Visit our Popular Forums

InterBlog · 06-20-2017, 07:13 AM

Brief anecdote:

Our stick-and-brick air conditioning unit threw either a blower fin or a weight yesterday - we won't know until a contractor disembowels it hopefully later today - but think United Airlines Flight 232 which threw a fan blade in 1989 and crash-landed in Sioux City Iowa. Ka-POW! Plenty of mechanical drama associated with these kinds of catastrophic failures.

Anyway I suggested to my husband that we go get the Interstate and park it in our driveway on shore power because obviously we can't survive in Houston at this time of year without air conditioning - not with the way that current houses were designed around an obligatory central a/c paradigm (i.e., there's no backup means of air circulation, so no way to modulate the oven-like effect).

He decided we'd be better off hooking up a free-standing portable unit that we'd been using in our garage, thus cooling whichever room we're in at the time. Which we did, but the little sucker is LOUD. As in, 62 dB (I just measured it), compared to the Interstate's overhead unit which I previously measured at 63 dB. So we gain nothing in the way of noise relief with this solution.

My point in mentioning this is, one would think that there'd be much more demand for residential portable units than for roof-mounted RV units. And yet nobody seems to have solved this noise issue at the residential level either. My free-stander is several years old, but even the newer ones I've heard are not appreciably better.

InterBlog · 03-07-2018, 11:52 AM

I'm cross-posting this permalink to this thread because it took me a good 15 minutes to find it after the fact.

On that other thread, which drifted into roof a/c discussion territory, we talked about the Houghton Belaire RV (Caravan) HB 3200 Air Conditioner from Australia and we pinned the video that Advanced RV made without naming the unit, and I'll re-paste that video at the end of this reply.

I'm picking up the discussion on this thread because I'm inquiring with Advanced RV as to the possibility of getting this upgrade done, and if I learn anything new beyond what we talked about, I'll post it here.

Well, I did learn one thing already while asking for a call-back - the admin who answers Advanced RV's phone did confirm that it is a Houghton (pronounced "HOW-ton") that they are installing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk7Ol80x2K0

FlyFishinRVr · 03-07-2018, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I'm picking up the discussion on this thread because I'm inquiring with Advanced RV as to the possibility of getting this upgrade done, and if I learn anything new beyond what we talked about, I'll post it here.

Did you happen to ask re. the rumor that Houghton was purchased by Dometic?

If true, it could lead a distinct possibility that at some point in the hopefully-not-too-distant-future this unit may be directly order-able from Dometic.

InterBlog · 03-07-2018, 01:13 PM

I haven't had a chance to chat with them yet. I was referred to Frank Kolasinski (team page) and I left a VM.

I did go looking for such confirmation on the internet, and I did not find it (but I didn't dig deeply).

Edit: Another reference - this Sprinter Forum thread.
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=60651

Lumatic · 03-07-2018, 03:33 PM

Atwood makes some pretty serious claims about their Air Command ACs. They claim they run more quietly. cool more effectively and also use electricity more effectively. I don't know if this is just sales hype and would love to hear some reports from our members. BTW I heard Dometic bought Atwood.

brick1 · 03-07-2018, 03:44 PM

What???

FlyFishinRVr · 03-24-2018, 08:46 PM

Resurrecting this older thread because AdvancedRV just announced they're taking orders for their new quiet A/C unit. Check out the video and get something set up with Mike and his staff if this is of interest to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9RdgivzRI

wachuko · 03-24-2018, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyFishinRVr

Resurrecting this older thread because AdvancedRV just announced they're taking orders for their new quiet A/C unit. Check out the video and get something set up with Mike and his staff if this is of interest to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs9RdgivzRI

Ohhhh....must... walk... away...

M4 Aviation · 04-19-2018, 09:31 AM

Have not seen this information posted on airforums yet:

I called Advanced RV today. They will only sell the new 'quiet' AC unit with installation at their facility. Cost is quoted at $2300 if ordered by April 30th (15% discount). Installation slots are out to the end of June / first of July. I asked again about selling only the unit and shipping to me. Julie stated they were not ready to do that yet as they want to know the installation requirements for the various configurations and have the installation instructions worked up. Then would ponder selling the units to authorized service centers for install. I am interested, but only if I can buy the unit and install it myself. I have already spent $1200 changing my unit over to the 15K Dometic Blizzard (Which did help greatly. Lowered the DB down quite a bit when using low fan). Don't want to do another $2300 and have to drive it to OH (don't have the time for that). I would buy it tomorrow for $1000 plus shipping. I will be on the waiting list to buy outright...

