Air Conditioner Condensate Leaking Inside

[teamhaney]

We have a '73 Tradewind that leaks condensate from the AC. The AC is a Coleman Model 6749. The leaks are along the seam which runs along the top panel on the sink side (left if facing forward). I noticed a drain tube under the front window. I took the shroud and tin cover off the condenser, hoping to find a drip tray with a plugged hole. I did not see anything like that. The condensation today just runs off the camper. Has anybody had this issue? I'd like to fix it, besides having to catch water, I'm concerned about mold growth in wet insulation.
Thanks, I appreciate any advice.

[mandolindave]

I don't usually use my AC unit. On a very hot day, when I had an electric hook up, I did. It basically rained inside my trailer. A dehumidifier is about the only solution.

Another solution is to turn off the AC unit and go outside, find a lake, pool, or river to cool off in.

Another solution is to hop in the tow vehicle, crank up the AC, and take a drive to an air conditioned museum/ movie theatre / restaurant / bar, or all of the above.

[SteveSueMac]

Are you saying you found the drain hose and it wasn't plugged or you didn't find a drain at all? If not clogged, I call tell you that mine's a different year but I learned I need to have every window/vent opening closed when running the AC or it condensates inside the trailer. Are your windows/vents closed?

[teamhaney]

That was useful - NOT.

[J. Morgan]

If it is leaking inside of the trailer something was done wrong or is broken, if it leaks outside, it is my understanding that many replacement AC's were installed this way.

Your post at first reads like the unit leaks inside, and then it reads like it leaks outside.....

Ambiguity leads to responses all over the board... Be succinct!!!

[teamhaney]

I found a thread about this. Drip tray might be inside the camper under the cover on the ceiling. Will remove it look and if I don't see anything blow through on the outside tube. I'll post the results.

[Panama Red]

Well, that's how you get more people to try and answer your question... Good luck with that.

[mandolindave]

Originally Posted by teamhaney

That was useful - NOT.

My point was that there is a chance that nothing is broken. Just what happens when it is miserable hot outside, and very cold inside the camper. And there is a good chance that I am wrong.

The other stuff I said was just to try to help you through the hottest days of Summer. Peace, and all that good stuff.

[B00merang]

Guys....guys....to me his problem sounds worse than just condensation. Although my former Demetic is newer, every time it shut off last year we'd have a literal deluge coming down inside the camper. To finish the FL vacation we'd put a large cooler in the middle of the floor to catch the downpour. After the vacation the dealer told us it was a clogged drainpipe that he blew out with an air hose. So make sure you try this cheap solution first. Like Mandolindave said..."peace and love and all that god stuff....jon

[Jacob D]

Dirt dobbers have been known to stop up a drip tube. Insert a plastic soda straw into the bottom to clear the nest. Also, blow air through it from the bottom to ensure it is not stopped up at the top. A friend has a unit with the condensate pan inside. The drain nipple in the pan to which the drain tube is attached was cracked at the connection to the pan. This allowed water to drip inside their trailer. A small piece of grey awning tape fixed it. Black gutter patch from Home Depot will probably work just as well. Just make sure the cracked area is clean and dry before patching. I have also heard of units being installed without even connecting a drain tube to the nipple allowing water to drip inside.

[BluesClues]

Well, I have a '72 Sovereign. Same problem. When I run the AC, it sometimes leaks inside along the side, but you can really see it leaking on the outside anywhere under one of the sides depending on the slope of the trailer. The fix (which is not 100% implemented yet) is to strip all of the sealer from everyone on the roof and reseal everything. Then, pop out the AC, strip any sealer/caulking they used with it, reseal all seams/screws, etc. clean up the old A/C gasket, and reinstall.

My '72 does not have a drip pan nor does it have a drain tube. The A/C just drips onto the top of the roof. So if the roof is not 100% sealed, the A/C will cause a leak.

