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Old 03-28-2012, 01:00 PM   #41
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Thanks for the pictures. Does anyone know of a link that shows an equally good picture of the AS pan? does the AS pan alleviate the need for the extra drain holes?
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Old 03-28-2012, 02:31 PM   #42
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The drain pan is an item supplied by Airstream (I think) and it's a low profile pan that lays on the trailer roof which catches any condensate coming out of the unit and channels it to a molded in trough which in turn is plumbed to your internal drain hose. The drip kit supplied by Dometic is two plastic cups connected by a hose which screw to the underside of the unit (BTW, in the picture above the instructions explicitly state to not seal the cup flanges so that in the event of a line plug the excess water will overflow the cups onto the roof). In order to make a place for the hose, gaps must be cut in the sealing gasket, then sealant filled around the hose in the gaps and finally another foam gasket adhered to the original gasket. It does make the unit stand up about an inch higher than without it.

I got my 15K heat pump going without a hitch last weekend and it's been operating flawlessly since. I got an opportunity to try it in heat mode a couple of mornings ago and I really like it. The new unit is a lot quieter than my old 13.5 Penguin a/c and it has the added bonus that the fan shuts off when the compressor does.

The Dometic information found online was apparently written by idiots and it can be a struggle to buy the correct parts required. It's probably best to call your chosen vendor and let them tell you what you need to buy so that if you happen to purchase the wrong item you can force them to take it back without a hefty restocking fee (be sure to get names when ordering). A heat strip kit cannot be used with a heat pump even though the instructions make reference to a heat strip setting of the configuration switches (probably the same writers).

Also, FWIW, I found a product (Motsenbocker's Lift Off) at Home Depot that said it would remove silicones, caulk and foam sealants and decided to give it a try. To my surprise it made old Vulkem removal much easier. This stuff breaks down the molecular bonds in the material and then you rub off the crumbles with lots of paper towels. I had my ac opening down to bright shiny metal in 30 minutes or so.
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Old 03-28-2012, 03:53 PM   #43
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The drain pan is an item supplied by Airstream (I think) and it's a low profile pan that lays on the trailer roof which catches any condensate coming out of the unit and channels it to a molded in trough which in turn is plumbed to your internal drain hose. The drip kit supplied by Dometic is two plastic cups connected by a hose which screw to the underside of the unit (BTW, in the picture above the instructions explicitly state to not seal the cup flanges so that in the event of a line plug the excess water will overflow the cups onto the roof). In order to make a place for the hose, gaps must be cut in the sealing gasket, then sealant filled around the hose in the gaps and finally another foam gasket adhered to the original gasket. It does make the unit stand up about an inch higher than without it.

I got my 15K heat pump going without a hitch last weekend and it's been operating flawlessly since. I got an opportunity to try it in heat mode a couple of mornings ago and I really like it. The new unit is a lot quieter than my old 13.5 Penguin a/c and it has the added bonus that the fan shuts off when the compressor does.

The Dometic information found online was apparently written by idiots and it can be a struggle to buy the correct parts required. It's probably best to call your chosen vendor and let them tell you what you need to buy so that if you happen to purchase the wrong item you can force them to take it back without a hefty restocking fee (be sure to get names when ordering). A heat strip kit cannot be used with a heat pump even though the instructions make reference to a heat strip setting of the configuration switches (probably the same writers).

Also, FWIW, I found a product (Motsenbocker's Lift Off) at Home Depot that said it would remove silicones, caulk and foam sealants and decided to give it a try. To my surprise it made old Vulkem removal much easier. This stuff breaks down the molecular bonds in the material and then you rub off the crumbles with lots of paper towels. I had my ac opening down to bright shiny metal in 30 minutes or so.
Actually the insructions DO say to use selant on the cups. But the Dometic info on line (what little there is) is pretty lame.
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Old 03-28-2012, 04:43 PM   #44
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Well mine said not to for the reason stated, but then the pictures didn't really match what I had in front of me either.
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Old 03-29-2012, 08:41 AM   #45
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Well mine said not to for the reason stated, but then the pictures didn't really match what I had in front of me either.
I believe it. Dometic is not great with info. Even the vendor I bought from said he was on the phone a half of the day dealing with them.
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Old 03-29-2012, 10:42 AM   #46
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Found the drain pan. It's made by Dometic (p/n 961270) and can be found online. It lays flat on the roof and connects to the internal drain hose between the skins.

