no ac

[markdol1]

Hi folks , Just pulled in to savannah ga campsite ,All hooked up and ready to enjoy cool refreshing interior of my camper but NO DICE! first use of ac unit and it barely moves any air from ceiling vents . it will only bring temp down to 78 degrees and that took about 1 1/2 hour. took ems unit off and pluged 50 amp trailer end directly into supply box socket with no change i am wondering if i am not getting full voltage from box. this is a brand new cougar and i am PISSED! any ideas? PLEASE.

[chuckster57]

How hot was the interior when you started the AC?
PUT the EMS back on ASAP.

If the air coming out of the ducts is 20 degrees cooler than the the air going into the AC it’s working as designed.

[markdol1]

Thanks.it was about 90 degrees when i started setting up camp. DW says its still slowly getting cooler This is the first time using it because i dont have 50 amp feed at home. is this the norm for coleman units ? My bullet had a dometic that took a very short time to bring the temp down eve to uncomfortably cold inside.

[jsb5717]

If the EMS is working correctly then I doubt you have a power problem otherwise the EMS would kill power to the rig. I have the same question as Chuck…what was the starting temp and what was the outdoor temp? Also, you have a pretty large rig. If you have only one AC it won’t likely keep up in hot weather…been there.

As to air flow there are likely a couple things you will need to check to make sure you’re getting max flow. Pull the covers off of every ceiling vent to make sure that A). The tops of the vents are flush with the bottom of the duct work and B). That they vents are sealed well to the duct so no air is pushing into the attic space. Also, especially with just one AC your might want to look into the AirFlow system that improves air throughput from the AC to the ducts..

These things will help but won’t be a substitute for 2 AC’s in hot weather.

[chuckster57]

What size AC? How big is your trailer?

Have taken the exhaust vents off and made sure they are sealed? Have you “plugged” the ends of the ducting past the last exhaust vents?

[jancoe1]

Open your air return grill on the ceiling and make sure the divider between the warm air return and the cold discharged air is separated. This may me recycling air and giving poor performance. Especially if it's a new unit.

[jancoe1]

But also yes a 18-22 degree split is best these a/c's produce.

[wiredgeorge]

38' Cougar with a single A/C bringing 90 deg. temps down to high 70s? I would say that A/C is doing pretty well. Lots of things need to be done to turn your 38' Cougar into a cooler living space. 2nd A/C. Seal up poorly taped ducting. Perhaps tint your windows or keep the shades closed. These issues have been discussed many times on this forum.

[sourdough]

As George mentioned, if you have that large of a trailer a 2nd A/C is a must if you don't have one. On the surface it sounds like what you have is doing great (based on 1 A/C). The temp differentials mentioned will help you see what it's doing. IMO check the air at the intake then the air coming out of the vents closest to the A/C. With 38' and 1 A/C the temp of the air in the ducts is going to drop.

As far as unplugging the EMS due to voltage, does the EMS not give you the voltage going into the trailer? Ours shows voltage on each leg along with amperage being pulled. I definitely would leave it plugged in.

[markdol1]

Thanks for all the ideas folks ,i will go over all theese items when i get home .It is 90 and very muggy here in savannah now. it was 90 inside when i turned on the ac.It now takes it way down to 70 and cooler . I guess i am just stupid and impatient with unfamiliar things. i was comparing my other unit to this new one without giving it enough time. Though the bedroom is far away it too seems comfortable to sleep. I have no desire to take this camper to anywhere that reaches 100 or more degrees so i think i am ok for now.

[sourdough]

It's very hard for a RV A/C unit to pull down 90 degree interior temps in a timely manner in a trailer that size. Can you leave it on so it's not always trying to overcome that hot interior?

[Mikelff]

With a 38’ trailer and only one a/c unit you will always take hours to cool down. Your a/c unit is hopefully a 15k btu unit. I am a little surprised with a trailer that size, you only have one a/c unit. You really need a second unit. You can’t control the weather and the weather guys on tv are 50/50 at getting it right. I have a 41’ 5er with 2 units, not much bigger than yours and it still takes a while to cool it down. I’m in Texas so I have to deal with high heat. I use a 12k btu portable if I’m in 100+ degree heat and vent out slide window. This helps tremendously at cool down and staying cool in high heat conditions. Don’t know if you have a space for a portable but in a pinch it may be an option. If I am under 95 my two a/c units do the job, but still takes a while to cool down. In the long run, I don't think you will be happy with just one a/c unit. Good luck.

[rlh1957]

Originally Posted by markdol1

Hi folks , Just pulled in to savannah ga campsite ,All hooked up and ready to enjoy cool refreshing interior of my camper but NO DICE! first use of ac unit and it barely moves any air from ceiling vents . it will only bring temp down to 78 degrees and that took about 1 1/2 hour. took ems unit off and pluged 50 amp trailer end directly into supply box socket with no change i am wondering if i am not getting full voltage from box. this is a brand new cougar and i am PISSED! any ideas? PLEASE.

If you have one ac in Savannah 90 degree heat plus the humidity it will take awhile to get cool.
It will only blow out (cool) about 15 degrees then as air drawn into ac is cooler it will keep dropping.
Two ac’s is almost a must to keep cool in Savannah (southern) heat.

[Cowbell]

In order to correct the problem of poor air flow after checking other potential solutions. I had to remove both a/c units and remove foam insulation that was over sprayed and partially blocking all ductwork. This should be checked if all else fails. I had my unit to dealer twice before I decided to take the DIY initiative. My dealer is horrible like many others. 92 degrees outside and 87 inside is miserable. Massive improvement after this fix. Good luck.

[Brantlyj]

Coming in late but I would also include a dehumidifier.

Very dry 80 degree air is “comfortable”

Also put out your awning if there is little to no wind. Keeping the sun off the skin will help keep it cool inside.