Cougar 22MLS AC capabilities

[ranch.manager]

Trying to decide on a cougar 22mls or a larger unit by another maker. We currently have a 14 passport 2200rb and the one AC struggles in warmer weather especially if in the sun. Was wondering if those of you who have this model could share your experiences with the cooling ability. We live in FL and camping with our current TT in the summer in FL is not an option. So we normally head north to the mountains.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with this specific model. it is an upgrade from our current TT in many ways ( dinette and love seat, larger bathroom king bed) wish it was 50 amp.
Going to look at a 25rds tomorrow, may require a tow vehicle upgrade (ARGH) on the fence about a diesel truck if we go larger.

[Bill-2020]

Ranch, we have a 23MLE (Cougar half ton, pulls fine with the gasser 6.2). We have one A/C, ducted. We're in Florida also and have done several trips in-state with this new rig. the one 15K A/C does just fine. The bedroom can get a little more warm than the living/dining end during the high heat of the day if no rain or clouds are overhead. If DW decides to go up there and stretch out on the bed we just put a small desk fan at the top of the stairs and plug it in to the bathroom outlet. It pulls the cool air up and into the bedroom. We'll do this especially after traveling for hours and this helps to take the heat out of bedroom quickly while setting up. Once we get past 4 or 5pm, the main A/C can handle the camper by itself. We set the A/C to 73 at night, the bedroom stays nice and cool.

It's a 50amp camper, but we only have the one A/C and that's all it needs. On very humid days, I'll kick on the small dehumidifier we have to pull out some of the humidity in the camper and that makes the air even nicer inside.

[wiredgeorge]

I live and camp mainly in Texas. Heat in the summer is often triple digit and our camper is 28.7" (Cougar 278EFS 2002). I have very dark tint on all the windows, covers over all the vent openings, upgraded to a 15K btu Dometic Brisk II A/C on the roof and have a 14.5K BTU portable I exhaust out a window. Have an RVAirflow insert in the A/C. Went through the ducting and sealed all leaks and installed vents that can be directed. Last, we run a fan. Say on a 110F day in direct sun, I can keep our cabin in the mid-70s and with the fan on it is pretty comfortable. In South Texas and the Texas Hill Country there are many campgrounds with no real shade.

I believe you will want to look for a 50A camper with 2nd A/C in Florida... just my opinion but i have been in Florida and it gets kind of warm.

[bobbecky]

Originally Posted by ranch.manager

Trying to decide on a cougar 22mls or a larger unit by another maker. We currently have a 14 passport 2200rb and the one AC struggles in warmer weather especially if in the sun. Was wondering if those of you who have this model could share your experiences with the cooling ability. We live in FL and camping with our current TT in the summer in FL is not an option. So we normally head north to the mountains.
Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with this specific model. it is an upgrade from our current TT in many ways ( dinette and love seat, larger bathroom king bed) wish it was 50 amp.
Going to look at a 25rds tomorrow, may require a tow vehicle upgrade (ARGH) on the fence about a diesel truck if we go larger.

When was the last time you or you had the evaporator and condenser coils on that A/C unit cleaned? You might be surprised how much crud can build up on the coils and that crud can seriously degrade the ability of the A/C to do it's job.

[ranch.manager]

thanks for your input. The current camper is store inside a building here at the house. In the 9 years we have had the camper we have had 4 AC units!
IT is washed after each trip ( including the roof so the AC gets rinsed after every trip).
Salesman at the dealership swears the 22 would be fine with one AC. the cougar has thicker walls, a walk on roof and more insulation he says than the current one. The current roof is not a walk on roof. I'm sure that the thicker plywood/OSB would have to have a better insulation value than the luan or whatever they put on the passport.
On the fence still going back to look again this weekend. DW really wants a door to the bedroom. time will tell
Thanks for the feedback.

[NH_Bulldog]

The 22MLS has a 15k AC unit and standard Climate Guard package which they claim is good to 110° F. With the layout of that unit, I think you would be fine, even in FL heat

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

The 22MLS has a 15k AC unit and standard Climate Guard package which they claim is good to 110° F. With the layout of that unit, I think you would be fine, even in FL heat

This is from a guy who lives where it is winter 11 months a year! I have a Cougar and suggest that some Climate Guard package is about as effective as the insulation with the Arctic package in mid winter.

[sourdough]

The one 15k A/C will "probably" work just fine IMO. Now, I know of folks that want to keep the RV at 65 degrees on a 110 day...it won't do that. The other thing, maybe the biggest thing, for us is a dehumidifier. We run one all year round when in FL and it makes a HUGE difference in the way the A/C cools. Get a good one.

[NH_Bulldog]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

This is from a guy who lives where it is winter 11 months a year! I have a Cougar and suggest that some Climate Guard package is about as effective as the insulation with the Arctic package in mid winter.

Hey George, we have 11 seasons here….
Winter
Fool’s Spring
Second Winter
Spring of Deception
Third Winter
Mud Season
Actual Spring
Summer
False Fall
Second Summer
Actual Fall

We have a freeze warning tonight, there goes the DW’s garden….

