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Old 05-11-2021, 08:46 PM   #1
MCTroy
 
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Need to be a little cooler

We are looking ahead to another hot, humid Ohio summer. Our Windjammer has 1 15,000 BTU air conditioner. Most of the time that does fine. The challenges are on those 90 degree full sun days. Adding a second AC isn't an option right now. The trailer has 30 amp service.
So what other options work? anyone have good experience with a small dehumidifier? Portal AC unit?
Please post those Amazon or other links. I hope to.find something small and affordable to run on the hottest days.

Thanks!
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Old 05-11-2021, 09:02 PM   #2
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Do you have the Coleman Mach A/C unit with the two knobs in the ceiling panel? If you do, you can easily adjust the thermostat range downward so the A/C will actually keep running. Mine would always short cycle and I could never get it cool enough until I did the simple adjustment to the thermostat.

Nevermind....looks like you have ducted A/C.
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Old 05-12-2021, 05:38 AM   #3
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Right. The AC was checked and cleaned last year. It will hold the trailer about 85 degrees even when in full sun and it is almost 100 outside.
Fortunately we don't usually get too many extreme heat days in Southern Ohio. Just need something to help on those days.
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Old 05-12-2021, 06:42 AM   #4
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We run a fan to circulate air in our Coachmen if the AC struggles a bit here in Texas!
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Old 05-12-2021, 06:55 AM   #5
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I do not think a dehumidifier is the answer since your AC should be doing that. I agree with the others- a fan can help. We typically don't spend that much time inside during the day anyway. It's cooler at night and our AC does just fine then.
We've been know to sit outside with a table fan on us during beer o-clock in hot weather.
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Old 05-12-2021, 07:14 AM   #6
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I have used a portable AC a few times, it really helped. They need to be vented to the outside, I made an adapter to fit a window.
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Old 05-12-2021, 07:21 AM   #7
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are your windows tinted at all? we just finished tinting ours and it has made a marked improvement in reducing the heat coming in. insulating any skylights and or ceiling vents (bathroom vents) can also make a big difference.
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Old 05-12-2021, 04:45 PM   #8
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Thanks for the suggestions. While we run the fan on the AC all the time, added insulation to the vents and have very dark windows already, your comments help us know we are on the right track.
Maybe time for a portable AC.
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Old 05-12-2021, 05:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MCTroy View Post
While we run the fan on the AC all the time,
.
Using an additional stand alone fan will help keep the air moving and avoid 'hot spots' in the rig. A dehumidifier presents mixed results. While it will remove more humidity, running the unit will probably heat up the rig.

We open a roof vent a bit to get rid of the heat and cool the rig as much as we can tolerate at night. Then during the day, try to minimize the opening of doors. All your hard work at cooling down the rig can be defeated quickly by going in and out the doors. Cooking outside will help too.
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Old 05-12-2021, 08:30 PM   #10
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Check the A/C vent temperature to be sure you are getting maximum efficiency from the factory unit. I have found the factory unit will probably be below specs on refrigerant charge and a good A/C technician may be able to fix your problem with a shot of Freon.
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Old 05-12-2021, 10:36 PM   #11
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AC

My 27VSL Flagstaff was 30 A, it had a second AC. It was wired to a plug in-between the slides that plugged into 15 amp outlet on the power pole. That AC plug was in the wall between the slides w/ the unit in the bedroom ceiling. bedroom. It was not ducted to the rest of the trailer, but worked well in TX heat. My trailer was basicaly a smaller Windjammer. I believe it was a factory option.
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Old 05-13-2021, 07:57 AM   #12
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There are a lot of youtube videos that talk about sealing up your air conditioner. https://rvairflow.com/ is a commercial product but a lot of people build their own with insulation board and duct tape. I'm going to look at mine to see if it has some of the issues that youtubers have found in theirs. I only include the videos below as examples, I just searched for rv airflow on youtube.


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Old 05-13-2021, 01:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johntgif View Post
Check the A/C vent temperature to be sure you are getting maximum efficiency from the factory unit. I have found the factory unit will probably be below specs on refrigerant charge and a good A/C technician may be able to fix your problem with a shot of Freon.
Any examples of what the temp should be out of the vent? I can use the dump vent so it would be direct and not warmed by running through the vent.

This us a good idea, and I will check the You Tube video to see is our AC is sealed.
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Old 05-13-2021, 01:44 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tundra 2014 View Post
My 27VSL Flagstaff was 30 A, it had a second AC. It was wired to a plug in-between the slides that plugged into 15 amp outlet on the power pole. That AC plug was in the wall between the slides w/ the unit in the bedroom ceiling. bedroom. It was not ducted to the rest of the trailer, but worked well in TX heat. My trailer was basicaly a smaller Windjammer. I believe it was a factory option.
That is a good idea! We resisted adding a 2nd ac because of running the separate wire. My DH did not want to be on the roof trying to.plug something in!
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