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Old 12-22-2017, 10:25 PM   #1
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One AC unit in a 30ft AS

I am looking for my first AS and have seen a couple of 30ft units pre 2015 with AC units that are not ducted with only one unit. My question is; will one AC unit cool a 28-30ft AS in normal summertime temperatures of 80-90 degrees?
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Old 12-22-2017, 10:44 PM   #2
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Old 12-23-2017, 04:58 AM   #3
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I am looking for my first AS and have seen a couple of 30ft units pre 2015 with AC units that are not ducted with only one unit. My question is; will one AC unit cool a 28-30ft AS in normal summertime temperatures of 80-90 degrees?
It depends on where you camp.

I live not to far from you in NC. Over the last 20+ years I have owned several 30' Airstream trailers, in which a single AC was adequate. The 34' I own right now has a single AC unit that is adequate. 95% of my camping has been on the east side of the US, south of Virginia and into Florida.

If I camped in Texas in the middle of the summer, I would be giving different information. Temperature at the location is the deciding factor on what quantity of ACs are adequate.

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August a few years ago I spent several days/nights in central Fl in my 34', when the afternoon temperatures were 100F+ and humidity was high. Parked in full sun during the first half of the day and shaded in the afternoon, the single 15k btu AC unit kept the trailer interior comfortable (T-stat set ~76-78F). The only issue was a little bit of dripping condensation each time the AC cycled off.
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Old 12-23-2017, 05:05 AM   #4
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We managed low 80s inside with one. Thats normal temps for our home in fl. We Just Use Fans To Help.
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Old 12-23-2017, 05:14 AM   #5
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Ditto for me, had two 30 footers with a single unit and camped in the South in Summer. Not frosty, but cool enough.
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Old 12-23-2017, 06:02 AM   #6
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Most of the time a single AC until will do the job. Adding a couple of small fans can also help. I have a ‘17 Classic that has 2 AC units but only needed both a couple of time this summer when I was in direct sun with temps in the upper 90 and 99% humidity. Have often alternate using the front and rear units just to get them a break since all of my travel has been limited to the Deep South so far.
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Old 12-23-2017, 06:43 AM   #7
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What Kendrick said.

Plus AWNINGS. If you see a used unit with a full set of awnings all around, deploying them will assist greatly on a sunny hot day. Note that the small window awnings are super easy to open and close and are far less likely to be torn up or off during a storm. It is safer to leave them deployed when you are away from your trailer exploring.

I am paranoid about leaving the big awning open every time I need to leave the immediate area, so I often simply leave it closed. A campground I was in got hit by straight line winds one day... and neighbors fortunately figured out how to take down my awning (Airstream awnings are different from most SOB awnings!). The "awning squad" only made it to about 1/3 of the camp and six RVs had damage when awning ams where ripped loose, etc.
The electric awnings and sensors looked pretty appealing in the aftermath.

The main awning is reasonably easy to handle - especially if you are tall and have good arm/hand strength. ZipDee helper handles can be a big assist for the vertically challenged! If you are a newcomer to Airstreams, check youtube for a good how to video on the main awning ---- look like an old hand even if you aren't![emoji6]

Paula
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Old 12-23-2017, 07:10 AM   #8
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We have a 30' with one AC. We do not camp in really hot conditions. We use the door in the hallway and the air directors on the AC and just cool the half of the trailer we are occupying. That works fairly well. Deploying the awnings helps. Starting the AC before it gets really hot helps. A quick, fine spray of water over the trailer body helps knock the heat down for a while. All in all we are satisfied with the setup. But...if I had to camp in hotter parts of the country in the summer I would want more cooling. Well, actually, I would just want to go camp where it is cooler.
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Old 12-23-2017, 08:27 AM   #9
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We've had our 2005 30' Safari for a little over a year now, with a 3-week trip through the lower Midwest in June and a week in Florida on the beach during August. We did try to find shady campsites, but not all were shaded. It could've been a little cooler inside, but it felt pleasant relative to the temperatures outside.