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

This is from a guy who lives where it is winter 11 months a year! I have a Cougar and suggest that some Climate Guard package is about as effective as the insulation with the Arctic package in mid winter.

Yep... The "testing process for those "performance results" are specifically set up to give the best results (for the marketing department not for the consumer)...

As an example, they put the trailer in a "cold room at 32F" (in a warehouse where there's no wind and no high humidity) and turn on the furnace. It keeps the trailer at 70F for 3 hours and the results are "Polar package keeps the trailer comfortable in 32F temperatures"... They fail to mention that most people sleep for 8 hours, not 3 hours and they completely forget there's no wind/snow/rain blowing under the trailer and no high humidity that makes for "bone chilling cold"....

Same with the "hot room at 110F" (in that same warehouse) where the air conditioner keeps the trailer at 70F for 3 hours. Again, people don't sleep for 3 hours and there's no "Texas sun beating down on the trailer sidewall and roof, raising the surface temperature to 170F, so hot you can't lay your hand on the FILON sidewall, much less the roof.

So much for the advertised, "The trailer remained cool and comfortable in tests at 110F for your camping enjoyment".....

Granted, trailers are significantly more capable today than they were 20 or 30 years ago, but they still don't perform like a S&B in a blizzard or in a Texas "sweltering summer"...

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Bill-2020

I'll kick on the small dehumidifier we have to pull out some of the humidity in the camper and that makes the air even nicer inside.

Originally Posted by sourdough

The other thing, maybe the biggest thing, for us is a dehumidifier. We run one all year round when in FL and it makes a HUGE difference in the way the A/C cools. Get a good one.

I knew I wasn't the only one using a dehumidifier around these parts.

You have to remember, these RVs are not well sealed from outside air making its way inside. Hot air AND humidity make their way into the camper and the door is open/closed all day long. Especially if the kids or grandkids are along for a trip. Anything that can help overcome the humidity will help the A/C.

[ranch.manager]

thanks everyone for the input.
not buying the warehouse testing. big difference between roasting in the summer sun and being in a climate controlled warehouse.
leaning towards a 50 amp TT but still on the fence.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by ranch.manager

thanks everyone for the input.
not buying the warehouse testing. big difference between roasting in the summer sun and being in a climate controlled warehouse.
leaning towards a 50 amp TT but still on the fence.

I will say this; in my experience I would never again have a 30A trailer and spend any length of time in it during summer in the S or SW. If is was pretty small...maybe. I had to work out of my RV years ago and it was a 30A 13.5k A/C trailer. I spent many an afternoon trying to stay cool and waiting for the sun to go down. It was OK since it was just me but it's not something I want to do for fun these days.

[Bill-2020]

You're in Florida - if you're ever in the Space Coast area drop me a line. You can come look at ours in the backyard. I'll fire up the A/C and you can spend some time looking things over at your leisure.

[ranch.manager]

Thanks for the offer.
Wish someone who actually owned a 22MLS had responded.
I know there is a 22MLS FaceBook group, but we don't facebook or use any social media platforms. All are just a big time toilet.

Thanks for all the input, i run a dehumidifier in the camper twice weekly when not in use. It's larger than I would want to take camping, may look at a smaller one.

DW wants a door to the bedroom, this will probably result in a bigger camper and a bigger truck.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by ranch.manager

Thanks for the offer.
Wish someone who actually owned a 22MLS had responded.
I know there is a 22MLS FaceBook group, but we don't facebook or use any social media platforms. All are just a big time toilet.

Thanks for all the input, i run a dehumidifier in the camper twice weekly when not in use. It's larger than I would want to take camping, may look at a smaller one.

DW wants a door to the bedroom, this will probably result in a bigger camper and a bigger truck.

You don't say what size dehumidifier you have but I use this one;

https://www.ivationproducts.com/prod...ous-drain-hose

I used its 35 pint big brother for a few years but it is/was bigger, heavier and put out quite a bit of hot air. This is our 4th season using this one and so far it has done the job. I was afraid it was going to be too small but that hasn't proven the case yet.

[Bill-2020]

I have a smaller Ivation unit. It worked wonders in the small Passport and has proven itself again in the Cougar.

[Jcogs3]

We own 22MLS, and camp in Kansas and the surrounding area during the summer months. Temps can be in the triple digits with high humidity numbers as well. Our AC seems to handle it fairly well. It won’t be 65 in your trailer but it will keep it pretty comfortable.

We use the awning as much as the wind/weather allows, and we have a sun screen that attaches to the awning and goes to the ground. We also try and find camping sites that provide shade in the afternoons.

[ranch.manager]

Thanks for the input.
Does the AC seem to run constantly or does it cycle on and off?
Not looking for 65 on the inside but 75 would be nice.
Yes shade makes a big difference

[Jcogs3]

It does run pretty much all the time, but I’ve been told that that is pretty common and doesn’t hurt the unit. I keep the coils clean as well as the inside filters. It would be nice to have 2 AC’s but I think the trailer is too small for that. We also keep a fan running on low just to keep the air moving. Hottest we’ve been in was 103 in Abilene KS last year. Average for the summer is in the high 90’s.