*Solid, **Fastly.Cool** and gets the job done. For rooms where window-mounted air conditioning is not an option, this works very well. Easy set up, rapid cooling, and great design.*
Purchased: August 2023 - still works GREAT!I th-cam.com/users/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install. This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment. I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!
Very good video, I added my second a/c after watching this video. It gave me a great deal of confidence and took away all of the "fear" I had of doing the install. I was able to hide all wiring and it looks like a factory install. By far the best upgrade to our 5th wheel, make these florida summers bearable to go camping. Thanks Bob for the great video.
I added a Coleman Mach 15K BTU ac to my bedroom on my 30 amp KZ Connect 261RL. I mainly did the 2nd ac add incase my main AC ever goes out. Watching your video helped me with install and running the wires. I was able to run the 12 gauge power wire along the same route that the factory wiring was going to the side closet down to the front storage compartment. The wiring was the hardest part fishing the wires where they needed to go. removing the vent and installing the AC was a piece of cake. For now my plug in is in the front storage compartment till im ready to drill into my camper in the correct location. Thanks.
About to rig a Coleman unit to the emergency hatch of our DIY baby tour bus today. It was a shuttle bus and we ripped out all the seats and made bunks for everyone to crash. Thanks so much for this video!
Great video! We have a 31' 30amp class A, and I've been dreaming about installing a 2nd A/C unit. I assumed I would have to work out and install some type of complicated power management system to run both. Had never even thought about simply running a 2nd power source! And what a clean install. Thanks for the smart content!
Really nice job showing (teaching) us how to do this type of install. I've been thinking about adding a 2nd unit, so this video has given me the guts to do it. Thanks!
Brilliant Bob! At first I'm like, "He's gonna blow the heck out of that 30 amp. Then I saw the connector post outside. Then it was, "Amazing!!! He's going to run a direct cord to the 20 amp on the pedestal! Brilliant!!!"
It works great, Just last week we had the camper out, no shade, and the thermometer read 98 degrees, went inside and it was a cool 72. At night without the sun we have hit 55 degrees. I don't regret it at all, one of the best ad ons to our RV. Thanks for watching.
I have done this mod to my TT and have never regretted it. One thing I did, and did not notice in this video, was to add a 6" x 6" electrical box on the inside of the exterior wall close to the point where the hole is cut for the male plug to be mounted. In this box I also added a 20 amp resettable circuit breaker for additional protection. I feel more confident with this breaker being closer to the A/C unit than depending on the 20 duplex outlet on campground power pedestals.
That’s not a bad idea at all, but in the interest of simplicity I just use a inline, plugin circuit breaker right off of my extension cord. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the video, I was able to follow right along to add a 2nd AC unit to the front bedroom area of our KZ Sportsmen 5er. I was able to fish the power wire through the storage area through a void in the wall behind our bathroom, up through the ceiling and to this AC unit. I then drilled a hole in the outside fiberglass (man that's nerve-racking!) and then wired in a single pole breaker before the power outlet just-in-case.
Did you have a vent like this video shows? Or did you have to cut a hole in the ceiling? I'm in need of something for our 33footer bedroom as the ducked isn't sufficient for the bedroom. No vent in the bedroom.
Best practice is to tape off the four sides pf the opening with metal HVAC tape to air seal the opening from the inner cavity of your roof. That forces the conditioned air into the living space instead of into the roof cavity.
Thank you for posting this, we’re camping in New Mexico on our way to the Grand Canyon and our one roof unit isn’t cutting it lol. I wasn’t sure how to add the power wire to the existing camper wiring, this helps a ton!
Wow Bob. Not only is this video a great video about a topic that I was thinking about, its also one of the best how to videos I think I may have ever seen. That's somethin because I watch A LOT of how to videos. We just did a similar thing with a washing machine in our rv and I'm stoked to see this work with an RV AC! Now I just have to convince my wife we need to buy the second unit!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! We added an additional AC unit and did it ourselves thanks to you and this video. Our bedroom is identical to yours in the video. It was unbelievably easy to do. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. We are grateful!!!
I have a 30 amp bus with 2 roof top air conditioners and i also installed a stand up air conditioner in the bed room, I put a hole in the wall and vented it plus a small hole for the water to vent. for the larger hole I put a dryer vent cover, plus i use a high power extension cord out the back bedroom window and plug it into the regular plug at the campground it works great and does not use any of my 30 amps.
Our 30A RV has two air conditioners with a wall switch to change between them--you can run the bigger one to cool down more quickly and the smaller one to maintain. Also we can run both when we're on generator.
