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Old 03-08-2020, 01:42 AM   #1
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Is a 2nd AC for FE24

Last Summer was brutal during our visit to Superior, NE. I do not plan on such a terrible experience ever happening again if preventable. My thought is a 2nd AC mounted in the rear vent. Has anyone done it or am I just delusional thinking it should be relatively easy and inexpensive (outside of the AC cost)?

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Old 03-08-2020, 01:49 AM   #2
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What is your current AC, a 13.5 or 15K BTU unit? If 13.5 have you thought about upgrading to a 15K?

Adding a second unit may present an issue in the power system. I imagine you are currently on a 30 amp system and not 50 amp.
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Old 03-08-2020, 01:57 AM   #3
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It's very easy.
Lots of. YouTube videos showing exactly how.
I wouldn't hesitate to add one.
We chose lots of insulation and it seems to be paying off.
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Old 03-08-2020, 02:25 AM   #4
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Check this forum thread.
It's long but worth the time.
I've done most of the ac upgrades in the link, with a big improvement in the temperature and amount of air coming out of the vents .
https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f2...ice-12980.html
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Old 03-08-2020, 03:23 AM   #5
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Piece of cake. Pull the vent out, put a 13.5 K BTU unit with manual controls and a separate power cord just for that unit and you're golden.
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Old 03-08-2020, 06:24 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
Piece of cake. Pull the vent out, put a 13.5 K BTU unit with manual controls and a separate power cord just for that unit and you're golden.
Yep that's what did. separate power cord (I use a 30 amp cord) then use a 30;30 to 50 dog bone adapter to hook to the pedestal

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Old 03-08-2020, 12:48 PM   #7
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We have a 30FE and know exactly what your talking about. Second A/C is at the top of my list. As you say last year was brutal a few times with only one A/C that could not keep up. I’ve watched several videos and looks rather simple to do.
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Old 03-08-2020, 04:06 PM   #8
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My v10 uses
.55 gallons an hour on idle.
When you were having your miserable time in the rv did you run your dash air along with the overhead ac?
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Old 03-08-2020, 04:25 PM   #9
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What most stated above is simple as long as you don’t need to power both A/Cs from existing 4,000-Watt generator. If so, your decision/design gets a bit more complicated and a little more expensive.

If running second A/C only on shore power, then it’s much easier.
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Old 03-08-2020, 05:01 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cap10Jack View Post
Last Summer was brutal during our visit to Superior, NE. I do not plan on such a terrible experience ever happening again if preventable. My thought is a 2nd AC mounted in the rear vent. Has anyone done it or am I just delusional thinking it should be relatively easy and inexpensive (outside of the AC cost)?
I don't own a 24 or Thor, but assuming you love your coach; I would upgrade to 2nd AC without ANY 2nd thought or hesitation. Think of this way, the sooner you do, the sooner you can start to reap the returns. Even if done professionally, the cost is not that much different than adding a new condenser unit to your house, maybe cheaper.

I do think you have one angle or concern to understand. When you were in Nebraska and overwhelmed by the heat, were you in position to run shore power? If so, don't be too concerned with not being able to run both units with the generator. That's the ideal but even though we have two ACs. I can't think of when we needed to run both AC's off the generator? I am in Texas, we bought a unit that comes with 2 and we use them both all of the time when on shore power. When we only need one, we alternate for a unit to run opposite of where we are at. They are both wired to same ducting. If we have guests we run both and close vents in bedroom to make it even colder in front for door to be opened and closed with greater frequency.
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Old 03-08-2020, 09:03 PM   #11
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I wired the bedroom for a second a/c. In removing the rear inside trim from the roof vent, there were two 12v wires there presumably for a fan. I used the 12v wires to pull #12 romax through the ceiling to a closet. Continuing the routing in a floor channel to a box in which I placed a push button 20amp breaker. From there to a 20 amp service plug on the exterior.

Next I had a good rv dealer install the non-ducted 13,500 btu a/c. They removed the roof vent set the a/c in place and did the final connection and tested it. Their installed cost was about $75 more than I could buy the same a/c from Amazon. A no brainer at that point.

It's a meat locker in 90deg. full sun beach camping. Just do it and stop messing with cheep half fast fixes. Cost of a/c with install was $1039.
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Old 03-08-2020, 10:11 PM   #12
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In the summer we use a portable AC.
Sit it between the seats, exhause it out the driver widow and power it from a cord run thru a hole in the slide floor then thru a storage compartment.
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Old 03-08-2020, 11:05 PM   #13
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Generator considerations?

RVers use their motorhomes differently. Some always have shore power at campgrounds, and others park in the sun at the beach, or at football games, or race track, or out in desert and need to run all A/Cs without shore power through the hottest part of day. If so, plan ahead. Installing a second A/C on roof is pretty much the same in either case, but A/C selection and how they are powered may be different.

