Are You Hot - Montana Owners Club

pbahlin · 07-07-2010, 10:26 AM

We're in southern New Hampshire and my outside temp (under my awning) is 106 degrees as I type this. This is the third day of this kind of heat. Last week I had the heat on in the morning! New England, land of exciting weather.

Unfortunately I have a single air conditioner and it is not keeping up. My inside temp is 89 degrees and the air has been running flat out for days. I was hoping to get away with one air conditioner but my hope is draining faster than the buckets of sweat spitting out of my forehead.

Are others experiencing this? Is my one air conditioner just sick? Should I spring for the second unit or just plan on spending summers on Hudson Bay?

ols1932 · 07-07-2010, 10:33 AM

Generally speaking, one AC will keep a rig 20° cooler than outside. Yours sounds a bit like ours but all we do when it gets that hot is use a Fantastic Silent Breeze 12 volt fan, sit it on the floor under the AC Quick Cool outlet and let the fan circulate the air. Feels a lot cooler.

Orv

CamillaMichael · 07-07-2010, 10:40 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by pbahlin

We're in southern New Hampshire and my outside temp (under my awning) is 106 degrees as I type this. This is the third day of this kind of heat. Last week I had the heat on in the morning! New England, land of exciting weather.

Unfortunately I have a single air conditioner and it is not keeping up. My inside temp is 89 degrees and the air has been running flat out for days. I was hoping to get away with one air conditioner but my hope is draining faster than the buckets of sweat spitting out of my forehead.

Are others experiencing this? Is my one air conditioner just sick? Should I spring for the second unit or just plan on spending summers on Hudson Bay?

I posted a new topic today (A/C operation)which questions the operation of the 2nd A/C (bedroom). It got up to about 97 degrees here in Ga today and has stayed relatively cool inside...I do not know what the inside temp is, but the inside has been cooled by the main A/C (living area) alone, as the front A/C has not cycled on during the day. So, I am wondering if perhaps the front A/C was a wasted investment???? It seems to do all the work at night, so maybe that's the plan...anyone know?

mtpocket2 · 07-07-2010, 12:36 PM

When in full sun I cannot get more than a 12 degree drop. I will have the front AC next year.

JimF · 07-07-2010, 12:38 PM

It was 101 today and we have a 3400RL w/ 2 AC's The main room AC starts running in the morning until about 7PM, I use the front AC to take the strain off of the main AC. We keep the Unit at about 72 to 73 degrees (we are not paying for the electric. The folks next door have a similar size unit with one AC and are experiencing the hot weather very poorly. The also have +85 degrees indoors. Your not alone with one AC in this heat. At night I run the front AC and the rear doesn't come on, makes it nicer for TV listening. At bedtime we turn off the front AC and turn the main down to 69 and sleep with blankets, feels great. Wouldn't think of not having 2 AC's.

richfaa · 07-07-2010, 12:45 PM

It was 94.6 this afternoon in Northern Ohio with the humidity at 86 %. That is unlivable. We are now at a KOA in Middlebury, Ind on our way to a FCRV rally in Berrian Springs.Mi. It was 102 inside the 3400 when we the slides out.Both A/C's have been running for nearly 2 hours at it down to 85 inside.

bob n pam · 07-07-2010, 02:45 PM

It was in the low 90's with high humidity here (Chicago) today. Our main AC is doing a good job of keeping the rig cool.

dmaxmountaineer · 07-07-2010, 03:14 PM

Does anyone use one of those portable air conditioners? I would like to add another ac, but im not keen on cutting a hole in my roof. I was thinking of buying a portable air conditioner that looks like a dehumidifier. What can be done with the exhaust though?

HamRad · 07-07-2010, 04:12 PM

pbahlin,
At the temps you're talking about you probably need 2 ACs. We spent a few weeks in Phoenix, AZ a few years ago when the temps were in the 110 to 118 range. Of course that is a dry heat! We were in a park that had a shed to back under to help with controlling the heat. Our one AC unit simply could not keep up with the heat. We finally had to move to our daughter's place. At night it would cool down some but even at night the AC had to work hard. On several nights the low was only in the low 90s!

We thought seriously of getting the second AC but decided not to install another unit --- even though our unit is already setup for it. So far we have been happy with our decision. If we lived in our unit fulltime or spent a lot of time in a very hot climate we'd probably get the second unit.

From what I've read about the heat in your area you are going through a somewhat unusual heat wave. If I was in your situation I'd not get the second unit. But good luck and let us know what you end up doing. And stay cool.

