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Shinytoaster · 08-23-2021, 11:08 AM

Good morning/afternoon.. well, I have a 1984 325 MoHo under renovation. Needs two new AC units.. the RV auto electrician we've used (who is very good) said stay away from new/recent Dometic units... most of his call outs are to repair them. He also said Colman appears to be reliable (I don't believe he as any association with any of them).

With that in mind... I was hoping to find the new Colman Mach 8 systems (2 off) - no such luck at all other than the much smaller 9.2K BTU.. lead times seem to 'unknown', for all the others. Apparently all new units are going to manufacturers.

My 325 is 32.5' long, Q - would 2x 9.2 BTU units be suffice? Given that only one will run at a time (unless with the generator running), I think not.

Advice/ideas/perspectives welcome.

Thanks -
Pete

jondrew55 · 08-23-2021, 11:16 AM

I had Coleman Mach 8's on one of my motorhomes. They are very low profile (a good thing) but required a very high speed fan to get enough air over what I thought to be undersized coils (a bad thing). They were very loud and I was embarrassed to have them running in a campground. Especially when we used them for the heat pump function and a lot of people had their windows open. The fan blades were prone to cracking and separating due to the high speed. You might want to do w web search to see if they've improved them over the last 5 or 6 years. I was ready to yank them out and replace them even thought they were working.

n2916s · 08-23-2021, 12:59 PM

I don’t have a MoHo, just a 27’ Safari. My single 15000btu A/C struggles with the Florida heat, so much so that I am having a second 13,500btu A/C installed this Fall.

I think you will not be happy with 19000btu’s.

Shinytoaster · 08-23-2021, 01:20 PM

Thanks Jon - I do believe they have upgraded them, well... the website says it's the latest model... maybe the latest in the last 5-6 years

. The bummer is I can't get anything for reasonable money, other than the 9.2K BTU and shops that a gouging ($2600 for a single unit)... I hate that. Out of principle I won't buy anything from those shops as I can't trust their pricing.

Your perspective is a good one, thanks.

Shinytoaster · 08-23-2021, 01:22 PM

Thanks N2916s - that was my concern, down here in Fl with the heat and moisture to contend with the two 9.2 might overly struggle - esp since only one will run at a time. Cheers!

uncle_bob · 08-23-2021, 01:25 PM

Hi

The claim from a sales guy I talked to a month or two back is that the latest Coleman version is indeed quieter than what they had out a year or two ago. One can alway trust a sales guy to be 100% accurate when he's selling you something ..... right?

Right now, finding most RV parts is going to be tough. Every RV manufacturer on the planet has their factories running as fast as the parts supplies will allow.

Bob

jondrew55 · 08-23-2021, 01:27 PM

Why would only one run at a time? Put an external power cord out to one of them and you can run it directly off one of the 110 lines on most power pedestals. The other can run thru your (I assume) 30 amp house wiring.

Shinytoaster · 08-23-2021, 08:18 PM

Good point - I'm not sure how to do that wiring, but I'll look into it.

At the moment it's one or the other unless the generator is running in which case the rear come on automatically and you can select the front unit. I guess we'd run another line from the breaker to the outside receptacle... or something like that.

I though about converting to 50amp circuits but with the amount of $ we're already sinking into de bus it's a project for another day/year..possibly decade

jondrew55 · 08-23-2021, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinytoaster

Good point - I'm not sure how to do that wiring, but I'll look into it.

At the moment it's one or the other unless the generator is running in which case the rear come on automatically and you can select the front unit. I guess we'd run another line from the breaker to the outside receptacle... or something like that.

I though about converting to 50amp circuits but with the amount of $ we're already sinking into de bus it's a project for another day/year..possibly decade

Don't know about you but I’d be fine with an extension cord hanging off the 2nd AC. Plug it in when you need it. When it comes to staying cool appearances don’t matter as long as it’s safe electrically. If you have the skills to wire it correctly or can pay someone to do it so much the better

rowiebowie · 08-23-2021, 09:18 PM

PPLmotorhomes in Houston is my "go-to" seller of all things rv. They usually have a good inventory, but are out of every Coleman Mach 8 model except the 13.5K heatpump below. Sale priced at $1055.55 until 08/27/21. But don't expect them to stay in stock that long. I purchased a 15K non heatpump model back in May. Shipping was $110.

As to the loudness, the new Mach 8' "Plus" models are quieter than the previous non "Plus" models. They redesigned the exterior fan so you no longer need to buy a "hush" kit. As far as inside, mine is as loud as the old Coleman model (not a Mach 8) on high fan speed. But it is significantly quieter on low fan speed. But I'm comparing this to the old Coleman that had only "High" and "Higher" fan speeds.

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...-white_08.0198

jondrew55 · 08-23-2021, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

PPLmotorhomes in Houston is my "go-to" seller of all things rv. They usually have a good inventory, but are out of almost every Coleman Mach 8 model except the 13.5K heatpump below.