The newer drain kit consists of two cups and an interconnect hose (p/n 3107688.016). It can be plumbed to wherever you want it to go. It makes the unit sit about 1" higher.
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Old 03-29-2012, 10:49 AM   #47
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is it you seal the cups, but not the drain through the roof, so if the cup fills, it goes up through the root and down the side?
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Old 03-29-2012, 11:29 AM   #48
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My instructions say "Note: Do Not seal edges of drain pan to base pan with sealant. When left unsealed this will act as secondary drain in event primary drain becomes clogged."

When the cups fill up, water overflows them at the top and runs down the roof on the outside of the trailer.

There's a couple of small channels across the edge flange of each cup and if those are left unsealed then that ought to do the same thing. If you clean your condenser coils annually that should prevent the drain from plugging up in the first place.

I had the pan before and when the trough in it would clog up I got water running inside the trailer because the trough is actually down inside the roof opening. I usually had to open the drain line up 10 times a season due to clogging. I used to feed a piece of weed whacker cord up the drain tube from the bottom, then cut it and chuck it up in my screw gun. A few turns normally broke up the clog. One time the water built up high enough before I noticed it that part of the control circuit board was submerged and required replacement to get my ac going again.
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Old 03-29-2012, 03:54 PM   #49
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The drain cups are on the outside of the seal. So I guess if the cups overfill it will go down the side. Guess I am going back on the roof and removing the sealant, Thanks Crusty!!
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Old 03-29-2012, 06:02 PM   #50
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Hi,
You might wish to contact the engineering dept. at the manuf.of your choice and inquire about the sound levels of low profile vs standard height. Generrally speaking,when you decrease the plenum,the resulting turbulence increases noise level inside conditioned space.
I have a 2012 25’with a Dometic 1350 with heat pump.

Issue 1) I cannot believe the level of noise and changing the fan level from 3 down to 1 has little effect on the noise. You really have to concentrate to hear it change at all, it is that small. It is especially bad at night trying to sleep with the roar of a small jet in the hall. I am not sure what was in our last trailer (2002) but it was significantly quieter.

Issue 2) We are currently in Phoenix on spring break and it is a very pleasant 86 outside but we are in the direct sun and setting the air at 70 it ran constant and never got the interior below 74. I am concerned about it really being hot and not cooling down. Though I guess if it is 95 out 75 -78 might feel ok.

Issue 3) This is probably more a trailer park issue but when the air would start up it would pop the breaker at the service. I finally changed over to the 50 amp service adaptor and had no more problems. I will need to get the current clamp out and check the startup draw when back home.

The heat pump does work nice warming the trailer up in the morning.

While I like the low profile I am more interested in lowering the noise and increasing the cooling capacity. Who make the most quiet unit?
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Old 03-29-2012, 06:55 PM   #51
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I sorta like the noise. It covers up cars driving by and dogs barking etc.

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Old 03-30-2012, 03:11 PM   #52
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Today it is again 86 outside and the AC has been on for a few hours now and it is still 85 inside. The output of the AC on high is cool but I would not consider it cold. Is this as good as it gets or is it not working properly? How cool can you expect a 25' to be in 86 degree heat with direct sun?
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Old 04-03-2012, 07:48 AM   #53
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It should cool much better than it is. Make sure the compressor is actually running not just the fan. Check and make sure you put the knobs on pointing the rite way. I have seen some put the knob on pointing at cool when the switch itself is on fan. Listen for water hitting the fan. This will tell you if the drain is working.
My low profile unit dropped the temp inside my camper to 65 on a 100 degree day in a 21 foot trailer.
If your not getting water draining somewhere I would look at the compressor first.
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Old 04-03-2012, 10:04 AM   #54
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These A/C units can be externally loud as I think they acoustically couple with the aluminum of our Airstreams making them a bit louder than on usual installs.

Perchance some better seals\insulation between the A/C unit and the Stream might dampen this coupling and reduce the noise a bit?
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Old 04-03-2012, 10:20 AM   #55
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Ok people I went with the Dometic Penguin II with no heat pump. Pretty straight forward install. Built a 14 1/4"X14 1/4" wood frame out of some Scrap MGP that I sealed with some left over West Systems Epoxy. I made a patch out of some left over 5052 from the belly pan. Drilled, sealed and riveted to the roof, then installed the new a/c. Pretty easy which scares me a little....
What ladder did you use. Looks like it clears the top of the AS pretty well.
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Old 04-05-2012, 09:03 AM   #56
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What ladder did you use. Looks like it clears the top of the AS pretty well.
I actually used 2 scaffolding ladders set at the highest point then bridged them with a 12' painters ladder bent in a "U" shape. It worked great! If you want pics pm me and I will get them to you.
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Old 04-05-2012, 06:14 PM   #57
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I am pondering how to get my old unit off and the new one on. I may just take the guts out of the old one and remove it piecemeal. I called Dometic today and they said it was ok to turn the unit upside down and slide it on a blanket or carpet of something then flip it over the hole. This way you don't mess up the gasket. You do have to let the oil settle for several hours after doing this. It I had enough strong arms we could just manhandle it up there. I may try a front end loader to lift it up there. I expect two guys could lift it off the front end loader and place it over the hole. I can just about lift the thing myself but it is not real easy to grap hold of. It is sorta like trying to grab a big bar of soap. I may take the cover off and see if there is something to grab. I was pleasantly surprised that they still use copper tubing in the new units instead of aluminum like you see on many new AC units and window units.

