Buy a new A/C? What And Where Did You Buy It?

[Bill-2020]

Looking at possibly needing to buy a new A/C. Old one is a Brisk II 13.5K, non-ducted, w/ceiling controls. I'll consider adding a thermostat to a new one if it's an option on it, but it's not a must have.

I'm curious as to what brand/model you purchased in the last couple of years and where did you buy it from? Local RV dealer? Online? I'll self install so these services won't be needed.

[wiredgeorge]

I bought a Brisk II 15K from pplmotorhomes.com when they were on sale a couple years ago (think it was 2018) for under $500. They are more now. I strongly suggest you take a lot of care to buy from reputable sellers as there are some sellers out there who always show the lowest price when you search but reading reviews on these companies makes your head spin. Also, since you don't already use a thermostat, it would be a chore to fish wires to where a thermostat would be routed so it would be a lot easier to install one with controls right on the unit. Not sure but your lower control unit may work plug and play with a Dometic upper. My old trailer (2002) is ducted and has a thermostat but the upper just plugged into the old lower unit and the thermostat works fine.

[B-O-B'03]

+1 for ppl

bought a 15K Brisk II from them, since that is what I was replacing, think it was under $600 delivered and my son and I installed it.

The shipping was very quick and I am happy with the unit (since it actually cools the trailer).

-Brian

[Bill-2020]

Ah! Yes, PPL! I was trying to remember one of the popular companies from previous posts. Intersting, when I was searching for units a Google search for the Brisk never brought up PPL. CW, Amazon and a few other online companies I'd never heard of. I'll go check out PPL now. Thanks!

Oh - and I was planning on making sure I can fish a line through the ceiling to above the cabinet first, and then order the unit. If not, then it'll be ceiling controls instead.

[xrated]

I too bought a Brisk II from PPL back in 2018, although I don't remember pricing. The first unit arrived like it had been handled by a cage full of gorillas and was beat up pretty badly.....the metal base was bent, one of the refrigeration lines was bent and so I called them immediately after I unboxed it and saw the damage. If I remember correctly, they had me take a few pictures and send to them, but they almost immediately started the process to send a replacement unit. The bottom line is that nothing about the damage was their fault (the shipper was to blame), but they did not hesitate to make it right, and I had a new unit there in about 4 or 5 days. I wasn't at home when the first unit arrived, otherwise I would have refused to accept the shipment, but it all turned out with a happy ending because of their excellent customer service. I would definitely recommend them.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by B-O-B'03

+1 for ppl

bought a 15K Brisk II from them, since that is what I was replacing, think it was under $600 delivered and my son and I installed it.

The shipping was very quick and I am happy with the unit (since it actually cools the trailer).

-Brian

$600 delivered was a good deal- but cost of materials and labor have gone up since then. $920 shipped now. It’s also not the season to be looking for one either, they’re selling quick.

[wiredgeorge]

I suspect that they will go on sale when temps moderate up north of Florida and Texas, etc. They are located in Houston. Right now I KNOW they are slammed as I bought some drip edge trim and it wouldn't work and returned it. Was on hold for a LONG time waiting to speak with a human and he admitted they were slammed and had a lot fewer folks to answer the phone.

[Javi]

Just had a Coleman 15K ducted installed for $1038.00 including tax at my local independent RV repairman

[xrated]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I suspect that they will go on sale when temps moderate up north of Florida and Texas, etc. They are located in Houston. Right now I KNOW they are slammed as I bought some drip edge trim and it wouldn't work and returned it. Was on hold for a LONG time waiting to speak with a human and he admitted they were slammed and had a lot fewer folks to answer the phone.

45 mins to an hour was a "normal" wait time when I bought mine and had issues with the shipped product. That part of it is pretty poor in my estimation, but at least when I did finally get through, they did make it right very quickly.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Javi

Just had a Coleman 15K ducted installed for $1038.00 including tax at my local independent RV repairman

Local dealer 40 miles from me wanted $900 (plus $300 to install if that was needed). A bit much on the labor I think, and I bring the trailer to him of course.

Seeing as how these are selling quick, and one dealer said he can’t get any for a while because of covid, I ordered a Brisk for $826 delivered from Amazon . I’d rather have bought it from PPL considering the great service you all speak of, but the shipping was $120 more, so had to go that route. I’ll sell the old one (still a viable unit) and recoup some of that cost.

As far as the seemingly fly-by-night outfits online selling for hundreds less, I did what some of you suggested and looked at their ratings, it wasn’t pretty. Checked PPL, checked Giant Recreation, checked CW, and checked some other independent RV dealers around, all were within the ballpark or so, but an Amazon seller had the best deal going. I took the deal and called it done. Just got an email.... it’ll be delivered to my office on Fedex Ground on Tuesday. Guess I know what I’m doing that following weekend.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Local dealer 40 miles from me wanted $900 (plus $300 to install if that was needed). A bit much on the labor I think, and I bring the trailer to him of course.

Seeing as how these are selling quick, and one dealer said he can’t get any for a while because of covid, I ordered a Brisk for $826 delivered from Amazon . I’d rather have bought it from PPL considering the great service you all speak of, but the shipping was $120 more, so had to go that route. I’ll sell the old one (still a viable unit) and recoup some of that cost.

As far as the seemingly fly-by-night outfits online selling for hundreds less, I did what some of you suggested and looked at their ratings, it wasn’t pretty. Checked PPL, checked Giant Recreation, checked CW, and checked some other independent RV dealers around, all were within the ballpark or so, but an Amazon seller had the best deal going. I took the deal and called it done. Just got an email.... it’ll be delivered to my office on Fedex Ground on Tuesday. Guess I know what I’m doing that following weekend.

