2nd AC brand preference - Montana Owners Club

illapah · 11-15-2006, 05:18 AM

I will be getting a 2nd AC for our Montana for next summer. Any brand/model recommendations?

I did have the DuoTherm lo profile on our 2955 which I had switched out for the standard model due to inside water leaks.

prariepoodle · 11-15-2006, 05:38 AM

illahah, We chose the Coleman and it out does the DuoTherm hands down in this Nevada heat. Most of the time we only have to run it unless it gets over 100 degrees in the summer time. It throws so much air that I can feel it while at my computer desk beside the mountain view windows at the back of our 3280RL.

I forgot to add that it has the heating element and on these cool mornings we turn it on and no need for the furnace as of yet.

RLVoumard · 11-15-2006, 06:50 AM

Good TOPIC , as I am also in the process of ordering a 2nd AC for the BACK of the Mountaineer. My dealer suggested the LProfile DuoTherm ?? No idea why...So I'll be watching this thread

bsmeaton · 11-15-2006, 06:56 AM

Illapah - I had the same problems with water leaks in my 2955 from that penguin - GRRRRRR. However, a lot of people have had no problem.

I'm having the dealer install a low profile AC on the new Monty, and they want to match whatever the main AC brand is that comes in. They said the majority are Dometic (which means the Penguin on front), but some are actually coming in with Coleman. I've got my fingers crossed for Coleman, as I read great things about them through CW reviews over the Dometic brand.

BTW:

Brisk-Air, Penguin, Duo-Therm - all equals Dometic.

Ozz · 11-15-2006, 09:54 AM

I would go with the one you can get serviced, (or replaced) more easily. In the area where you spend more time.
I find with my commercial units, the warranty and parts availability trumps any brand name.
For me it is Duo-therm.
Ozz

Hemlockusa · 11-15-2006, 10:07 AM

I vote with OZZ, Duo=Therm - Dometic - You have a THREE YEAR warranty and get service ANYWHERE..
If there was a problem with leaking as mentioned by some of the menbers, I would suggest that part of the leaking problem was probably the way it was installed on the RV. Condensation is present in any AC, and water (condensation) from ANY BRAND goes the same direction to the low point and down.
Just my two cents worth.
Safew Travels John

bsmeaton · 11-15-2006, 10:15 AM

Dometic deserves part of the blame John, as it was Dometic that had to come up with the fix consisting of a catch tray that directed condensate back into the undersized basin at the bottom of the coil. It wasn't Keystone that messed it up. Whether or not they have changed it on the new Penguins is unknown.

jsmitfl · 11-15-2006, 10:26 AM

Has anyone ever tryed the Carrier A/C? A friend has one and loves it. I think they make the low profile too.

bsmeaton · 11-15-2006, 10:33 AM

Carrier has a new low profile and it looks worth considering. A little less money and better interior air distribution than the others. Someone has one on the other AC thread.

Brad

Ozz · 11-15-2006, 10:48 AM

You should really consider the brand associated with the dealer you will be doing business with.
If there aren't many Carrier units in the town you will be close to, you are out of luck, service wise.
I sell Carrier commercial rooftop units as well as residential units, but if I were in a town where my dealer mainly carried another brand, I would go with them. If you needed a replacement unit, chances are they would have one boxed up in storage, it would be a one stop swap. If they had to order it from Carrier- who knows when it would get there.
I got my second unit from a little mom and pop RV parts company I have dealt with for years, that's why I went with a Dometic. If I have trouble, he would just swap me units.
I will step down from the soap box now......
Ozz

Montana Sky · 11-15-2006, 11:20 AM

I went with Dometic as I am one of those people want the same brand for everything. The living room had a Dometic installed, so that is what went upfront.

I went with the Low-Profile Duo-therm 13,500 btu with heat strip. Temps this summer were over 105 with no shade, temp inside the coach was a cool 68 degrees. The two seem to work very well together. I have been very happy with mine and would recommend them to anyone in the market for a 2nd a/c.

Glenn and Lorraine · 11-15-2006, 11:48 AM

Gotta go along with Ozz on this one. Having the best price and a bit better performance is good but only if you can get service. As a full timer I find this to be very important as I feel I will find a lot more Dometic dealers that carry an inventory than I will in brands such as Coleman and Carrier. Most every town of any size will have an RV dealer that handles Dometic where as the Coleman and Carrier dealers will be few and far between.
As I will be adding the 2nd AC to my new rig you can bet they will both be Dometic, whether Montana installs it or my dealer.

Fordzilla · 11-16-2006, 07:09 AM

My dealer installed a carrier unit as a 2nd on the front of the Monty and it has worked great so far. There are a lot of carrier units on the front of almost every refrigerated semi trailer traveling across the country and that has to say they know what they are doing.

snfexpress · 11-16-2006, 11:16 AM

We went with the Carrier Air V - it is only 7 1/2 inches above the roof line as opposed to the 9 1/2 inches (as memory recalls) on the Dometic Penguin.

THe unit we have has the heat strips, albeit they aren't great - they just take the chill off. The A/C, however, pumps! Sometimes, even I have to turn it down, and they call me nanook of the north.

I think the others said it best - go with the brand that can easily be serviced. I didn't factor that thought in when I bought ours as I was uneducated - hadn't had the wisdom of the forum on this topic.

dsprik · 11-16-2006, 12:08 PM

The only problem we have with our 2nd A/C - Duo Therm Low Profile - is that it is very loud, even on low. In fact, the differences between low, med and high are barely noticeable. I am glad I got a 2nd A/C - I use it only as a backup to our primary (quiet) A/C, just wondering if there was something out there that you could actually sleep in the same room with, along with the sound of a jet engine going...

Montana Sky · 11-16-2006, 05:37 PM

Too funny, my bedroom a/c does not bother me at all when it is on low or medium. If I were to leave it on high, that would probably keep me awake. Guess I am glad I did not mention in my previous post about how quite the Dometic is. lol!

dsprik · 11-17-2006, 04:08 PM

Dave, I should have let you listen to my bedroom A/C at the Rally. I think you and I got the same model at about the same time, if I recall. You are saying that on low, the noise is tolerable? Maybe there's a problem with mine??? Also does not cool very well - maybe not enough refridgerant? Don't know if these two things could be related somehow...

You may also like: