AC duct work issues in front bedroom - 312bhx

[eohlin]

We purchased a brand new 312BHX last fall...love the floor plan.

Been working inside to make a few modifications to fit our needs and getting ready to move our camping gear in. Been testing things out and all was good till we started to run the AC.

I'm having an issue with the duck work. On the right side of the camper, there is no air moving to the front bedroom though the duct work. I pulled the vent cover off at the opening directly above the main door...blowing like crazy there.

I've come to find that the duck work is crushed going forward in the camper on the right side. The left side is good.

Anyone ever have this happen?

Service center is telling me they would have to remove the entire roof to fix it....that really seems hard to believe and I'm not sure I want that done to a camper that is less than a year old.

What other options do I have?

Anyone else with this issue have any suggestions?

I'm thinking the front duct could be blocked off and an AC unit installed in the bedroom...it's all ready wired up and seems like it would be alot less expensive!!

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks
eric

[VinceU]

Originally Posted by eohlin

We purchased a brand new 312BHX last fall...love the floor plan.



Been working inside to make a few modifications to fit our needs and getting ready to move our camping gear in. Been testing things out and all was good till we started to run the AC.



I'm having an issue with the duck work. On the right side of the camper, there is no air moving to the front bedroom though the duct work. I pulled the vent cover off at the opening directly above the main door...blowing like crazy there.



I've come to find that the duck work is crushed going forward in the camper on the right side. The left side is good.



Anyone ever have this happen?



Service center is telling me they would have to remove the entire roof to fix it....that really seems hard to believe and I'm not sure I want that done to a camper that is less than a year old.



What other options do I have?



Anyone else with this issue have any suggestions?



I'm thinking the front duct could be blocked off and an AC unit installed in the bedroom...it's all ready wired up and seems like it would be alot less expensive!!



Thoughts? Comments?



Thanks

eric

Good answer but you give up duplication. It's under warranty, why not pursue factory repair?

[Flybob]

Things to consider in your decision.

The crushed duct work is not uncommon and it is usually sandwiched in the ceiling so a major repair is probably what is required.
That type of major repair might mean you could lose much of your 2016 camping season waiting for the repair.
Adding a second AC is an option, but you would most likely need to upgrade your power service to 50A. And you would need to stay at campgrounds offering 50A service in order operate both units simultaneously.

You could possibly add a directional deflector on the vent by the door and direct the cool air into the bedroom.

If you decide to have the major repair done, ask the dealer to schedule it for after the 2016 season so you don't miss out on your first year. ( if you do this, get it in writing).

[AquaMan]

If the unit is already wired up as the OP states, his unit is already 50 amp. Add the second AC, you won't be sorry!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[eohlin]

We are already good with the 50amp service.

Issue may be some of the sites we have reserved this summer may not all have 50 amp...most do these days though for a unit of this size

Have to see what they say in a few days.

Also - have to wonder if one could add another vent hole in the bathroom area...creating enough room to work up there to fix the issue.

I just hate the idea of tearing off a brand new roof!!

eric

[robbdrell]

We had a similar issue with our '15 Rockwood 2608. The the bedroom one A/C duct was nonfunctional. So my dealer fixed it saying that it was not ducted on that vent. Hard to believe something so major could be missed in an inspection before the ceiling up up( if that's the way they do it).

[David 01]

I guess I do not understand how the duct is crushed, the air ducts go in after the roof is in place but before the ceiling is installed. My guess is that the duct is not connected at the air conditioner. I would look there first. With some of the crap I've seen, they may have never punched the hole through the foil when they made the connection with that line, which may run off of the other duct explaining why there is ample force at that vent. See if you can get a schematic from the manufacturer which will show the line of the ducts. Definitely a warranty repair!

Good Luck!

[eohlin]

It sure is hard to believe - in my case, the ducting seems to be there, it's just pushed up I think from when they installed the walls for the bathroom from what I can see.

I believe they are going to just install an AC unit in the front bedroom - it's prewired, and should be a solution to the problem. I won't call it a fix...but getting AC in the front bedroom is the goal I guess.

The only other option is to remove the roof, fix the issues, redo the roof...I'm not a fan of such a major repair to a new unit.

The guys are forest river have been great to work with so far!

eric

[5picker]

Just a thought...

We have several HVAC companies here that do duct cleaning.
They have soft brushes of different sizes that are on flexible rods they run through long sections of ducting. If the duct vent ahead of the problem is accessible, possibly something could be pushed through and open the blockage?

I don't know how your ceiling ducts are fabricated?

My unit has the ducts milled out of the polystyrene insulation before the top Luan panel is installed. For it to be 'crushed', either the ceiling panel would have to be broken upwards into the duct or the roof panel downwards. If either were the case, I'd want it repaired. Crushed would be bad, blocked, maybe not so.

[dyoung97]

I just went through a similar issue on my Jayco Redhawk. Very low airflow to the bedroom. I removed the vents in line, not having a borescope, I put a small flashlight in one vent & using my iPhone to a picture toward the flashlight checking for crushed ducting. I repeated the process the entire length. Foun no ducting issues. I did blank off 2 outlets on the inside for looks and removed a deflector from another. Airflow to the bedroom is now better than normal. This might save the grief and money. I have found most of these so called Servicecenters lack the ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues correctly without costing the customer money and anger.

[Learjet]

maybe you could use some kind of industrial strength balloon or bladder on a hose, stick the hose down the duct then slowly inflate to open the duct up.

[eohlin]

I'm hoping, a new AC unit is installed in the front room - it's ready for it!!

If that's done, then I think I can eventually add another vent in the bathroom area, where the existing vent is crushed. By adding a vent there, I would be able to work in the area that has an issue, fix it, then put a vent cover back up there.

I think the bathroom could use a vent anyhow!!

[phillyg]

I don't know why FR lets this stuff out of the factories and I'm sure your unit was built in a different factory than mine. Same thing happened with our FW, duct work was "crushed" somewhere between the kitchen and bedroom. It came with only one AC in the rear and couldn't cool the BR in FL heat and humidity.

In all fairness, our dealer was great and their tech is the one who found the problem. FR's solution was to install a second AC in the BR at their cost. It seemed like a good idea at the time but it caused a build up of extreme condensation in a four foot area on the ceiling where the ducting wasn't letting air flow go by. So, don't let them do any more blocking of the ducting because you'll end up with mold/mildew problems somewhere down the road, after your warranty expires.

The real fix is to reverse the build and remove the roof, as you were told. We subsequently experienced some other serious problems. After a lot of negotiation, FR agreed to bring the FW back to the factory for the major repairs. We were in the 11th month of ownership at that point. They also agreed to extend our warranty an additional year. In the end, we decided we just didn't want to deal with FR and a unit we no longer trusted to go long term. However, FR has a reputation of really doing a good job with factory repairs, so my suggestion is to find the proper contact person at FR and start a dialogue.

[cavie]

You stated that it is less than 1 year old. It's under warranty. Why not have it fixed properly????? You might miss the 16 camping season SO WHAT! If the crushed place can be found by measurement, the ceiling can be cut out and the repair can be made. Then a Fake Vent put in its place. Or a flat sealed off return vent put in it's place. No one will every be the wiser as to what went on. Think outside the box. The material required can be bought at Home Depot.

[elind]

If you have a larger RV the second A/C is worth it. On hot days one 15k A/C doesn't keep up and the second one will make the difference. This doesn't fix the crushed vents problem but is an easy satisfying result.