My problem right now is the water drips onto the top of the roof, runs down the side to the awning rail, then runs along the awning rail depending on the slope. Be very careful that the awning rail is very well sealed. I found that even after resealing everything, I still had a path where the water would run into the shell along the awning rail.

My guess is your '73 has some old caulk and dried out sealer. It's not a fun job, but has to be done.

[jimflint07]

Our 68 Tradewind also had condensate leaking inside. Sometimes if the trailer was on the right type of parking slope, it would drain through the drain tube, but mostly it leaked. I think the AC interior shroud just sags after time and the proper drain angle is no longer there. So we installed a new Dometic low profile AC unit (with a heater also) and the advantage is these new AC units have exterior condensate drains so it's no longer a problem inside. Might be worth the investment (and to get a heater strip installed for a couple hundred extra dollars). also, the new AC not needing an interior drain tube, cleaned up the interior appearance after removing the old drain tube. Jim, Colorado

[teamhaney]

Did not see any evidence of a drain tube under the inside shroud. Good opportunity to clean out horsehair filter though. Has anyone replaced these?
Addressing some earlier posts in this thread. The water flow outside is not an issue for me. It could be a symptom of a plugged or disconnected drain. Now I will try blowing the drain tube out. I really do not want to remove the unit. If I do, does anyone have an old Coleman installation manual for these?
When mine leaks if runs either fore or aft along the trim piece over the seam. I usually duct tape a cup to the ceiling to catch the water. They can fill in a few hours.

[drboyd]

Originally Posted by teamhaney

We have a '73 Tradewind that leaks condensate from the AC. The AC is a Coleman Model 6749.

Manuals are difficult to find. Remind me not to buy a Coleman.

Originally Posted by teamhaney

The leaks are along the seam which runs along the top panel on the sink side (left if facing forward). I noticed a drain tube under the front window.

A drain tube under the front window (as in "by the hitch) is probably not from your air-conditioner. Probably more likely to be from the battery box, if your battery box is up front like mine is.

Originally Posted by teamhaney

I took the shroud and tin cover off the condenser, hoping to find a drip tray with a plugged hole. I did not see anything like that.

You're going to have to disassemble the unit more that that to find what you're looking for. The evaporator coil is usually encased in sheet metal to keep the cold air from blowing out all over.

Originally Posted by teamhaney

The condensation today just runs off the camper. Has anybody had this issue? I'd like to fix it, besides having to catch water, I'm concerned about mold growth in wet insulation.
Thanks, I appreciate any advice.

Good luck!

[Knudsvig]

Our '97 excella has a similar problem and I think the AC is leaking down the wall next to fridge too. I notice moisture next to fridge along bathroom wall, but very little. I run a dehumidifier as well as AC. I had plumber look and he thought the seals are just overheated not tight, and then the cooling inside is causing the condensation. The drain tube street side is dripping and there is also condensation dropping on curbside.

[teamhaney]

I did some poking around on my trailer and learned some things about it. Found out that the drain tube at the front of the camper runs up to the front behind the shelf and stops. It may have been connected to an AC drain in the past but now it just runs up to behind the shelf and stops. Maybe it's for fresh air and prevents condensation up front.
I removed the inside cover of the AC and found a 1981 date stamp on the Coleman AC unit. This on a 1973 camper. Possible it did not come with AC from the factory back in '73. So, it looks like the inside condensation is running in around the seal between the AC and the camper, seal is over 30 years old, after all. Probably have to pull the whole AC out and reseal. Thanks for all of the posts and thoughts. It's great to have a forum to post ideas and get other perspectives once in a while.

[Knudsvig]

When our trailer is not level, we get lots of dripping inside. We took it to Camper Clinic II. They said it needs a new drip pan assembly. They stated it is leaking by the bolts. It is $133 plus 2-3 hours labor. When it is level, rarely we see a drip. We have seen leaking on the floor between the fridge and bathroom wall. Perhaps it is leaking there too. Thoughts?