Any Berkshire owners with new model year coach?

tmmar · 03-03-2013, 11:30 AM

Are there any Berkshire 390 owners with a 2013 model year coach that have 2 - 13500 btu air conditioners? Are they effective in cooling the coach in very hot weather? I had to have my front air conditioner, which was a 15000btu unit, replaced. They replaced it with a 13500 btu unit and said that the new units have a greater cooling capacity and the 13500 btu unit will be better thatn the 15000 btu unit. I am very leary that the smaller unit will cool sufficietly. Thanks for any input that you can provide.

Jersey Guy · 03-03-2013, 11:44 AM

I do have a 2013 390BH-60, but have yet to take it out. I have the 15,000 btu front air which I requested when I ordered the unit. The rear is the 13,500 unit. First trip is end of the month to SC, but will probably not need air down there either at this time of year. Keep in mind that the standard units are the (2) 13,500 btu. The 15,000 btu is an option and upgrade when they are ordered.

tmmar · 03-03-2013, 12:01 PM

Jersey guy,
I alsohad the 15000btu unit in the front but they said that there is no 15000btu unit that is compatible with the system in my '08 coach. That is why the put in the 13500 btu unit because it was a direct installation without any modifications needed to the thermostat and the entire system. I don't know why that is, but I think that the people at Boat and RV were just blowing smoke you know where. I just returned home last night and need to call Dometic in the morning to see what they say.
Good luck with your new coach- I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as we enjoy ours!

Jersey Guy · 03-03-2013, 12:03 PM

Just by saying Boat N RV you said it all.

tmmar · 03-03-2013, 12:31 PM

Jersey guy,
Well, you know the old adage as to how you can tell if a salesman is lying? If his lips are moving!!

Hope you are not a salesman (LOL!!).

We stopped at the Boat n Rv in Ridgeland, SC on the way home from a trip. Very nice, accomodating and cordial in the beginning but when I called them out on why they replaced my 15000 btu unit with at 13.5 btu unit, that's when all the lips started moving.

They tried to sell me on a new 43' Charleston bunkhouse (great looking unit). They said that it is a 2013. When we looked through the unit and saw that the chassis was built in the fall of 2010 and the coach was built in spring of 2012. I said that being the unit was over a year old and that it should be discounted even further. That's when the lips started moving again (if you get what I mean). They really started putting the pressure on and double teamed us with the salesman and his manager. We left!!

I must say though, that the facility was huge. They had about 30 or more bays where they could pull rv's in. Store had a restaurant on the second floor and a huge show room. Nice, but still no sale.
Take care-
Tom

klucas · 03-03-2013, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmmar

Are there any Berkshire 390 owners with a 2013 model year coach that have 2 - 13500 btu air conditioners? Are they effective in cooling the coach in very hot weather? I had to have my front air conditioner, which was a 15000btu unit, replaced. They replaced it with a 13500 btu unit and said that the new units have a greater cooling capacity and the 13500 btu unit will be better thatn the 15000 btu unit. I am very leary that the smaller unit will cool sufficietly. Thanks for any input that you can provide.

I have a 2012 with 13,5 units. It has a very hard time cooling. We put up foil bubble wrap on the windshield when parked. That has helped a lot. We live In the south east and the ac in my opinion is undersized. I have been pricing changing our front unit to a 15 or even adding a third unit as some have done. If I were you I wouldn't accept the 13.5. It is a less expensive unit and not as good for cooling.

tmmar · 03-03-2013, 01:56 PM

I agree with all of the points that you have made as the units being undersized and not able to cool the coach. I too feel that the 13.5 is a less expensive unit and not as good for cooling. I am going to continue researching the situation to see what can be done to rectify it.

klucas · 03-03-2013, 02:01 PM

Good luck I hope you are able to get a 15 back in.just FYI last summer we drove across country in tenn Missouri area we were there when the heat wave of 100 was going in. The coach wouldn't get below mid 85-88 while driving. We stopped an pick up a few fans for the ride. It was horrible.

I also read on another post you had drip pan leaks. Those pans at least on my unit are easily replaceable. There is one screw the holds them in. Up do have to release the unit from the roof but then it is a easy change out.

wnytaxman · 03-08-2013, 12:50 PM

I'm also looking to change out my 13.5 A/C units to 15's on both the front and the back. I got a price from Buffalo RV for switching out both and converting to Aluminum wheels. It ain't cheap!!! We have found the A/C to be inadequate for warm weather.

frankatp · 03-09-2013, 08:02 AM

We just bought a new 390FL with the 2-135000's on it. We live down here in Fla but havent had the warm weather yet to really answer your question. I sure hope what you were told by the dealer is true and the new ones are more efficient. I'll let you know.

klucas · 03-09-2013, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankatp

We just bought a new 390FL with the 2-135000's on it. We live down here in Fla but havent had the warm weather yet to really answer your question. I sure hope what you were told by the dealer is true and the new ones are more efficient. I'll let you know.

