2nd A/C for 325SRX

[smiller]

Hi, new member and new 325SRX owner here. Still in the learning curve and one thing I'm learning already is how ineffective a single 13.5k BTU A/C unit is in the Texas summer. Has anyone installed a second A/C unit in a 325SRX and do you have any recommendations? Due to the far forward mounting location it looks like one of the low-profile models may be most appropriate?

Thanks for any tips...

[jje1960]

Hi, new member and new 325SRX owner here. Still in the learning curve and one thing I'm learning already is how ineffective a single 13.5k BTU A/C unit is in the Texas summer. Has anyone installed a second A/C unit in a 325SRX and do you have any recommendations? Due to the far forward mounting location it looks like one of the low-profile models may be most appropriate?

Thanks for any tips...
Welcome to the forum and your SRX. Our 2011 SRX came with a 15k aircon, just wondering why yours has a 13.5k unit? Maybe it was trucked from a northern dealer or distro point, not sure. Anyway, they sell small units for the bedroom, however I'm wondering if this will even solve your problems with the 13.5k unit in the main cabin to take care of the rest of the unit.

[Festus2]

Welcome to the forum; and, in regards to your inquiry about a 2nd A/C, there have been several posts and threads about this topic. You might want to do a forum search using this feature to see what information you can find.

[smiller]

Actually I'm not certain about the size of the unit, when looking up the specs online I see both 13.5k and 15k listed as a standard compliment for the 325SRX so I'm not certain which I have, may well be 15k, guess I need take a look. But in any event it isn't doing the job at a 95-100 degree outside temperature (and the unit is situated in the sun unfortunately) so I will need to supplement.

With respect to searching first, I did of course but didn't get any useful hits. Perhaps I'm not using the right terms but search will not let me use '2nd' or 'A/C', tried 'air' and 'air conditioner' but got nothing relevant. Will try again.

[Festus2]

Check this thread out:
"13,500 A/C not enough" (jkollar1) Modifcations and Upgrades 03-05-2011

There are other posts/threads regarding problems with vents and improper venting issues that some members have had resulting in poor or reduced air flow from the A/C.

Hope this helps

[Maxzd]

Welcome to the forum and your SRX. Our 2011 SRX came with a 15k aircon, just wondering why yours has a 13.5k unit? Maybe it was trucked from a northern dealer or distro point, not sure. Anyway, they sell small units for the bedroom, however I'm wondering if this will even solve your problems with the 13.5k unit in the main cabin to take care of the rest of the unit.

Welcome, nice to see another SRX owner, seem to be getting more owners on the site now.

I am surprised you were able to get a 13.5k I swear on mine 15k was standard. When i ordered my 325srx I asked about the smaller 13.5k unit and it wasn't even possible. At least my Honda 2000 would run a 13.5k, didn't really need a 15k for our climate. Plus if I am dry camping a/c isn't an option Now unless I buy a different generator.

If I was faced with your situation, I would swap the 13.5k to the bedroom and buy a 15k for the main cabin. I agree with jje1960 the 13.5k in hot temperatures isnt likely to do much. You could try installing fantastic fans or Maxxair fans like I did. Does help circulate the air better, but if it's constant heat and you are on shore power, I think the 15k add on is the only thing that will make you comfortable...

Best luck, keep us updated with what you end up deciding..

[Lack of HP]

I added on a 13.5 Dometic that was installed at CW for a little over a $1000. and it is working great. Just spent a week in Florida and it was in the upper 90's and it cooled like a charm. Mine is in a Cougar 327res.

[smiller]

I am surprised you were able to get a 13.5k I swear on mine 15k was standard. When i ordered my 325srx I asked about the smaller 13.5k unit and it wasn't even possible.
The Keystone web site indicates that a 13.5k unit is standard, with a 15k as an optional upgrade.

[dave-g]

Keep an eye on the height of the unit when adding a front ac. I spoke to the dealer about it . He recommended only a low profile unit.

[jje1960]

Good point on the profile of the unit. I asked our dealer when we purchased, they said normally when ordered they install a slim 10k unit, this is pretty painless considering the unit is pre-wired. What I have not figured out yet is if the unit can be connected to the same therm in the main cabin or is only used by the switches on the unit. I have fallen in love with having the unit come on with the therm vs always on fan like we had in previous TT's.

[smiller]

I think connecting a 2nd unit to the same thermostat wouldn't be a problem electrically, but getting the wiring to the right place is another matter...

