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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342
Location: MS | Friend bought an aluminum Sundowner that isn't framed for roof air. Has anyone used an alternative type of AC (read that as cheaper) like putting it under the nose, or one of those portable units? How is that working for you? Suggestions much appreciated! |
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Veteran
Posts: 123
Location: illinois | In our old Exiss we used a portable ac unit that we stored in a closet. Vented to the horse area. It worked okay,better than no air at all. In our trailer that we have now we installed a roof unit. It cools better and helps with storage issue. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342
Location: Ohio | I've had 2 trailers with wall mounted a/c units. One is a 4ft shortwall insulated dressing room that the 5200 btu a/c works great with. The other trailer is a 15' LQ and the 5200 btu a/c was entirely too small, but it blew cold air. Make sure you get one that is the correct size for your trailer. this has since been swapped for a 15000 btu roof a/c. If I were to do it all over again, I probably would try to find a portable a/c unit instead of putting a gaping hole either in the back wall or under the goose. |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | |
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Expert
Posts: 2957
Location: North Carolina | Everytime this question is posted, a new potential entry for this blog is created. http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/ Dealer reinforced the existing roof vent on my Sundowner for $75. I doubt my self installed a/c will make the blog. Just not note worthy enough. |
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Member
Posts: 47
Location: New Salem, ND | Just from a personal persective, when I see a trailer listed for sale with a wall mount ac I stay clear of it. I think it would affect the resale value. It would be best to have the vent reinforsed and then install roof air.. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350 | If your friends Sundowner is an aluminum horse trailer, and not a stock/combo, it should have a standard 14x14" vent in the dress. Bracing is a pretty simple fix, as an aluminum welder can brace it fairly quickly. A roof air unit will fit right in the opening after that. I agree that a "wall unit" isn't a good way to go, and it will definitely affect the resale of the trailer; especially an aluminum trailer. |
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Expert
Posts: 2957
Location: North Carolina | Excellent points about degrading the value of a trailer. (cutting a hole and such...) $75 reinforce existing vent opening + $475 RV a/c unit + $25 misc wire = $600 out of pocket and $1000 added to trailer value... $100 small Wall a/c unit + $25 misc wire = $125 out of pocket and $500 reduced from trailer value. Both cost about $600 but one loses value and the other gains value. Makes the better choice easier to see. |
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Regular
Posts: 54
Location: cleburne texas | Don't know how true this is, but a friend told me if you make "friends" with a local rv dealer, sometimes they sell trailers and come bac with AC complaints. When the AC is removed and new one put on trailer, they go thru the original one. Normally problem is that it wasn't charged at the factory and can be picked up for a fraction of the cost of new. My friend gave $75.00 for his brand new for his like this. He called them to see about getting me one, and the last one had just walked out the door. |
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Expert
Posts: 2957
Location: North Carolina | Originally written by lou on 2011-03-27 5:51 AM
Don't know how true this is, but a friend told me if you make "friends" with a local rv dealer, sometimes they sell trailers and come bac with AC complaints. When the AC is removed and new one put on trailer, they go thru the original one. Normally problem is that it wasn't charged at the factory and can be picked up for a fraction of the cost of new. My friend gave $75.00 for his brand new for his like this. He called them to see about getting me one, and the last one had just walked out the door. I would be leery about this UNLESS the unit was repaired. Not likely that a unit was missed getting the refrigerant charge. More likely it had a leak and the charge was lost. Refrigerant leaks are the worst to fix dollar wise (Besides nuclear reactors) That's why the factory just replaces the unit. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342
Location: MS | Thanks all! I think she is thoroughly talked out of a wall AC! |
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New User
Posts: 1
Location: Kingsland, Ga | $475 RV a/c unit Where are you getting these units for this price? |
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Expert
Posts: 2957
Location: North Carolina | Originally written by hbrooks95 on 2011-03-31 8:38 PM
$475 RV a/c unit Where are you getting these units for this price?
That's what I paid a few years ago ... Thanks to the Fed's QE 2 Inflation ... Here's typical .. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ADVENT-RV-TRAILER-MOTORHOME-AIR-COND... |
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