As to the loudness, the new Mach 8' "Plus" models are quieter than the previous non "Plus" models. They redesigned the exterior fan so you no longer need to buy a "hush" kit. As far as inside, mine is as loud as the old Coleman model (not a Mach 8) on high fan speed. But it is significantly quieter on low fan speed. But I'm comparing this to the old Coleman that had only "High" and "Higher" fan speeds.

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...-white_08.0198

Maybe. The hush kits reduced the fan speed and the newer models have a lower speed option built in to reduce noise. Maybe it’s ok, I don’t know. I had not heard Dometic was experiencing exceptionally high failure rates.

rowiebowie · 08-23-2021, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

PPLmotorhomes in Houston is my "go-to" seller of all things rv. They usually have a good inventory, but are out of every Coleman Mach 8 model except the 13.5K heatpump below. Sale priced at $1055.55 until 08/27/21. But don't expect them to stay in stock that long. I purchased a 15K non heatpump model back in May. Shipping was around $120.

As to the loudness, the new Mach 8' "Plus" models are quieter than the previous non "Plus" models. They redesigned the exterior fan so you no longer need to buy a "hush" kit. As far as inside, mine is as loud as the old Coleman model (not a Mach 8) on high fan speed. But it is significantly quieter on low fan speed. But I'm comparing this to the old Coleman that had only "High" and "Higher" fan speeds.

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...-white_08.0198

The new ac's ship with the roof gasket attached and if you're replaceing an older Coleman, it is a simple plug and play to the existing controller. If you're replacing another brand (Dometic) ac, I'd call PPL direct and speak to one of their sales people to order control modules and interior grills.

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...ontrol_06.0707

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...le-new_72.0727

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...t-pump_81.0979

Man, the extras really add up, especially for two ac's. Ouch!

PS. - PPL's website has a banner that says $9.99 shipping special for on-line orders. Don't know if that includes ac's since mine came via RTL drop ship from the Kansas Factory.

rowiebowie · 08-23-2021, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jondrew55

Maybe. The hush kits reduced the fan speed and the newer models have a lower speed option built in to reduce noise. Maybe it’s ok, I don’t know. I had not heard Dometic was experiencing exceptionally high failure rates.

Completely different fan design from earlier Mach 8 models and exterior noise is not a problem on my class b.

rowiebowie · 08-23-2021, 09:58 PM

You may only need the controller unit if you have a wall thermostat like me. Otherwise, you may be able to control your Mach 8 solely by the controls on the inside shroud. Good questions to ask the PPL rep.

Shinytoaster · 08-24-2021, 06:08 AM

Thanks all - I sent PPL a request this morning, hopefully they are still there

I'm still figuring out the control of the existing units, the propane heating isn't turning on and the two units look rough (at least one of them) so I have no idea if the electronic side of it is functional. I tried Turing the heating up to max temp, still no luck. I can't find any propane valves near the units. More homework needed. My earlier assumption was that the two thermostats only controlled the heaters but maybe the AC units as well - I don't know.. tricky as (in addition to the AC and propane heaters) the water heater doesn't work, nor the fridge. Managed to get the gas on the fridge working (but not cooling) and the cooker. A long road ahead.

They sound like a decent bunch of folks at PPL... and not gouging like others.

Again - thank you!

Shinytoaster · 08-24-2021, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

The new ac's ship with the roof gasket attached........Kansas Factory.

This is fabulous, thanks for your efforts... and yes, Reno/repair of the o'l lass is hurting... not sure it's the smartest (financial) decision) but....

Not sure there's any mechanical items that work correctly (other than generator and cooker)... yet

jondrew55 · 08-24-2021, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Completely different fan design from earlier Mach 8 models and exterior noise is not a problem on my class b.

I did a bit of investigating and see they went to a 3 blade fan (?) and added a low speed to reduce noise when max performance is not required. Apparently it was bad enough that some company started selling "Hush Kits" for ones I had.

rowiebowie · 08-24-2021, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinytoaster

Managed to get the gas on the fridge working (but not cooling) and the cooker. A long road ahead.

They sound like a decent bunch of folks at PPL... and not gouging like others.

Again - thank you!

Some have reported luck bringing back old absorption fridges by removing, turning upside for a while, then reinstalling. They called it "burping" their fridges. But I have no knowledge of the specific technique.

And yes, PPL has been good to deal with. We even bought our rig from their consignment lot 4 years ago. Their prices are up since then, but not nearly as much as others and they dare to still offer "sale" prices.

Bompagene · 08-24-2021, 10:17 AM

Check out RecPro.com lots of good reviews. I’m going to replace my 13k Dometic with one of their 15k units on my 1979 Sovereign. No thermostat required, heat pump included. Supposed to have soft start technology built in.