A/C not very cold?

[Howie]

We are presently in Arizona (hot) and have only one Atwood AC unit that cools but having a hard time keeping temp down. This is the first time we have been in temps at 100. Our friends have same RV next to us and they have water dripping off the rear of the 5ver from their AC and we do not. Does this mean our unit is not working as effectively? If so, anything I can do?

[chuckster57]

Have you measured the temp difference between the air going into the A/C and the air coming out? It should be 20 degrees or better.

How clean is the filter? Is the freeze sensor stuck in the fins/ in the correct place?

[Gobirds38]

Is your fan running on high? If not turn off auto and set it to high. Do you hear the compressor kicking on and off?

May need freon recharged. It should be pulling moisture out of the air at that outside temp.

[purebred]

Were in Yuma Arizona. A week ago it hit 117. Our 2020 Alpine with a 15000 and 13500 btu air conditioners had a hard time keeping our rv at 84 degrees constant. And we are in shade for half the day. As far as condensation the so called monsoon has started in southern Arizona and the ac's have a small amount of condensation running off the roof. When its lower in humidity below 30 percent we don't have any moisture runoff. I think with one AC and in Arizona you need to upgrade to two ac's or find shade.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Howie

We are presently in Arizona (hot) and have only one Atwood AC unit that cools but having a hard time keeping temp down. This is the first time we have been in temps at 100. Our friends have same RV next to us and they have water dripping off the rear of the 5ver from their AC and we do not. Does this mean our unit is not working as effectively? If so, anything I can do?

The Cougar 303RLS is a 34'8" fifth wheel. You indicate that "this is the first time we have been in temps at 100"... I'd suggest that you either "add a second air conditioner or face the "very real reality" that a single air conditioner unit, whether it's a 13.5K or a 15K unit, is incapable of providing "comfortable cooling to the volume of space inside that RV when the outside temperatures and heat gain are in the 100F+/full or partial sunshine environment"....

There are hundreds of posts on this forum and thousands on other forums indicating the "woeful inadequacy" of a single air conditioner to cool RV's in that length range with a single rooftop unit.

About the best you can expect is "lowering the interior temp to around 80F, provided you can block sunlight/heat from entering through the windows, stop heat gain from cooking/oven use, reduce showering (which increases humidity) and shade the RV as much as possible by using slide covers, awnings and bushes/trees to provide as much "blockage from the sun" as possible....

Many members have tried, I can't identify one who has a 35' RV in the desert heat that says their RV is "cool as a cucumber" when it's 100F+ outside in the full sunshine.

[Howie]

Chuckster57, I am not familiar with ACs and I don’t have a temp guage handy. Is there a bit of info you can provide about the fin setup? I realize a second AC would help but I spend very little time in the SW. I don’t get why the neighbors is dripping water and mine is not unless something is not correct

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Gobirds38

Is your fan running on high? If not turn off auto and set it to high. Do you hear the compressor kicking on and off?

May need freon recharged. It should be pulling moisture out of the air at that outside temp.

RV air conditioners are not equipped with ports to add freon & finding a HVAC tech to go onto your RV roof to add them may difficult. Typically RV acs that may be low on freon are replaced rather than repaired/recharged.
There are steps to check.
Be sure the gasket is in place between the return & output at unit on the roof.
Pull a couple vents to be sure they sealed between the ceiling & duct, not cooling the attic. Also that the vents themselves aren't too tall to block the duct, had to cut mine down about a 1/2" as they nearly completely blocked the duct.
Remove the last vent on either end of the duct & take a picture with your phone or use a scope to be sure duct is sealed at the end, mine open ended into the attic, used a piece of pipe insulation horse shoed in to block the air from the attic.

[flybouy]

You can pick up an infrared thermometer for $20 or so at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, etc. They come in handy for checking bearing hubs as well. As an owner of a large trailer with a single 15K btu a/c I won't think about traveling to the south west in summer.

I keep the windows covered, have slide toppers, and go in and out the bathroom door as it will effectively act like a vestibule to temper the air to the trailer. If outside Temps are in the mid to upper 90's I can keep the interior around 76. This takes a conscious effort. Using the outside kitchen to cook and not going in and out of the camper every 5 min.

With a 30 Amp trailer and no rear vent to add a second unit onnours the only alternative would be a "portable" air conditioner that vents out a window and plugging it into the 15 or 20 Amp plug on the campground pedestal.

