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Topic: Camping in hot areas - air conditioner drips and issues (Read 345 times) previous topic - next topic
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Camping in hot areas - air conditioner drips and issues
Just left Big Bend National Park ......
If you think you were hot check it out ..... yes that was 114 and yes that is a buzzard checking me out.
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #1 –
The good news is: It was 83 inside and the Buzzard was outside.

Works for me. 😎

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #2 –
As long as the buzzard didn't have a bottle of KC Masterpiece at the ready for whenever you stepped out into the broiling 114 degree heat... ;D

Rain came with the cold front into north Missouri Wednesday night before I headed south to Copperas Cove, TX, on Thursday...went from muggy 85+ degrees to 53-close-the-windows-&-get-a-blanket in a couple of hours.  Now I've got the AC humming, again, & I'm thinking of changing the rig's name to "Grandma's House", as I sit here in my DIL's driveway.  Now that I'm making these regular treks to TX, I need to learn about some of these interesting places to plan for when the girls are out of school.

Lynne

Lynne
LDy Lulubelle, Green '05 31' TB
Lilly, the 4-Legged Alarm
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #3 –
Well, having bragged about that thirty degree drop in north Missouri, I'm now sitting here in Copperas Cove, TX, & the AC seems to be unhappy.  Lordy, I thought if was dry down here, but the humidity is dreadful.  ???

The AC didn't seem to be cooling terribly well last night, but was adequate (where other times I've had to turn it back because it could freeze me out).

It was turned off for over an hour during a grocery run, returned to turn it back on & after less than a minute there was a loud kerthunk & some water flew out (not a lot, just a few drops, but nothing I'd had before).  Turned it off, began looking through the archives & manuals, & came here to seek advice from any available wizards.

The Fantastic Fans are pulling in some breeze, but would rather have the AC.

Thx to all.

Lynne
Lynne
LDy Lulubelle, Green '05 31' TB
Lilly, the 4-Legged Alarm
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #4 –
Hi Lynne. Yes, this very problem was discussed just two weeks ago. That loud clunk you heard was a piece of ice falling off of the cooling coils inside the air conditioner.
               From Ross and Beverly Taylor, also from the Texas coast area:  "They also recommended running the a/c on high until we get out of this humid area." and later "running the fan continuously was the solution.  It did not matter whether the fan was set on low, medium or high, just NOT on auto.  Apparently, when auto fan is selected the fan cuts off when the compressor does leaving any condensation on the supply to accumulate and drip or run out. (my interpretation: as it melts)  With the fan being left on, the condensation has a chance to dry out before the compressor comes back on."
          The whole thread is at:  Air conditioner dripping on inside
     You want to keep the air going through the cold coils as fast as possible to prevent the coils from freezing any water onto the coils. Frozen water (ice) prevents heat transfer and just builds up more ice, while preventing enough air going through into the motorhome. Newer residential A/C units have sensors to cut off the compressor if the coils get below about 35 degrees. Guess that improvement was too costly to make it onto the motorhome roof.  Hope this helps. RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #5 –
Big Bend area was dry enough so we had no AC issues. 
All along the gulf coast area we had dripping water inside from the AC unit.   It happened no matter what state the fan was in.   We just put a towels on the floor and called it good.   For the past few nights we've been in desert areas running the AC as before.  No water or dripping inside.  (Smile) I'm just going to blame it on the South and call it good. 

We are now in New Mexico with dry hot air ..... Life is good.  
personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #6 –
Ron--

I obviously missed Ross & Beverly's experience--thx so much for remembering, & the link!  Like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, "I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers." (said with a heavy Southern accent to the psychiatrist who had come to assist in hauling her off to the asylum at the end of the play).

Enormous relief on this end that I've apparently/hopefully not killed the thing.  Silly me, I thought it was working so hard I should just turn the temp back to give it an occasional rest.  Back in the '60s my dad bought a car with an after-market AC unit somehow rigged sort of under the radio & other gadgets/sitting on the hump, and I remember how that thing would frost up & then cut out.  I'm off to read your link to Ross & Beverly's experience.  ;D

Thx, again--

Lynne
Lynne
LDy Lulubelle, Green '05 31' TB
Lilly, the 4-Legged Alarm
 
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #7 –
Regarding A/Cs freezing up and/or dripping water, I'm wondering if anyone has ever rigged up a homestyle window a/c to use in an LD or anyother RV? You have to have power to run it, so why not use a window a/c which generally are quite reliable?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NIM6wAXx84

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Camping in hot areas - air conditioner drips and issues
Reply #8 –
Well Chris. It can be done. Probably wouldn't reduce the value of your motorhome by more than $20K or so.  RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Camping in hot areas - air conditioner drips and issues
Reply #9 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
Well Chris. It can be done. Probably wouldn't reduce the value of your motorhome by more than $20K or so.  RonB
LOL. I think I'll stick with the overhead a/c. 
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Camping in hot areas - air conditioner drips and issues
Reply #10 –
Chris,
Check out Pandamonium on Youtube.  She is in a 24ft LD tricked out with lots of solar panels and a window ac unit on the back end. It has as a really nasty paint job though, so I don't think there is any issue with value. ;)
Linda B
Green 2021 RB
2022 Ford Maverick toad
Re: Camping in hot areas.....
Reply #11 –
Quote from: Chris Horst  - 
Regarding A/Cs freezing up and/or dripping water, I'm wondering if anyone has ever rigged up a homestyle window a/c to use in an LD or anyother RV? You have to have power to run it, so why not use a window a/c which generally are quite reliable?

With so many old RVs being used for full timing on city streets, I have seen many attempts to use window A/Cs
One problem is finding a place to mount a window A/C that doesn't inhibit the LD's ability to travel.
Windows A/Cs are like icebergs, most of it is out of sight, with the majority of it sticking outside. .
This eliminates permanent mounting in a side window. A temporally window mount could be constructed but it would be a hand full to R&R, A/C units are not light weight.
None of LD floorpans have an opening rear window, so a wall mount, using a A/C Thru-the Wall  Sleeve would be the best alternative.
Amazon.com: PerfectAire PAWS1 Thru-The-Wall Air Conditioner Sleeve, Fits...

Most LDs have the spare tire mounted on the outside, rear wall, leaving only the Mid Bath with an empty wall, under the rear window. The MB's rear wall could be opened up and a A/C sleeve installed..
Frozen knees could be a hazard.

At some point, adding a second roof A/C might be simpler. It might be possible to run two 13,000-BTU rooftop A/Cs, if the second A/C is equipped with a supplemental, hard-start capacitor.
With relatively thin walls and huge windows, LDs are not built for temperature extremes, we head to the higher altitudes or the beach when it gets HOT out.


Larry
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Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze