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08-09-2016, 10:51 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9
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Outside campfire smoke comes into air conditioner
Today is my day for posting. We went camping 3 weeks back and of course people love their fires. I have asthma and so I went inside and through the whole evening, our air conditioner kept pumping smoke into our trailer from those bonfires outside. I did a little research and someone said to slide the fresh air intake closed. We checked the roof top, but could not find the fresh air intake.
Also after checking another JetStream site someone mentioned that the seal around the air conditioner make not be sealed well.
Any ideas? We are going camping this next two weeks at our state fair and I know there will be fires. I also called Dometic (air conditioner manufacture) and they said that it needed to be serviced. We can do things ourselves and my husband is good with wiring, so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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08-09-2016, 04:54 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Albany, GA.
Posts: 1,359
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I have some experience with industrial and home A/C units and have found that RV A/C units are a different story. RV A/C units have an inside grill, mounted on the ceiling, and some of these are referred to as "ducted" and "non ducted". The difference is IF you have A/C registers, or outlets, in the ceiling of different rooms in your RV then you have a ducted unit. IF you have a ducted unit look at the grill on the ceiling where the cooled air comes out and you will find a little tab that allows you to slide a piece so that cooled air comes out this register or you can close it to make the cool air come out the registers in the other rooms. This may be what someone referred to as "the fresh air intake". It's not really a fresh air intake as your RV A/C pulls air from inside the RV to cool through the intake grill which is the one with the filter. From what I know I do not see any way that smoke could be getting into your RV's A/C unit unless you do not have the seal between the A/C unit and the top of the RV. IF that seal is not there you will have a bigger problem when it rains as this seal prevents water from entering your RV. Yes, I will agree that you should have someone such as an RV tech look at your problem.
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08-09-2016, 05:04 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 904
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I have a feeling that all RV a/c units must draw in some outside air, however there is no way to adjust this. Maybe you could email the manufacturer directly, I'm sure they would respond.
__________________
former 2017 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLE owner - replaced by a Pleasure-Way Tofino and then an Ontour 2.0
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08-09-2016, 05:23 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,286
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Some RV AC units have an Fresh Air setting on the control knob on the ceiling unit, however these are usually non ducted models.
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2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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08-09-2016, 05:34 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edmonton.Alberta,Canada
Posts: 163
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Have you tried a portable air purifier ? That may help
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08-09-2016, 06:21 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9
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Thank you so much for your great input. My husband checked for that switch, he did not find any. We are running into other issues with our Toy Hauler. The Awning is not pulling out anymore, so my husband is checking the wiring and the motor. We also had a major water leak from our dehumidifier hose leaked on the floor and under the stove to the water vapor barrier under the slide! I'm sick about it right now. Hopefully insurance will take care of it. If you have any input on the awning, let me know. You're input has been greatly appreciated. Maria
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08-10-2016, 12:46 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA
Posts: 515
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An AC unit does not draw air in from the outside. If you're getting smoke from campfires (which by the way are not bonfires) inside your RV, then you have either a window or door open, or some major cracks/gaps that need to be insulated.
__________________
2016 Flagstaff 23LB
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08-10-2016, 01:02 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2
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campfires
More people are bothered by allergies than ever before. Too bad other campers cannot be more considerate with their campfires!
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08-10-2016, 01:05 PM
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#9
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Outside campfire smoke comes into air conditioner
Howie is right the outside is sealed from the inside.
No air can get in from the outside.
Look elsewhere for a leak.
2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "25"
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08-10-2016, 01:36 PM
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#10
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,142
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R/V air conditioners simply take the air that is inside your rig and recirculates it through the air conditioner to create cooler air. The inside part of the air conditioner does not draw any air from the outside part of the air conditioner on the roof.
Unless your A/C unit is somehow defective or missing some of the major seals that were installed during manufacturing, it simply could not suck smoke in through the A/C unit itself.
It could however pull smoke in through an open roof vent, an open window, an open outside storage door, a defective slide seal or any other opening to the outside of the rig.
I'm sorry you are having issues with smoke inside your rig.
Some folks with campfires have no regard for those camped next to them.
Keep in mind, (and especially to those with sensitive noses) even just a small amount of smoke that could enter the rig when someone goes in or out the rig can linger for days or longer. Just ask my wife!
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2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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08-10-2016, 02:57 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA
Posts: 515
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Quote:
Originally Posted by justdoit
More people are bothered by allergies than ever before. Too bad other campers cannot be more considerate with their campfires!
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Just exactly how is one supposed to be more considerate with a campfire? I have seasonal allergies that hit me pretty hard, but when I go camping I expect people to have campfires. Just like if I would go to a dog park I would expect to see dogs. I just take my allergy meds and deal with it.
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2016 Flagstaff 23LB
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08-10-2016, 03:05 PM
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#12
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,142
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__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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08-10-2016, 03:10 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 520
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I better stop eating peanuts around the campfire...
__________________
Mike
2015 FR3 30DS
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08-10-2016, 03:11 PM
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#14
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KansasFR3
I better stop eating peanuts around the campfire...
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And hard boiled eggs!
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2024 Ford F-Series SCREW•7.3L•4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA
Days Camped ☼ '19=118 ☼ '20=116 ☼ '21=123 ☼ '22=134 ☼ '23=118☼ '24=90
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08-10-2016, 03:24 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Leech Lake, MN
Posts: 238
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Depending on wind direction sometimes the smoke from my own campfire comes in my coach. When that happens I close the windows and door if nec. Pretty simple stuff.
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2003 GMC 2500 HD 8.1 & ALLISION TRANSMISSION
2000 SIERRA 30 ft FKSS
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08-10-2016, 04:35 PM
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#16
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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I grill on the fire
2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"
2016 nights camped "25"
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08-11-2016, 12:39 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 825
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
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X2- As I was coughing on the smoke from the campfire next door to my rig. I wanted to have my windows and vents open to the sounds of the crashing surf next to me, but my neighbors were choking me out abd I was forced to close everything up. I got my revenge though by turning on my generator for my a/c as they dined close by.
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08-11-2016, 03:21 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,270
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnlvr
X2- As I was coughing on the smoke from the campfire next door to my rig. I wanted to have my windows and vents open to the sounds of the crashing surf next to me, but my neighbors were choking me out abd I was forced to close everything up. I got my revenge though by turning on my generator for my a/c as they dined close by.
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That's Awesome. Off the original topic but I have to comment. If you do not want smoke maybe not booking a site at a campground that permits and provides for campfires would behoove you. Perhaps you should search out places that do not permit fires? They do exist.
If you are at a campsite, and the fire rings are configured so that my ring is too close to your site in your opinion, then go complain to management that you need a different site.
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08-11-2016, 03:35 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 825
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It's not necessarily the wood that makes me cough. I have a wood stove in my home- and no problems . The problem is when other people pour charcoal lighter fluid on their fires and the chemicals /petroleum based, are very irritating.
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08-11-2016, 07:01 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: N. Illinois
Posts: 2,371
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
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X2
I find half the enjoyment of RVing is having a wood fire. And if it's <75 degrees out, all the better. I guess fire ring placement gives good credence for having one of the propane campfire appliances
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2016 Flagstaff 27VRL Emerald
14K Equalizer
2020 Silverado 2500HD CC 4X4 6.6L gas 3.73
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