Granted, you can always use a portable generator for the second A/C when there’s no shore power, but that may be a hassle for some. It would be for me. My personal needs would require both A/Cs be able to run off motorhome’s built-in generator.
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Old 03-09-2020, 12:24 AM   #14
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I had a second AC installed in the Gemini, up front where the vent was. Certainly solved the cooling problem in hot weather. I matched the rear AC so it was a heat-pump as well, useful in cool weather too.
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Old 03-09-2020, 12:30 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by abjbrtd View Post
In the summer we use a portable AC.

Sit it between the seats, exhause it out the driver widow and power it from a cord run thru a hole in the slide floor then thru a storage compartment.


Me too! For most of the time my single 15,000 BTU heat pump is fine. If we are going to be somewhere really hot we bring the portable AC and exhaust it out a ceiling vent. It was only $300 at Lowe’s and we use it all the time at home to keep the bedroom cool without cooling the whole house all night. But I wouldn’t hesitate to install a second unit if I needed it often or didn’t want to hassle with the portable. I believe I could do it myself for about $600.
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Old 03-09-2020, 12:46 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Chance View Post
RVers use their motorhomes differently. Some always have shore power at campgrounds, and others park in the sun at the beach, or at football games, or race track, or out in desert and need to run all A/Cs without shore power through the hottest part of day. If so, plan ahead. Installing a second A/C on roof is pretty much the same in either case, but A/C selection and how they are powered may be different.

Granted, you can always use a portable generator for the second A/C when there’s no shore power, but that may be a hassle for some. It would be for me. My personal needs would require both A/Cs be able to run off motorhome’s built-in generator.
Why use a portable generator? The Onan 4000 can handle both A/Cs as longa as they are not both 15K BTU units. You may not be able to run anything else if both are running, but the 4K should handle it.
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Old 03-09-2020, 02:42 AM   #17
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Why use a portable generator? The Onan 4000 can handle both A/Cs as longa as they are not both 15K BTU units. You may not be able to run anything else if both are running, but the 4K should handle it.

Exactly the point I was trying to make — to plan the improvement in a way that makes most sense based on budget and intended need/requirement. To me it makes little sense to add a second A/C to then find out you can’t run it off the generator because you didn’t select the correct unit (as in a more efficient model). That assumes you’d want to run both A/Cs without shore power sometimes.

I looked a little closer at FE24 in question and it appears to be a Mercedes Sprinter-based full-wall-slide motorhome which normally comes with 13,500 BTU/hr A/C and 3,600 Watt propane generator. That’s indeed a lot of motorhome for a 13,500 if parked in sun on a hot day. The slide has 4 windows so if possible should be parked with slide facing north.
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Old 03-14-2020, 06:38 PM   #18
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Sometimes simple is the easiest. I have a 38' Hurricane with 2 A/C's but only 30A service. Bought a 5000btu window a/c fo $89. Put it in bedroom window on pedestal side and plugged it into 20A socket. Cut plexiglass to cover window opening. Use 30A for one or the other a/c's as needed. Don't need generator that way. Store under bed in winter. Central California weather in summer 100+. Bedroom with window A/C 70° or less.
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Old 03-14-2020, 06:55 PM   #19
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About a year ago when I was a non RV owner and shopping around, I frequently ran into good deals with a unit that had 1 AC 30amps so I was trying to figure out the options because I knew that 1 AC would NOT be enough. Then through the knowledge of several seasoned owners on this site; they told me something that I too viewed as simple. If you want 2 ACs buy a unit with two. While I thought that was radical concept , that is exactly what we did. I would never EVER buy an RV of the size we are discussing with 1 AC. I get that some folks up north can get by off one AC, but a mobile home is NOT like buying a home with no AC on Lake Minnetonka. That RV may eventually go to Florida, Texas, Arizona or California. Why Mfgs make them with 1 AC is nothing short of criminal. At a minimum they should all be required by law to be pre wired; so they can plug and play into existing electrical. It actually may be cheaper to make if they were all made the same way anyway.

But for OP, given you own what you like with 1 AC; I am 100% confident you will NOT regret the cost to have a 2nd unit professionally installed with separate 20 amp service. If you got the money, tie it into Generator; but that is luxury nice to have based on 6 months of RV knowledge
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Old 03-14-2020, 07:36 PM   #20
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What is your current AC, a 13.5 or 15K BTU unit? If 13.5 have you thought about upgrading to a 15K?

Adding a second unit may present an issue in the power system. I imagine you are currently on a 30 amp system and not 50 amp.
Many install second but plug the unit into the 20 amp plug on pedestal with heavy duty cord. You can have cord coming down ladder.
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