A/C drainage 2015 Dutch Star

[Garshom]

I have a 2015 Dutch Star which is advertised to have a Roof Top A/C/ Drainage system. I was having some water staining issues dripping down the sides of the RV so I went up on the roof to see if the A/C drain lines might be clogged. PROBLEM, there does not appear to be any. I have three Dometic Penguin roof top A/Cs. Everything I read suggests that there should be plastic tubing and cups under the drain pan that attaches to the roof. When I went up on the roof the A/C just drains on to the roof and puddles near the front and towards the passenger side of the RV. There is so much build up of condensation that if I retract the jacks, I get a flood down the front windshield. Shouldn't I be able to see a drainage system component somewhere on the A/C. When I remove the shroud you can actually see the condensation drainage dripping right onto the roof from the front of the A/C unit that has the styrofoam insulation. What am I missing?

[tom chelbana]

There should be drain hoses in the front and back of the coach for AC. These lines sometime get blockage an need to use compressed air to blow them out. These lines are about 3/8 of a inch and are toward the 4 corners toward the bottom of coach.

[Garshom]

There are gutter drains on each of the 4 corners of the coach but no A/C drains. Are there supposed to be tubes coming from each A/C? Where are these tubes located on the A/C unit itself to capture the condensation and drain it to the outside of the coach? Is the condensation that is draining onto my roof the result of these hidden tubes being blocked? Anyone have a diagram so I would know where to look to try and blow these tubes out?

[lass]

Originally Posted by Garshom

There are gutter drains on each of the 4 corners of the coach but no A/C drains. Are there supposed to be tubes coming from each A/C? Where are these tubes located on the A/C unit itself to capture the condensation and drain it to the outside of the coach? Is the condensation that is draining onto my roof the result of these hidden tubes being blocked? Anyone have a diagram so I would know where to look to try and blow these tubes out?

My Ventana configuration is as you describe having gutter drains on each side of the coach. The AC condensation pools on the roof and will flow off to the lowest point.

I have removed my units on a number of occasions and have never seen any drain lines.

[twojayhawks]

Originally Posted by Garshom

There are gutter drains on each of the 4 corners of the coach but no A/C drains. Are there supposed to be tubes coming from each A/C? Where are these tubes located on the A/C unit itself to capture the condensation and drain it to the outside of the coach? Is the condensation that is draining onto my roof the result of these hidden tubes being blocked? Anyone have a diagram so I would know where to look to try and blow these tubes out?

No there is nothing special about your three AC's the water they create simply sheds to your roof like most other RVs. Your Newmar however is set up with four drains at the corners that allow the water to drain internally and go to the ground under the coach. These drains are easy to see they look a little like a shower drain with holes. There is one right over your front door check it out. Like others have mentioned they get clogged easily.

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by twojayhawks

No there is nothing special about your three AC's the water they create simply sheds to your roof like most other RVs. Your Newmar however is set up with four drains at the corners that allow the water to drain internally and go to the ground under the coach. These drains are easy to see they look a little like a shower drain with holes. There is one right over your front door check it out. Like others have mentioned they get clogged easily.

Older Newmars (like my 2005) had an "integral drain system" that had a cup sunken into the roof under each front corner of each A/C. These connected to tubing in the roof that ran to vertical tubing. The vertical tubing exited a foot or so up from the ground near the wheels. They also clogged. Usually, the best you can do is add gutter extensions (Camco makes some) that makes the water drip farther away (an inch or so) from the ends of the gutters.

[Garshom]

I get that but the brochure for the 2015 Dutch Star specifically says "Roof Air Conditioning Drainage System" separately from "Fiberglass Roof with Walkable Decking and Integrated Gutter Rail". I was lead to believe that there were dedicated Drain lines from the Roof A/C units . By the way, this is the same description in the Mountain Aire, Essex, London Aire and King Aire for 2015. The Ventana , for 2015 , does not list this feature. I am just wondering if I am not seeing this for some reason or whether they dropped the ball and simply forgot to install it.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Garshom

I get that but the brochure for the 2015 Dutch Star specifically says "Roof Air Conditioning Drainage System" separately from "Fiberglass Roof with Walkable Decking and Integrated Gutter Rail". I was lead to believe that there were dedicated Drain lines from the Roof A/C units . By the way, this is the same description in the Mountain Aire, Essex, London Aire and King Aire for 2015. The Ventana , for 2015 , does not list this feature. I am just wondering if I am not seeing this for some reason or whether they dropped the ball and simply forgot to install it.

two things look under the front driver and or passenger area and u should see a open ended 1/2 water tube hanging there
also to note unless you remove the AC unit plastic shroud system you wont be able to see the factory drains

[Garshom]

Mystery solved. Spoke with Newmar and there is no dedicated rooftop A/C drainage line or system. Condensation drips out of the A/C units onto the roof and should, theoretically drain down the gutters . There is no cup underneath the condensation drainage or plastic tubing. Dometic does make a dedicated drainage system primarily for Air Stream trailers because they are curved and have no gutters . The condensation would corrode and discolor the aluminum sheet metal .

[96 Wideglide]

Seriously?
They have stopped installing internal condensate drains on DS's

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by Garshom

Mystery solved. Spoke with Newmar and there is no dedicated rooftop A/C drainage line or system. Condensation drips out of the A/C units onto the roof and should, theoretically drain down the gutters . There is no cup underneath the condensation drainage or plastic tubing. Dometic does make a dedicated drainage system primarily for Air Stream trailers because they are curved and have no gutters . The condensation would corrode and discolor the aluminum sheet metal .

Basically, this is the system used on older Newmars.

[David D.]

There are no drain tubes on the roof from the A/C units, the water drains out of the unit onto the roof as it does on ever other coach Newmar makes. The only difference is that Dutch Star and all other higher end models have a intergraded gutter on both sides running the full length of the coach which have a drain tube at each end with a perforated grate . The tube runs down the inside of the endcaps to the bottom of the coach and drains . You should have 1 blue pipe on each side of the front cap and the 2 in the rear are located on the curb side at the rear.

[YabbaDabbaDo]

Originally Posted by David D.

There are no drain tubes on the roof from the A/C units, the water drains out of the unit onto the roof as it does on ever other coach Newmar makes. The only difference is that Dutch Star and all other higher end models have a intergraded gutter on both sides running the full length of the coach which have a drain tube at each end with a perforated grate . The tube runs down the inside of the endcaps to the bottom of the coach and drains . You should have 1 blue pipe on each side of the front cap and the 2 in the rear are located on the curb side at the rear.

If you auto level with the HWH system water typically will pool on the roof for a long period of time. I prefer having the water running to the rear drains. After you auto level you can easily raise the front of the coach "slightly" higher than the rear manually. Keeps all of the condensation running to the rear of the coach.

[YabbaDabbaDo]

Sorry...meant to reply to Garshoms's post