2nd A/C? Or fantastic fan on 27 with ducting?

[thebreezeman]

Getting ready to order a 2015 27fb. If I get the 2nd a/c, they remove the bedroom fantastic fan and I'm stuck with a heavy 50 amp cord. Also it adds about 100 lbs, a lot of which will be on the hitch. On the other hand, if it gets really hot, it would be nice to have the extra cooling.
Has anyone bought a 2015 with single air and if so, how do you like it?

[paiceman]

We ordered the two A/Cs on our 30' after having another 30' without and a 25' without. The 30' comes with two fantastic fans and the two A/Cs, two skylights and we have factory installed solar as well. No room up there for anything else.

We tow with an F350 6.7 Diesel Crew Cab so weight is not a concern for me at all. We opted for the 30' over the 27' and 28' as the way I figured it if I can get a 27' into a spot I can get a 30' in. With our previous 30' never really had an issue, just watched which gas station we went into and how. Campgrounds never seemed to be a problem.

Good luck and enjoy

Bud

[GeocamperAS]

We have a 28' Argosy with 1 A/C. We have been out west in early fall and all over the midwest in the dead of summer. The only time we felt we could have used a second A/C was during that very hot spell a few years back. I'm sure you remember that hot spell. It was one not easily forgotten. We were at Willow River State park just east of you (on the good side of the tracks, WI) LOL. Otherwise one A/C has been fine.
We have not been out west or down south in the dead of summer so I can not speak for that.

[AnnArborBob]

Not directly to your point, but I've always felt that if we were in an area that needed both AC units running we'd move!

Having said that, we do have two AC units (non-ducted) on our 2014 trailer and do find it nice to turn on the AC unit that is not in the space where we happen to be occupying (e.g., we turn on the BR unit during the day and the LR one at night.) That helps to minimize the noise in the occupied area. Of course, with a 2015 model you will have ducted air so this may be less of a concern.

Also, I have identified some spare roof area in the bedroom where we could install a second Fantastic Fan next to the BR AC unit if we ever choose to do so. Thus, I would not assume that two AC's precludes two Fantastic Fans.

[dkottum]

Be careful of "Inch-itis", a constant urge to trade for a little bigger Airstream with the latest gadget. It's a wallet-depleting disease that flourishes during the winter months, quickly cured with spring-summer-fall camping in your presently new Airstream.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by thebreezeman

Getting ready to order a 2015 27fb. If I get the 2nd a/c, they remove the bedroom fantastic fan and I'm stuck with a heavy 50 amp cord. Also it adds about 100 lbs, a lot of which will be on the hitch. On the other hand, if it gets really hot, it would be nice to have the extra cooling.

Has anyone bought a 2015 with single air and if so, how do you like it?

Much would depend on how you use it. High humidity summer use, not just high temperatures, should be the guide in selection for twin A/C if one is resisting that purchase.

When one does not have vehicle shade and/or adequate dehumidification is when the trailer becomes very uncomfortable. Wet bulb temperature is the issue.

Re-sale is negatively affected, and it is more expensive to add this feature post-factory. Potential buyers of your trailer may not be in your climatic region.

There are those with very definite ideas, and for yourself who is without such I would recommend you research the subjects of twin A/C units, retrofitting, and 50A service.

This is a trailer design which both cools and heats faster than others.

Good luck

[tjdonahoe]

It would depend where you spend most of your time,being from montana we never use the ac as we are in the high mountains where is cool.In calif. In early spring or in up michigan in the fall, we used the heat pump.I would have changed mine to 1 ac and 2 fantastic fans for our use ,if too hot we move.....

[akjam]

We looked at a 27FB with the ducted AC and liked the fact that it was much, much quieter than our current 2012 27FB. It was touted as being more efficient such that 1 AC with ducts would be close to the same cooling capacity as a two unit non-ducted unit. If we really wanted to shell out that kind of money for an upgrade, I would want to test that assertion a lot more. Not sure how to do it unless it was 100 degrees out and had the unit side-by-side, however.
Jim

[iowaroots]

A complete awning package is a real benefit in combating the attack of the sun in hot summer. 2-ac units would be great in summer desert or ultra high humidity and high temp settings. Of course a small floor fan inside is amazing for moving around the cool air as a back-up to the single ac unit. It is one of those things where you may appreciate the 2nd air 2-5 days a year but the rest of the time you are just dragging it around. My guess is that you will get more long term benefit from the 2nd Fantastic Fan than you will the 2nd ac.

[Glenritas]

If you get 2 a/c units and don't want 50A service there is a device that takes 30A service and only allows 1 a/c to run at a time automatically. Might want to ask AS about that.

Our '69 Tradwind didn't have a/c and only 1 pathetic powered vent over the bedroom area.
So we added 2 Maxxair remote controlled vents and a 15,000 BTU a/c with a 8500 BTU heat strip and got rid of the old fashioned TV antenna and replaced it with a digital antenna.

I also add a second 30A service for the side by side washer & dryer.