I'd buy a single-AC 30-footer again with the experience we've had so far. Good luck!
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Old 12-23-2017, 09:16 AM   #10
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One AC cooling

Our experience with our 2004 Classic S/O with a 15,000 BTU unit is that the unit will cool maybe to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air and no more i.e. if it's 100f you may get down to 80f inside. Camping in the shade definitely helps. Every unit at our local dealer here in TX almost exclusively has two units on the roof and for good reason.
Having said all of that, we've had ours since new and have suffered only on a few occasions but travel mostly in the springtime and fall of the year.
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Old 12-23-2017, 09:30 AM   #11
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We have a 27 FB w/one AC & have put 30K miles on it during the last two years. Our experience is that the single AC will reduce the interior temperature by no more than 15 degrees (and will take a while doing that if we've been traveling, ie, with no AC on). So for us NWerners, not used to hot weather, the single AC works for us with exterior temperatures up to 85-90. If it's over 90 outside, I'd want a 2nd AC.
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Old 12-23-2017, 09:36 AM   #12
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I would look for one with 2 AC units, One unit might keep you cool enough on a hot day but two units are a better bet when the summer sun unleashes its full power on you. Also do not underestimate the benefit of the 50 amp electrical system that comes with two units,

You may be seeing several of the larger units with only one AC because the previous owners have upgraded their Airstreams because they needed the second AC.
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Old 12-23-2017, 09:53 AM   #13
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I only have one AC unit in my 1994 Airstream Excella (which I only replaced for the first time last year). I live in Phoenix and it would definitely not be enough to deal with the 100+ days of 100* temps we get out here... but in the summers from about April through September at least, I head to the West Coast or up to the 7,000 altitudes of Mountain Arizona. At those locations, one AC is adequate for the occasional day you need to use it. Another consideration of having two AC units is that you have definitely have to have a 50 amp hookup to use them both without straining them.

Awnings are very useful in helping to dissapate heat buildup. Earlier on, Paula mentioned that she was afraid to leave her unit with the main awning deployed in fear of potential wind storms that might tear it off... a sight most of us long term campers have seen more than once... here I will share a tip and old time camper taught me years ago... As part of my set up when I deploy my main awning, I always droop one end or the other one notch in the direction of the prevailing winds and to let any rain run off...and not to let the wind get underneath that end as easily... more importantly, I also secure the ends with a strap at each end that attached to an old empty cat little box (3 gallon?) or similar, sometimes with a spring that allows it just a little give... I then fill the boxes with sand, dirt, or rocks. This, combined with the Camco (or similar) awning deflappers... gives me complete peace of mind when I am away from the unit when storms are predicted.

Photo From San Diego... where high winds are rare most of the time

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/...88486561935762
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Old 12-23-2017, 10:00 AM   #14
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I opted for two A/C units in my 26'. (pretty rare)
Here in the south I didn't want to be wishing I had opted for the second unit. You can always turn it off. You can run one or the other depending if you'd like more cool air in the bedroom or living area. And either unit won't have to work as hard to maintain a decent temperature.
The other advantage was the addition of 50 amp service. (although I'm not sure AS does you any favors with that monster cable that's hard to coil.)
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Old 12-23-2017, 10:13 AM   #15
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... And either unit won't have to work as hard to maintain a decent temperature.
An air conditioner needs to 'work hard' in order to dehumidify properly. If an A/C is continually cycling the space will be cold, but the air will feel damp. Sometimes less is more. (Obviously this won't be the case in areas of 'dry' heat.)
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Old 12-23-2017, 11:28 AM   #16
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Maybe one for you, but its two for me.

I live in East Tennessee and owned a 25' FB with one AC and were most definitely not satisfied. We put awnings all the way around and traveled with aluminized bubble wrap in the windows. In summer, we sweated in KY, AR, MO, and KS. When we went for a 30', we got one with two ACs (2011) and have not been disappointed. Always comfortable. Don't always need both units, but always have them when I need them. To me, it doesn't make sense to own a high-end trailer and not be comfortable in almost all circumstances.
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Old 12-23-2017, 12:56 PM   #17
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I've survived about four years now in my '82 Excella 34' in south Texas with one AC unit. I laugh at recent arrivals to my part of the country when they complain about the heat when it hits 95°.

When I got the trailer the existing single unit gave up the ghost in a few months. I replaced it with a 15,000 BTU Coleman and have been surprised at just how well it works here. In the middle of August, in the middle of a sunny afternoon I could probably be talked into buying a second unit, if I encountered a very good sales closer. Unless you have a spare $Thou laying around I would say try it with one unit and see if that works for you. There is a big difference between high heat for a few days and high heat for a few months.

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Old 12-23-2017, 01:15 PM   #18
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I removed the second AC over the bed and installed a new maxxair fan. We did not like the noise and wouldn't want the ac running over our head at night anyway.

But we don't go to hot climes. If it's hot, we mobile ourselves someplace else.

Pat
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Old 12-23-2017, 01:32 PM   #19
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I find that the farther north we go that the colder people keep their homes in summer and the hotter they keep them in winter. In Fl we keep it at 80 to 82 inside in summer and 68 in winter. So people tend to do the same with campers.
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Old 12-23-2017, 01:57 PM   #20
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