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Old 07-03-2021, 09:29 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by garnic View Post
About 2 months ago, I installed that same AC unit from RecPro, but I replaced my old 13.5k unit with i, so it is the only one I have. But I have been very pleased with it so far. My old unit was good for about 14/15 below ambient. This one is around 21/22 below ambient. My one complaint is that I have the ducted version and during installation found the ducts didn't align as with my old unit. RecPro tech support is nonexistent and deals only via email. Took them 3 weeks to respond.
AC units have nothing to do ambient temperature. Your AC unit should put out approximately 20 degree air below the temperature of the air being sucked in to the unit in the room not outside air temperature. Yes it may not cool as well on a hot day that's because of the insulation and windows in your RV

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Old 07-03-2021, 09:40 PM   #22
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With 72 inside I am getting 50 out of the closest duct. Use shades on the outside of your windows. It’s a game changer. All the foil stuff on the inside won’t direct heat out once it’s in. My next move will be window awnings.
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Old 07-03-2021, 09:43 PM   #23
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With 72 inside I am getting 50 out of the closest duct. Use shades on the outside of your windows. It’s a game changer. All the foil stuff on the inside won’t direct heat out once it’s in. My next move will be window awnings.
Very true
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Old 07-04-2021, 02:26 AM   #24
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Awsome I am doing to to add mine the same way!
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Old 07-04-2021, 09:49 AM   #25
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Great idea but it is against the National Electrical Code for rv's having 2 power sources going to the rv.
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Old 07-04-2021, 10:31 AM   #26
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Great idea but it is against the National Electrical Code for rv's having 2 power sources going to the rv.
The pedestal is a single power source. Having two cables from a 50 amp is no different than a single 50 amp cable with both L1 and L2 within the cable. Now if they had once cable plugged into the pedestal and another plugged into a generator on the ground then that would be two power sources and there could be issues with the phasing between the two units and the neutral.

As long as they have the second cable properly fused and running to an isolated circuit like the second AC unit there is not a problem. If they try mixing the 2nd power cable with other loads in the RV then there is a problem.
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Old 07-04-2021, 12:42 PM   #27
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The pedestal is a single power source. Having two cables from a 50 amp is no different than a single 50 amp cable with both L1 and L2 within the cable. Now if they had once cable plugged into the pedestal and another plugged into a generator on the ground then that would be two power sources and there could be issues with the phasing between the two units and the neutral.

As long as they have the second cable properly fused and running to an isolated circuit like the second AC unit there is not a problem. If they try mixing the 2nd power cable with other loads in the RV then there is a problem.
You the man, Bob! The 2nd AC has its own breaker as well as its own surge protector. It won’t work if that smaller amperage receptacle is 15A. The guy that helped me do it is a 20 year RV tech.
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Old 07-04-2021, 01:08 PM   #28
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Great idea but it is against the National Electrical Code for rv's having 2 power sources going to the rv.
So? Even if that's true, and even if the NEC applied to RVs (which it doesn't), the NEC is not law and there are no NEC police. Many people have added a second A/C to their RV in this same or similar manner. This is no different than running a window A/C in your house and plugging it into an outlet.
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Old 07-05-2021, 04:57 PM   #29
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Funny enough, I'm going the OPPOSITE way!

My coach has two non-ducted A/C heat exchanger units (Dometic Duo-Therm Brisk Air). I plan on removing one and replacing it with a vent and fan.

I know that I'll have to cap off the AC wires and run new DC wiring but there is a wiring channel 6" from the unit I'm taking out.

Having grown up in the desert southwest, I guess I'm just more heat tolerant than most and I'd much rather have the fresh air. Other than testing to make sure they worked when I first bought the coach, neither A/C has ever been run. They are just a huge waste sitting on my rooftop.

Plus I do boondocks quite a lot so I favor the more energy efficient vent and reversible fan.

Once I complete the swap-out, I plan on listing the removed A/C for sale. There are loads of DIY skoolie builders out there who might love to get their hands on a cheap Duo-Therm unit.
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Old 07-05-2021, 05:06 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by JeffThor325 View Post
My coach has two non-ducted A/C heat exchanger units (Dometic Duo-Therm Brisk Air). I plan on removing one and replacing it with a vent and fan.

