Community Forums

Dr. Den · 06-30-2013, 09:13 PM

We just bought a used 2011 Thor 31 ft. Class C. Love it so far except that in the heat of the day, the AC has a hard time cooling the coach. Have window and vent covers. Gets very cold at night. Was wondering do you need to get the Freon checked on these things or would Thor have put in a unit not large enough to service the unit and if you were to replace the AC unit for a larger one, what would the approximate cost be? Just wondering if it would be worth the while / cost to look into.

KIX · 06-30-2013, 09:18 PM

When in hot weather start the A/C early in the day so as to get a "head start"
To check for proper functionality measure temp coming out of duct and temp of return air. You should expect about a 20 degree difference.

ValleyCenter · 06-30-2013, 09:41 PM

I assume you are talking about your roof mounted ac and not the dash ac. Start by cleaning the filter. Next, clean the inside of unit. Look on line, you-tube has some good videos for do it yourself. It's easy but be carefull not to damage the fins. A dirty unit can really degrade your cooling. I just finished servicing mine and they are running great, 11 years old, get cleaned every year and filter cleaning everytime we go out. Takes very little time.

ebksafari · 06-30-2013, 11:08 PM

Your A/C unit is fairly new at two years old. It should be rated at no less than 13,500. Unless the filter is extremely dirty, the problem is probably not the A/C unit but the fact that at 31 feet you coach is at the very limit for having only one A/C unit. Coaches that are 32 feet long always have two A/C units. I suspect that you really are expecting too much from one unit in very hot weather.

RanCarr · 07-01-2013, 07:09 AM

What is the temp of the air you're trying to cool? Is there a heatwave where you are? Aside from the advice you already recieved, all I can add is keep the roof vents closed and insulated with foam or those from CampingWorld. Keep the accordion shades down and the curtains if any, closed. Don't be letting the kids run in and out every 5 minutes. Cook outside. Take brief cool showers. A long hot shower can generate considerable heat. Park in the shade whenever possible.

If you're going to constantly camp where it's in the 90s or have children running in and out constantly, you may want to consider adding another A/C. No one can tell you what the places where you live will charge for this. There are too many variables. You have to ask around where you live.

clyon51 · 07-01-2013, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebksafari

Your A/C unit is fairly new at two years old. It should be rated at no less than 13,500. Unless the filter is extremely dirty, the problem is probably not the A/C unit but the fact that at 31 feet you coach is at the very limit for having only one A/C unit. Coaches that are 32 feet long always have two A/C units. I suspect that you really are expecting too much from one unit in very hot weather.

I agree with this. Same problem we had with a 30' Class C years ago. 1 AC in a 30' coach in hot weather is just not enough. It helped to start early before it got hot outside. Bad news if we waited too long.

cb1000rider · 07-01-2013, 11:00 AM

1) The freon is typically sealed in and has no check valves. It's unusual to refill these units as their cost is typically around $600. They're kinda disposable, but also they typically last over 10 years.

2) If you have a 13.5K BTU unit, you can upgrade to a 15K BTU unit. It's about 10% more air conditioning. I did this myself once and the cost was about $600, minus what I got for the old working unit.

3) If you have a ducted system, the AC is less efficient than the non-ducted models.

4) You need to clean the filter and both evaporator and condenser coils.. Filter every month at least and coils I do every year. Cleaning the coils requires some disassembly.

5) On the duo-therm units, I've noted that people have good results insulating the metal that is over the evaporator coils.

6) Check the condition of your ducts.

7) On the road, we block the rear ducts, shut the bedroom door. We run both dash and interior AC on a 31' coach. So far it's enough.. We're in Texas.

milasman · 07-01-2013, 10:46 PM

Sealed unit, if freon is low, then you have a leak. Must fix leak before adding freon. Another sign of a leak would be freezing up of the intake line. Probably just struggling with the extreme hot weather is all.

TXiceman · 07-02-2013, 06:57 PM

A lot of the newer units have very poor quality control. Check that the intake and outlet side of the unit are well sealed and not allowing bypass within the unit or where it connects to the duct work.

Check the air temps at the inlet and outlets as close to the unit as possible. The outlet should be 18 to 20 degF colder than the inlet. Any more of less could be a problem.

ken

Nunyadamn · 07-04-2013, 10:40 AM

Is there a website I can look at or does someone have a diagram/instructions on cleaning and maintaining the roof AC? I too have a 31 foot class c that is struggling to keep my rv cool. I am in Phoenix, AZ and it is in the 105-115 degree range right now. We have ducted AC. I have an IR thermometer and the walls of the rv are pretty warm inside. I am looking for options on keeping the rv cooler.

clyon51 · 07-04-2013, 10:56 AM

This will keep you busy for awhile:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&r...er&v=133247963

TXiceman · 07-04-2013, 01:07 PM

Quiet frankly, a single 15k A/C unit is marginal in a 31' unit. Class C's are not well insulated in the front overhead area, windshield and rear wall. Is there any way you can make a insulated windshield cover? Get the unit in the shade.

baraff · 07-04-2013, 09:23 PM

Those reflective windshield panels work really well in our rig. They cut the heat down considerably in the cab area.

RVBulldog · 07-07-2013, 08:49 PM

My air ran non-stop over the last trip. I had it set at 70 and outside was upper 80's. is it normal to run all day non-stop? And will it freeze up? I was concerned that I was over using it. Any info on this?