AC Replacement

[tique79]

What recomendations are there for an AC replacement? We are ready to replace ours due to compressor failure. Presently we own a 1974 27 foot Overlander and would like to know which make or model would work best as an replacement. Are there any problems, such as interior clearance with the new diverter for air circulation? The wall divider between the kitchen and sleeping area are of great concern since there is not much room for the diverter that will push the air forward to the living area. Will this upper crossbar need to be reworked to acommodate the new AC?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[fastrob]

From what I understand your unit is repairable forever.
The new units are modular and are throw away units.
Do you have to have new?
Are there advantages to a new unit?
Can the old be as good as new? For how much?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by tique79

What recomendations are there for an AC replacement? We are ready to replace ours due to compressor failure. Presently we own a 1974 27 foot Overlander and would like to know which make or model would work best as an replacement. Are there any problems, such as interior clearance with the new diverter for air circulation? The wall divider between the kitchen and sleeping area are of great concern since there is not much room for the diverter that will push the air forward to the living area. Will this upper crossbar need to be reworked to acommodate the new AC?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

When the compressor goes, that's the time to replace the AC.

The cost of a new compressor, plus installation time and recharging the AC, will usually get close to a new unit.

Currently, the best unit is a Carrier, low profile, 15,000 BTU, with a heat strip.

Andy

[Lumatic]

I looked into getting my Armstrong repaired, and had and AC guy take a look at it. Said it would cost more to repair than buy new.

I got a new Dometic Penguin. It is low profile, looks better and works good.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I looked into getting my Armstrong repaired, and had and AC guy take a look at it. Said it would cost more to repair than buy new.

I got a new Dometic Penguin. It is low profile, looks better and works good.

The Penguin requires a drain pan. If one is not installed, water will run down the sides of the trailer.

The Carrier units, do not require a drain pan, since they use a "slinger."

That saves the owner about $100.00.

Andy

[DKDarrow]

As I sit here in Destin, Fl at the Ft. Benning Rec Area my 15K Dometic with a heat pump is doing so well. As was the heat pump all winter to provide the total heat most often wherever we went. Yes, when in the low 30's or below needed the furnace; but it sure saved on propane.

For sure the whole situation is a lot better than the 13K Coleman that couldnt keep up on an 85 degree day let alone one nearing 100.

Anyway, I guess you could say that those mid-afternoon naps are a lot more pleasant cooled off a bit during the heat of the day............Dennis

[ckeysor]

Andy,

What is a slinger and how does it work? Thanks!

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by ckeysor

Andy,

What is a slinger and how does it work? Thanks!

A slinger is a different type fan blade.

It's designed so that the bottom portion of it, sits in a pan, that contains the water from your AC.

The end of the fan blade "slings" that water over the hot condensing coil, which does 2 things.

1. It gets rid of the water.

2. It helps cool the hot condensing coil, which increases the efficiency of the AC.

The only time water may run down the side of your Airstream, is if it's extremely humid outside, which of course gets inside the trailer as well. But after an hour or so, the inside is dry enough, so that the excess amount of water from the inside, has been removed.

Andy

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

The only time water may run down the side of your Airstream, is if it's extremely humid outside, which of course gets inside the trailer as well. But after an hour or so, the inside is dry enough, so that the excess amount of water from the inside, has been removed.

Andy

Hi Andy,

That may be true some places, but I have water down the side of my Excella right now. However, there is a drain adapter available for the low-profile ones. Another forum member posted a phone number for customer support. They sent him one. I couldn’t find the original post, but the phone number is in post #25 on my http://www.airforums.com/forums/f427...d-40795-2.html thread. I went with the tall model, so I don’t know if there is one for it. I keep meaning to call.

Call rather than email the links!!! No one can agree on where the emails to Carrier’s tech support are supposed to go. Kevin was outstandingly nice. It’s hard to send Karma to a nonmember.

I do like that the slinger cools the condenser, but here in Arkansas, the humidity overcomes the slinger’s capacity for evaporation. It is much less than the amount that comes from the improperly installed Coleman on my Trade Wind, though.

Another thing I have discovered that I like about the new Carrier is that the plastic shrouding around the evaporator allows a little light to come in through the openings in the bottom pan, sore of a mini moonroof. Makes it very easy to check the state of the filters by just looking up. Speaking of the filters, they just slide out the end without any hassles at all. I am pleased with mine.

[juel]

I replaced my old Coleman with the Carrier and also have water running down the side of my Argosy in the 100+ Oklahoma summers. I have yet to find any water on the inside of the Argosy and I have had most of it apart for restoration. I know it's said that "they all leak", but I'm having a heck of a time finding any trace of water in the Argosy. I have the old Armstrong on the Sovereign, and I think if it ever gives up I'll do my best to replace what needs replacing. That Armstrong is so quiet and so efficient, it puts the Carrier to shame.