[dave-g]

I would add a 2nd thermostat in the bedroom. That way it controls the temp in that room, not the living room.

[smiller]

Well just as an addendum I think I actually have the 15k BTU unit after all because I'm measuring 15-16.5 amps (depending on fan speed) with an amp clamp, and the 13.5k unit I had (both are Duo-Therms) drew about 3-4 amps less, so my guess is that I have the larger unit. That makes some sense since the RV was originally purchased in Florida.

And if anyone is wondering why even the 15k won't do it it's 102° outside right now... :(

[Lack of HP]

I added a dometic Brisk Air 13.5 BTU #457915. As I said in a privious post got it at CW for a $1021. Was in Florida in the direct sun at 97 degrees for a week and along with my 15.5 rear air it cooled great. I ran it on med fan 3/4 cool. In fact the rear ran very little with the front air on. We did shut it off at night. It does clear everything well, we have not had any issues pulling into stations for fuel. Clears all canopy's well. Happy Campin, keep cool

[smiller]

Well I have a Penguin 13.5k unit on order, I just wanted the lower profile unit. But one thing that no one has mentioned... looking at the template for mounting the air distribution box for the new A/C, there isn't enough clearance between the ceiling vent opening and all sorts of stuff (an existing ducted A/C vent, a light, and some trim) to allow mounting the air distribution box without moving stuff on the ceiling. Since the area is supposedly 'prepped' for a second A/C you would have thought that Keystone might have thought of that? As it stands I'm going to have to move the A/C vent, a light, and remove some ceiling trim in order to install the new air distribution unit (these items were placed within a few inches of the vent!) None of it looks to be all that difficult (although moving the existing A/C outlet won't be fun) but all of the offending items could easily have been mounted just a few inches further away during initial construction and the job would have been simple. It doesn't appear that Keystone put the slightest thought into the obvious issue of providing providing room for the 2nd A/C's air distribution unit. Frustrating.

[smiller]

Just to close this out I completed the install of a Dometic Penguin 13.5k unit in the bedroom. Installation was pretty straightforward, other than having to move a few things on the ceiling as mentioned above (and that it was a major SOB getting the main unit up onto the roof!) Also as others have mentioned due to the slight slope of the roof the mounting pads at rear of the main unit sit about an inch or so off of the roof, but that was easy to remedy with a few hard foam blocks. The unit is quite solid now.

And the results are great, have gone from barely being able to maintain a livable temp in the high 90's/above 100-degree range to being able to cool very nicely under those conditions. A really nice improvement.

[Maxzd]

Just to close this out I completed the install of a Dometic Penguin 13.5k unit in the bedroom. Installation was pretty straightforward, other than having to move a few things on the ceiling as mentioned above (and that it was a major SOB getting the main unit up onto the roof!) Also as others have mentioned due to the slight slope of the roof the mounting pads at rear of the main unit sit about an inch or so off of the roof, but that was easy to remedy with a few hard foam blocks. The unit is quite solid now.

And the results are great, have gone from barely being able to maintain a livable temp in the high 90's/above 100-degree range to being able to cool very nicely under those conditions. A really nice improvement.

Nice work. Any pictures you can post of the install and the finished product?

[smiller]

I didn't take any pictures of the installation but an RV A/C install is a pretty generic thing, plus the instructions from Dometic are clear and detailed so I couldn't really add much to them. But I have included some 'after' pictures that show some details specific to the 325SRX (and perhaps some other Cougar models.) As you can see the unit sits a little tail-high but it's not very visible. On the inside I needed to move the light and the ducted A/C vent but it wasn't very difficult, about 15 minutes with a coping saw to move the vent over about an inch and luckily the flange on the vent is large enough to cover the larger opening so no need to fill or cover up anything. There is some trim on the ceiling that could be trimmed (or a clearance cut in the new A/C distribution box) but since it is really a lot more visible in the photo than real life I'll probably just end up leaving it as is. I also trimmed the electrical connection box cover to be flush with the front of the unit. Some real trim would probably look better and maybe I'll get to that someday.

