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Old 07-17-2018, 08:12 AM   #1
bill-e
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Black AC cover

My Cougar has a black AC cover. The camper is also colored brown so the black goes well with it.

I would like to cool off the AC compartment a bit without going to a white cover.

Has anyone done something as simple as just painting the top of the cover white and if so did that help?

Thanks
Bill
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Old 07-17-2018, 08:25 AM   #2
travelin texans
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Personally I don't think that little bit of paint, or even the entire cover, would make enough difference that you'd ever notice.
IMHO they shouldn't build/sell any rv, big or small, with only 1 air conditioner. They are not built to take a lot of heat in the summer, but in the winter the furnaces that come with them will usually roast you very quickly.
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Old 07-17-2018, 08:30 AM   #3
bill-e
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The AC works fine and is enough to cool my camper in our New England weather. What I'd like to do is make it a little easier on the compressor when I come back to a hot camper and turn the AC on.

I've read that the surface temperature difference between black and white covers can be as much as 115° so that has to make the inside of the AC compartment hotter and thus be harder on the compressor itself. There have been occasions where my paralleled Yamaha generators were not able to start the AC when the camper had been sitting in the sun all day. I just want to see if something as simple as a white top would help.
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Old 07-17-2018, 08:45 AM   #4
sourdough
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Having had black "things" and white "things" I can tell you white is cooler. How much it would help the AC would probably be minimal but I'm sure it would cut down the temp under the cover. But, what is it going to look like if you just paint the top white and leave the sides black....a skunk!?? Just had to throw that out. Mine has black AC covers as well but I would not put white ones on it because it would just look tacky to me. White top that you couldn't see?? Might help.
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Old 07-17-2018, 10:25 AM   #5
MerlinB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bill-e View Post
My Cougar has a black AC cover. The camper is also colored brown so the black goes well with it.

I would like to cool off the AC compartment a bit without going to a white cover.

Has anyone done something as simple as just painting the top of the cover white and if so did that help?

Thanks
Bill
How about something like this:

https://spraypaint.rustoleum.com/pro...c-spray-paint/

When you click that link it shows the brass color but what I had in mind is the titanium silver.
It would be even more reflective than white.
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Old 07-17-2018, 10:36 AM   #6
Northofu1
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I'm pretty sure the ac will work equally as fine with a white or black cover. Think of the temperature of your truck ac compressor on those hot southern US days and the infiltration of engine heat.
Jus sayin
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Old 07-17-2018, 11:11 AM   #7
bill-e
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sourdough, my plan would be to paint just the top and not down the sides, si it could not be seen from ground level.


Northofu1, true when you run off shore power though the hotter temp is still making the compressor work harder, but not true when you're dry camping with minimal current capacity to spare. Like I said, it has already happened to me once or twice where I have to put the AC in fan mode for a bit before it will start.

Part of the problem is that I have an hardwired EMS unit (big mistake) and there are times that I will get contactor chatter if I load it too much and the genny output drops.
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Old 08-16-2018, 06:59 AM   #8
idcrag
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I painted the black top and black fridge outside cover. You bet it makes a difference. Rustoleum paint.
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