HamRad

Clemson1881 · 07-07-2010, 04:43 PM

Michael, I believe what is happening to your bedroom unit is the cold air from the main unit is blowing all the way into the return area of the front unit (they use the same ducts) and giving the thermostat a false reading. The trick is to turn the fan on both units to the continuous setting. That way the cold air from the opposite unit will not give the thermostat a false reading because the counter force from each unit will push against each other. If either fan cycles off from either unit the opposite unit can be affected in this way, so keep the fans running when using both units. Try it. I bet it will solve your issue.

Wild Horse · 07-07-2010, 04:55 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by dmaxmountaineer

Does anyone use one of those portable air conditioners? I would like to add another ac, but im not keen on cutting a hole in my roof. I was thinking of buying a portable air conditioner that looks like a dehumidifier. What can be done with the exhaust though?

We have one in our home....it works extremely well. I've thought about it for a second unit in the monty if needed. I haven't checked the elec. draw on it yet, but I doubt if it's any worse than a second a/c. Have to build a bracket of sorts to hold the exhaust up to one of the windows tho'.
Bill

exav8tr · 07-07-2010, 05:07 PM

Paul/Betty, We have had the 2nd unit since coming to the Lower 48 in Jun of '07 and have not regretted it. Although we travel north for the summer, (now on the Oregon Coast), there are times when we needed both, BUT, mostly using the BR air at night is ideal for sleeping. Although the main AC is ducted to the BR, it does not move enough air up there to really cool it down. So, for us, it's sort of like the bedsaver, hope we don't have to use it but there when we need it. One just never knows when you will have to be down south during the summer. I'm sure you will do the right thing for you guys. Only you can make that decision. Good luck whatever you do...

Tfthorp · 07-07-2010, 09:25 PM

We're in Alaska temp is a balmy 70 during the day. Supposed to hit 80 tomorrow. Sure glad we're not home on Long Island!!!! I heard the kids are sweating their butts off!!!!

Phyllen · 07-08-2010, 01:42 AM

Here in southern NJ we hit 102 and 104 the last two days. Today they say 93 but higher humidity. This is unusual heat for here. Our rig has one unit but a 2nd could be added. During heat of day, it never shuts off. But using the overhead fan it is comfortable. We have a fan running in bedroom at night just to move the air around a bit. Warmer in there than we would prefer, but at this time can't see investing in 2nd unit. That might change if we start spending more time in hotter weather.

The Old Fogies · 07-08-2010, 02:08 AM

You make our 94 degrees seem cool. DW like our second unit best in the morning. The conast sound of the fan runnng drowns out the noises outside.

richfaa · 07-08-2010, 02:44 AM

This has been in terms of hot and humid the worst weather this 3400 has been in in the over 4 years we have had it. 94.6 and 86% humidity yesterday while on the road. The tire psi was higher than I have ever seen it and we slowed to 60mph to bring the psi/temp down. We shot the asphalt at a fuel stop on the tpk and is was 135 degrees. Inside the camper temp was 102 when we opened at the KOA and with both A/C running it down to 80 by 8PM. the heat index was still 90 degrees. We were not impressed. These are not very hot very cold weather units which fits right into our plan to stay out of that kind of weather. The fair grounds at the rally we are going to is 30 amps and we were drawing 35 amps on our50 amp service yesterday. Don't think this is going to be fun...

Montana Sky · 07-08-2010, 02:52 AM

I have run 2 a/c units in my 3400RL for the past 6 years and would not be without the 2nd unit up front. 1 a/c in a coach of this size just cannot keep up on the hot and humid days.

7.3Ford · 07-08-2010, 04:28 AM

I only have one unit, and will probably stay that way since, we rarely see 50A Service where we camp. If it is 106 degrees in the shade outside, 89 degrees inside sound pretty good to me for one unit. Heck we keep our house set at 79 degrees, so 89 doesn't sound to bad if the humidity is lower enough by the A/C.

SlickWillie · 07-08-2010, 04:43 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Clemson1881

Michael, I believe what is happening to your bedroom unit is the cold air from the main unit is blowing all the way into the return area of the front unit (they use the same ducts) and giving the thermostat a false reading. The trick is to turn the fan on both units to the continuous setting. That way the cold air from the opposite unit will not give the thermostat a false reading because the counter force from each unit will push against each other. If either fan cycles off from either unit the opposite unit can be affected in this way, so keep the fans running when using both units. Try it. I bet it will solve your issue.

So, is the sensor for the front unit in the return on that unit? Ours is non-ducted, but I have noticed SOB's use wall mounted sensors.

Clemson1881 · 07-08-2010, 06:45 AM

Mine is. It depends on the unit. The factory install has a ceiling mounted sensor. Either way the cold air from the main unit can hinder the front unit from kicking on. Mine works best if I leave the fans on. That's why I had little success with a non-ducted system. It would short cycle because the bedroom cooled too quickly in relation to the living area. The side aisle bath in my unit left no airway from the bedroom to the back.

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