New Airconditioner

[boltos]

I recently purchased a 1970 Safari, 23 ft. It has no AC, and I would like to add an AC unit. I'm looking for recomendations on manufacturer and sources for same. Also there are three roof vents, only the most forward vent has wiring for a vent fan, is this the typical vent used for the AC placement?

Thanks in advance,
Brian Sawyer
Lexington, KY

[Silvertwinkie]

Not sure on the size of the opening needed, but I have to say that the Penguin is a nice unit. I have the smaller BTU for the 19' Bambi which does the job, but in talking with Jack, anything larger you might want to consider the 13,500k BTU Penguin.

Eric

[boltos]

Would you have a source for this brand you could recommend? I am not coming up with anything in an Internet search.

Thanks,
Brian Sawyer

[Silvertwinkie]

Sorry, that would help...

It is made by Duo-Therm which in turn is owned by Dometic. I like this unit because of it's low profile stance compared to some of the older units I've seen.

Hope this helps.

Eric

[Chas]

The middle vent location is where your a/c unit should go. On your 70 model the 120 volt wiring should already be in place.

[boltos]

I would rather put it there! There is a light fixture about 4" away, is the 120v evident when I remove the vent, or can I reach over and pull it from the nearby light?

Also, how/where is the condensate line run? I believe I read somewhere that it would be in place between the outer/inner skin for that year.....again, evident once the vent is pulled out?

Thanks,
Brian Sawyer
Lexington, KY

[Silvertwinkie]

I may be wrong here, but the lights work on a 12v system. If the wiring is up there, I would think that you might have to find the AC power lines since the light lines are DC or at least they are on my 2003 and were on our 82 SOB and 71 SOB.

Eric

[joecj76]

You need to call the factory! They can tell you exactly where the wiring and drain line are. I doubt that they are at the vents. I recently did a factory style a/c installation in my 71 tradewind and the factory's help was invaluable. They can tell you exactly where it should go in order to maintain your tongue weight. Before you start you need to have the condensate pan in hand as, sometimes there can be a wait after you order them. My a/c required cutting a hole (!!!!!!!!) through the skin to locate the wires and condensate tube. It is not a difficult job, but can be rather bothersome. There are several other threads around that may also be helpful, just punch in drain pan or pengiun, or ac installation in the search engine. The penguin is a very good unit and I am very pleased with mine.

[boltos]

I did a search, and with "Drain Pan" seem to have hit the motherload! 153 posts, so I will spend some time tonight gathering info. A couple of short questions though:

1. For the 23 ft Safari, would the 13,500 BTU Penquin be adequate?
2. What are some of the Generator recomendations, I have a large 6000 watt unit, but it's way too loud to use around any campsite?

[joecj76]

Glad to help! 13,500 BTU seemed to be a bit much for my 25 footer at first, but yesterday and today it hit the 90's and I was sure glad I had it! Get the 13,500 btu unit., you won't be sorry. While I can't say for sure, I think that a 4kw gen set will run a Penguin with no problem. Maybe someone out there with a similar set up can chime in with an answer for that one!

[joecj76]

Search under "condensate pan" and "penguin"also! Lots of replies there.

[Pick]

You need to look at the current draw on the unit when running and also the STARTING current, when sizing a generator. Quite a few of our forum members are using two Honda EU2000i's in parallel.

[Safari Tim]

I have a '71 Safari and the A/C is not in a vent.

It is just in front of the last vent, which sort of makes it in the middle of the trailer. I think it is a 14 x 14" hole. You need to get the penquin model if you want to use the drain pan sold by airstream dealers.

I just had to replace an old one but it was pretty simple.

When finished you should still have all three vents.

You can see pictures of mine and the drain pan/tube, at my website.

http://www.telecom-pros.com/tim/airs...er_trouble.htm

[joecj76]

I wanted to take this oportunity to publicly thank Safari Tim for his long distance help when I was replacing my wing windows. I sometimes think he is to blame for my addiction . Anyway, he is a truely good guy to listen to, as he knows from where he speaks. one high five for Tim
Joe