Community Forums

Kountrystar3 · 07-14-2013, 04:48 PM

My dash AC isnt blowing as cool of air as it used to. A friend of mine suggested i pick up a can of R134 and add it myself, my problem is where in the heck do i find the valve to screw the can to? I have looked under the bed and see the compressor and 2 rubber hoses leading to the front of the coach i assume... I cant see it near the condenser located in the front of my rig, any suggestions?

David
2003 Newmar Kountry Star 33
300 ISB Cummins

jesilvas · 07-14-2013, 04:56 PM

Like any AC system, you shouldn't be low on refrigerant. It's not designed to leak out. Adding some can be temporary, but could also be wasted, as it may leak out quickly. Or you could have an issue such as compressor not even kicking on.

Kountrystar3 · 07-14-2013, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesilvas

Like any AC system, you shouldn't be low on refrigerant. It's not designed to leak out. Adding some can be temporary, but could also be wasted, as it may leak out quickly. Or you could have an issue such as compressor not even kicking on.

Good Point...I stopped in at my local Freightliner dealer and asked them about it and they treated me like i had the plague when i told them i had a Class A DP i wanted them to take a look at. They tell me they charge and additional $20 per hour to work on coaches? I am not sure if this is normal or not. That makes the hourly rate $120 in Madison Wisconsin! Any idea what the hourly rate should be so i can sort of get a baseline?

onechaddude · 07-14-2013, 06:05 PM

$120 an hour is definitely not a bargain but not unreasonable either to me. Local rv shop here in Charlotte nc gets $105 an hour and that's not even an engine shop. These techs just work on Rv parts, no chassis or engine parts.
Chad

Mr_D · 07-14-2013, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kountrystar3

Good Point...I stopped in at my local Freightliner dealer and asked them about it and they treated me like i had the plague when i told them i had a Class A DP i wanted them to take a look at. They tell me they charge and additional $20 per hour to work on coaches? I am not sure if this is normal or not. That makes the hourly rate $120 in Madison Wisconsin! Any idea what the hourly rate should be so i can sort of get a baseline?

Very common and, while high it's not totally out of line. Our air con takes 4.5#'s of refrigerant to fill when new but we have a 41' DSDP.

greystroke · 07-14-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kountrystar3

My dash AC isnt blowing as cool of air as it used to. A friend of mine suggested i pick up a can of R134 and add it myself, my problem is where in the heck do i find the valve to screw the can to? I have looked under the bed and see the compressor and 2 rubber hoses leading to the front of the coach i assume... I cant see it near the condenser located in the front of my rig, any suggestions?

David
2003 Newmar Kountry Star 33
300 ISB Cummins

My valves are right in front after I open the front to expose the generator. Very visible. Also make sure the fan is working on the condenser...common problem

PushedAround · 07-14-2013, 06:25 PM

1st make sure that it does take 134a and not R22. As was mentioned previously the connections are at the upfront evaporator. While it is not uncommon for vehicles to lose refrigerant through the compressor drive seal, you should check all of the hose connections to make sure that they are all dry. Oil is a sure sign of a leak.

H. Miller · 07-18-2013, 06:09 AM

Back to the original question, the a/c is installed by the MH manufacturer and location of the "fill valves" could best be provided by the Newmar section of this site rather than the Cummins Engine area.

Kountrystar3 · 07-18-2013, 05:06 PM

Thanks to all... I found it.. i added a booster can and things are back to normal now. This is a great site....

neilking · 07-18-2013, 08:47 PM

The condensor fan relay was wired wrong on mine from the factory. I bought it when it was 10 years old. Funny how no-one found it.

Darwin · 07-28-2013, 06:59 PM

As others have stated my connections are up front above the generator. My systems looses a small amount of Freon each year, I have used both electronic and soap to try and locate the leak unsuccessfully. Each spring I add Freon and it is good for a year.

PushedAround · 07-28-2013, 07:30 PM

Bacharach makes a leak detector that can pick up leaks less than 10 ppm. It would certainly find yours. Unfortunately they cost over $3,000 so I doubt if any RV or automotive facility would have one. A large commercial refrigeration contractor should.

FormerBoater · 07-31-2013, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kountrystar3

Thanks to all... I found it.. i added a booster can and things are back to normal now. This is a great site....

Can you post a picture?

Thanks!

Dave
1998 American Eagle 40EVS

Indy1951 · 07-31-2013, 04:16 PM

[QUOTE=Darwin;1662042]As others have stated my connections are up front above the generator. My systems looses a small amount of Freon each year, I have used both electronic and soap to try and locate the leak unsuccessfully. Each spring I add Freon and it is good for a year.[/QU

A common place for refrigerant to leak (Freon is a Dupont trade name) is at the compressor clutch assembly. If you look directly above where the compressor is mounted and see a oil slick you have found your leak.