Replacing Air Conditioner

[Wavesprite]

When we purchased our Hybrid, a 2003 StarCraft, the previous owners had removed the air conditioner, because they never camped at full hookup sites and replaced it with a fan. We want to put an air conditioning unit back in because not having it limits where we go on our summer trips (well, it doesn't limit it, but it sure can be miserable!).

Any suggestions on units we should consider? Anything to stay away from?

[Wavesprite]

I don't know if this is allowed, but can anyone recommend a good place to order from? When I google search is so many places come up and I don't know who to trust, so I was wondering if it's ok to ask for recommendations? (other then CW?)

[patperry2766]

We have a Mach 3 15K on our Flagstaff HW pop-up camper. We have had relatively good luck with it and it kept our trailer nice and comfortable on our Florida trip.
It it's not too much more money, you might want to go ahead and spring for the 15K unit. We also use PUGS (pop up gizmos) and reflectix in the bunk end windows to help block out alot of the heat and the light during the day.

[Wavesprite]

SoundGuy wrote:

Wavesprite wrote:
I think we're definitely going with the Coleman Mach 3, based on the recommendations here.

There's more than one version so it's important to pick the one that best suits your needs. 😉

Oh that is so good to know, and I'm glad that you pointed it out. I knew to look for the PS version, but if I didn't know if there were different ones, I probably would have not looked at those letters further!!! Appreciate it!

[SoundGuy]

Wavesprite wrote:
I think we're definitely going with the Coleman Mach 3, based on the recommendations here.

There's more than one version so it's important to pick the one that best suits your needs. 😉

[Wavesprite]

SoundGuy wrote:

Wavesprite wrote:
My husband took off the fan coverplate and can see the wiring in there, so it looks like a simple job of removing the old fan, and dropping in the AC and plugging it in.

There's more to it than that ... if the PO replaced the original A/C with a powered vent fan then logically that fan would be 12 vdc, not 120 vac, in which case that wiring you see running to the fan wouldn't be any good to you. You really need to take a closer look and identify which wires are the 120 vac feed originally used to power the A/C and which might be 12 vdc.

FWIW, I'd agree with an earlier poster - since you're installing a new A/C consider a Coleman Mach PS model which will draw less current than a conventional 13.5K BTU A/C and therefore better your chances of running it with a 2K genset like the Honda EU2000i, should that need ever arise.

Thank you! Yes, my husband saw two wires, one was taped off. I'm assuming that that is the 120??? He's good with electrical stuff, so I think he'll be fine. I think we're definitely going with the Coleman Mach 3, based on the recommendations here.

[SoundGuy]

Wavesprite wrote:
My husband took off the fan coverplate and can see the wiring in there, so it looks like a simple job of removing the old fan, and dropping in the AC and plugging it in.

There's more to it than that ... if the PO replaced the original A/C with a powered vent fan then logically that fan would be 12 vdc, not 120 vac, in which case that wiring you see running to the fan wouldn't be any good to you. You really need to take a closer look and identify which wires are the 120 vac feed originally used to power the A/C and which might be 12 vdc.

FWIW, I'd agree with an earlier poster - since you're installing a new A/C consider a Coleman Mach PS model which will draw less current than a conventional 13.5K BTU A/C and therefore better your chances of running it with a 2K genset like the Honda EU2000i, should that need ever arise.

[Wavesprite]

Thanks Soundguy!!! Yes, I heard from the last owner and he said it was "direct blow" so that's good, no hooking up to the thermostat. My husband took off the fan coverplate and can see the wiring in there, so it looks like a simple job of removing the old fan, and dropping in the AC and plugging it in.

[SoundGuy]

Wavesprite wrote:
... and to the thermostat and be good to go.

In many cases A/C installed in a hybrid (because of it's size) would often be direct blow, in which case thermostat control over the unit would be part of the A/C's ceiling unit. Do you know for a fact that the A/C unit previously installed was not direct blow but instead ducted and therefore controlled by a wall mount thermostat? And if that's the case it would then only make sense to select the same model A/C that was originally installed - i.e. if the thermostat is a Coleman then chances are the A/C itself was also a Coleman unit, or DuoTherm if it's a DuoTherm thermo. Mixing one A/C brand with a thermostat intended for a different brand of A/C could introduce complications you don't need to be dealing with. Even then it wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense to continue using a simple bi-metal thermostat when a digital version would offer much tighter control over temperature variations. Given all the aforementioned I'd be inclined to install a direct blow A/C and replace the existing bi-metal thermostat with a home digital version that will control the furnace much more accurately. JMO, but if you take the time to familiarize yourselves with the details you won't have to make this project any more complicated than it needs to be. 😉

[Wavesprite]

Bmach wrote:
Did you install it yet?

No, we didn't order it yet, but we plan to!!! I'll come back and update as soon as we do!!!

[Bmach]

Did you install it yet?

[Wavesprite]

Thank you! We're getting ready to order it!

[Jayco254]

I'm pretty sure that you will have to order the inside unit separately since the outside units are basically the same but there are a number of different inside units, ducted, with or without heat pump ect. Id check out either a a/c manufacturers web site or an r/v dealership that has his parts catalog on line.

[Wavesprite]

Thank you! I emailed the previous owner and he says he thinks he just taped off the wiring, I hope that means that we can just wire it up to the new air conditioner (well my DH will be doing that) and to the thermostat and be good to go. Also, when you order a new air conditioning unit, will it come with the face plate with the settings on it? or do I need to order that as well?

[Big_Katuna]

The Coleman Mach 3 PS will run on one Honda 2000. PS stands for power saver. Its 13.5K BTU so should be big enough.