office. I fired up a few Winnebago's and RoadTrek's. Their AC's were loud like the Interstate, and just blew slightly less-hot air. Point being, they all sucked in those conditions (sitting in the heat all day....was probably 110-120* in those vans). As others have said, the trick is to do whatever you can to not let them get that hot in the first place. The front windows are a big source of sun/heat, so adding reflective window coverings will really help keep the interior cooler if you have to park in the sun.

[bugsbunny]

To the Original poster----

There are mobile RV techs that will come to your location to check your AC. You will have to pay for that luxury out of pocket yourself, but at least you will have the data to tell if the AC is working as specified.

[InterBlog]

A lot of "reviews" of Interstates are nothing more than marketing hype. Or they are written by industry people who only drove the thing 50 miles across a Midwest highway on an average day in March. I haven't seen a single review of the Interstate that really reflects true usage conditions, other than what's in the forums, of course. If anyone knows of such a realistic review, please post a link.

[Lily&Me]

I think you will find realistic reviews of Interstate usage right here on these Forums.

Maggie

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I think you will find realistic reviews of Interstate usage right here on these Forums.

Maggie

Exactly! Along with a group of really helpful people who are willing to share the "naked truth" about these little beasts, both the good and the bad. This forum and others like it covering other makes and models were a tremendous source of information when I was doing my research.

And I completely agree with Interblog that the paid reviews (aka online and print media [yes, those still exist] reviews that were given a unit to test for a day or two) all made the Interstate sound like the coach was nothing short of floating along on a cloud with only the sound of quietly neighing unicorns to disturb you.

[73shark]

Originally Posted by wildwilly.

We have a 17 Interstate GT in silver and live in SW Florida We haven't had an issue with the AC either while traveling or at a campsite other than the horrendous racket. The sprinter AC keeps up with our cooling needs on the road.We always use the shades in front as well as the night shades on all windows in hot weather.

Have you ever ridden in the rear when outside temps were >85*?

While the A/C was one reason I decided to try something else, it wasn't the only reason. What I did before setting out on a day-long trip was to start the rear A/C on shore power early and it could cool the interior down since the outside temp. was usually <70*. Then that coupled w/ the chassis A/C could keep the interior pleasant 'til the outside temp. was >90*. The chassis A/C could still keep the front half cool but the rear would gradually get warmer. YMMV

[FlyFishinRVr]

Originally Posted by 73shark

Have you ever ridden in the rear when outside temps were >85*?

While the A/C was one reason I decided to try something else, it wasn't the only reason. What I did before setting out on a day-long trip was to start the rear A/C on shore power early and it could cool the interior down since the outside temp. was usually <70*. Then that coupled w/ the chassis A/C could keep the interior pleasant 'til the outside temp. was >90*. The chassis A/C could still keep the front half cool but the rear would gradually get warmer. YMMV

I haven't driven my coach in 95*+ heat yet, but I was wondering if setting the dash AC at full blast (60*, highest fan setting), aiming it down the center of the coach, and then opening the rear-most "wing" windows to act as exhaust vents would work to keep things cool in the back while motoring. I would think this configuration would suck cool air straight through the van. Has anyone tried this?

[xrvr]

Are we considering running the genny so the ac will work going down the road?

[73shark]

Originally Posted by FlyFishinRVr

I haven't driven my coach in 95*+ heat yet, but I was wondering if setting the dash AC at full blast (60*, highest fan setting), aiming it down the center of the coach, and then opening the rear-most "wing" windows to act as exhaust vents would work to keep things cool in the back while motoring. I would think this configuration would suck cool air straight through the van. Has anyone tried this?

I tried putting two 9" fans attached to the bottom of the locker over the galley to try to push cold air from the front to the rear. Helped a little. It would freeze me out in the driver's seat and had to remember to reset "Recirc" every 30 minutes. Not hard to do as you could feel the temp. increase as soon as it turned off. Never understood the logic as much easier to do as GM does by allowing ~10% bypass on Recirc to prevent CO2 buildup.

Originally Posted by avionstream

Are we considering running the genny so the ac will work going down the road?

I did and hoped the propane lasted. Think the propane was good for about 8-9 hours.