mobilehippo Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 My RV didn't come with a top A/C. Generally I don't need it but I realized that my furnace isn't working anymore. It might just need a new ignitor but many say not to bother using it since the fumes can be deadly. I thought about removing the furnace, which is underneath a closet and fitting a very small A/C there. Since there is a place to vent air from the furnace, I should be able to vent the A/C from the same place. Does anyone think this is feasible? Or maybe this leads to too many possible water leakage from the unit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 " but many say not to bother using it since the fumes can be deadly." Every time we use fuel there is a possibility for dangerous fumes. If you make sure the exhaust vent is open, your furnace is no more dangerous than your house furnace. Install CO and propane detectors and don't worry about it. You put explosive fuel in the gas tank, have a furnace in your house, maybe cook with gas etc, do you live in fear of an dangerous fumes with them. However, if you never use the furnace and don't worry about resale value, it may be a good idea. I use my furnace frequently and have never had a desire to use the A/C, but I live in Wisconsin and rarely use the A/C in my house. My furnace is also under a closet. I don't think that I have ever seen an air conditioner small enough to fit in the same spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Your biggest issue is going to be the fact that the house type AC units have to have a major portion of the unit outside for venting and water drainage so you can't just stick it in a box so that will leave a good bit beyond the side wall. The RV furnace is designed to do two things, remove exhaust gases and bring in combustion air there is a fan inside the furnace that provides the air flow they are pretty safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilehippo Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Mmm I see yeah I was thinking of cutting out a bigger spot for the AC unit using a portion of the closet space to do so. I saw some teardrops with interior wall like ACs. But yeah I was afraid that most wall AC units need a place to drain the water so it very well might not work. I don't go camping in the winter so that's why I don't use the furnace. Also it's not exactly working either. It seems to not want to ignite but the gas flows through it. It's a 1978 so it's pretty old and very hard to find someone who can actually evaluate what's wrong with it. I think it's the ignitor but since I don't take her out for the winter I haven't had reason to go and fix it. It gets much hotter in the summer when I do take her out and it'd be nice to have an AC instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Your putting it on the floor and I see no reason why you couldn't put a drain in somehow. Waiter installed a standard home AC above his fridge and used the rear of the refrigerator opening to add a drain. Here's his thread. It's long but maybe it could give you some ideas on how to accomplish this. You do realize you will need to be hooked up to power for it to run. http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4077&hl=+ac+install +waiter&page=1 Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Notice the vents in the side of the AC unit. This is where the cooling air comes from to cool the condenser (the fins in the back) the air is drawn from the sides and exhausted through the condenser the key to efficiency is the cooling of the condenser. By putting the vents inside of a box reduces the cool air being delivered to the condenser so it makes the AC work harder and reducing it's ability to cool the the camper. The trend in cheaper travel trailers is indeed window units how ever the AC is mounted pretty much the same way a window unit is with a great deal of it sticking out of the side generally mounted up pretty high. The unit is tipped down at the back to get rid of the water that is removed fro m inside of the camper. A fix would be to have it on some thing like a drawer slide that would allow the unit to be push out when in use and pulled back in when on the road then it would work at peak efficiency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yes a vent would need to be installed so the heat created by the AC could escape or the AC would have to be mounted flush to the camper wall. Totally doable. Odyssey made a pop top RV in the 90's that had a standard home AC unit mounted beneath the bench seat. Only a louver vent showed on the outside. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 my son had a brand new 17 foot jayco with a wall air factury worked great maineah is right some are using a slider mount. or you can do what we did in our prv 1978. bought a 100 dollor 5000 btu unit made a table out of aluminum wit a bracket rivet on made to fit in the front window we set in the window made a plate out of lexan to fit around it and velcrowed it on the outside of the door worked great . put a little fan on floor behind seats 75 inside 95 100 outside. need to tip up a little in the front side to dump water out the back. should of seen the looks we go t in the koa in pasco wa bu t who gives a rip if your a red neck lol . just take down set on floor to move. when we sold it the guy said where is the ac I shoud him the set up and he liked it said he was going to use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snail powered Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 There is an alternative besides a roof mount unit and a home air conditioner. Dometic makes them. They are used in sleeper cab trucks. There was a member here for a while who had a deluxe remodel done on his 18' Sunrader and that is what he had installed. It was mounted in the area that was the luggage compartment. I don't know too much about the installation of them but here is the Dometic website manual for one of this type of units. Its a split system with a small evaporator that installs under the vehicle or on the exterior back wall. http://www.dometic.com/QBank/EPiServer/Dometic/US/Manuals/Trucking-Automotive-manuals/Air-Conditioning/2575-Remote-Auxiliary-Air-Conditioning-Manual-FlatBunkFace_29025.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yes they are also known as mini splits many European and Asian RV's are using them it often takes the US years to catch on to innovation. They are super efficient and many have the ability to heat also. They are also popular in home use and are starting to become the norm in home retro fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilehippo Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Your putting it on the floor and I see no reason why you couldn't put a drain in somehow. Waiter installed a standard home AC above his fridge and used the rear of the refrigerator opening to add a drain. Here's his thread. It's long but maybe it could give you some ideas on how to accomplish this. You do realize you will need to be hooked up to power for it to run. http://toyotamotorhome.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4077&hl=+ac+install +waiter&page=1 Linda S This person did a great job installing that wall unit... cutting a wall out of the RV might be though as intensive as getting a top AC unit but I think I would need to vent the unit in the way he did... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibs Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 1. you can buy splits unit a/cs from amazon or ebay, NOT cheap 2. buy the smallest most efficient window type a/c and as Linda pointed out install. just remember to use a plastic tray under it to catch any condensation and drain everything away from the wood. 3. Upright A/C, I like this the best, $300 will get you an efficient upright A/C, make sure you get the one that vents the moisture to the outside so you don't have to keep draining it. the upside is you cut a 4 inch dia hole, downside, this thing is tall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I use a small portable AC if I'm going to someplace hot. Does take up some floor space but I have a platform I set up so it's partially where the passenger seat is after I push that all the way forward. I put the vent out the passenger front window and hang the curtain to block the heat from the cab area. When I'm not using it in the camper it's in my bedroom at home so gets used either way. Not light though. I can manage but it's getting heavier every year. Wonder if anyone makes lighter ones now. I will have to check. This one is mine http://www.ebay.com/itm/Haier-Portable-Air-Conditioner-8000-BTUs-CPRB08XCJ-w-Remote-/291354281800?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d6118748 Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVdaytrader Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Cold air is heavier than warm air so you would have a cool floor and a hot ceiling!...plus the other problems already posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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