More woes - my original Dometic Duo-Therm Penguin 630515.321 rooftop A/C stopped cooling suddenly. More precisely, the compressor fails to start after the normal delay period. The fan runs so 110V AC power is getting to the unit. Resetting the digital thermostat/display controller did not help.
So I went topside under the blazing Arizona sun and removed the shroud and electrical box cover for a closer look. I wanted to see how easy it would be to safely extract and replace the run/start capacitors. Then I noticed a white ground wire to the box had come loose so I thought this was my problem. No such luck, nor was there enough room to see specifications/part numbers on the capacitors for replacements.
My local RV repair shop would be happy to install a new Coleman unit but that would also entail a different air box and controller. Their estimate is around $1.5K. I’m happy with a 13.5K BTU rating and realize the Dometic unit is not repairable should the compressor motor be bad or the freon leaked out.
Now I ponder my next step and appeal to the more experienced members here for advice. My wife is concerned I may erupt in a puff of smoke and tumble off the roof after being introduced to Mr. Voltage
Cheers, Ted C.
Ted C. / SW Arizona
"The Blue Chook" 2002 Concourse Owner: 2013-2019
I don't know where in AZ you are, but these (or similar) ACs come up all the time on craigslist. If you feel like you could do the work yourself, pulling off the old one and dropping a used one in the same hole shouldn't be that hard if you do it EARLY in the morning.
You know how sometimes you hang onto something for a very long while, but then finally (and just barely) talk yourself into getting rid of it? And then how of COURSE next thing you know it could have come in handy? Well, then you can imagine how I feel after hanging onto my (removed) original Chinook roof air conditioner for two years, and then just finally (and somewhat reluctantly) taking it to the dump two days ago. (And it was in AZ, too.) Dern! Maybe you could have used it.
That's just coincidence,hoarding runs in my family kinda,my brother when he passed had so much stuff it took us months and close to 10 construction dumpsters.I keep thinking of the suggestion about that German fan and a wet rag over your face.which is what we use in the desert Swamp Coolers not Terribly hard to rig up and considering dometic fridge boards etc etc how could I do worse,and of course if it's for an rv I will have to charge triple (demographics) Rooney
Ah, you talked me down Rooney, thanks Yeah, I was never going to reinstall it, but I did think I might try to see if someone might want it. But then I had a friend and a truck and a dump run available, and it was sitting right where I needed to put something else. And it's over 100# so not something I can just toss around by myself (I did take it off the roof alone, but I had gravity to help). So.... it went. I figured even if I or someone did want to put one back, why lug an 18-year-old one back up there. For me, I like my skylight too much, so I'd really have to change my scheme to want to put one back on the roof. But it'd be completely different if I constantly camped in Florida or south Texas in summer, or similar.
My tentative plan if I need Air-con for a specific time is to make some sort of plywood (?) filler for the passenger side window, and fit a window AC in the hole. I'll just do it as/if necessary, and I'd likely be plugged in. I saw a camper van that had that setup. Some boater folks I know do that with a 5,000 btu Walmart window unit and Honda EU1000. But I guess I'll see about that when it happens. So far I've been happy with just fans and open windows, plus maybe a damp towel, and have simply "suffered" through the occasional warm night.
Thanks folks for this most excellent advice around the virtual Chinook campfire. I like the idea of simply dumping the existing rooftop A/C and putting in a skylight. We are in a dry climate and the cabin A/C is sufficient when driving. Besides, the noise of a generator plus rooftop A/C is bothersome boondocking under the stars.
On the plus side there would be less weight, leak potential, dust intrusion and most of all better clearance under low branches. I’ve already been ripped off by Camping World for a replacement shroud. Like all good ideas I shall sleep on this before acting hastily. Hmmmm, wonder how much my non-working 15-year old A/C would fetch on Craigslist?
Ted C. / SW Arizona
"The Blue Chook" 2002 Concourse Owner: 2013-2019
Of course everyone is different, but I've been nothing but pleased since I removed the roof Air-con. And it *could* be reversed in a couple of hours (I kept mine for two years for this reason). It's definitely a hunk of weight up there (110# or so).
Have there been a few times I would have liked an air-conditioned space? Yep. But would I have wanted to listen to the Air-con AND generator that badly. No. But I strongly value peace and quiet. OTOH, I do a lot of camping with a buddy who has a large Class C with the roof air intact, and a generator to power it. Did he turn his on on those few hot days? No, because he didn't want the coolth badly enough to listen to the noise. Even the option to go to a park and plug in wasn't appealing enough (the air-con is still noisy, although then of course no generator noise).
This would be a different story in the muggier south or southeast. But I'm usually out west like you, where the climate is dry and it often cools down at night (granted not always). Since it's dry, a marine fan and a wet towel usually make me feel chilly enough to reach for a light blanket.
I had figured I'd list my removed Air-con on CL. But then a combination of circumstances led to me taking it to the dump. Still, I think it would be worth something if you have the logistics to sell it. Or hang onto it for awhile like I did if you are not sure. If nothing else, it gives you a chance to renew the roof gasket and see if you have any sagging. I did keep the AC wire and "phone" cable in the roof so that a new unit could be installed without too much trouble. What I did was pull the AC wire back so it was just reachable with plyers inside the roof hole (before that it would have been in the way of my skylight garnish). It comes out over behind the microwave (there is a little junction box) so I pulled from there as it was easy to deal with a little loop of excess wire over there.
I wish I could get rid of my A/C but we camp at a lake where summer temps hit over 100 degrees. I just finished forking out $$$ to replace a cracked cover and gasket that resulted when a tree limb jumped in front of my rig's roof. A skylight would be really great in terms of creating a more open feeling, especially with the overhead cabinets that seem to make the space feel somewhat pinched. Since my hottest camping spot is not one with hookups my biggest problem with the A/C is that it requires the generator, which as I've previously noted here is louder than it should be. (Oh Honda - hear my prayers. Send us a Honda generator replacement for these noisy Onans!)
Quick question about the correct screws to go in the fiberglass roof as my googling about wasn't very helpful. I’m thinking more and more about replacing the A/C with a manual vent hatch. The 14” x 14” hatch I looked at doesn’t come with screws or caulking tape so I need to source these supplies, should I proceed. Since I would need to drill a bunch of holes I want to be sure of diameter and depth first. There are so many screw choices and I’m not sure metal or wood threads work best in fiberglass. Don’t want to promote stress cracks and, as they say, measure twice - drill once!
Ted C. / SW Arizona
"The Blue Chook" 2002 Concourse Owner: 2013-2019
Yeah, I was never going to reinstall it, but I did think I might try to see if someone might want it. But then I had a friend and a truck and a dump run available, and it was sitting right where I needed to put something else. And it's over 100# so not something I can just toss around by myself (I did take it off the roof alone, but I had gravity to help). So.... it went. I figured even if I or someone did want to put one back, why lug an 18-year-old one back up there. For me, I like my skylight too much, so I'd really have to change my scheme to want to put one back on the roof. But it'd be completely different if I constantly camped in Florida or south Texas in summer, or similar.