AC unit for pop-up

[Graffer]

Good day. I have a Rockwood 1940LTD tent trailer that is factory prepped for ac. Can someone recommend a drop-in ac unit, 13.5K should work here in Michigan. Also I haven't been able to find any detailed video's or instruction sheets regarding the installation of an ac unit. Thank you in advance for any help!

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Welcome Mat section to the Tent Camper and Popup section since the OP's post is only about an a/c for a Rockwood popup and not an introduction.

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[flyerdp]

I watched this one its good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDBzKIWOmTg

I prefer the Coleman Mach line to what he installed. No matter what its going to be loud inside the camper. I had the Coleman Mach 15k BTU version on my first popup and now the Coleman Mach 8 15K BTU on my current one.

If sound inside the camper is going to be an issue maybe visit some dealers for popups and check different ones out for sound. I like it at night, cuts out all the neighbors partying around etc... when I want to sleep. So do good soft silicone earplugs

Secondly AC in a TENT is far from perfect. I live in Texas. I don't expect a balmy 74 degrees inside on a 105 day in August.

[Chuck_S]

The video looks good albeit more difficult than the installation on my Coleman popup 20 years ago (yep 20) which had all 4 corners of the 14" square hole marked on the ceiling and had a dedicated 20a outlet for the AC itself with no wires running outdoors.

Hardest part was getting the AC itself on the roof. (See note on fins at end.)

The unit I installed could be mechanically switched to vent cold air out both ends of the unit blowing it into the bunks on each end and these louvers were motorized to more evenly distribute the air. Not sure if this design is available but is worth a check as it kept the camper very comfortable. The unit also had a "heat strip" which kept the trailer as warm as you'd expect a hair dryer since they're the same wattage.

As for how cool this unit worked we found the exterior canvas dripping with condensation on a hot (100°, 100%) New Orleans afternoon. Inside was dry.

No long term experience as I bought the Roo hybrid the week after our return. The popup just didn't have the interior space we needed for our style of tour-camping.

Top tip: Be very careful of the cooling fins on the AC unit which will bend if you look at them wrong. Fin comb -- and a lot of patience -- will fix them.

This set has given me a solid 20 years of service. <-- that's a link.

-- Chuck

[dsherman26]

You're in luck, I had the exact same model, and I added the A/C later. I bought the kit from the dealer, it was a Coleman Mach III. One thing I deviated on; the kit would have had you cut a hole in the side of the roof to mount a male receptacle, and you would run the cord through the extra cord hole next to the shore power entrance. I thought that would have looked unsightly having the cord running up the outside, and there was the matter of cutting a hole in the side of the roof and still having to run the cord to the A/C unit.



What I did was I mounted a single outlet box on the top of lower half of the galley (under the sink), and ran Romex from that outlet to the junction box in the rear bench seat that was there from the factory for wiring the A/C. Then I got some plastic cord loom from Home Depot (for running along walls) attached it to the ceiling, and tucked the cord from the kit (12 AWG) into that going to the rear, then I turned the corner and just had the cord drop down from the ceiling in the corner next to the galley. I just cut a slot in the control panel of the A/C so the cord loom entered it from the rear, and cut a little slot in the rear panel of the upper half of the galley. I would just plug the cord into the outlet, then fold the sink over and run the cord through the slot. I wish I had a picture, but I don't have the popup anymore. The cord wasn't in the way at all, and it was partially obscured by the privacy curtain for the rear bunk. I just had to remember to unplug the A/C when folding up so the rear bunk would slide in.



The hardest part for me about installing it was removing the old roof vent where the A/C was supposed to go; it was heavily glued in with silicone and it took lots of patience and careful use of a hacksaw blade and utility knife to separate it from the roof.


Oh, two things I did learn the hard way: One, the foam gasket that goes between the roof and the A/C wasn't very durable, and it eventually sagged to the point where it wasn't sealing. During a heavy rain one day, water started coming in through the control panel. The replacement gasket I bought held up better, but I learned those do have to replaced periodically. The other thing I learned: After it was installed, the long bolts the hold the bulk of the A/C unit to the roof would come loose from vibration, and the control panel would start sagging noticeably. You can't make them too tight, because they just get tightened enough to compress the gasket. I ended up putting a dab of blue thread locker compound on the bolts to make them stay put.

[Graffer]

Thank you all. Appreciate all the information and experiences!