|
|
Veteran
Posts: 112
Location: Bow, NH | I've been pricing out having a roof mounted AC unit added to the dressing room of my GN trailer and am getting quotes of $1,000 to $1,500. Has anyone ever used a portable room AC unit that can be bought for $3-$5 hundred in thier dressing room? Can anyone think of pros and cons to this thought? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3802
  
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Pros = Cheap. Cons = Takes up floor space. Must empty condensation resevoir or plumb it to drain under trailer. Must be vented to the outside. Low BTU's. Did I mention that it takes up floor space? And No, I don't have one, studied the posibilities and decided to go with a roof mounted A/C. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 150
Location: Farmville, VA | Have you tried going to a camper supplier rather than a horse trailer dealer? I priced mine out for $600 vs. $1100 for the horse trailer dealer. Just a thought! I too looked into the portable units, you would need to cut a 2.5" hole to allow for the vent and then the drainage in the floor. Some of the better units did not require a drain. Good luck! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | I've seen a few posting where some trailer owners built their own LQs and used a home/window type ac unit. Most were installed by cutting a hole the same size as the ac unit into the forward bulkhead. These were the inexpensive types that typically sold for less than $100 at Wal mart. Camper World usually has Spring specials that include the installation of RV ac units at prices less than you indicated. Unless your trailer has a reinforced roof area to carry the weight of an ac unit, you will have to have that part of your roof beefed up before it can be installed. An additional electrical circuit will have to be added if it is not presently equipped with one. Cutting a hole in your forward bulkhead would not be a route I would favour. It will structurally weaken the bulkhead, and from the photos I've seen, even the stiffeners were cut out. I would shop price wise for the RV type, they work well and are designed for that application. BOL Gard |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1283
Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey | My roof air units cost $549 at a local camping store. I buy them there because of warranty. I would think you are being hijacked at $1,000, I wouldn't buy anything else from that guy either. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 112
Location: Bow, NH | Thanks for the input!! I'll definatley try the RV places around me. The roof does not have the framing already so it'll need that. I am not in favor of cutting a hole in the bulkhead either. I'll probably just go with how it always has been done and pony up a few extra bucks. Not worth ruining a good trailer to save a few cents. Thanks again!! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2957
Location: North Carolina | Originally written by perk2754 on 2007-12-17 9:27 AM ...Not worth ruining a good trailer to save a few cents... I looked at the portable and window units for my trailer too. The biggest issue for me was devaluing the trailer by doing an obvious jack-leg home built air conditioner install in the bulkhead or wall. If I were looking to buy a trailer, I would deduct for the a/c in the bulkhead rather than pay extra it. I'm very happy I went with the RV roof unit. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 153
Location: Iowa | This is just another way: I put the small window unit in the doorway of the walk through door. It sits on the doorway frame and I hang a shower curtain/blanket above it across the doorway to keep the cool air in. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 216
Location: Chillicothe, Ohio | I have seen a small window unit mounted into a hole cut into the front wall of the lq, just under the goosneck (above where the bootbox is normally)..however, as has been mentioned, this might decrease the value of your trailer at resale. Otherwise, this does not take any space, hooks up just like a roofmount AC wise and works fine for someone on a budget, since you can usually pick up small ac window units for a lot less than an RV unit. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 187
Location: KS | I just bought a brand new roof top AC unit at my local RV store for $399 a couple of months ago. (It didn't have the heat strip) I was replacing the one that was there so all the bracing and wiring was already there. A friend of mine had a regular window unit installed under the gooseneck and she had problems getting the cool air up into the sleeping part, it was better then nothing but I would go with the roof top kind. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 199
Location: White Pine, TN | Hosspuller basically said what most dealers do: that is to devalue the unit if the A/C is anything other than on the roof. Yes it costs a bit more but the cooling effect is so much better and it doesn't screw up the unit. |
|
| |
Portable AC units in LQ