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Old 04-05-2012, 06:42 PM   #58
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Definitely install the new AC with the cover removed, then install it when you're finished. It's just a cover, not a structural element. Handling it by the cover is risking the potential for all sorts of damage. Ranging from a broken cover, to damaging the unit by dropping it when the cover brakes, to damaging the Airstream in the drop, to personal injury.

Even with the cover off, be careful not to damage anything by lifting using something not meant to hold the weight. Handling it by the bottom pan should be safe.

Watch what you do and be careful. You'll be fine.

On Edit:

By the pan, I mean the metal frame that everything is mounted to, not a drip pan or tray. The Carrier I put on my Excella had the metal frame made into a pan to catch the drips and then sling them against the condenser to evaporate rather than use a drain hose. Your construction may be different.

It certainly will be different as far as slinging the condensation against the condenser to eliminate the need for a drain hose. Might work OK in the desert, but not so well anywhere it gets humid. But that's another story.
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Old 04-13-2012, 05:59 AM   #59
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I think slinging the water against the condenser is to increase efficiency since it tends to cool things off. It may have the added benefit of reducing the amount of condensate run off but I don't think that is the primary design criteria for doing it.

If you remove the cover there are a lot of things in there you don't need to be grabing as well as sharp metal. The air plenum is made of styrofoam and you know how fragile that is. I am debating if taking the cover off is a good idea.

I am thinking of using a piece of OSB to stiffin the shroud and then putting cardboard on each side of that. I would then slide the unit on the roof upside down then remove the cardboard and flip it over. Sliding it up there right side up is a problem because you will ruin the gasket.

The wife and I removed the old Coleman unit minus the fan motor without too much trouble last night by backing my Ranger truck up to the trailer and we just slid it off. The Dometic unit is a lot heavier (15k BTU) so it will be more of a challenge to remove.

It took a couple of hours to remove 1/4" thick, 2" wide strip of Vulkem that was up there. The stuff was hard as a rock. The only way I have found to remove that stuff is with paint stripper and a wood chisle. It still took 2 hrs to do.

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Old 04-13-2012, 07:22 AM   #60
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I think slinging the water against the condenser is to increase efficiency since it tends to cool things off. It may have the added benefit of reducing the amount of condensate run off but I don't think that is the primary design criteria for doing it.
No, Carrier's claim was that slinging the water eliminated the need for the drain. That was the stated purpose of the "slinger wheel" system, hence no provision for a drain. (On the high profile systems like mine. There was a kit to attach the drain hoses to the low profile systems.)

Doesn't matter anyway. They've quit the RV business since then.

Quote:
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If you remove the cover there are a lot of things in there you don't need to be grabing as well as sharp metal. The air plenum is made of styrofoam and you know how fragile that is. I am debating if taking the cover off is a good idea.
I wasn't implying that you don't need to be careful, you do. The plenum on my Carrier is molded plastic, so it's a little more substantial.

By having the cover off, you can get a good grip in a safe place like on the pan itself. The covers are very fragile, too.

Of course that's my opinion.
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I am thinking of using a piece of OSB to stiffin the shroud and then putting cardboard on each side of that. I would then slide the unit on the roof upside down then remove the cardboard and flip it over. Sliding it up there right side up is a problem because you will ruin the gasket.

The wife and I removed the old Coleman unit minus the fan motor without too much trouble last night by backing my Ranger truck up to the trailer and we just slid it off. The Dometic unit is a lot heavier (15k BTU) so it will be more of a challenge to remove.

It took a couple of hours to remove 1/4" thick, 2" wide strip of Vulkem that was up there. The stuff was hard as a rock. The only way I have found to remove that stuff is with paint stripper and a wood chisle. It still took 2 hrs to do.

Perry
Yes, that old Vulkem was the worst part of the entire job! Took me at least 2 hours. If you've got that off, you're good to go now!
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