Replacement AC Shrouds

[quikduk]

I had to replace both of my '98 vintage Coleman Mach roof AC shrouds before our Thanksgiving trip. I had washed the roof and after "gently" sponging off the existing shrouds, they looked like this.



The replacements came in the form of new MaxAir AC shrouds for a couple of reasons.

1. They carry a 10 yr. unconditional replacement guarantee and a limited lifetime guarantee whereas the Coleman do not.

2. They are made of the same plastic as their vent cover brethren which are made out of a UV stable plastic polymer that resists cracking, tearing and embrittlement.

3. They were the same price at CW. I would have bought from RV Upgrades but I couldn't get them in time for the trip so CW had to suffice.

Here is one installed below.



I used the SS washers and plates but retained my factory SS screws as I didn't need the locknuts provided.

They look much better and should give many years of service...not that the originals didn't but you would think the factory would put better materials up on the roof considering its constant exposure to the elements.

[quikduk]

I had to replace both of my '98 vintage Coleman Mach roof AC shrouds before our Thanksgiving trip. I had washed the roof and after "gently" sponging off the existing shrouds, they looked like this.



The replacements came in the form of new MaxAir AC shrouds for a couple of reasons.

1. They carry a 10 yr. unconditional replacement guarantee and a limited lifetime guarantee whereas the Coleman do not.

2. They are made of the same plastic as their vent cover brethren which are made out of a UV stable plastic polymer that resists cracking, tearing and embrittlement.

3. They were the same price at CW. I would have bought from RV Upgrades but I couldn't get them in time for the trip so CW had to suffice.

Here is one installed below.



I used the SS washers and plates but retained my factory SS screws as I didn't need the locknuts provided.

They look much better and should give many years of service...not that the originals didn't but you would think the factory would put better materials up on the roof considering its constant exposure to the elements.

[historyljc]

quikduk,
What life expectancy should we reasonably get from the shrouds?

[quikduk]

All of my coaches have lived their lives with me in semi-shaded to full sun and every one has had Coleman Mach AC units on it, not Dometic or Carrier...so that is where my personal experience rests.

The Coleman shrouds have a typical life of around 3 years before they become brittle. After that, all bets are off on when they will start to crack. The older ones did not have any protection at the rear for the condenser whereas the new ones have some shielding.

I opted for the MaxAir units since they were the same price and offered a much better warranty. You need to keep the receipt (a xerox copy should last a long time versus the cash register type which fade out over time).

The MaxAir units also have an anti-lift feature which should help a bit with keeping them from shaking or flexing while going down the road. This is something that the Colemans do not have AFAIK.

I am unaware how sturdy the other types are and if you have full body paint and a fiberglass roof, I would think painting the shrouds to match would help extend their lives.

The MaxAirs definately feel more flexible than the Colemans.

YMMV of course.

[beaverjim]

quickduck, since you mentioned painting the maxair shrouds to match i recently found out that some of max air product are hard to paint to match. our coach is at precision paint in bremen in. for a complete all over paint job, we had the max air fan mates, the large ones and they were the only part on the coach they wouldn't warranty. just thought i would throw that in. jim

[quikduk]

Thanks.

It may have to do with the type of plastic used. You can generally paint the more rigid plastics a little easier but most car skirting and valences are out of urethane now and it is extremely flexible with excellent paint adhesion.

I would guess that they would need to prep the plastic with some type of an adhesive primer/bonding coat before painting with the color coat.

Just my $.02 but good to know.

[J Walker]

quickduk
You are right on. I replaced a Coleman shroud a few years ago and it cost $140 or nearly half of the cost for a entire new A/C. I got the Coleman shroud but the MaxAir would be much better. The Coleman shroud gets brittle and it just takes a branch to finish it off. Thanks.