Adding a 2nd air conditioner any recommendations?

[gaykimmel]

We are living full time in a 2016 Montana High Country 5th wheel. We are considering purchasing a 2nd air conditioner (non-ducted) for the bedroom. Any recommendations as to brands? My RV guy (service and parts dept) suggested Dometic since that is what the other ac unit is. But his reason was that the shouds would match! That wasn't a reason that I was looking for! Thanks. Gay & Gary

[mhs4771]

When we added the second AC to our Montana, I went with the Ducted Low Profile Dometic because ours was all ready wired including the remote sensor so the new unit could be controlled by the single T-stat which had a zone 1 and zone 2. worked fine for us.

[jimcol]

When we added ours I went with the Dometic 13.5 non duct ed.. It has worked well for us but if I had it to do over again I think I would get the duct ed model. Cuts down on some of the noise. At the time we did ours the only difference duct vs dump was the inside shroud. I would have had to add a thermostat and sensor.I didn't need the low profile as my vent covers were almost as high as the standard unit. If your thermostat and sensor is like mhs4771 I would diffidently go duct ed.

[WeBeFulltime]

We ordered our Monty with 2 a/c units but IF I was adding the second one it would be Dometic DUCTED only.

[lawrenceb42106]

We went with the Ducted Low Profile Dometic because ours was all ready wired including the remote sensor so the new unit could be controlled by the single T-stat. Works fine for us.

[twindman]

I have a 2013 Mountaineer. I added the low profile Dometic. It was the only low profile CampingWorld had for the montana brand.
Low profile is a requirement, I think. I am 13' 4" with low profile. I am pretty sure low is 3-4 inches lower, so without it I would be over 13'6" which is the max limit on many highways.

[DQDick]

Ours came with two. The bedroom one is full sized ducted Dometic and yes we are about 13'6", but have never had a problem that the few inches of savings would have helped.

[1retired06]

We have had dometic and coleman AC units, both are ok, but I vote Dometic.

[Arizonacouple]

Hi Gay & Gary et al. Did you install a 2nd a/c unit? I have the same year high country as you do and am considering adding a second unit. The questions I have after reading all these posts are 1. Does wiring exist in the wall where the current thermostat is to accept a dual thermostat? 2. Folks here talk about ducted and non ducted. My living room a/c unit is ducted. Can I incorporate the 2nd unit in the existing ductwork?

[DQDick]

Many units, in recent years, were built with the wiring and the ductwork in place to add the second unit where the bedroom vent currently is. if you take the vent loose you should be able to see if the wiring and the ducts are there.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Arizonacouple

Hi Gay & Gary et al. Did you install a 2nd a/c unit? I have the same year high country as you do and am considering adding a second unit. The questions I have after reading all these posts are 1. Does wiring exist in the wall where the current thermostat is to accept a dual thermostat? 2. Folks here talk about ducted and non ducted. My living room a/c unit is ducted. Can I incorporate the 2nd unit in the existing ductwork?

You opened a 2 year old thread, may get better results with a new topic. My 2017 370BR arrived with 2 ACs. The 15K Dometic in the living room also has the heat pump option and is ducted. The bedroom unit is also a Dometic (13.5 K) and is connected to the duct work. During the day we run the bedroom unit, it is on a separate thermostat only for that AC unit. At night we run the living room unit. This keeps the noise down in the area we are at the time even though the 15K is the 'Whisper" unit. On really warm days both are run simultaneously. The thermostat for the 15K controls that AC, heat pump, and furnace. Upon arrival at a CG we often run the 15K through the ducts and the 13.5K on 'dump' to cool everything down quickly. The Fantastic Fan in the kitchen ceiling helps pull the ceiling heat out too.
I'm betting you have a 50 amp service and the bedroom is wired already. Pull the vent trim down and the wiring should be there. I'm less confident you will be able to connect to the duct work there, but it MAY be possible. The new unit may need to use ceiling controls as thermostat wiring probably is not there. That is what I found on my 2016 Cougar but the 2nd unit was certainly worth it. The Cougar 15K was not the Whisper model and unless really warm we would use the 13.5K unit with a fan on the dresser blowing cool air down stairs.

[Arizonacouple]

Thank you. Great post. Before I get into my response I have improved the situation in our living area by removing the vent guides in the bedroom ceiling then replaced them using plastic from zip lock bags to stop the airflow. By closing the bedroom door we no longer are cooling the bedroom space and all cool air is being focused in the living area. By late evening last night the rig was cool enough that we didn't need air in the living area or the bedroom.
We do have wiring in the ceiling for a 2nd unit. I pulled the interior vent surround so I could look at the setup. There is a brown wire unrelated to 110v wiring. Looks too big for a thermostat wire. Wonder what it's for? I also ran the a/c with the surround off and there was no airflow from the ductwork. So it looks like the a/c unit will be independent of the duct work. A new question. A Dometic penguin II 11k is about $700 but the 13.5k is about $1,250. Wondering if the added 2.5k is worth paying twice as much? I also pulled the thermostat and there was only two wires coming out of the wall so I'm thinking that the 2nd a/c unit will have to be operated independently of the existing setup.