Air conditioners, the vent ducts are not working!!!

[Sinecure]

Sorry about that Nana & Poppy. I mistakenly grouped all of us as Voltage owners.

[GOLDENYEARS]

Originally Posted by Sinecure

Sorry about that Nana & Poppy. I mistakenly grouped all of us as Voltage owners.

I will forgive you also for lumping us all together. But, alas, we are altogether. We all have rigs that are not really cooling all that well and it could be from the problem I have cited..

If anyone wishes to chat about this or email me , feel free to do so. email is:
ergalant1951@gmail.com.

[eightydo]

Just finished repairing the supply air side duct of A/C unit. Had to pull unit up to access duct work. found a wood baffle separating supply and return it was just stapled to a truss nothing to stop air from going to return air. So I used butyl tape and duct tape to seal off air gaps. I also used butyl tape on seams between A/C unit and roof. while removing A/C unit the two lag screws holding front of unit were striped, so I got bigger diameter screws.
Now unit is putting out cold air at the puck supply vents. Used a lighter to test difference from prior to now. Blows it out now (Lighter).. Brought down 10degrees in 1/2 hour in Las Vegas heat. Now to do each of puck vents.

[Sinecure]

That's great news that someone is finally making some progress on this. Thanks for the info eightydo. Did you happen to take any pics along the way?

I'm going to try what you've done this weekend. Hopefully my results are similar.

[eightydo]

No pics but I remembered the pics that GoldenYears posted except the cover that he had. that is why I had to lift the A/C unit. Once the cover is off you only have 4 lag screws to remove.

[eightydo]

I taped up the Puck Registers today. I found that bedroom A/C is tied into the duct work. Nine registers in all. I also taped up the baffle in the bedroom A/C and transitions to duct work. I have posted register pics here
Duct Work
I hope you folks can use this. No pics of baffle sorry. Will get some when I do the Garage A/C unit.

[eightydo]

Originally Posted by GOLDENYEARS

am still waiting for my rig it has been a month now. I have the borescope and a small hand held anemometer. now to get it back so that I can check it out to see if it works anybetter.

Did you ever get pictures with borescope?

[Sinecure]

Have you noticed any measurable improvements at all after doing the puck vents?

[eightydo]

Post #103 is the last test I did.

[eightydo]

Originally Posted by eightydo

Post #103 is the last test I did.

Just retested now air went from 100 degrees to 83 degrees in 15 minutes better I will see at 1/2 hour.
I am doing this test at the hottest part of the day.

[Infinityrver]

Originally Posted by eightydo

Just retested now air went from 100 degrees to 83 degrees in 15 minutes better I will see at 1/2 hour.
I am doing this test at the hottest part of the day.

That's pretty impressive. Apparently, you got it. I had done all the puck vents as you now have. After this weekend I'm going to pull my air conditioner. Doesn't sound like its all that hard to correct.

Do you think that you need an extra intake like Goldenyears?

[eightydo]

Originally Posted by Infinityrver

That's pretty impressive. Apparently, you got it. I had done all the puck vents as you now have. After this weekend I'm going to pull my air conditioner. Doesn't sound like its all that hard to correct.

Do you think that you need an extra intake like Goldenyears?

Center A/C unit is direct to ducts no other place to install a new return air register..

THX

[GOLDENYEARS]

Originally Posted by eightydo

Center A/C unit is direct to ducts no other place to install a new return air register..

THX

Well after much thought and planning I finally fixed the HVAC on my Infinity3750 myself.

I spent more time on the phone talking to the folks from dutchmen and also Dometic trying to explain the problem with their design and installation of the air conditioning unit than it did for me to rectify or fix the problem.

I now have great cold air flow from the ceiling vents and what a difference in cooling the rig. I had a temp drop of about 6 degrees in the hour it took me to fix the whole air distribution box. In fact I did not even turn the air unit off. I just let it keep running as I did my modification.

So for all of you having problems cooling your rigs off you might want to try taking off the shroud or airbox and put in the baffle as well as removing the duct from the unit on the roof to the ceiling.

To the management at the Dutchmen plant take note: you need a new mechanical engineer for the HVAC SYSTEM. ONE THing for sure, a person should not have to pay 80 K for a fifth wheel and have to design and repair a key component of the rig.

[Nana & Poppy]

Rick do you have any pictures????