FlyFishinRVr · 04-19-2018, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M4 Aviation

Have not seen this information posted on airforums yet:

I called Advanced RV today. They will only sell the new 'quiet' AC unit with installation at their facility. Cost is quoted at $2300 if ordered by April 30th (15% discount). Installation slots are out to the end of June / first of July. I asked again about selling only the unit and shipping to me. Julie stated they were not ready to do that yet as they want to know the installation requirements for the various configurations and have the installation instructions worked up. Then would ponder selling the units to authorized service centers for install. I am interested, but only if I can buy the unit and install it myself. I have already spent $1200 changing my unit over to the 15K Dometic Blizzard (Which did help greatly. Lowered the DB down quite a bit when using low fan). Don't want to do another $2300 and have to drive it to OH (don't have the time for that). I would buy it tomorrow for $1000 plus shipping. I will be on the waiting list to buy outright...

Thanks much for the pricing info.

I can totally understand ARV's position re. not being ready to resell just yet and wanting to "figure things out first". Good on them for taking the time to get that right.

FWIW, there's been a rumor floating around that Dometic purchased (or is in the process of purchasing) the company that designed and manufactures this A/C unit. If that's true, it may be available from Dometic or one of their distributors at some point, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

InterBlog · 04-19-2018, 05:56 PM

I was aware of the installation stipulation. I'm not keen on the idea of it, but it is what it is. Participation on the bleeding edge of anything is a very expensive proposition - this is just one more variation on that theme.

I'm toying with the idea of swinging through there en route to Nova Scotia this year. That way I wouldn't have to make an entirely separate trip, just extend somewhat my original plan. No decisions yet.

LB_3 · 04-19-2018, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyFishinRVr

Thanks much for the pricing info.

I can totally understand ARV's position re. not being ready to resell just yet and wanting to "figure things out first". Good on them for taking the time to get that right.

FWIW, there's been a rumor floating around that Dometic purchased (or is in the process of purchasing) the company that designed and manufactures this A/C unit. If that's true, it may be available from Dometic or one of their distributors at some point, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

Hopefully Dometic can convert it over to 120v.

FlyFishinRVr · 04-19-2018, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LB_3

Hopefully Dometic can convert it over to 120v.

I would assume Houghton was already doing that for the units they're shipping to ARV, but I'd have to contact them and ask.

InterBlog · 04-20-2018, 06:33 AM

This is one of those rare types of installations that I might be willing to pay someone else to do (although ARV's price is steep). It involves working ten feet in the air with an extremely bulky and heavy object. There's no way to safely DIY this kind of thing free-style - it requires infrastructure. James Adinaro has his own scaffolding and overhead hoist, and still, their a/c replacement video makes me SMH. (They replaced with another American model before the Australian became available).

LB_3 · 04-20-2018, 07:42 AM

FWIW: Advanced RV says their air conditioner draws 1550 watts and runs off their 2500 watt inverter. They had no data on the inrush current at startup so it’s hard to predict wether a smaller 2000 watt inverter could start the compressor.

InterBlog · 04-20-2018, 08:50 AM

I was aware that it is a larger unit, BTU-wise. Annoyingly, there is only the one size - we do NOT need it to be that large in a non-extended Sprinter that also has had a fair degree of heat-proofing already done to it. I hadn't gotten so far as to check the ramifications of that larger size, a process which I had planned to hopefully streamline by speaking directly with ARV's CSR whose name I posted above. But I hadn't done that yet.

J. Morgan · 05-15-2018, 07:16 PM

My ancient Armstrong isn’t so loud, and is still keeping me cool in its 46th year of service..... They don’t make um’ like they used to.

wachuko · 07-04-2018, 10:43 PM

Not sure if you all have seen this video. Started working on convincing Mara that we need this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMiTIswkusA

gmillerok1 · 07-04-2018, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wachuko

Not sure if you all have seen this video. Started working on convincing Mara that we need this...

For about 3 grand, it darn well better be quiet! Of course, in a $300,000.00 Class B, I guess that price doesn't matter.

Alex AVI · 07-09-2018, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wachuko

Not sure if you all have seen this video. Started working on convincing Mara that we need this...

WACHUKO - are they now selling just the unit or you have to bring the AI to Ohio to have ARV install? I would consider it if I didn't have to drive all the way to Midwest just to get an A/C unit installed.Maybe they have authorized installers elsewhere?