My wife shot me!

PhilMateo · 05-24-2006, 02:47 PM

At least she said she will if I don't get the AC fixed!

I am restoring a 27' 1965 Overlander with original 11000 btu Armstrong Bay Breeze. I replaced thermostat, and both capacitors. I cleaned inside and outside coils, and ran unit on 2 Honda 2000 generators slaved together. Results of this weekend's test:

Outside temp 85 degrees, sunny and breezy (Atlanta GA)
Temp inside trailer same
Compressor drew 8-10 amps. Power not an issue...generator barely sweated the load. Freon lines in were hot, and oulet immediately covered with condensation
Temp into inside ac housing 85
Temp out of housing 58
After 2 hours, temp only dropped 5-6 degrees.

Is this normal, or do I have a problem?

I have no awning and have scrapped old tinting off all windows. Shroud in sad shape, and has been repaired several times at least.

Should I replace complete system with new unit? Which vendor and size? I was quoted $700 for new Duotherm 13.5, installed complete.

What else can be wrong?

rseagle · 05-24-2006, 03:24 PM

What was your Freon pressure? You might need more.

Jim & Susan · 05-24-2006, 03:54 PM

Have you had an HVAC guy look at it? Output temp at 58 degrees sounds about right. Any difference if the camper is in the shade? At night? Are all the shades drawn on the windows? Air leaking in from many places is something I found when I tore mine apart. Let us know how it turns out.

Jim

65GT · 05-24-2006, 06:50 PM

I know -- it's a dumb question but I don't see the word...

FAN? Fan speed (Hi/Lo)? Fan working?

Foam between the evaporator coils inside and the roof so that the fan can only blow air through the evaporator coils?

I say this because my foam blew out. It was all old and crusty and blew out the first time I turned the fan on.

__

**overlander63** · 05-24-2006, 08:07 PM

We generally consider air temp 20 degrees below ambient to be acceptable. If it was 85 outside, anything under 65 is great. Now, our 13,000 btu Coleman in our Overlander is barely enough to do the job. Much though I hate to suggest it, as Armstrongs are tough as nails, in the interest of saving you from lead poisoning, you may want to get a larger unit. You have scraped off window tinting, and have no awning, both items are good for helping an air conditioner keep its cool.

eubank · 05-24-2006, 08:20 PM

Ah! Another person whose wife has been trying to kill him! My wife tried to murder me the first time about 25 years ago, when she managed to put some nice floor cleaner in a handy emtpy beer bottle and stuck it in the fridge, of all places. I came in really, really thirsty. It's been downhill ever since.

Lynn

SafeHarbor · 05-24-2006, 08:21 PM

Hi, Phil,

I'm 200 miles south of you, and I have a 31' with a 12,500 btu Armstrong that keeps me cool. I don't think your temperature drop is a problem. That sounds pretty good. Maybe the fan isn't distributing it as well as should?

I have a 15K Carrier in my Argosy that gave up the ghost shortly after the warrantee expired. Personally, I'd try to save the Armstrong. (Wish I had.)

The A/C should be capable of providing cool air directed to each end of the trailer, and I think AS designed the trailers so that most of living just happens to happen there.

I would be proud of a 58 degree discharge at 85. I wonder, though, is the fan getting it you?

Lamar

A-Merry-Can · 05-24-2006, 08:29 PM

eBay, man! i'm getting the low profile model this week, the guy said he could get it to woodstock, ga in 3-5 days. $599, and only 7 1/2" tall. very inconspicuous!

search "RV air conditioner low profile"

jp

muddy_hollow · 05-25-2006, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

eBay, man! i'm getting the low profile model this week, the guy said he could get it to woodstock, ga in 3-5 days. $599, and only 7 1/2" tall. very inconspicuous!

search "RV air conditioner low profile"

jp

Nice. Do you have a brand model number you could share? I've got a 65 GT that I am considering putting AC on and was would love to see any pics of your install. Are you going to instal it on the front or rear hatch?

Nice avatar!

Doug

65GT · 05-25-2006, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muddy_hollow

I've got a 65 GT that I am considering putting AC on and was would love to see any pics of your install. Are you going to instal it on the front or rear hatch? Doug

I believe standard practice is to leave both hatches alone. Most A/C installs go in a brand new location between the two. If you'd like some measurements of where to cut that big 'ol whole in your roof

I can get them for you.

__

PhilMateo · 05-25-2006, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SafeHarbor

Hi, Phil,

I would be proud of a 58 degree discharge at 85. I wonder, though, is the fan getting it you?

Lamar

Good question. How do I test fan output? In low position, fan runs. In high, fan and compressor run. Is this normal?

Also, I assume I could test electrical output to fan. What should it be?

PhilMateo · 05-25-2006, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

We generally consider air temp 20 degrees below ambient to be acceptable. If it was 85 outside, anything under 65 is great. Now, our 13,000 btu Coleman in our Overlander is barely enough to do the job. Much though I hate to suggest it, as Armstrongs are tough as nails, in the interest of saving you from lead poisoning, you may want to get a larger unit. You have scraped off window tinting, and have no awning, both items are good for helping an air conditioner keep its cool.

After researching it, I think I'll go with the Gila RV tint, and see how it affects stuff.

I did find that nasty foam blowing out after I cleaned coils, and temporarily replaced it to test, so thats not the issue.

PhilMateo · 05-25-2006, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rseagle

What was your Freon pressure? You might need more.

I did try to get RV AC guy to look at it. He said he'd be happy to take my money to tell me the same thing he told me over the phone - replace it.

With my unit, there is no visible gauge fitting on the lines. I have 2 refrigerant lines that are crimped and soldersealed.

Will low freon reduce performance without icing coils?

Thanks

PhilMateo · 05-26-2006, 07:54 PM

Thanks to everyone, I did everything suggested.

I cleaned coils and checked wires, replaced capaciotrs, ran generators, etc.

Finally, today I put Gila Platinum tint on all windows, ran AC from morning to night, and it stayed very cool at 72 degrees. Success!

In fact, I ran it off house circuit, and it never worked hard. I learned a valuble less from you all.

Thanks again