The installed unit is a Penguin but a Brisk Air (same as the original equipment unit) would have fit too of course, it's mostly just a matter of what look you prefer. The Penguin has a more modern indoor unit and a better-looking outdoor unit, but you can save a hundred bucks or so by going with the Brisk Air. Since the height limitation is the rear A/C having a low-profile front unit probably doesn't gain you much in terms of clearance, it's mostly just a matter of appearance. I wish Keystone would have used the low-profile model on the rear but that would have (gasp) cost them a bit more. ;)

I did the install on a 100-degree Texas day so it sure was nice when I finally got the power hooked up and had that cold air in my face... :D

Hope this all helps someone...


http://home.windstream.net/sethmiller/pix/ac1.jpg

http://home.windstream.net/sethmiller/pix/ac2.jpg

[smiller]

Rest of the pix...


http://home.windstream.net/sethmiller/pix/ac3.jpg

http://home.windstream.net/sethmiller/pix/ac4.jpg

http://home.windstream.net/sethmiller/pix/ac5.jpg

[jje1960]

Well, just over half way through our two week vacation in Myrtle Beach... It's been extremely humid and about 90deg daily, however the portable aircon in the garage area saved the day. Key for us has been to keep the main cabin flow on the aircon during the day, then flip to the closed position for night time.

[Me.Bikes.Dogs]

Hy Dave-g, what reasons did the dealer give for a low profile up front? If the rear unit is a full profile, anything you go under will have to be at least that high. Just curious.

[Maxzd]

Well, just over half way through our two week vacation in Myrtle Beach... It's been extremely humid and about 90deg daily, however the portable aircon in the garage area saved the day. Key for us has been to keep the main cabin flow on the aircon during the day, then flip to the closed position for night time.

Wow, wish I had your heat problem to deal with! We went away for a week in the interior of British Columbia just got back. It's very typical to see 90deg weather this time of year, not even close. The furnace got more of a workout at night and just ran the fans during the day... West Coast weather not nice at all this year...

[Maxzd]

Nice clean looking install thanks for the pictures!

[dave-g]

Hy Dave-g, what reasons did the dealer give for a low profile up front? If the rear unit is a full profile, anything you go under will have to be at least that high. Just curious.


dealer thought it may be better for aerodynamics. Just his .02 cents.

on a happy note:
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_16384_0_710d75721fdadfca49e6acd95770c943.jpg

1st trip with new rv. Took it to a motorcycle race my son and I were in in NY.
Only problem. One screw came out of the fender flair. It was one of 2 screws that hold the lower skirt in.

1st night it was 50 degrees f out. ran hat in am. next day 88 and humid. single ac kept inside about 72-74. New honda gen, ran perfect. About 2 gallons of gas for a 6 hour run with ac on.

[Me.Bikes.Dogs]

Looks like a great spot. Yellow vette, love it! Always been partial to yellow for my cars.

[smiller]

My only question is, how did you get the vette in the garage?

[dave-g]

vett not mine- sons friend who spent the night.

Also is that penguin ac any quieter then the stock one. I want to add the 2nd ac but my kids (who sleep in the living room) complain its noisy.

[smiller]

Quieter? 'fraid not. I don't have a dB meter but it seems about the same as the other, and maybe even noisier when in bed since it's about six feet from your head. I don't think they make any RV ac units you would call quiet. But I can sleep with it on.

Since you don't really need 2 A/C's when the sun goes down what I do is run the main (living room) unit when sleeping and the bedroom unit when watching TV in the LR. Works OK for me.

[dave-g]

when installing the bed room unit, does it connect to the existing duct work? or just blow in the bedroom?

[smiller]

It just blows into the bedroom. From all I've read you'e not supposed to connect two separate A/C units to the same ductwork as the individual units are not designed to work into an already-pressurized duct.

[dave-g]

Thats what I figured- but thought it would be nice to have a back up. Next summer we're looking into going to sc or nc for vacation. I'll be installing a 2nd unit before next year.

[smiller]

The bedroom A/C can cool the entire unit in a pinch (well maybe except for the garage.). Since cool air sinks and the bedroom is higher than the living room you end up getting a lot of cool air in the LR from the bedroom A/C. Not as evenly as if it were ducted of course, but passable. In fact as I mentioned above when we're watching TV in the LR and don't want to deal with the noise of the main A/C we just run the bedroom unit, works fine.

If the main unit were to fail (and ours already has, bad start capacitor!) you at least have the bedroom A/C to get by on. That's a nice secondary advantage of installing a second A/C since having your only A/C unit fail can ruin a summer trip in short order.

[Jimmie Fan]

2012 spec says set up for secend ac