I know that I'll have to cap off the AC wires and run new DC wiring but there is a wiring channel 6" from the unit I'm taking out.

Having grown up in the desert southwest, I guess I'm just more heat tolerant than most and I'd much rather have the fresh air. Other than testing to make sure they worked when I first bought the coach, neither A/C has ever been run. They are just a huge waste sitting on my rooftop.

Plus I do boondocks quite a lot so I favor the more energy efficient vent and reversible fan.

Once I complete the swap-out, I plan on listing the removed A/C for sale. There are loads of DIY skoolie builders out there who might love to get their hands on a cheap Duo-Therm unit.
Instead of routing 12 VDC to the fan area and removing the 110VAC line just add a small power supply that will provide the sufficient 12 VDC to operate the fan.
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Old 07-05-2021, 05:37 PM   #31
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Fans should be powered directly from 12 VDC (battery) so they can operate without shore power, generator, or requiring an inverter to make the 115 VAC. Protected of course.
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Old 07-05-2021, 05:48 PM   #32
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Fans should be powered directly from 12 VDC (battery) so they can operate without shore power, generator, or requiring an inverter to make the 115 VAC. Protected of course.
You could disconnect the romex from the AC circuit breaker and connect it to the 12 volt DC bus in the power distribution enclosure and avoid having to rout wire.
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Old 07-05-2021, 06:14 PM   #33
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Originally Posted by JeffThor325 View Post
My coach has two non-ducted A/C heat exchanger units (Dometic Duo-Therm Brisk Air). I plan on removing one and replacing it with a vent and fan.

I know that I'll have to cap off the AC wires and run new DC wiring but there is a wiring channel 6" from the unit I'm taking out.

Having grown up in the desert southwest, I guess I'm just more heat tolerant than most and I'd much rather have the fresh air. Other than testing to make sure they worked when I first bought the coach, neither A/C has ever been run. They are just a huge waste sitting on my rooftop.

Plus I do boondocks quite a lot so I favor the more energy efficient vent and reversible fan.

Once I complete the swap-out, I plan on listing the removed A/C for sale. There are loads of DIY skoolie builders out there who might love to get their hands on a cheap Duo-Therm unit.
What about replacing the bathroom fan with say a fantastic fan the 12 volts are already there and you won't have to remove the ac unit. The bathroom door is large enough that any amount of air a good fan could remove wouldn't be restricted unless you are pulling cold air into the rv the bathroom wouldn't be a good choice. I had the big fans before and one of my rv's had two, I wasn't really impressed with the amount of air they moved. I always wondered if the max air covers cuts down on the flow but if I didn't have them the bed and living room couch would get wet, I'll stick with the covers
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Old 07-20-2021, 02:52 AM   #34
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Hi LandKO!!

I’m about to do this on my 2018 30FE and your post was my inspiration to get it done.

Do you have some photos on how you got your wires down to below the storage bay? I know I’ll have to drill a hole on the bottom of the cabinet over the bed. Did you do the wire hider down the wall there at the head of the bed?

I noticed they have thick foam in the ceiling so routing through there looks tough.

Would appreciate any additional photos to help out!!
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Old 07-20-2021, 03:06 AM   #35
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I’m not the poster that inspired you but I did this in my class A (SOB). The new unit was only about a foot from the bathroom, in the corner of which was a pipe chase for the black tank vent. I was able to push a fish tape into the pipe chase and from there go down to the basement. I’m sure your coach is different but the point is that you might be able to figure out something that will be totally invisible. I used 12/2 Romex and added a circuit breaker in my electrical compartment. It was a very worthwhile upgrade. Hardest part was getting the unit on the roof and I elected to have that done by someone with a lift. Good luck!
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Old 07-20-2021, 03:17 AM   #36
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I ran my wires through the overhead storage compartments over the bed to the shirt cabinet and then into the wall separating the bathroom and bedroom. DOwn the wall then under the bed where all the power wires goes out underneath to the plugs.


