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Old 12-31-2005, 03:04 AM   #1
Bighorn
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Second AC unit does it

help? In the few trips we managed to get in, we only had to turn the AC on twice for an hour or two. Summer camping for us is primarily in the Northeast, but it still can get in the upper 90s and humid. Our Monty came prepped for a second AC. At what ambient temperature would it be helpful? Does it connect to the ductwork or is it ductless? Has anyone installed a heat pump instead of an AC unit?

Thanks
Ed & Sherry
 
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Old 12-31-2005, 03:52 AM   #2
stiles watson
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Sustained 90+ with high humidity. No, it is ductless and usually installed in the BR. One unit can't keep up in the Texas summer where it seldom reaches 100, but stays in the ninties. We could run our second unit on low and it seemed to do well. I say low, but with high fan speed to keep the silly thing from freezing up. Gotta keep the air moving across the coils. I don't know about the heat pump and/or how it would work with your existing unit. Second unit is nice. When you need it, you NEED it.
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Old 12-31-2005, 06:00 AM   #3
prariepoodle
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BigHorn, We had the second A/C installed in the bedroom and love it, when we are in Nevada it can get to 120 degrees in the shade. We got a coleman with the heat strip at camping world and they installed it was all most $900.00.
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Old 12-31-2005, 06:17 AM   #4
Sweetfire
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Are these 13,500 BTU AC's or 15,000 BTU AC's? We have the larger one, we were going to up-grade to the second AC but the dealer seemed to think we would be wasting money. Does anyone have feedback on the 15,000 BTU unit?
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Old 12-31-2005, 08:02 AM   #5
Gonfishin
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We have a second AC ductless 13,500 btu. It is nice to have after a long day of traveling to help cool the inside faster. I have also installed the optional heat strip which helps take the chill off if camping in cool weather.
Rick
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Old 12-31-2005, 10:11 AM   #6
Montana Sky
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At the moment I only have the main 15,000btu in the living room. We reach high 90's into the 100's during the July and Aug months. The main a/c will run from almost sun up to sundown trying to keep the coach cool at 78 degrees. I am planning on having the Dometic low-profile 15,000btu with heat strip installed in the bedroom this spring. The second a/c is not ducted, it has vents that blow air right into the bedroom and bathroom area. In my opinion the 3400RL is too large of a coach to just have 1 a/c when the temps get up over 85 degrees.
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Old 12-31-2005, 10:36 AM   #7
Broome101
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We also have 3685FL and this summer installed the second AC. We are in the south and it gets very hot and humid the main could not keep up, the second AC keeps it cool enough for us. With 4 slides and tall as it is it's is hard for one to keep it good and cool in 100 plus weather.
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Old 12-31-2005, 02:27 PM   #8
scrowba
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Hey Ed and Sherry,
We went our first summer with only the 15K ducted unit in the bedroom which kept the rig fine. Our seasonal site is here in Maine and our trips were up to New Brunswick and north. This year we go south or west so we will see if one unit will work.
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Old 12-31-2005, 05:51 PM   #9
Northstar
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Bighorn, we also have a 3685FL model. We purchased it with only one a/c unit. After experiencing 102F temps in Illinois we decided we needed to add a second a/c. Which we did and was non-ducted added to our FL area. Now we have enough cooing power. We just use the second a/c most of the time. And of course we have the main unit available if necessary.
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Old 01-01-2006, 12:29 AM   #10
Fordzilla
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Welcome Bighorn, We too have the 3685 and we added the second A/C when we bought the Monty. It comes in real nice as we are weekend campers and it cools the unit down real quick after setting up. I normally turn them on shortly after arriving at camp and by the time we area all set up and ready to go it has dropped to a respectable level inside the trailer. We have no experience with only one A/C as we have always had two. But now that we have had a trailer with 2 I think it would be hard to go back to one on a trailer as big as this. We have found that when the second A/C running over the front living room area that it blows enough cold air toward the thermostat that the main unit will shut down. Also something to think about is low crossings. We measured min hooked up to the truck and my front A/C measures 13'3". So if you have any low crossings near your house you may want to consider a really low profile unit as a second one.
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Old 01-01-2006, 12:46 AM   #11
harleyrider
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Bighorn

First I would like to wish you a Happy New Year,and that goes to all the MOC family.