What is that saying, one picture is worth a thousand words!

[sundancer 87]

Do you really think the manufacturer will hire a new mechanical engineer or any other kind of engineer when we, as owners, are their own unpaid engineers.

Look at we all do ourselves to improve the performace of the rig. For nothing I might add. Well like you said, 80k we pay so I guess we pay the for the right to do what their engineers can't do.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that some of our modifications over the years may have been implemented over the years.

It's my contention that all of the engineers that have had ahand at designing these things should ALL have to spend 30 days on the road, together too, stopping evey night for set up and doing all the things we have to do. Then they might find that some of their engineering marvels are nothing more than a PITA.

[Sinecure]

Originally Posted by sundancer 87

I wouldn't be surprised to find that some of our modifications over the years may have been implemented over the years.

You are exactly right. Take a look at this link, then read the first comment posted and notice who it is from.

Relocating the Dirt Devil Vac | Toy Hauler Adventures

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by Sinecure

You are exactly right. Take a look at this link, then read the first comment posted and notice who it is from.

Relocating the Dirt Devil Vac | Toy Hauler Adventures

There you go, ole Nate must have been paying attention that day.

[ATCguy]

I know we tend to get frustrated over some of this stuff. When you spend the kind of money we do on these rigs, it's hard not to when you take a panel off and see just how poorly designed and/or cheap some of this stuff is.

That said...

It's amazing how far these RV's have come in the past few years. I'm new to the RV world... but I've looked at a few older rigs (that really weren't all that old) and am simply amazed at how simple & cheap those were.

So when I think about the complexity of these modern behemoths that we pull down the road... with automated this, and push-putton that... I try to keep it in perspective. While most of the production is still 'hand made', it is still on an assembly line, where the time in moving a product from one station to another is minimal. It's not a custom-built coach.

So yes, while I get frustrated at some of the design flaws... I'm actually more frustrated with the dealers who seem to want to balk at each warranty repair request that's not just a simple remove & replace item. An issue like these air systems not working (and water pressure, and cable TV wiring, etc.) which would require hours of diagnostic & evaluation repair and/or redesign is just something they don't wanna deal with... and w/o factory input, there's very little we can do about it except take on the repairs ourselves.

[eightydo]

Originally Posted by ATCguy

I know we tend to get frustrated over some of this stuff. When you spend the kind of money we do on these rigs, it's hard not to when you take a panel off and see just how poorly designed and/or cheap some of this stuff is.

That said...

It's amazing how far these RV's have come in the past few years. I'm new to the RV world... but I've looked at a few older rigs (that really weren't all that old) and am simply amazed at how simple & cheap those were.

So when I think about the complexity of these modern behemoths that we pull down the road... with automated this, and push-putton that... I try to keep it in perspective. While most of the production is still 'hand made', it is still on an assembly line, where the time in moving a product from one station to another is minimal. It's not a custom-built coach.

So yes, while I get frustrated at some of the design flaws... I'm actually more frustrated with the dealers who seem to want to balk at each warranty repair request that's not just a simple remove & replace item. An issue like these air systems not working (and water pressure, and cable TV wiring, etc.) which would require hours of diagnostic & evaluation repair and/or redesign is just something they don't wanna deal with... and w/o factory input, there's very little we can do about it except take on the repairs ourselves.

Well said

[GOLDENYEARS]

Originally Posted by eightydo

Well said

Originally Posted by sundancer 87

Do you really think the manufacturer will hire a new mechanical engineer or any other kind of engineer when we, as owners, are their own unpaid engineers.

Look at we all do ourselves to improve the performace of the rig. For nothing I might add. Well like you said, 80k we pay so I guess we pay the for the right to do what their engineers can't do.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that some of our modifications over the years may have been implemenated over the years.

It's my contention that all of the engineers that have had ahand at designing these things should ALL have to spend 30 days on the road, together too, stopping evey night for set up and doing all the things we have to do. Then they might find that some of their engineering marvels are nothing more than a PITA.

It would be great if they brought on one of us owners that thinks outside of the box so to speak (yes, pun intended). That can take a problem, for expample the air conditioning, try different fixes in real time use.


For example my op on this subject. I had a solution the minute I opened it up but I tried in vane to get the dealer or Thor industries to design it for future
Owners and maybe even offer to fix those already produced. M

Andover goes on.