Whats the average lifespan of an  RV (LQ) AC unit?

Because they sit on top in the hot sun, do they deteriorate over time if you do not keep your trailer in an RV garage, barn shed or shelter?

I would think that the life span of an A/C unit, would depend on its service hours instead of its years of age. My units are used sporadically on weekends, and then only for a few hours at a time. A southern based unit may be run almost continuously for months at a time. That air conditioner could have more usage in a year, than perhaps mine would have, while in my ownership.

I owned a truck camper that was almost 20 years old, and the original A/C unit ran unfailingly. My oldest trailer is a 97 and the air works perfectly. It has never needed servicing. I did have to straighten the fins after an encounter with tree branches. A friend of ours bought a new trailer and almost immediately, had an A/C failure. A lot may depend on luck.

The fiberglass shroud provides a great deal of protection to the mechanicals. The ambient heat shouldn't damage the mechanicals, but seals and weather sealants can dry out and crack. The circulating fan will wear. It and the compressor motor will wear much faster, if an under sized extension cord is used.

The circulating fans are expensive to have replaced. One way to limit the hours of usage, is to incorporate a small auxiliary heater instead of using the heat strip and fan. The heaters can be purchased for only $20 - $30 dollars. They will heat a large LQ, are thermostatically controlled and take up very little space. They are a fraction of the cost of an installed circulating fan.

We have winter weather conditions, with which we have to contend. Ice and freezing rain can damage the exposed mechanicals, so it's a good idea to enclose the A/C unit in a protective cover, much as room A/C units in homes.

Gard

I envy your weather in western PA (that's where all my "people" come from) but I have been living in the humid hot south (AR) for 25 years and rely heavily on AC  units.

So my post is more from a southern heat, baking, cooking cracking plastic and melting rubber heat perspective.   

I've got one that is ten years old on an lq and one that is twenty plus years old on an RV fifth wheel. The only problem I have ever had is hail. Big enough and it will crack the cover, and parked the right direction, it can dent the cooling fins and you will have to straighten those. Other than that, no problems.

RV A/C units are sealed refrigeration systems.  The only way it can be damaged is mechanically or electrically.

Keeping the filters clean is elementary.  For bent coil fins, A $3 tool called a "coil fin comb" does a quick job of straightening and restoring the air flow across the coils.

Electrically... The most important thing you can do, is use a short heavy gauge extension cord to supply power.  Every time the compressor has to start with a long, light extension cord the motor suffers low voltage.  The low voltage makes the motor draw more current and develop more heat in the windings.  The extra heat shortens the life of the expensive compressor motor.

On trailers that are equipped with air conditioners built by Duo-Therm, to access and clean the filters, the interior air box is removed from A/C unit. ( The ceiling shroud assembly) Inside is a washable filter, that when dried out can be reinstalled. There is no need to grab a ladder and get on the roof for this servicing.

If you do decide for a roof excursion, it would be a good time to check out the cooling fins on the heat exchanger. Any bent ones will diminish the efficiency of the cooling. There are specialized tools that can expedite the straightening, but pliers (needle nose or duckbill) work, albeit taking a little longer.

Gard

Thanks for the info, I've cleaned the filter.  It probably wouldn't hurt for me to climb up there this weekend and take a look at the fins.

When we got the trailer I assumed (haha) that hubby would do the maitenance and checkups.  I have now learned so much about inverters, refrigerators, electrical systems, fuses and now AC units.  Next on my list, I guess I'd better explore the world of hot water heaters and pumps.