This is kind of off the subject line.But I see in your sig.that you have the FASS system.How do you like it?And did your Dodge Dealer do the install?i`am reading a lot of "lift pump" failurs on our trucks.And am thinking of having the FASS installed as for a little preventive maintance.I don`t want to be 1000 miles away from home when and if the lift pump goes bad.Thanks for any info and help you could give me.
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Old 01-01-2006, 03:05 AM   #12
trukdoc
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Probably need another thread but I am interested in info on the FASS system if it helps in Cummins starting problems. (So far my 6.0 starts everytime) The shop I work for has a small fleet of Dodges and have constant starting problems. And can hear a Dodge Cummins trying to be started in almost any parking lot. Seems to be a very common problem, seems Dodge should address it.
As for the second AC. We ordered our Mountaineer with the second unit. Unfornatuly the Mountaineer only comes with the 30 supply cord. Both units do not work well with only 30 Amps. I rewired my bedroom unit on a seperate circut that comes out to an outlet that I can plug in to the almost always available 20 amp circut in the RV outlet box. The other nice thing is that while away there is not much chance of blowing both circut breakers. Our old motorhome had the Duo Therm Penguin AC. It is a ductless Heat pump, worked very well and was reliable. It had a digital thermostat so the guesswork as to the temp setting being eliminated. My Mountaineer came with the Coleman but if I had to buy one to install it would be the Duotherm Penguin.
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Old 01-01-2006, 09:19 AM   #13
Bighorn
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Harleyrider, from my research the FASS seems to be very dependable. I left my original lift pump in place. Bypassed it to the VP but used the same return. If the FASS fails I can reinstall the original LP with little difficulty.
Rick, I’ve owned 3 CTD and never had any problem with starting except when temps are below zero.
I installed the FASS 150 mostly for filtration. The FASS has an excellent water and air separator. The fuel filter spec is a hydraulic filter and you have a chose down to 3, 5 or 10 micron filtration. I am currently using a 5 micron filter. There is some speculation that the new high pressure fueling systems used in today’s trucks will fail prematurely from damage caused from impurities greater than 5 microns. The hydraulic industry had the same problem when they changed over to high pressure. The FASS pump produces 17 to 15 psi even when I down load a performance setting from the power pup.
I know this is off topic so PM me or check the DTR or TDR for more information about FASS.
Thanks everyone for your response concerning the 2nd AC unit. I think I will call the dealer about the Duo Therm Penguin Heat pump and see if it is compatible with the Montana rough in or the Dometic low-profile with heat strip.

I would like to wish the MOC families a very happy and prosperous NEW YEAR.


Ed & Sherry
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Old 01-01-2006, 04:21 PM   #14
eck-2
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we have the 15k a/c in a 3655fl and it has a hard time cooling the back bedroom on hot days.I picked up a used a/c from an old camper that I scrapped out and am thinking about installing it in the bedroom
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Old 01-01-2006, 05:10 PM   #15
Montana_2753
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Spent some summer time (parts of July, August and September) and decided to add second 15K Coleman in bedroom (by RV Lifestyles in Q'site for less than $800.00 INCLUDING installation). The main unit was not very effecient (have since replaced it) but the 15K Coleman did really well, practically on its own. Temps were in the 110s-120s. The Coleman was kicking out around 60F even in the higher temps. Main reason it didn't get cooler than about 100F is because of heat transfer from walls and especially windows and their frames. As has been mentioned on other posts, putting aluminum bubble wrap material in the windows really helped. The other thing I have done is use a Cool Mist Humidifier to keep moister up during the hot weather. That helped as well. The real test will be this summer because I have moved here permanently on October 6th.