[purebred]

One AC in the desert southwest will not do it. Not in summer months in Arizona. Just plain and simple.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by Howie

Chuckster57, I am not familiar with ACs and I don’t have a temp guage handy. Is there a bit of info you can provide about the fin setup? I realize a second AC would help but I spend very little time in the SW. I don’t get why the neighbors is dripping water and mine is not unless something is not correct

If you remove the ceiling assembly, you’ll see a divider between the return and exhaust (cold air out). It needs to be set in the correct position to prevent cold air from returning. If you look up into A/C unit on the return side there should be a sensor stuck in the fins. Your condensation drain may be plugged with dirt/debris and you may not see it drip.

[Northofu1]

If you're neighbours ac is dripping condensate maybe its because his coil isn't frozen.
I had that issue in Ohio last August. I turned unit off for an hour and then when it stopped dripping I turned it back on and raised the temp to 25°C from 23°C. left it at that higher temp to make it at least cooler that it was outside. Use fans to help keep cool, until you upgrade AC.
Good luck

[purebred]

There is a lot of reasons one person's rv has more moisture in it than others. Just because one shows a moisture discharge on the roof and another don't could be various reasons. You stated your ac was blowing cold. If you're in the desert get shade, more ac units or get used to higher temperatures. It's not rocket science.

[Dadwoolery]

Unfortunately we spent some time in Las Vegas in July a couple of years ago while our TV had some work done on it. Our Cougar only came with one A/C. We about cooked. Fortunately ours was pre-wired for a second A/C in the bedroom, so we put it in. We had several days at around 100 this year on our trip earlier this year and I can say it was a great decision. The Trailer stayed very comfortable.

[kovacsmw]

The first thing is to immediately purchase a dehumidifier which will help. Also, put reflective insulation in your windows. That alone can bring down temps. Here is a link:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflecti...4010/100318552

[McRod]

Originally Posted by Howie

Chuckster57, I am not familiar with ACs and I don’t have a temp guage handy. Is there a bit of info you can provide about the fin setup? I realize a second AC would help but I spend very little time in the SW. I don’t get why the neighbors is dripping water and mine is not unless something is not correct

Don't worry about what your neighbors AC is doing. For all you know they could be having a spa party in the bathroom raising the humidity levels and their AC is pulling the moisture out of the air. Or maybe because it's so dry they use a humidifier inside their RV.....

Your AC is fine. Welcome to AZ. Get a portable AC unit to augment your single AC unit as 1 AC wouldn't keep a box of peanuts cool in AZ summer.

Posted from Tucson,AZ

[Gravytrain]

My advice - Go to high elevation - White Mountains, Flagstaff, etc. The AC is not likely to get the temp down much if you are in the sun.

[blubuckaroo]

Chuckster57 is right. The best an A/C can do is a 20 degree drop. That's on a very dry day.
Monitor the inside air temp and the temp of the air leaving the unit.

As for the water dripping, there are variables there. Some units even have a ring on the blower that distributes the condensate water over the evaporator helping to cool the condenser. It also gets rid of the condensate water.

Something else I've heard is that some ducted systems haven't been sealed very well and some of the cold air gets into the space above the ceiling.
Maybe someone else can chime in with an experience with this.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by Howie

Our friends have same RV next to us and they have water dripping off the rear of the 5ver from their AC and we do not. Does this mean our unit is not working as effectively? If so, anything I can do?

Maybe your condensate is puddling in a low spot on your roof and then evaporating, while his is just immediately running off. Perhaps you should borrow an A-frame ladder and inspect your roof and your neighbor's, if he really has the same model RV. See where his condensate tube exits his AC. Make sure yours exits properly as well, as opposed to dumping your condensate somewhere inside your roof insulation. None of this will make your RV cooler, but at least it will tell you something about whether your AC has some other problem.

[Ken / Claudia]

And start the A/c up early in the day and keep it on all day, that is if it's working correctly. I think the manual in ones I have read say most cooling is as others said 20f degree from outside is whats it's best is. My unit is a 2013 maybe they have improved since. In my last unit when in 115 to 120 temps, minus 20 from that was not felt like it was worth the noise all day.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia

And start the A/c up early in the day and keep it on all day, that is if it's working correctly.

Out here in lower Arizona, it's only been the last few nights that even night-time temps have dropped below 85° or so.

I have a guest here in a good-sized fiver running off a 30A outlet (we don't have 50s) who is lucky to keep his interior temps under 90°. He finally bought a portable floor unit for the bedroom and runs it off his 20A outlet. They're frequent flyers in the pool, for sure (though we've been ramping that up to 93° in preparation for our all-night Pleiades viewing session!)