lifted up ac?

[jcurtis934]

Has anyone out there raised their rear ac for anyreason? Mine was mounted with a twist to the streetside and we've always gotten slight outside odors like campfire smell, etc. I can see the four lag screws that go through a small square of foam into the roof of the monty and I know I should replace the support foam strip as well as the roof opening foam when I do so. Are the wires long enough to allow me to tilt it sideways or will it require a disconnect? This mounting issue is still bugging me, so I need to correct. The other issue is mold/mildew smell in both ac ducts, so I need to see if that is within the ac itself or in the ducts somehow. Appreciate the wisdom of the crowd. John

[dieselguy]

Somewhere in your model year timeframe, manufacturers went from 4 long bolts that screw from behind the inside grill into the A/C frame pan to simply 4 lag screws under the outside bonnet that screw into your roof sheating. I don't know who suggested to you that the foam pieces be replaced, but it really isn't necessary on a fiver as new as yours. The outboard foam squares are just there mainly to compensate for the curvature of the roof and add stability. Many times the screws are not drawn down enough to properly compress the gasket ... tighten them abit more and you're done. In your case it seems the unit was cocked from the hole cut in the roof and perhaps the gasket isn't sealing the entire hole. The A/C wires are usually long enough to tilt the unit over enough to do what you want. Just use a 4X4 or equivelant to hold it cocked while you work. Try sealing the existing screw holes with silicone, centering the A/C straight on the cutout hole, and chinching her down. You only want to compress the gasket to @ 1/2 of it's original thickness. On any RV, you'll want to maybe put another turn or so on the A/C mounting screws as the years pass to support a good seal.

[jcurtis934]

Thanks for your reply dieselguy! On the gaskets, I figured that the factory may have compressed them beyond normal since they also mounted the ac unit with its nose noticeably off to streetside. We are talking no where near what it should have been or I have the new ram air version installed in one unit only. I will see how bad they are when I lift it. Lag screws on mine from inside ac pan which go through what looks like two inch square foam to seal screw holes from water...and straight into roof. Going to do better with sealant under those little pieces of foam in the holes as well as on top of rubber roof and on top of the little foamie things. Who knows what I'll find when I lift it and see the air return system inside. For sure it will be the perfect time to make sure the warm air returns stay open and take a photo in case others want to see what keystone did on the duct design. John

[dieselguy]

There is an insulated cover over you evaporator with what trades people call 100 MPH tape on it to seal the corners and such. Since you mentioned you can occasionally smell campfire smoke, while your there ... make sure the silver tape is covering all joints and corners as it shares the return air chamber. It just a guess, but easy to check while you're there.