Bruce
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Old 01-01-2006, 11:21 PM   #16
Fordzilla
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eck-2, On my 3685 the main A/C is mounted over the rear bedroom. I had to add the second to the front area over the living room area. Not sure if they changed the placement of the main air during the years or not. But I think the ducted one would have to stay hooked up in the rear of mine. At least that is what the dealer told me.
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Old 01-01-2006, 11:58 PM   #17
smc
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Harleyrider, I see you have the 2004.5 Dodge. You may not have to worry about the lift pump. We finally found a dealer who was going to replace ours before we got left stranded, but when they got in there, they checked it and found it to be fine. They said about half way through the year they did change them.
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Old 01-02-2006, 02:33 AM   #18
Wrenchtraveller
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by trukdoc

Probably need another thread but I am interested in info on the FASS system if it helps in Cummins starting problems. (So far my 6.0 starts everytime) The shop I work for has a small fleet of Dodges and have constant starting problems. And can hear a Dodge Cummins trying to be started in almost any parking lot. Seems to be a very common problem, seems Dodge should address it.
As for the second AC. We ordered our Mountaineer with the second unit. Unfornatuly the Mountaineer only comes with the 30 supply cord. Both units do not work well with only 30 Amps. I rewired my bedroom unit on a seperate circut that comes out to an outlet that I can plug in to the almost always available 20 amp circut in the RV outlet box. The other nice thing is that while away there is not much chance of blowing both circut breakers. Our old motorhome had the Duo Therm Penguin AC. It is a ductless Heat pump, worked very well and was reliable. It had a digital thermostat so the guesswork as to the temp setting being eliminated. My Mountaineer came with the Coleman but if I had to buy one to install it would be the Duotherm Penguin.
I know many people that own a Cummins in a Dodge and IMO that engine
has a terrific reputation and this is the first I have ever heard of them being difficult to start.

The 6.0 Navistar is a great engine if you get a good one. I bought an 04 6.0 and after a multitude of problems and being stranded on the road three times, I decided enough is enough and I ordered my 05 V10 gasser. 11 months later I am happy with my choice and I have never had the truck back to the dealer but I do have a recall on a fuel clip problem so it will have to go back for that.

In my travels I talk to many diesel pickup drivers as I have owned diesel Fords for 11 years.( my 95 and 00 7.3 PSDS were great engines)
and I do believe the Cummins enjoys the best reputation of any diesel engine in a pick up.

You can get a Cummins in an F650, too bad it is not available in an F350 so we could have another choice. In 07 Ford is going to a new PSD, a 6.4 Twin Turbo with fixed vanes on both turbos. The variable vane turbo I had so much trouble with on my 6.0 is gone.

I hope this new engine is a real winner for Ford. Take care.

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Old 01-02-2006, 06:41 AM   #19
dsprik
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

At the moment I only have the main 15,000btu in the living room. We reach high 90's into the 100's during the July and Aug months. The main a/c will run from almost sun up to sundown trying to keep the coach cool at 78 degrees. I am planning on having the Dometic low-profile 15,000btu with heat strip installed in the bedroom this spring. The second a/c is not ducted, it has vents that blow air right into the bedroom and bathroom area. In my opinion the 3400RL is too large of a coach to just have 1 a/c when the temps get up over 85 degrees.
Dave, I believe we discussed this before, but did you look at a Coleman w/ heatstrip? I have decided that we are going to have to have a 2nd A/C (low profile) in our 3400, along with a heat strip. It's one thing to be weekending in it. It's another to be FTing in it. I am not that much of a hot weather (w/ humidity) person. I do not like to walk in from 85-90+ with 90% humidty (often occurs here in N. MI due to Great Lakes and prevailing winds) into a 78 degree Montana w/ the A/C running wide open. When I am hot, I want to be COOLED OFF.

I was very disappointed when the Feds went to the new cooling gases in A/Cs... takes me 2 - 3 miles down the road to get my 2000 Park Ave cooled down in that kind of heat/humidity. I had a 1991 Park Ave that took 30 secs or less to cool the car down. You could freeze a glass of water by holding it to the vents. My kind of cool. Good old freon.
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Old 01-02-2006, 12:57 PM   #20
Montana Sky
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Dave,
I have looked into the Coleman a/c for the bedroom but have decided against it mainly for the height issue. I am going with the Dometic for the Low-Profile 15k btu they offer, my 3400RL is at 13' tall already and I did not want to go much higher. Another reason I am going with Dometic is my dealership sells and installs them, and the price was actually $20 cheaper for the Dometic than Camping World's Coleman.
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