Ducted vs regular air

ladywendolyn · 07-16-2011, 05:54 PM

Hello,
My husband and are are discussing options for our next trailer we would like to buy.
One aspect we are having trouble understanding the difference between ducted and non ducted air conditioning.
Has anyone had both? Was their a difference? My main question has to do with quietness... Is the ducted any quieter?
Thanks
Lady W

crocus · 07-16-2011, 07:01 PM

The ducted air cools the whole camper more evenly, as there are vents all along the ceiling, and it is much quieter as the vents are far from the fan in the air conditioner.
But I have found that when first setting up and trying to cool the camper down, it will cool faster if I open the vents on the air conditioner cover, as there is much less restriction. That is when I notice just how noisy the fan really is.
So, ducted air is best, as you would still have the option to open the other vents as I described.
My only problem is that our ceiling is so high that I need a stepstool to reach the air conditioner!

jimh · 07-16-2011, 07:05 PM

i've had both. ducted allows u to close doors and still be cool.

buckisland1950 · 07-16-2011, 07:42 PM

Definitely like the ducted best. Not sure about newer campers but the older ones that were nonducted had no thermostat controls. You were either on low/high or off. The fan blowing all the time drove me nuts and if you were in the room with the a/c it blew on you the whole time..... When we started shopping for new campers that was a definite must on my list.

wolfcat1 · 07-16-2011, 11:45 PM

Does any non ducted ac's these days have a thermostat to allow cycling?
Thnks wolfie

**bikendan** · 07-17-2011, 12:16 AM

i much prefer ducted over non.
for one thing, there's no big square thing to bump your head on.
second, you can close specific vents to focus the cool air into certain areas of the RV.
third, you can slide a tab and the grill will blast air from the center, just like the non-ducted type, if you want.
fourth, being able to use one thermostat to run the a/c and the furnace, is more than worth it. just like at home.
and finally, it is much quieter than the non-ducted units.

jimh · 07-17-2011, 06:10 AM

my unit in the bedroom (5th wheel fdw). is thermostat controlled as far as the compressor is concerned. the fan runs constantly.
it came in handy at the last campground as a noise block. (we tend to like to sleep in. those that are heading out usually like to get an early start. that noise tends to be blocked out).
i believe if i had mounted a remote thermostat, the fan and compressor could cycle together.
one other advantage of separately controlled units is that u can zone heat and cool (my fdw unit is a heat pump).
ducted a/c was a must have on my unit as well. after having a non ducted trailer in the early 90's, i wasn't going to buy another non ducted.

capucine · 07-17-2011, 06:15 AM

It depend on the size of the trailer you will buy also. Generally the ducted type ac model is reserved for trailer over 25 footers. If you want a trailer less than this size the only option is a non ducted model. I would prefer the ducted model but our trailer is just over 20 feet and we had no choice on this decision.

rbarrieau · 07-17-2011, 09:24 AM

I have both as mentioned above, start the unit with massive air flow coming straight out of ac unit ,then after it cool down a bit, slide the louver on the ac to allow the cool air to flow thru the ducts to cool every square inch of the camper with much less noise.

Hybrid21SS · 07-17-2011, 11:05 AM

Or 21 foot hybrid has ducted..Quiet and cools evenly. Glad we have it..

ladywendolyn · 07-17-2011, 02:06 PM

Thank you for all this info. We are looking at buying a 23 foot bunkhouse model. Forest river has one in the wolf series I believe.
It seems by looking that some have ducted air... So this is a great help.

cbenslay · 07-23-2011, 12:57 AM

I agree completely! The camper we recently bought has a non ducted AC and it is loud... I wish the fan would cycle off with the compressor, but it stays on the whole time.

rodsterinfl · 08-07-2014, 06:18 AM

I know this is an older thread but I want to post on this topic. From the responses it would seem that non ducted is the ONLY way to go; however, some of the info is incorrect. I have an '06 camper with non ducted. It has a thermostat and cycles. I upgraded the air distribution unit to a 5-way directional unit from the two way original and that made a huge difference. Also I learned that in later models of Dometic they changed their compressors with the change of refrigerant and it was louder than the previous model. Some owners got a "soft grommet" replacement to quiet down the unit (found in another forum) and it made a difference as well.

The ducted unit I am familiar with is not much quieter if at all. It cycles but the fan does not go off - just like the non-ducted unit. While I do believe that RV air conditioning needs improved design- quieter, I am not an advocate for only ducted at this point.

Toby · 08-07-2014, 07:02 AM

I've had both. I like the ducted better. As my trailer is a toy hauler (all one room) one isn't any quieter than the other. The thing I like best is the thermostat which turns the A/C on when needed. The fan shuts off shortly after the compressor shuts off (much like at home). With the previous camper the fan ran non-stop the whole time. As others have stated you can always switch back to having the air blow directly from the A/C but we've never used that (not yet anyway).

whj77372 · 08-07-2014, 10:05 AM

I have a 2012 V-Cross 275 fiver and because I live in Texas, SE Texas, we require two ACs for a 32' RV. The 15,000 BTU in the living area is ducked and the 13,500 BTU in the bedroom is not. Both are laud, but the non-ducked in the bedroom is to laud. Good Luck

raspivey · 08-07-2014, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hybrid21SS

Or 21 foot hybrid has ducted..Quiet and cools evenly. Glad we have it..

Same here. I've had both and much prefer ducted. It was optional, but I'm glad I put it in.

Cajun Po-Boy · 08-07-2014, 01:13 PM

Go ducted all the way!

Sent via Cajun Po-Boy's Tech Gear

Evereddie · 08-07-2014, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

I know this is an older thread but I want to post on this topic. From the responses it would seem that non ducted is the ONLY way to go; .....

WHAT??? Every post says (as I do too) that ducted is the way to go. Where did you get non-ducted was the consensus?

Also, I am familiar with many trailers and of all the ones that are ducted, all are quieter if you close the outlet vents that are on the main unit. When those are closed the air only exits through ducts and in the process of that air traveling through the ducts it get much quieter. The non ducted ones all make more noise than the ducted ones.

Weezer · 08-07-2014, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whj77372

I have a 2012 V-Cross 275 fiver and because I live in Texas, SE Texas, we require two ACs for a 32' RV. The 15,000 BTU in the living area is ducked and the 13,500 BTU in the bedroom is not. Both are laud, but the non-ducked in the bedroom is to laud. Good Luck

Were you at Lake O' The Pines a couple of weeks ago? I stopped and talked to someone with a V-Cross fiver while we were there. (I admired your pin box tri pod.)

Beautiful rig!

Prothos · 08-08-2014, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capucine

It depend on the size of the trailer you will buy also. Generally the ducted type ac model is reserved for trailer over 25 footers. If you want a trailer less than this size the only option is a non ducted model. I would prefer the ducted model but our trailer is just over 20 feet and we had no choice on this decision.

Not true our 21' has ducted and i seen a 19' with ducted. cant remeber the maker of the 19' foot.

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