The trick to all this is that my repairman is just that, he repairs RV's.. he don't sell RV's... Usually faster and cheaper.. took four hours from the time I dropped the trailer off, until him calling and telling me to pick it up on the way home..

[wiredgeorge]

Bill, PPLMotorhomes.com ships anywhere in the lower 48 for $9.99. BIG BANNER on their parts page. In any case, when you go to install, I think there may be a warranty card to send in and if my dim memory serves, the installer has to be certified by Dometic. Could be wrong but that is my memory. PPLMotorhomes has a black 15K Brisk II for $727 so you would have been under $740 delivered unless I missed something. One good thing about amazon is that they are good about returns if there is an issue.

[gearhead]

I just got the 5th out of the shop day before yesterday for replacing one of the Dometic 15K A/C. Shop had a sign on the front door: We can only schedule 2 A/C replacements per week. Apparently they are hard to get.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Bill, PPLMotorhomes.com ships anywhere in the lower 48 for $9.99. BIG BANNER on their parts page. In any case, when you go to install, I think there may be a warranty card to send in and if my dim memory serves, the installer has to be certified by Dometic. Could be wrong but that is my memory. PPLMotorhomes has a black 15K Brisk II for $727 so you would have been under $740 delivered unless I missed something. One good thing about amazon is that they are good about returns if there is an issue.

You didn't miss anything... but obviously I DID! What I get for having multiple pages open at the same time, scouring the globe in the wee hours of the morning on small laptop screen. I'll miss out on the warranty, no certification from Dometic here, just a guy with a camper, tools, and a DW who's happy a new one is on the way. (I can't believe I missed that banner... )

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I just got the 5th out of the shop day before yesterday for replacing one of the Dometic 15K A/C. Shop had a sign on the front door: We can only schedule 2 A/C replacements per week. Apparently they are hard to get.

Precisely why I jumped and bought a new one. I'm assuming what is coming out of the factory is going right into new units at the manufacturers (Keystone, Jayco, etc.). What's available now might be what was stocked at dealers before all of this CV?

[B-O-B'03]

When I bought mine, from ppl, I installed it myself, filled out the warranty card and Dometic sent me something to purchase another 2 years of coverage for $25.

I paid it, figured it was cheap insurance.

-Brian

[Bill-2020]

Good to know, thank you. When I had a refrigerator chasing temps years ago I contacted Dometic for assistance and ideas, their tech department was very helpful. CW attempted a warranty repair, failed at it (miserably) and I took matters into my own hands after that. Since then, I’ve handed all of my own issues like most here do.

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Bill, PPLMotorhomes.com ships anywhere in the lower 48 for $9.99. BIG BANNER on their parts page. In any case, when you go to install, I think there may be a warranty card to send in and if my dim memory serves, the installer has to be certified by Dometic. Could be wrong but that is my memory. PPLMotorhomes has a black 15K Brisk II for $727 so you would have been under $740 delivered unless I missed something. One good thing about amazon is that they are good about returns if there is an issue.

Well... the Amazon order arrived a few days early (at my work address) . Got it home and unpacked it and... do you feel where this going?

Back corner of base frame is bent inward and has hit the condenser lines and fins. The base is bent under the compressor so bad that the bolts holding the compressor would push down into the TPO. Frame bent bad enough that evaporator fan is rubbing against the foam surround. Just made me sick.

I promptly requested a return label through Amazon and went directly to PPL's site and began to order up a replacement Brisk II. Unfortunately it turns out the shipping on these are not part of the $9.99 deal. There's an asterisk after that $9.99, so there's a stipulation somewhere, I couldn't find it and they were closed already. BUT! The cost of the A/C is low enough that even after the $95 shipping I'm only $3 more than Amazon. I'm OK with that. I know from all of the recommendations here that I'll be taken care of with PPL. The black one is now unavailable, so I grabbed a white 13.5K unit, same size that we had.

Thanks again everyone for recommending PPL. Much appreciated. We'll get this A/C replaced soon enough.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by B-O-B'03

When I bought mine, from ppl, I installed it myself, filled out the warranty card and Dometic sent me something to purchase another 2 years of coverage for $25.

I paid it, figured it was cheap insurance.

-Brian

Thanks for clarifying the warranty issue. I was thinking perhaps a factory certified tech needed to sign off for some reason. I very likely never actually sent in any warranty card as I am old and kind of forgetful. Thankfully the good Lord takes care of the mentally deficient!

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

Well... the Amazon order arrived a few days early (at my work address) . Got it home and unpacked it and... do you feel where this going?

Back corner of base frame is bent inward and has hit the condenser lines and fins. The base is bent under the compressor so bad that the bolts holding the compressor would push down into the TPO. Frame bent bad enough that evaporator fan is rubbing against the foam surround. Just made me sick.

I promptly requested a return label through Amazon and went directly to PPL's site and began to order up a replacement Brisk II. Unfortunately it turns out the shipping on these are not part of the $9.99 deal. There's an asterisk after that $9.99, so there's a stipulation somewhere, I couldn't find it and they were closed already. BUT! The cost of the A/C is low enough that even after the $95 shipping I'm only $3 more than Amazon. I'm OK with that. I know from all of the recommendations here that I'll be taken care of with PPL. The black one is now unavailable, so I grabbed a white 13.5K unit, same size that we had.

Thanks again everyone for recommending PPL. Much appreciated. We'll get this A/C replaced soon enough.

Just curious. Did the Amazon shipping service deliver or did it come Fedex or UPS, etc??? I have not been overly impressed with Amazon delivery as I think they go to the bus stop and ask if anyone has a vehicle and would like a day's work...