[EarlM]

Buy
The 2 airs better resale
It is better to have it and not have it and need

In the grand scheme of thing the expense compared to not having the second air is minuscule

My 2 cents

[switz]

We have a 2014 31' Classic with two air conditioners and eight solar panels on the roof. If we want to, the center exhaust fan between the shower and toilet could be converted to a Fantastic fan.

When we rewired the trailer for the solar system, we installed a new primary power panel that lets us shed AC power load (front air conditioner, water heater and refrigerator) and pass through only 30 amps of 240Vac or 120Vac to the Magnum MS2800 inverter/converter and back to the original power panel in the bedroom stressed roof locker.

Thus we can operate with either 30 amp or 50 amp power in either 240Vac or 120Vac situations

[cwf]

lost the FF, installed second AC... upgraded to 50AMP... Momma happy.

We run the fan in the center bath if cool enough.. but it doesn't happen very often. We put a MaxAir over the center bath fan... just open the cover and run the heater.. we get enough airflow to keep inside from 'fogging up' with too much moisture..

Happy ending!

[TinShack]

It also depends on your camping style. If you camp primarily in parks with full hookups, the twin AC may be for you. If you're like me and primarily dry camp or boondock, the twin AC won't do you much good, and the fresh air from the Fantastic fan is a wonderful thing.

In my 28' with the slideout, the 15,000 btu AC unit will cool the interior down to about 80 degrees with the trailer in full sun when it's 105 degrees out with low relative humidity.

[Foiled Again]

You live in Minnesota. There are parts of CANADA that are farther south. How often will you REALLY NEED a second A/C?

Every additional gizmo is something that has to be maintained and eventually replaced.

"STUFF" gets in the way of camping - Cool your A/C to an icebox, and you will reach a point where going outside into heat and humidity - for a campfire, a walk, visiting neighbors, etc. becomes a chore. How many times have you seen a moho pull into a campground and stay for 4 days - and you never see a single occupant put his or her nose outside the door after they get plugged in and set up.

I live in coastal Virginia summer it can easily get to 100 F with 99% humidity. My 13,500 BTU unit runs constantly. I do have a contingency plan for a 3-5 week heat wave when I can't get out of town. It's an auxiliary "window unit"... Cheapo cheapo small unit from the local WalMart or appliance store. I'd pop it in the window over the propane tanks (yep I'd pull out the screen, open the window and make a surround with rigid foam or plywood. Then I'd plug it in directly to the 20 amp hookup so it wouldn't overload any internal circuits.

The old spline and screen could be reinstalled 3 or 4 times before it got too worn, and after that, replacements are cheap. A 5000 BTU window unit can be had for $150 - and carried only in the middle of summer. If I didn't want to store it over the winter, I'd sell it on craigslist for $99 and buy another the next year. Simple and an OPTIONAL option. One less hole in the roof, and one less leak point.

Unless you snowbird, you'll probably need a second A/C three days a season max. A window A/C in the bedroom will cool it down plenty in 10 minutes - and the room will probably stay cool the rest of the night

[Seabees4]

after our first desert trip out i had to add the second ac unit in the front. the fans they install our pretty much useless anyways. i had the power ran down to the where the front power hookup is at behind the propane heaters. it is able to run off a 110 hookup. so i can still run the rest of the trailer off the 30 amp hookup and just run a separate cord for the front ac unit

[mnicholson65]

In Middle Tennessee the single A/C is terribly underpowered. The heat and humidity in July here is oppressive and our 2015 27fb FC single AC cannot keep up. We have to close it up until fall. Get the second unit if possible!

[CRH]

My 25ft has a good working AC. In direct summer sun in the South East, the AC is marginal. We often close off the bedroom in the middle of the day so the front can cool more. If we ever upsize, a second AC will be on the list of must haves.

[reginac]

Originally Posted by thebreezeman

Getting ready to order a 2015 27fb. If I get the 2nd a/c, they remove the bedroom fantastic fan and I'm stuck with a heavy 50 amp cord. Also it adds about 100 lbs, a lot of which will be on the hitch. On the other hand, if it gets really hot, it would be nice to have the extra cooling.

Has anyone bought a 2015 with single air and if so, how do you like it?

I have a 28 with 2 a/c units. My thought was “better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it”.

I cannot stress enough how glad I am that I got the second unit. I use it all the time. My dog cools faster, I can go anywhere without giving it a lot of thought (hot or cold), and the added weight makes zero difference in my towing.

Recently I HAD to go through arizona during 100+ weather. I literally had no choice. It was not a problem at all. I kept both a/c units on and the rig stayed a comfortable 74 in 112 weather. Believe me, I was very glad I had the second a/c both of those days.

I hope whatever you decide that it works well for you [emoji3] Happy travels.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Our one AC has done it's job very well. No ducks.

Now don't cringe here, I know it's butt ugly but boy does it work well. 👍

Bob
🇺🇸

Dewalt AC & battery fan, infinite speed control, lasted 3 days on low with 20v battery.