Mountaineer 34rt - Montana Owners Club

Montana_5764 · 07-07-2006, 08:46 AM

Hello everyone!

We have now taken our 344rt mountaineer on several trips and outside of little things all is great except one.

Our AC if not cooling as we were told by the dealer! Our last trip to Emigrant Lake in Ashland, OR hit highs in the low 90's. The AC could not get the rig cool and further more with only one vent in the main bedroom little to no air comes out! The AC seems to be miss designed and is not going to do what we want. If we let it run all night it will freeze up! And then in the heat of the day we have to turn it off for 45 minutes, let it defrost and so on.......
Has any one else experienced this?
Please let me know
THANKS !
AARON

Montana Sky · 07-07-2006, 11:55 AM

Aaron,
I have had the same problem with my main a/c. This spring the dealership "resealed" the return airbox and that seems to have solved the problem. I also had the 2nd a/c in the bedroom installed which has really helped keep the coach cool on those 95 degree days. I would check into having the return resealed first, if that does not work, have them check the amp draw while running, there could be something wrong with the compressor. Just a thought....

CountryGuy · 07-07-2006, 12:26 PM

Aaron,

Are you trying to run the A/C on LOW fan?? Pretty much agreed that you cannot do that, study the archives and do searches (open to the max, a year???) And you will find a number of threads about this.

Low fan will freeze up the A/C, running on high fan is usually the answer, IF that is the only problem.

If it is that warm, and you only have one A/C, then our experience is that it will not pull down the temps into the 70 degree range. Maybe at night, after the sun has gone down, but not during the blast of the day's heat. We do keep the day night shades down on the side of the rig that is getting the blast, put them back up and pull down others as the sun moves. Our worst experience was in Iowa last summer, it was really really warm! (cannot write the words I would like to describe it, would surely get edited). Anyway, it did take the humidity out of the air in the rig, and even tho it was like 85 in there, with the fan running it was tolerable. Specially when you consider what it was like OUTSIDE!!!!!

Good luck, you might consider Montana Sky's suggestion, cause if you are not gettin much cool air in the bedroom, that does not sound right, we get more than that.

Let us know what you find out, sharing helps us all!

Cheers, and enjoy that coach!

Carol

Broome101 · 07-07-2006, 12:48 PM

You can check to seal yourself. Pull the grill off and filter look up around the unit itself. You should have some white foam like tape around where the units meet. There should be no space or gaps it it. if so put some duct tape around everything that could let air leak up toward the coils. What happens sometimes is the air return if not sealed good will let air bypass it and reach the coils causing it to freeze up, if this happens it will not cool, but you should be able to see the coils frozen over. I beat when you cut it off water pours off the roof and maybe even down through the quick cool vents, if so it was frozen up. If you have no gaps that need sealing, and it still does this than you have a compressor issue.

bpierce · 07-08-2006, 11:09 AM

This is why I ordered the 2nd air conditioner when I placed my order. My 344RET is a wonderful unit, with lots of windows that let in LOTS of heat. I live in NE Texas with high temps and high humidity, 95-100 deg F with 60-90% humidity is not unusual. I have a digital clock with a thermometer reading on it and while the main a/c is on by itself on high, as the temperature rises outside, so does the inside. I have noticed that the more shade you can find where you park, the better cooling I can get with the one unit. With both air conditioners running, I can keep the unit in the low 70s with nearly any outdoor temp and at night, we can freeze ourselves to death. I recommend getting the 2nd A/C preferably the low profile unit with 3 speed fan. I installed mine by myself, not much to it once you get it on the roof. The bedroom skylight/vent pulls out and the A/C goes right over the hole. The 2nd A/C is worth it, there is no way I will sweat while I sleep!!

Montana_5764 · 07-13-2006, 06:38 AM

Wow everyone thanks for the great input.
Thankfully the dealer was able to get it to freeze up over night. This was after they ran it during the day and said they could not get it to ice up and seems to be working. The main thing is that the AC unit is far in the back of the rig and most other MFG seem to put the AC units in the center of the roof. I am assuming to try to disperse air evenly in the fifth wheel. Keystone for what ever reason did not do this. It appears to be a serious design flaw!
Any way, I as able to use you’re input and they are now checking the seals and once I hear from Bryan and Amanda Pierce
on where they pulled the power from for the second unit I assure you that the dealer will be installing one at no charge! (I hope!)
Thanks for all your help! You guys are great!
AARON!

Montana Sky · 07-13-2006, 09:30 AM

Aaron,
Remember that many of the other MFG that install the a/c in the center of the coach do not have the high roof line like the Montana. My kitchen is in the center of the coach, and putting the a/c up there would add another 9-11" of height to the coach. Glad to hear your dealership was able to find the problem w/ your a/c.

AZCampinfool · 07-14-2006, 06:51 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Aaron Avila

once I hear from Bryan and Amanda Pierce
on where they pulled the power from for the second unit I assure you that the dealer will be installing one at no charge! (I hope!)

Aaron, maybe I read this wrong, but if your dealer installs a 2nd a/c unit for free, I will print this thread and eat it for lunch..

In all seriousness....I live where it is REALLY HOT!! One a/c on a coach as big as a Montana just can not keep up in hot weather. All the advise your received is good, but my guess is you need a second a/c for hot weather.

Montana_5764 · 07-14-2006, 07:18 AM

Believe it or not the factory could not tell me if I had wires for a second ac! So I will pull the vent shroud and cross my fingers! Remmber....you may need tp print this and I will get my second ac if at all possible!
I will let you know...
THANKS!
AARON

Broome101 · 07-14-2006, 09:11 AM

If you don't have a solid blank outlet next to your vent you don't have wiring for it. I installed my second AC and did not have wiring for it. Had to pull wire from vent cover to the panel. You cannot, YOU CANNOT use any of the wires that are up there if not on separate 20 amp circuit, they are not big enough. You will need to pull 12/2 wire, what is up there in attic is 14/2, not big enough to handle the load.
You will need to pull wire and fish it down to your panel, hard job but can be done.

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