AC not cooling below 90

[Gleverett]

I had a 25'FC twin for about 5 years which was a 2015 the first year Airstream went to ducted air. Our 25' originally did not have awnings all the way around. We found just traveling in the South it took along time to cool it to a tolerable temp inside especially after driving most of the day in the sun. We had JC add the awnings which improved some. Parking in the shade helped some and using a small portable fan inside to circulate air helped alot.

I think the 25' length is about where the decision for dual AC's comes in depending on where you live and where you travel too. I've seen quite a few 25 footers with dual AC's but most are single.

Good luck with finding a solution. Sounds like lots of good tips to check out from the forum.

[Gleverett]

Originally Posted by Gleverett

I had a 25'FC twin for about 5 years which was a 2015 the first year Airstream went to ducted air. Our 25' originally did not have awnings all the way around. We found just traveling in the South it took along time to cool it to a tolerable temp inside especially after driving most of the day in the sun. We had JC add the awnings which improved some. Parking in the shade helped some and using a small portable fan inside to circulate air helped alot.

I think the 25' length is about where the decision for dual AC's comes in depending on where you live and where you travel too. I've seen quite a few 25 footers with dual AC's but most are single.

Good luck with finding a solution. Sounds like lots of good tips to check out from the forum.

PS: 90% of our travels with the 25'. were just fine with the single AC.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Gleverett

PS: 90% of our travels with the 25'. were just fine with the single AC.

In one of their videos, LoLoHo said, "Our trailer came equipped with wheels, ....so when it's too hot we move."
Good concept, but not always feasible if you visit family or certain areas.
One AC was a deal breaker for me. In addition, the 50 amp service is great.
Do I miss a second Fantastic fan? I have windows I've never opened!
I am planning on expanding my horizons this year with a dabble in dispersed camping and more state parks.

[RWallace]

I have the same basic trailer as you and encountered the same issue. Two things improved the situation remarkably. First, clean the return register. Not just the outside part you see, but the filter behind the register after you unscrew and remove the register. Second, modify the output registers per instructions on this site.

These two things alone be like night and day. Additionally, if you can’t see water coming out of the AC drain tube in the wheel well, then the coil is frozen over with ice. This happens when you don’t get adequate air flow over the coil. This won’t happen if you do the two things above.

The factory registers reduce air flow by 50% even when fully open. Not a good design.

[cbburke]

Our current Airstream is a 2018 30' Classic. The one before was a 2004 30" Classic. In 2004 Airstream rarely put two AC's on a coach, including 34'. They were still using pink insulation not the "better" brown stuff they currently use. I took the ADB down discovered the factory had not properly installed the unit. The outlet duct was not sealed from the intake duct so it was recirculating cooled air back into the unit. Once I fixed that problem the one AC was able to cool the coach well. We survived the 100 deg days at the International at Farmington, NM with no problems with one AC.

Later we purchased the '18 widebody Classic with 2 AC's and ducted air. The '18 did not cool as well as the '04. With some suggestions for other treads on this forum we took the outlet vents down and set them to full open and pin them in place using avalanche adhesive Now our '18 cools well under all types of weather.

[jcanavera]

I learned my lesson back in 2001 with a brand new 27' Safari. Back in the day the standard A/C unit was the 13.5 BTU Penguin. First trip out 104 degrees in Hannibal Mo with full sun. The Safari could only hold temp at 88 degrees in those conditions. Had the dealer and Jackson Center check out the A/C unit and they told me that it was working according to specs.

I added an awning on the street side of the trailer that was the full length. That helped a great deal, but I avoided camping in areas where temps where that hot again. Fast forward to 3 years later I bought a 30' Classic slide out and the Airstream standard was again that 13.5 A/C unit. I upgraded to the 15K unit when I placed the order and never regretted it. With the ducting now being used today, I would most likely have 2 units. I still have that Classic today with the same 15K unit.

Jack

[guskmg]

I believe if you had insulated curtain liners you would notice much improved cooling in your trailer.
guskmg

[Spartanguy]

Originally Posted by alphamale49

Out west or in Florida I have always wished I had 2 air conditioners.

Well an Alphamale such as yourself, I can only imagine [emoji849]

#leansystemdesign that’s why I’m an Airstreamer, it’s a philosophy of camping for me. Y’all checked out those new fifth wheels, they got garages now and porches two

[Spec7op]

Yes awnings were deployed and yes it won’t cool on shore power either. I’ll rip the vent covers off as suggested by Wulfratt and see what happens. Are you supposed to hear/feel a difference in airflow on the manual Lo/Med/High settings. Like I mentioned earlier, I can’t tell any change. I’m thinking I may need to pay a visit to the top, remove the cover, and see if there are any bird/mice nests anywhere. Thanks all for chiming in.

[mkcurtiss]

If i am unfortunate enough to be in direct sun in 90-100 degree temps, i find it helpful, during the heat of the day, to slightly open the two vents in the ceiling and turn on the fans on low to help get the hottest air in top of the camper out quickly and it helps. Although mine is a vintage airstream, there is really not a dimes worth of difference at the end of the day.

[PatLee]

Ditto Mollysdad's points. Another suggestion - if you're camping in a hot during the day/cool at night environment, turn A/C on earlier in the day before it gets hot.

[PC Conner]

Originally Posted by SeaLevel

We replaced all of our vent covers, except the one in the bathroom with these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I painted them to better match the aluminum and removed the screens. The AC now does a much better job of cooling down the AS. I also stuffed some foam backing up into the ends of the vents and used some furnace tape so that the vents didn't extend 6 inches or so past the two vent openings at the end of the run above the twin beds.

THX for link to vents.
I don't have access to my AS right now, so can't look at my vents. Maybe that would reduce my confusion.
1. Just to clarify, these vents are the same size as the AS (I have 27' FC-FBQ), fit without modification.
2. I don't follow: "I also stuffed some foam backing up into the ends of the vents and used some furnace tape so that the vents didn't extend 6 inches or so past the two vent openings at the end of the run above the twin beds."
Can you explain that differently?--maybe that pic worth 1K words would help, but not asking for a lot of extra effort for your.
3. Did you use gloss aluminum spray paint?
THX in advance for your consideration.