Second AC install

[dboonecomplex]

We have a 2018 Cougar 29RL and are full time RV now. Traveling to Maine and have to make a choice on when to get the second AC unit installed in the bedroom. We are planning to pass through Elkhart going west and have been told that replacement furniture is available from outlets at very reasonable prices. Can anyone tell me if this also applies to getting an AC unit installed? IF not, we will probably find a place in Maine to do the work. Tim's RV Service outside Augusta looks promising based on reviews.

[flybouy]

Don't know about install in Indiana but if I were full timing I would schedule the install close to where I'm staying for some time. You don’t want to get it installed and hit the road. Moving 500 or more miles and then finding out there's an issue would be problematic.

[chuckster57]

As long as everything is in place, install should be less than 2 hrs. I would try to schedule it as a “waiter”, we have done that several times. I haven’t heard about getting it done at the factory but I bet they will want the unit for at least 1 if not a few days.

[JRTJH]

There are a number of RV service centers in and around the Elkhart area. ALL (did I mention every one) of them hires workers that rotate from RV manufacturer to RV manufacturer to RV service center to RV manufacturer... So, the worker installing an air conditioner in the RV service center bay is very likely one that quit or was fired from Keystone or Forest River or Jayco last week. If that service tech never worked at an RV manufacturer's assembly line, chances are he will before the year is out.

In other words, you're very likely to get the same 'attitude and same work ethic" from an air conditioner installation at "Joe's RV Repair" in Elkhart that you'd get from "Joe's Car Repair" in some "low rent part of any large city"...

To have one installed by an "unknown person in an unknown business in a place you're "passing through" and won't be returning is not a "grand savings idea"...

While you may get a quality installation with no issues, you're just as likely to get a problem filled installation with no way to get repairs via "nasty or non-responsive emails"....

Keystone does not offer "factory upgrades after the sale" at their Goshen plant, so don't look for any "Cougar plant services"... That doesn't exist. The only "factory supported repairs" are done on a "one off support" and typically only done via an extensive factory recall repair requirement or for Montana owners (done through the Montana factory support system for Keystone's luxury brand). That kind of service is only available for the most expensive line that Keystone produces.

You'd be much better off (from a risk perspective) by having the installation done "by a major service facility chain" (think Camping World, etc) where you can rely on their "nationwide presence" or by waiting until you get to Maine and having it done by a repair center there. That way, should you have a problem, you will have "local repair available" to fix what might go wrong.....

There's a difference in the installation of an RV air conditioner that interfaces with the trailer electrical and HVAC systems and removing/installing a new rocker/recliner or sofa.....

[dboonecomplex]

Thanks everyone for the thoughts; I think I'll save Elkhart for discount furniture and find a reputable RV service business in Maine. We will be there for at least 2 weeks so time to get it done and checked out.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by dboonecomplex

Thanks everyone for the thoughts; I think I'll save Elkhart for discount furniture and find a reputable RV service business in Maine. We will be there for at least 2 weeks so time to get it done and checked out.

There has been a "frustrating shortage" of RV air conditioners in most areas of the country. Installers and RV parts houses simply can't get their hands on a specific model. It takes time to locate an available unit and even more time (and expense) to have it shipped to the installer. You might run up against a "brick wall" if you wait until you're actually there, expecting to walk into a business, tell them you want an A/C installed and expect them to make you an appointment the next day. Chances are very good that they either don't have one on hand and/or can't get one until "the end of summer at the earliest"....

If you know where you're going to be for a couple of weeks, I'd suggest you do some internet searching, find the names of a couple of RV service facilities and give them a call to see if they can even locate a unit to match your needs.

These days, unlike "pre-pandemic", there simply aren't replacement parts sitting around in warehouses waiting to be shipped. Any request for an A/C goes on a waiting list and might get shipped in 3 or 4 weeks (if the expected inventory arrives in time)..... So, being "pro-active" might mean the difference in having an A/C installed while you're in Maine or being told, "Sorry, our distributor has been out of inventory for 3 months now and won't have any in stock until September.".....