[Ganglin]

We purchased a Carrier low profile/heat strip 15K about a month ago (not installed yet). Specifically purchased that unit in part because they were the only unit I found to mention a drain tube set up in their specs.. The adapter was included and the tech. that I spoke to warned us that it's well tucked away in the packaging so " don't accidentally throw it away with the box as that happens all the time".

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by juel

I replaced my old Coleman with the Carrier and also have water running down the side of my Argosy in the 100+ Oklahoma summers. I have yet to find any water on the inside of the Argosy and I have had most of it apart for restoration. I know it's said that "they all leak", but I'm having a heck of a time finding any trace of water in the Argosy. I have the old Armstrong on the Sovereign, and I think if it ever gives up I'll do my best to replace what needs replacing. That Armstrong is so quiet and so efficient, it puts the Carrier to shame.

I'm right with you on the Armstrong, so quiet and always ran cooool.

I think I saw one on eBay awhile back.

Stay Cool,

Michael

[lewster]

Originally Posted by Ganglin

We purchased a Carrier low profile/heat strip 15K about a month ago (not installed yet). Specifically purchased that unit in part because they were the only unit I found to mention a drain tube set up in their specs.. The adapter was included and the tech. that I spoke to warned us that it's well tucked away in the packaging so " don't accidentally throw it away with the box as that happens all the time".

Be aware that the Carrier 'low profile' models DO NOT have the 'slinger wheel' feature as their low pro design doen not provide sufficient room for it under the shroud.

Carrier does make a drip kit that can be added to the center of the drain pan on the low pro models that can then be connected to your internal drain hose so your AC will not drain onto your roof and down the sides of your AS.

[whitefawn]

After reading the "replacement AC" threads here through several times, my husband and I decided on a Dometic unit with heat strip for our newly aquired 71 Overlander, based on the following rationales:
1) heat strip is preferable to heat pump, because we will not be paying for electricity at a campground, and will probably rarely use it anyway
2) Dometic has wall thermostat, and since we already have a wall thermostat, we would like to preserve that feature; with wall thermostat, fan turns off when AC is not engaged
3) Dometic allegedly has better customer and warranty service- and I have already found that to be true- all I got from Carrier was voice mail, and spoke at length with a Dometic Tech, no problem...
4) The Dometic has 3 speeds- and others only two (and I am hoping that translates to a lower speed if needed)
My husband is a HVAC tech and we will see what he encounters with the drain pan issue when we install the thing- I neglected to order one if it does not come with it, and at any rate perhaps he can adapt it to connect to the internal drain which we have been told is still patent and working. The Dometic is on order... I am going to post a thread soon about WHY we opted to replace the old unit, even though my husband is fully capable of repairing it... and will also post our adventures when we install the new one...

[lewster]

Originally Posted by whitefawn

After reading the "replacement AC" threads here through several times, my husband and I decided on a Dometic unit with heat strip for our newly aquired 71 Overlander, based on the following rationales:
1) heat strip is preferable to heat pump, because we will not be paying for electricity at a campground, and will probably rarely use it anyway
2) Dometic has wall thermostat, and since we already have a wall thermostat, we would like to preserve that feature; with wall thermostat, fan turns off when AC is not engaged
3) Dometic allegedly has better customer and warranty service- and I have already found that to be true- all I got from Carrier was voice mail, and spoke at length with a Dometic Tech, no problem...
4) The Dometic has 3 speeds- and others only two (and I am hoping that translates to a lower speed if needed)
My husband is a HVAC tech and we will see what he encounters with the drain pan issue when we install the thing- I neglected to order one if it does not come with it, and at any rate perhaps he can adapt it to connect to the internal drain which we have been told is still patent and working. The Dometic is on order... I am going to post a thread soon about WHY we opted to replace the old unit, even though my husband is fully capable of repairing it... and will also post our adventures when we install the new one...

Whitefawn,

Dometic makes an auxiliary drip kit, which uses 2 little molded cups that attach to the underside of the unit to catch the condensate, pre-cut tubing that will connect to the cups and a union to join it all up to your internal drip hose. The kit also includes a second AC gasket which gets added to the existing one on the bottom of your AC unit, and you might just be able to get by with this kit and no drip pan.

I've used lots of these kits on large MoHos that have internal drain hoses. They work great!

[whitefawn]

Thanks, Lew! I should have re-read the relevant threads before I ordered our unit-I now remember you mentioning those cups, etc. in a past post. This weekend I suspect Joe will attack the project and solve the issues as they arise without the kit- or at least temporarily make the new unit work because we plan on attending the VAC Rally in Central VA next week and need AC; the 90+ temps will likely continue. He looked at the box tonight and said he thought the pan WAS included with the unit. I will post the results of the installation efforts...

Kathy
Whitefawn

[Overlander & Sea]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Currently, the best unit is a Carrier, low profile, 15,000 BTU, with a heat strip.

Andy

I agree with Andy. This is the unit I installed on our '61 26' Overlander. It cools great on these hot Mississippi summer days and the low profile looks good. The heat strips are OK, will warm it up some on cool nights.