basement a/c unit

[Jimmy Jam]

Good to see a National RV forum as it's a brand on my list under consideration/research for possible future purpose..

My first question for you guys would be the pros/cons of the basement a/c unit. I am looking at a Tradewinds brochure now that features this. Obviously losing a compartment but what about noise, efficiency, ect?

Thanks in advance folks

[Jimmy Jam]

Good to see a National RV forum as it's a brand on my list under consideration/research for possible future purpose..

My first question for you guys would be the pros/cons of the basement a/c unit. I am looking at a Tradewinds brochure now that features this. Obviously losing a compartment but what about noise, efficiency, ect?

Thanks in advance folks

[Jestme13]

Personnaly I couldn't tell ya Jimmy, I haven't used mine yet, I bought her last November, the heat pumps work great, and quieter then my previous rig. Take a look at the Winnie forum, many of them have basement air, and I know they love them.

[2012 American Coach]

Jimmy,

We own a 2006 Tradewinds with the basement AC/Heat Pump unit. We really like it. We have now owned both (roof units and basement) and like the performance of the basement unit. For us, loss of the small basement space was not an issue. Frankly, the basement has more storage than we need. You are also able to switch the unit to operate on a single compressor if you have less than 50 amps available. Really no different than running one roof mount AC unit on less than 50 amps.

Bottom line... we like the set-up.

Safe travels.

Larry

[M&EM]

I wouldn't like to loose any basement space. But- The Idea of shifting 200-300 pounds off the top of a tall motorhome and placing it underneath, below the CG, seems to be a no brainer for improved handling and possibly quieter air movement. Not having to worry about tree branches or worse ruining an AC cover also would be nice. Hmmm also not having condensor water running off the roof might make keeping windows and coach cleaner looking and less leaky. Lower over all profile gets a plus from me.

[Fred and Bonnie]

Pros and Cons to both systems. My likes: quietier in the front, no condensation running off the coach, more clearance on top, better air filtration, LOVE the heat pump. Dislikes: more air flow noise in the bedroom, (would hate to run at night), not all that good on 30A power, if you lose the system you don't have the back-up of a second unit.

There is no perfect system, just likes and dislikes.

Fred

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Hello all. I've got basement a/c and heat pump but from what I've read in the manual, the heat pump only operates if there's less than a two degree difference between ambient and desired temp. Am I reading something wrong here? We run our front propane heater in the morning to take the chill of but it's a noisy POS that you can't even listen to the radio over. I'm up for some instruction here.

[Bill Davis]

Yeah, know what you mean by noisy. We also take the chill off with a little Mr. Heater in the living room, fed by an LP tank outside. Hose comes in thru the lower slide gasket. Not as fast as the roaring furnace, but very quiet.

[Jestme13]

Our front heater is quiet, it's the rear thats noisey. Dosn't matter cause we only us it when showering, not sleeping. My heat pump works well down to about 40* outside.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Just spent a few minutes with the manual for our basement a/c /heatpump.
Your results will vary. Do not try this at home. No user servicable parts inside. Not that I have that out of the way.
We have an AIRXCEL 2 stage heatpump a/c basement model.
Our heat pump is not designed to heat much. As typed from the owners manual.

Set point/ Indoor Temp
70/ 70+ No function occurs
/ 69 Heat pump turns on
/ 71 Heat Pump turns off
/ 69 Heat Pump turns on
/ 65 Gas Furnace turns on, heat pump off
71 Gas off (Thermo satisfied)
69 Heat pump on
Repeat this cycle until the third time when the heat pump is locked out for 1 hour 45 minutes, whch at that time the heat pump is enabled again.
My question, who the heck needs the heat pump if it can't raise the temp from 65 to 70 on its own?

[Jestme13]

did everyone follow that ? I would call the heat pump manufacturer and have a nice chat with them.

[geozaft]

Hi all!...Looking over this thread, I do not have a basement unit but have always used a small electric heater from W'mart as it is almost completely silent, warms up the entire coach and, best of all, burns campground electricity!

HTH, George~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ '05 Tropi-Cal T370LX pushed by a PT Cruiser GT

[Fred and Bonnie]

I folow the KISS principal, use the LP furnaces, bringing the temp to around 65 degrees, then switch to the heat pump keeping the temperature difference to 3 degrees. When the "set" temp reaches the "room" temp, I bump the "set" temp up another 3 degrees. This will eliminate the system swithing back and forth.

Fred

[JB Driver]

In reading the pros and cons of the basement system there is one con that no one mentioned. If you need to have the system repaired you will will have additional cost as the system has to be lowered and removed to work on and then re-set. That causes additional labor costs.