AC Keep or replace?

[Boondocker]

My current AC shroud has been beaten to smithereens by hail and UV exposure. It sometimes ices up and has to be unplugged and defrosted to work. As near as I can tell its maybe 15-20 years old. Otherwise serviceable. There is a long list of other items I want to take care of as well but I have to have AC that works.

My question is should I put the money into a new shroud, or get one of the low profiles from Carrier before its to late?

Repair= shroud $105 + shipping and who knows what to fix the other issue.

Replace = $700 + shipping.

What do you think?

[Lumatic]

General,

If you find yourself back Estancia way I have an Armstrong shoud in decent shape. Your's if you want it.

They can also be fiberglassed. Up on the roof no one will notice it.

[MDSilverado]

Icing is usually a result of low airflow across the evaporator (indoor) coil. Most often either dirty filters or coils are the culprit. I would say clean you coil and and see if you can get her to work properly. I was planning on replacing mine but once I saw how well she runs I decided to hold on to her. I have some slight damage to my cover and plan to fix by fiberglassing a patch form the inside and painting the outside.

[azflycaster]

I replaced mine this year with a LP Carrier 13.5K with heat strip.

My old Armstrong had a damaged shroud, the compressor did not run and the unit leaked water when it rained. It was an easy decision for me.

The new unit heats and cools very well, does not leak and the Low Profile looks great on a vintage unit.

[SSChanger]

Mine was 15 years old, had similar symptoms, then died in the heat of Summer. Cleaned the filters (an excellent suggestion), but 15 years of service is a long time for these units. Replaced it, and it was about $900 out the door, but the new unit works well and there are no worries next year. I just figured this was normal maintenance cost, and I still saved over $50K in buying a new or newer Airstream.

Good luck!

[LI Pets]

NOt a low profile but standard on ebay about $400

[Mrwaterway]

Rodney,
If it were me, I'd buy the Carrier and part out the Armstrong on Ebay. I just got my 72 Armstrong working and was about to buy a new AC. But my shroud is still very nice and the unit is working fine and the parts to repair were $50. You could recoup $100+ "parting out", the old unit if you are lucky. Keep the Armstrong supports on your AS and use them for the new unit. You will have peace of mind even though some may say the Armstrong could run another 20 years.

[Boondocker]

For a vintage 24ft: is the 13,500 large enough or is the 15,000 needed?

Go for the heat strip or pass?

What is the ducted upgrade?

Does the 68 Trade Wind have a drain tube? If not, how hard is it to thread one down between the skins?

[Boondocker]

bump

[azflycaster]

For a vintage 24ft: is the 13,500 large enough or is the 15,000 needed?
I don't camp in Phoenix, but where I have used it (rarely) the 13.5K has worked very well on my 25' Trade Wind.

Go for the heat strip or pass?
I purchased the heat strip for my Carrier LP. Recently in Fort Collins, Colorado it kept the trailer in the mid 60's when the outside temperatures were in the teens. I believe the current draw with the strip is higher then using the AC. It's a nice option when you have full hook ups.

What is the ducted upgrade?
This is for RV's that have cooling ducts to distribute the air. You would not need this option.

Does the 68 Trade Wind have a drain tube? If not, how hard is it to thread one down between the skins?
I believe you should have a tube installed from the factory. See if you can find it sticking out if the bottom of the trailer. On my 75 it exits street side just in front of the wheels.

[68 TWind]

My 68 has a drip tube from the factory a/c that runs down along the edge of the cabinet next to the stove.

[Beginner]

AC should never freeze for any reason if the charge is right.
The reason you get frost on the evaporator coils is because the refrigerant charge is low.
Refrigerant like propane or butane has a pressure/temperature constant.
What this means is that when the material (refrigerant or bottle gas) is at a certain temperature it will read a certain pressure.
With the closed loop that an AC is when the refrigerant is low the temperature of the evaporator coil (the inside one ) will be running at a temperature below freezing and frost/ice will begin to accumulate.
You should always keep the coils clean (both inside and outside) to minimize the loading on your compressor and to allow maximum efficiency.
Beginner

[kennethowens]

My vote / or opinion

a. Get a new shroud.
b. Clean the coils(both of them)(Spray-n-Wash helps).
c. Freon(but I doubt it needs any).

You have all winter to attend this chore.

[Boondocker]

After going back and forth on this I finally decided to just get the new one. Part of the finial decision was that while I am in TN I will have the tools and equipment to get the job done.

Carrier 13,500 BTU with heat strip $717.99 delivered.

[Gene]

If I had read this thread before you made your decision Rodney, I'd have said, get a new one. The reason— you take your trailer on some rough roads and the A/C probably has been fairly beaten up.

The newer digital thermostats have the option where you can keep the temp via heat pump at 40˚ when you need to keep the trailer warm and you're not in it (or wearing several layers of long johns). In the upper 20's, it automatically switches to furnace. You may not have enough wires in the walls to accommodate this option, but new ones can probably be fished through. Offhand (which means I don't want to walk down to the trailer) I think the thermostat is a DuoTherm, but perhaps Carriers have the same option.

Our trailer has more windows than yours, so 13,500 BTU may be enough for you, but when the temp is 102˚ outside, our A/C keeps it around 82-85˚ inside. We haven't tried 102˚ since we put Reflectix on the skylight, fan openings, and some windows, so that may help, but the best thing is to stay away from 102˚.

Gene

[easyride]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

After going back and forth on this I finally decided to just get the new one. Part of the finial decision was that while I am in TN I will have the tools and equipment to get the job done.

Carrier 13,500 BTU with heat strip $717.99 delivered.

If you are planning some hot weather camping,I would go with the 15,000,a hot day will have that 13,500 just working it`s butt off. Dave

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by easyride

If you are planning some hot weather camping,I would go with the 15,000,a hot day will have that 13,500 just working it`s butt off. Dave

See post #8 where I asked that very question. Then I had to bump to get any answer. I went with the advice that I had at the time, along with the fact that my current AC is (I think) a 13,500.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

See post #8 where I asked that very question. Then I had to bump to get any answer. I went with the advice that I had at the time, along with the fact that my current AC is (I think) a 13,500.

Did you already order it? You may be able to catch the seller before the unit goes out the door.

[Boondocker]

I did, this morning. I think it may ship tomorrow. I think I would need convincing that the smaller unit wont do the job in a small trailer like mine (24ft narrow body) esp since my Yamaha 2400 should be able to run it and not a 15,000 unit.

I'm open to information, but it HAS TO come this evening since the seller said it will ship tomorrow. Having said that, if the 13,500 wont cool a camper my size under most conditions, who are they making them for?

[easyride]

I put a 13500 on the Gt,my 77 27' has a 15,000,when it is banging around 100 deg. it is hard to keep it under 80 in the trailer,it is running all day until the sun sets. Just my experiences in Florida. Dave