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Topic: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.  (Read 549 times) previous topic - next topic
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Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Has anybody replaced one lately. I got a 26.5 rear kitchen and my Aircon heat  just died. Im seening al kinds Tosot. Looks good and quite. Any oppinions. I thought i saw something somewhere the other day but cant find anything now.
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #1 –
Hi Sam. We need to know what year your roof air is. In 2010 the factory started installing heat pump air conditioners. Before that the roof air heat was provided by a simple heating element. That element could be burned out, or just have a wiring problem. A lot easier than troubleshooting a heat pump whose heat function doesn't work. If it is colder than 40 F degrees outside, the heat function won't heat well.   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #2 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
We need to know what year your roof air is. In 2010 the factory started installing heat pump air conditioners. Before that the roof air heat was provided by a simple heating element. That element could be burned out, or just have a wiring problem.

I have not seen a burned out heating element but I have replaced two of the AC/heat/fan selector switches in Dometic A/Cs. Any LD built post-2006 and newer has the wall mounted thermostat that controls the furnace and A/C, I'm not sure how the heating elements in the later model LDs are controlled, probably by the circuit board up in the rooftop unit.

Larry
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
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #3 –
My 2013 MB has the factory original rooftop unit. It will operate either as an air conditioner or as a heat pump. I don’t believe it has a electric resistive heating element (sometimes called “emergency heat”).
2013 27’ Mid-Bath
2005 Honda CR-V
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #4 –
The first Dometic heat pump/AC LD installed was on my 2010 Rear Bath that I took delivery on in April, 2010. When ordering my coach in November, 2009 I asked Steve Newton if he could use the Dometic heat pump instead of the coil type heating element LD was installing at that time. My 2004 Born Free had the Dometic heat pump. Steve was unaware that Dometic made a heat pump. He agreed to order one for my coach and from that point on all the LD coaches had the Dometic heat pump.
Recently I made a similar request with Steve Grezeny, the owner of Coach House, while ordering our new class B+ coach. They normally offer the ducted Dometic heat pump or a Truma AC (only) in all their coaches. Knowing how loud the Dometic is, I requested a RecPro ducted heat pump/AC for my new coach. They agreed!! Now that I have the coach, that was a good choice as the RecPro is much quieter and with the ceiling front to back ducting the set temperature is very even throughout the interior.
Mike C
2026 Coach House 27' "Casa Azul"
2010 RB "Monty"  &  2021 RB "Villa Verde"
2004 Born Free 26'
1998 Beaver Patriot 33'
1992 Barth Breakaway 28'
1982 Fleetwood Jamboree 23
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #5 –
I'm planning on replacing our LD's A/C before next summer, good to know the RecPro is quieter than the Dometic.
Our 1983 LD's Dometic A/C is much quieter than our friend's 2021 MB, equipped with a Dometic A/C. It's hard to carry on a conversation in their rig when the A/C's fan set on low speed.

It's hard to understand why the newer A/C is so much noisier than our 23 year old A/C.
Dometic has managed to engineer more noise into their newer A/Cs instead of less noise...good work guys.

Larry
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
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #6 –
I'm satisfied with my Recpro but there are others that claim to be quiet. e.g. Furrion and Advent, probably others. Find the quietest, buy it, post and we can all wish we had one too!  :D
jor
09 27' MB
10  Suby Forester
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #7 –
Does the RecPro match up with the non-ducted arrangement of the original Dometic unit?
2013 27’ Mid-Bath
2005 Honda CR-V
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #8 –
Quote
Does the RecPro match up with the non-ducted arrangement of the original Dometic unit?

Very close. Just requires a tiny bit of modification to expand the hole. No big deal.
jor
09 27' MB
10  Suby Forester
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #9 –
Doing a but of research, the Furrion 18K Chill Cube has all the features I would want...except for the interior cover. It directs cold air out of the front only, with no flow to the rear. 

Our Dometic 13.5K rooftop A/C has front and rear outlets, they are needed since the A/C is located in the middle of the interior. 
I wonder how well the Furrion is built, being so much cheaper than the RecPro 15K A/C, heat pump, which has the needed front and air outlets.

Amazon.com: Furrion Chill Cube 18k BTU Variable Speed RV Rooftop Air...

RecPro 15K with a soft start
RV Air Conditioner 15K Quiet AC Unit with Heat Pump, Remote Control - RecPro

Larry
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
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #10 –
Hi All:

I just purchased and had installed a RecPro 15k air conditioner on my 2004 30' Island bed. Only our last camping trip in Southern Arizona the a/c was just blowing cool air, not cold. Since it was the original a/c and was 21 years old I decided to buy a new one. I reviewed lots of good reports about the RecPro. I ordered the 3800E non-ducted 15k Btu unit. Once it arrived I was impressed to the care in the packaging. It was a box within a box. It looks like RecPro is the distributor and the manufacturer is Houghton Leisure Products of Adelaide, Australia. The unit is well made. It did need a little increase in the size of the roof opening by about 1/8" on each side. Installation was easy. I had two guys install it for me. It is much quieter than the Dometic 15K that it replaced. It has the heat pump and a remote. It blows both to the front and the back which I appreciate. I have attached two pictures, one was before the change and the other is after. Also note that the previous owner had the shower dome replace and it was a custom build one. I didn't like it and it leaked. I ordered a new dome from Todd Miller and also had that installed at the same time. I am now a happy camper, lighter in the wallet but still happy.

I appreciate all the help here.

Thanks

Kevin
Kevin
Kevin Hannah
Green Valley, AZ
Owner of 2004 30' Island bed
Previously 2001 LD 26.5 MB and 2000 LD 26.5 RK
Re: Rooftop aircon and heat pump.
Reply #11 –
Quote from: kevin hannah  - 
I just purchased and had installed a RecPro 15k air conditioner on my 2004 30' Island bed.
Thanks
Kevin

Thanks for the report, the lower noise levels a plus.
I may be forced to buy a RecPro, just for having a forward and rear outlets, something our LD needs with the A/C being located in the middle of the coach. Both ends need A/C in hot weather.
On paper the Furrion 18K Chill Cube looks superior in every way except for not having a rear outlet. It cost $700 less than a  RecPro that is equipped with a soft-start, something I definitely want, after our Dometic A/C has suffered damage twice from brown-outs and/or power surges.
I contacted Etrailer and asked if Furrion made an interior cover with front and rear outlet ands told they do not...sigh.

Larry
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