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Old 11-11-2020, 09:39 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by byu2beach View Post
Good Morning,
I can't seem to add pictures but I'll try again later. My coach isn't an Airstream, but the longest and tallest Ford Diesel van. Anyway I'm familiar with replacing Dometic's as I had them on my former Class A. The Houghton uses a different type of mating seal between the AC and the roof of the coach. I used and highly recommend the machined adapter made by Hein at diyvan.com . You might want to speak with Hein to see if you should use the adapter for your application. The adapter gives you a completely flat surface. Anyway, to lift the unit onto the roof, I rented a Sumner 12 ft. lift from Home Depot 142281 then I went inside Home Depot and purchased 2 each 1 1/4 x 60" pipe to put in the ends of the lift forks. I and Joanne set the unit on the end of the now extended forks raised the lift and rolled it to the van at which point I slid it off and onto 2 blocks I had placed front and back of the hole. The blocks were made up of 2 2x4's stacked, each with a srew screwed into the front face so that I could easily pull them out 1 at a time. I lowered the back first and then went around and lowered the front.
Thanks for sharing the details. Renting a Sumner lift is a great way to safely complete this task.
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Old 11-27-2020, 12:11 PM   #22
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Just installed a new Houghton in my 2007 Airstream Classic. Could not stand the noise of the Dometic any longer and since I live in Florida and unit was original equipment thought it was time. Install was easy except now I have a problem. Assumed my original thermostat would still work. Since the Houghton has its own internal I just disconnected the original wires that went into the Dometic and capped off thinking the thermostat would still work the on board gas heat.. Now my thermostat will not work but I still need it for the gas heater. Any ideas?
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Old 11-27-2020, 02:11 PM   #23
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If you have the Dometic CCC2 thermostat, what I’ve been told is the work around is to the board and the temperature sensor that was in the Dometic AC unit is removed and placed somewhere in the inner part of Houghton.

I’ve been told both ways that the Dometic thermostat has worked. I’ve also been told the wall thermostat will not work but that the remote can somehow be wired to let the Houghton remote control kick on the heater.

I am currently searching for someone who might know how to wire it up to make the existing furnace still work either way, or for instructions on how the wiring goes. I think it might not be a super complicated thing if anyone is knowledgeable of AC and wiring, but I have not found anyone who can help yet. I’m pretty sure the board is available on Amazon or through a Dometic supplier for those who might not have known and gotten rid of their old AC unit already. Others have suggested a more simple thermostat may work, although I cannot vouch for that myself. I personally would like to have the answer before attempting to mounting the AC unit.

As for the AC adapter, I ordered the adapter from Hein, but you need to have the particular measurements for where the previous hole is located on the roof. I do not have the unit out yet, so will have to provide the measurement when it is taken off. Thanks for the information though, as if I hadn’t run across that already, it would be good to know..
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Old 11-27-2020, 06:56 PM   #24
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My (non-Hougton) experience, for those who've not done their own ac replacement. I replaced a Coleman for a Coleman that was 6 years newer but still used the same connector plug and module.

By staying with the same brand and recent year replacement, it made replacement a simple plug & play install so I did not encounter the thermostat/heater problems that others have.

I mention this for those who might want to try their own replavement with something like the newer quiet models (Coleman NDQ comes to mind) that was likely in response to the Houghton. Not as quiet, but still a huge improvement.

My Mach 8 Plus model is not considered a low noise (Coleman had not yet come out with their NDQ) and it is not the low profile I needed. But I will say my new one is noticeably more quiet than the older Coleman it replaced. Mostly due to the fact it has an actual medium fan speed, whereas my old Coleman had only "High" & "Higher" fan speeds. The NDQ is much quieter by the reviews I've seen.

Quieter ac's are loooog overdue. My hat's off to Houghton for pushing this needed improvement.
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Old 11-28-2020, 07:22 AM   #25
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The new Houghton AC is much quieter than the old Dometic so all good there. I unfortunately disposed of the Dometic before realizing I should have perhaps kept the control board. Looks as if I can buy a new one but looking at the schematic of my Atwood gas heater I believe I can simply add a two wire Atwood thermostat (about $25.00) and it will run the heater only. At least that is where I think I am heading.
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Old 11-29-2020, 06:19 AM   #26
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Lots of good information. Thank you.

But I see it got moved to the generic Repairs and Parts forum section. This started as an Airstream Interstate specific install.
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Old 11-29-2020, 03:29 PM   #27
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Yeah, disappointed to see this got moved. It really was about installing it on an Interstate. Guess I’ll have to post one more about mounting it on an Interstate or something....
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Old 02-22-2021, 10:30 PM   #28
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I’m contemplating installing the Houghton on a 22FB, the existing PenguinII is just too loud and I would like to have the heat pump....and the lower power draw would also be nice.

I am curious how people solve for the condensation drain, none of the videos of installs on the Interstate or other class B seems to cover this piece. Where does the condensation go?
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Old 06-06-2021, 12:15 PM   #29
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SilverHouseDreams, any update on your install? We have a 27FB and are considering this unit. Just want to make sure our ducks are in a row before ordering and starting an install.
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Old 06-10-2021, 04:35 PM   #30
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Hello all. Thanks for the info on your install. Where can i get one of those airconditioners? and do they have an Ac/heatpump model?
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Old 08-13-2021, 10:22 AM   #31
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I've bought this unit (Houghton Belaire H3400) and have it *mostly* installed now. It's mounted on the roof anyway Our AS is undergoing a total renovation and the interior skins are off, so I'm waiting to install the interior plenum. This part of the installation was rather easy, all things considered. The other thing besides the interior plenum is the condensate line. I don't want to drain it down the outside.