More efficient doesn't usually mean better cooling. Most often it's the opposite. I would highly recommend getting foil sided bubble wrap and put it on the windshield and driver side window. It makes a huge difference. From what I understand you can only put it on the single pane windows. I found it in the duct work isle at lowes. Good luck.

klucas · 03-09-2013, 08:39 AM

Here is a link to lowes web site. This is the stuff I used.

http://m.lowes.com/pd_13358-56291-BP...ductId=3011906

62_inrightlane · 03-11-2013, 10:44 AM

We had the same issues you are discussing. Two 13,500 Dometic Penguin A/C units that ran constantly trying to keep the coach cool in hot weather. At 90° we were lucky to get the coach cooled down to 78° in sunny weather.

We just returned from 6 weeks in south Florida and while down there I camped next to a guy who had purchased solar covers for his windshield and side windows a few week before. He told me that they made a huge difference and that for the first time since buying his coach he was able to keep it cool in the hot sunny Florida weather.

I decided that it was time for me to make the same purchase and get the solar covers. I purchased windshield, side windows and an awning drop. I did and had the opportunity to see first hand that they work. We had several day's where the temps hit 86° with full sun and we were able to keep the coach a cool 74°. The A/C unit only ran about 20 min out of every hour to maintain the 74° temp.

At a cost of about $700 for everything it wasen't cheap, but they work! Here is what they look like.

frankatp · 03-11-2013, 11:22 AM

Hey Mark, the covers look good. How are they held on? Frank

62_inrightlane · 03-11-2013, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankatp

Hey Mark, the covers look good. How are they held on? Frank

Frank, the windshield can be put on from the ground and is held on with 3" suction cups. One on each side. The one on the drivers side has a rubber strap that you pull and then stick onto the window. Keeps the Windshield cover tight and wrinkle free. The side covers are also held on with suction cups on the top and bottom. There is a rigid aluminum bar sewn into the sides that the suction cups attach to. I had the driver side made so that the suction cups were on the top and bottom which requires a ladder to put on. I carry a ladder with me so it's no big deal. Made by Prompt sunscreen in Winter Haven, FL

The awning shade is two piece. The top section, 4', rolls up with the awning. The bottom piece 6' high zips on. Everything can be done from the ground once you have the 4' top section attached, which you only do once. Made by Sunpro Mfg. I think they are located in Arizona.

SkrapMoney · 03-15-2013, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62_inrightlane

We had the same issues you are discussing. Two 13,500 Dometic Penguin A/C units that ran constantly trying to keep the coach cool in hot weather. At 90° we were lucky to get the coach cooled down to 78° in sunny weather.

We just returned from 6 weeks in south Florida and while down there I camped next to a guy who had purchased solar covers for his windshield and side windows a few week before. He told me that they made a huge difference and that for the first time since buying his coach he was able to keep it cool in the hot sunny Florida weather.

I decided that it was time for me to make the same purchase and get the solar covers. I purchased windshield, side windows and an awning drop. I did and had the opportunity to see first hand that they work. We had several day's where the temps hit 86° with full sun and we were able to keep the coach a cool 74°. The A/C unit only ran about 20 min out of every hour to maintain the 74° temp.

At a cost of about $700 for everything it wasen't cheap, but they work! Here is what they look like.

I really like the setup especially the awning drop. But how does it effect the attomatic awning retract if the wind picks up?

62_inrightlane · 03-15-2013, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkrapMoney

I really like the setup especially the awning drop. But how does it effect the attomatic awning retract if the wind picks up?

You need to shut off the automatic awning retract. Since it's staked down the awning handles wind well. We had gusts of about 20 MPH and the awning never moved. The fabric did flop around a bit, but nothing major

When there is a chance of rain I unzip the drop and roll in the awning. After the rain passes it's back up in 5 min or less.

SkrapMoney · 03-15-2013, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62_inrightlane

You need to shut off the automatic awning retract. Since it's staked down the awning handles wind well. We had gusts of about 20 MPH and the awning never moved. The fabric did flop around a bit, but nothing major

When there is a chance of rain I unzip the drop and roll in the awning. After the rain passes it's back up in 5 min or less.

Nice! Im going to look at getting that same setup. I want to try my A/C first to see how it handles being a 15k BTU unit

wnytaxman · 03-18-2013, 02:51 PM

Mark, can you see through the curtains or are they opaque?

62_inrightlane · 03-18-2013, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Mark, can you see through the curtains or are they opaque?

For the coach sunscreens, During the day from the inside you can see out very well, however folks on the outside have a very hard time seeing inside. At night the opposite exists so you must put your night shades down or you will give the folks outside a show!

The awning shade has the same effect. Which ever side has the most light is the side you can see best, if that makes and sense.

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