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Old 07-20-2021, 03:39 AM   #37
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Originally Posted by Bill Johnson View Post
AC units have nothing to do ambient temperature. Your AC unit should put out approximately 20 degree air below the temperature of the air being sucked in to the unit in the room not outside air temperature. Yes it may not cool as well on a hot day that's because of the insulation and windows in your RV

In an RV it has everything to do with ambient and for the exact reasons you gave - insulation & windows, along with sun/shade. You will be hard pressed to find any RV AC that will get you more than 20 below ambient.
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Old 07-20-2021, 02:23 PM   #38
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Originally Posted by USMarineNCO View Post
Hi LandKO!!

I’m about to do this on my 2018 30FE and your post was my inspiration to get it done.

Do you have some photos on how you got your wires down to below the storage bay? I know I’ll have to drill a hole on the bottom of the cabinet over the bed. Did you do the wire hider down the wall there at the head of the bed?

I noticed they have thick foam in the ceiling so routing through there looks tough.

Would appreciate any additional photos to help out!!
Every coach is different, but in my case, the bedroom had a vent fan in the 14 x 14 opening in the bedroom ceiling. I tied a fish tape to the end of the fan's wires and pulled the wires along the ceiling and down the wall to the water heater compartment under the dressing table. I ran the Romex from under the bed, under the coach, over to the water heater compartment and taped it to the fish tape along with the wiring cable for the remote thermostat. I pulled the Romex and thermostat cable up to the ceiling opening with the fish tape. I had previously converted the power center from 30 amp to 50 amp to handle the second heat pump. I put the thermostat on the hollow bedroom wall next to the bedroom light switches and the slide switch. The heat pump is a Coleman 15000 btu Mach 8. I chose that model because it has a separate fan motor, so the low speed is much quieter than the Mach 3 or Mach 15 A/Cs. I bought the heat pump from PPL and had Wagner RV in Castroville, TX install it on the roof.
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Old 07-20-2021, 04:37 PM   #39
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Originally Posted by Pete'sMH View Post
I’m not the poster that inspired you but I did this in my class A (SOB). The new unit was only about a foot from the bathroom, in the corner of which was a pipe chase for the black tank vent. I was able to push a fish tape into the pipe chase and from there go down to the basement. I’m sure your coach is different but the point is that you might be able to figure out something that will be totally invisible. I used 12/2 Romex and added a circuit breaker in my electrical compartment. It was a very worthwhile upgrade. Hardest part was getting the unit on the roof and I elected to have that done by someone with a lift. Good luck!
Pete, Thank you for that! OP has the same model RV I do and I was hoping to get some detailed photos on where he ran the romex to get it to the outside plug on the RV. I've purchased all the parts and they should arrive by the weekend. Was just hoping to get some details so I didn't have to prod around and find the best place to run things.
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Old 07-21-2021, 01:18 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USMarineNCO View Post
Hi LandKO!!

I’m about to do this on my 2018 30FE and your post was my inspiration to get it done.

Do you have some photos on how you got your wires down to below the storage bay? I know I’ll have to drill a hole on the bottom of the cabinet over the bed. Did you do the wire hider down the wall there at the head of the bed?

I noticed they have thick foam in the ceiling so routing through there looks tough.

Would appreciate any additional photos to help out!!

Sorry for the late reply. Ive been having computer problems (I hate Windows 10)


I ran the Romex from The AC unit overhead to the cabinet above the bed. Drilled a hole on the cabinet to run the Romex through.
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I routed the Romex inside the cabinet to the circuit breaker I had added
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I secured the Romex inside the cabinet with a combination of clamps and glue blocks with Ty wraps.
I routed the Romex out the bottom of the cabinet and drilled a hole in the counter top below to correspond.
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Where the Romex was exposed to the cabin, I used non-metallic raceway, primarily for aesthetics, but also to offer minimal protection.
I drilled a hole up through the top of the baggage compartment below

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(obviously a too big hole) so I could fish the Romex from above. The dead space between the bedroom countertop and the baggage compartment made it difficult to feed the Romex through. Thats why the hole got bigger.
Again I secured the Romex in the baggage compartment.
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I couldn't get photos of the Romex exiting the bottom of the baggage compartment and routed to the plug because it's really muddy where the camper is parked right now.
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Hope this helps.
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