The hardest part is getting a 100 pound awkward object safely on to the roof! And that was really hard! What we ended up doing was extending our tallest ladder so that it had a minimal slope to the top of the AS (maybe 30 degrees?). Then we attached rope around the Houghton and my wife pulled the rope from the other side of the AS while I kept it centered and pushed it up the ladder. It worked. I don't know that I'd recommend it, but it worked. I'll post a time-lapse video of it if we ever finish laughing at ourselves :-D

Anyway, my plan for the condensate is to locate the drain hole under the Houghton and install a condensate line (a connector and a 20' line can be bought for less than $25 on Amazon) and route it inside the trailer and down through the wall to a drain port behind the wheels. To make this work, I'll have to cut a hole in the exterior skin. I can't figure out a better way. The good news is that the hole will be under the Houghton and protected from the elements. I'd love to get any suggestions if others have done this.
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Old 08-13-2021, 11:26 AM   #32
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I got mine at recpro.com, and yes they have the heat pump model. I think that's actually the only model they carry at the 13,500 size of the Belaire. They also have a 9500 BTU model that is AC-only.
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Old 08-13-2021, 11:35 AM   #33
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Keep us updated and anyone else have any ideas on what to do with the condensate drain? I am right before ordering either a Coleman Mach 8 with condensate pump or the Recpro. Just not to happy about another hole in my roof.
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Old 08-14-2021, 07:07 PM   #34
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I'm In on this Thread

Looks like the long serving Coleman Mach is suffering another attitude and given its age, replacement is inevitable.

Online search of low profile heat pump/ac yielded the Houghton.

And here on Airforums I find a thread about it!

I may be purchasing soon and will document install with pics on 73 Sovereign if I do.

Quote:
Keep us updated and anyone else have any ideas on what to do with the condensate drain? I am right before ordering either a Coleman Mach 8 with condensate pump or the Recpro. Just not to happy about another hole in my roof.
Shouldn't be a problem if properly located (directly below drain) and flashed/sealed properly. (It's within the footprint of the unit anyway, right?)

Just off the top of my head I'd probably go with an oversize hole (yeah, I know) and use a bushing or rubber grommett with inside diameter sized to snugly accommodate drain hose (or spout).

If the bushing/grommet had a tall flange(1/2") and was properly sealed to the roof (like a curb) before installing unit/drain line, it would not be a likely source for leaks. (Unless the roof sagged at that point. That could be addressed as well if necessary)

I would mount unit, mark drain hole (exactly), remove unit, drill hole, install grommet/bushing with sealant, then remount unit.

But I don't have the unit in front of me, so I might be missing something important.

(My main concern would be proper location of hole so no deviation/slop whatsoever.)
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Old 09-21-2021, 08:53 AM   #35
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1981 27' International
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Quick update... Summary: For a few reasons, ultimately, I did not install or connect a condensate line with this unit.

1. After testing and examining the exit points for the condensate from the bottom of the unit, I found 3 or 4 holes condensate can exit from on both sides of the unit. Setting up multiple lines seemed beyond what I wanted to attempt, and beyond practical.

2. The unit supposedly and lower condensate amounts and the flow from the fan blows in such a way that the condensate may evaporate wholly or at least be reduced. I haven't tested this, but it might make the condensate line unnecessary.

3. I'm considering installing solar and could install 3/4" aluminum rails to channel any condensate to the rear.

Basically, this unit should have smaller quantities of condensate and I like the idea of channeling the water and draining it externally more than worrying about it internally.
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Old 09-21-2021, 12:43 PM   #36
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If I recall correctly, the Dometic unit that came standard with our AI simply drains condensate right off the roof. No condensate lines, internal or otherwise. Hopefully, the same approach will work for your Houghton.
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Old 09-23-2021, 04:45 PM   #37
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I've received my Houghton unit but have yet to remove from box.

The current Coleman Mach is working (after replacing fan motor capacitor) and cooling is not longer as much of an issue given cooler weather (though I'm anxious to see if heat pump function actually works).

I need to paint the roof and plan to do so before swapping AC units. I have the single stage white and need to get up on roof to prep, prime, and then paint...and not looking forward to any of it (or masking off the whole unit).

While the idea of a hidden condensation line sounds nice, I guess we've been living with condensation off the roof for over 15 years...so no big deal.
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Old 09-27-2021, 04:40 PM   #38
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Solyoung, how was mounting the unit on a curved surface? We have a 2012, so less curve than your 70s model, but I see Rec Pro has a disclaimer about it. Also, did you have to rewire your furnace? I'm still working that one out in my head.
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Old 09-28-2021, 09:51 AM   #39
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It wasn't hard, but you absolutely MUST resolve the curve before mounting. On my curvy 1981, I needed about 1/2" of filler on the sides and then sort of made my own curve between the side pieces. I used 1/2" PVC trim sheeting and cutting the square mount and then cutting, grinding, and sanding it to the right shape was pretty easy really. The hardest part was getting the dang thing on the roof.
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Old 09-29-2021, 10:48 AM   #40
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Just a quick note: On our prior Airstream International Signature 27FB, we had a drain line for air conditioning condensate. It exited into the front of the wheel well on the street side. Just a little clear hose, out of which all the water drained onto the ground. In heat pump mode, however, the water off the cold external coils just drained right out onto the roof.

On our Airstream Interstate van, as I noted above, which is just an AC unit and not a heat pump, there doesn't seem to be a drain line at all. Condensate seems to drain right onto the roof.
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