cool cat heat pump

[dahammrr]

We are looking to buy a new A128 rockwood.It has a cool cat heat pump..does anyone know something about it? Thanks

[rawlus]

It is a combo heater and a/c unit for use when on shore power (elec hookups), there is also a propane furnace in the a122-128 series. The cool cat is decent, it is not quite the same as a dedicated a/c unit, but better than nothing for a trailer that size.

[toleworks]

We just got back from a very wet and hot trip in central Florida. The cool cat heat pump worked great. It will get as cold as any room air conditioner i've ever used. I think it runs fairly quiet, but it's not silent. We have learned to turn the fan to the ON position, at night, so that the fans don't kick on every time the compressor starts. During the day, we turn up the thermostat a few degrees and switch the fan to auto to save wear and tear on the unit.

One thing we discovered this trip...if you get the small outdoor shelf, the one that hans on the side of the trailer, wet, it will fall apart. It is made of cheap patrticle board. Even though the co. advertises that the dinnette table can be used outdoors, I believe it would suffer the same fate...so I would keep the dinnette inside and not use the small shelf in wet weather.

With high humidy and hard rain the A122 performed beautifully. This was our 6th trip in the Rockwood and we are still pleased with the unit.

[jjdcamper]

Originally Posted by rawlus

It is a combo heater and a/c unit for use when on shore power (elec hookups), there is also a propane furnace in the a122-128 series. The cool cat is decent, it is not quite the same as a dedicated a/c unit, but better than nothing for a trailer that size.

Rawlus:

You seem to be very familiar with the heating and A/C units in these A Frames. I have a 2013 Flagstaff T12RB. It has a furnace, A/C and a heat pump. I do not see an outside vent for the furnace and I'm wondering when you turn the furnace on, does it automatically light the pilot and fire up the furnace? How does the furnace vent?

You commented that the Cool Cat is adequate and I'm also wondering how well it will perform in 90 + degree weather. (I'm in South Carolina and it gets hot here in the summer.)
Thanks,
Jim

[rawlus]

The furnace vents on the drivers side towards the front of the trailer, you'll see the round stainless steel vents next to the drop down door for the hot water heater.

The furnance is an auto-light, when you turn it on from inside the camper you will hear it "click click click" as it tries to light (assuming your thermostat is also set to make the heat go on), it will go through this cycle until lit or after too many failures to light. Make sure your gas tank valve is open and I usually prime the gas line by lighting one of the stove burners for a few seconds, this ensures it lights easily. If it fails to light, there is a reset protocol to go through involving a switch in the same general area as your outside hot water heater controls, I'll not attempt to tell you the protocol as I have not ever had to resort to it and its something that should be guided by the manual for safety's sake rather than my memory.

The coolcat may be fine in 90+ weather, it can be a bit on the loud side but probably no louder than an air conditioner. Keep the skylights and windows covered, if you have a shady campsite try to keep your camper in the shade and attemp all the other usual best practices to reduce heat load.

Since when camping we are almost never hanging out in it, and use it almost exclusively for sleeping, it hasn't been an issue for us to cool it down and night time. The fantastic fan in the roof vent can completely suck out all the hot daytime air and replace with cooler nighttime air in a matter of minutes, then the coolcat has a bit of a head start.

[daveinpickerington]

Originally Posted by rawlus

The furnace vents on the drivers side towards the front of the trailer, you'll see the round stainless steel vents next to the drop down door for the hot water heater.

The furnance is an auto-light, when you turn it on from inside the camper you will hear it "click click click" as it tries to light (assuming your thermostat is also set to make the heat go on), it will go through this cycle until lit or after too many failures to light. Make sure your gas tank valve is open and I usually prime the gas line by lighting one of the stove burners for a few seconds, this ensures it lights easily. If it fails to light, there is a reset protocol to go through involving a switch in the same general area as your outside hot water heater controls, I'll not attempt to tell you the protocol as I have not ever had to resort to it and its something that should be guided by the manual for safety's sake rather than my memory.

The coolcat may be fine in 90+ weather, it can be a bit on the loud side but probably no louder than an air conditioner. Keep the skylights and windows covered, if you have a shady campsite try to keep your camper in the shade and attemp all the other usual best practices to reduce heat load.

Since when camping we are almost never hanging out in it, and use it almost exclusively for sleeping, it hasn't been an issue for us to cool it down and night time. The fantastic fan in the roof vent can completely suck out all the hot daytime air and replace with cooler nighttime air in a matter of minutes, then the coolcat has a bit of a head start.

+1

[handbuilder]

Hope this helps

[gregory]

Gary and I worked an outside job during 100+ degree temps & 80-90% humidity, late summer 2011. We took our (new then) Aframe along to the job site for a place our co-workers and us could take breaks in and cool off. We had it set up under a shade tree of course. The coolcat preformed wonderfully and actually cycled on and off! I'm convinced that it saved us all from getting sick from the intense heat and humidity.

The 10K BTU was a large part of what sold us on these units over the Aliner's 5K BTU AC unit.

When camping, like rawlus, we set the fan to ON during the night so that, when the compressor kicks in, it is less noticeable. We also sleep with our heads on the opposite end of the bed from the coolcat.

hth,
Deb

[handbuilder]

Deb, same here. High 90's - low 100's not uncommon for summer in our area. The Cool Cat performed great! After learning about them, DH is surprised that they are not used more in the industry for small towables. On hot nights, we'll leave the door open, run the fan on low if its muggy (and only if there's electric) and the screen door keeps the bugs out. Security alert is left to the dogs (good luck to anyone who thinks they cant hear)

[jjdcamper]

Originally Posted by rawlus

The furnace vents on the drivers side towards the front of the trailer, you'll see the round stainless steel vents next to the drop down door for the hot water heater.

The furnance is an auto-light, when you turn it on from inside the camper you will hear it "click click click" as it tries to light (assuming your thermostat is also set to make the heat go on), it will go through this cycle until lit or after too many failures to light. Make sure your gas tank valve is open and I usually prime the gas line by lighting one of the stove burners for a few seconds, this ensures it lights easily. If it fails to light, there is a reset protocol to go through involving a switch in the same general area as your outside hot water heater controls, I'll not attempt to tell you the protocol as I have not ever had to resort to it and its something that should be guided by the manual for safety's sake rather than my memory.

The coolcat may be fine in 90+ weather, it can be a bit on the loud side but probably no louder than an air conditioner. Keep the skylights and windows covered, if you have a shady campsite try to keep your camper in the shade and attemp all the other usual best practices to reduce heat load.

Since when camping we are almost never hanging out in it, and use it almost exclusively for sleeping, it hasn't been an issue for us to cool it down and night time. The fantastic fan in the roof vent can completely suck out all the hot daytime air and replace with cooler nighttime air in a matter of minutes, then the coolcat has a bit of a head start.

Rawlus:

Thank you so much for the very helpful info. When I get home I'll look for the outside vents, but I'm sure they are where you said. You folks on this web site are so helpful. I'm glad I found it. I have learned more about my camper from you people than I did from the dealer and his mechanic. And you all are so friendly. I hope to meet up with some of you when camping someday!

Thanks again, I sincerely appreciate it.

Jim

[nekkidist]

I had trouble with bugs and such getting in my furnace vent. They seemed atracted to propane fumes. I bought a screen made for this vent and stopped the problem. Available at any camper supply. Easy to install and stays on all season