I made a 32 foot 1976 Holiday Rambler ice cold with 2 window units of only 5000 btu, but from the ROOF! It was so simple I have now installed hundreds to service customers who's RV's I repair. And running 2 into 2 ends of the RV uses 25% less power. And the best part, they were only $140 each, with remotes. Just took a little sheet metal work and the original faceplate of the AC is now flat ceiling mounted! Damn shame I could not get investors on it!
Great job. Great video. I wasn't aware of the exterior outlet for the 110v and have been brainstorming how I was going to add a second AC unit to our 30 amp service. Thank you.
Can’t wait to do this for our 5th wheel we just have a roof vent like you had and only one duct from the main unit and so this sounds like it will keep us comfortable when the heat gets here in Arizona
Since we have installed our second unit we have never had an issue with the camper being too hot for us. It was probably one of the best upgrades we have done on our camper. Thanks for watching.
THIS is exactly what I was wondering about 'how' to do. You made an excellent video, with detailed explanation. I read ALL the comments and replies, and I'm not sure how you maintain your cool! (no pun intended!) My only 'mods' would be that yeah I'd probably use silver tape, and my leak paranoia would probably make me over do sealant, and if I could find it, a more heavy duty external plug {with extra sealant...) But overall, a very clean install and exactly the tutorial I needed. Thanks.
Thank you. I assumed the duct divider should be straight up. Mine was in crooked upon cleaning out the vents. AC is running much quieter now and working well.
Thank you for the video! It helped me the entire way. Only thing I added was one of them 30amp shed sub breaker box with a 20amp breaker. I've notice a lot of the sites I've been to are dedicated 30amp or 50amps and no 15amp. So gonna run a 50 amp plug that drops to two 30amps and run one to my camper and the other the the 20amp breaker box for the 2nd ac
Great video. Thanks for posting. Needed to have a 2nd AC installed and decided to do it myself based on this. Saved me tons of money and valuable vacation time
I installed a in room air conditioner and vented it through the wall with a dryer vent, it works great and takes up almost no room, plus it doesnt fight the sun and heat of the roof, and it cost under 300 dollars. And to top it off I run a separate cord to the main outlet outside so I dont use any of my 30 amps.
I don't use any of my 30 amps either but have found that this unit works FAR better than an in room air conditioner. We tried one prier to the making of this video other than the extra space that it uses it did not seem to remove the humidity very well. Thanks for watching.
Hey... 300 bucks is 300 bucks, but there are some trade-offs. I have tried it, just to try it. I had an 800 BTU portable, and hooked it up just like you're doing. It worked, but just didn't cut it. One, portables are noisier for the amount of cooling you get. Two, all of the heat-generating stuff that makes your AC unit work is now inside the space you're trying to cool, including that dryer duct carrying the heated air to the outside, further reducing efficiency. Three, most portables do not dump their own condensation, requiring the user to dump the reservoir periodically. Four, portables take up precious floor space in your RV. For about 750 to 900 dollars, you can put a purpose-built RV unit in your ceiling.
Great Video! It gets pretty hot and muggy in NE Mississippi during the summer months and this would be a great upgrade for my 30 amp fifth wheel Laredo camper. Thanks!
Thank you for posting, great video! I might suggest some aluminum tape to seal the wood from the airflow inside the new system. I really liked how you did that though!
I lined mine with aluminum flashing sealed with aluminum tape, I built my own divider from double layer alumium flashing with 1/8 foam insulation. My trailer sees HOT DESERT time...
Wow nice video, I have a 2018 coachman concord bought in 2019 and very unhappy with with the single air conditioner in the heat, I did some research an decided to to buy a furrion 14,500 btu with the manual knobs as a second air conditioner, I did exactly what you did and all is fine however just for kicks I plugged it into one of my out door plugs on the RV and dissconected shore power, then started the generator (4K) and turned on the main air and then turned on the new air conditioner and both were on full blast with 30 amp, it was hard to believe, I left it on for over a half hour no issues however I know I cant run the fridge or microwave put my fridge works great on gas anyway, I am not sure but this new air conditioner has soft start built in, either way its great now, I got the coach down to 70 degrees and finally turned it off, I also turned the 30 amp shore power back on and left it plugged in to itself and it ran fine, when I go camping I will still use the 20amp and the 30 amp so there will be no issues other appliances.......................Super Happy Now!!!!!! thanks for the great VID.
Great job. My Crossroad cruiser has only one AC. The Bedroom has a electric hookup installed from the factory. If we needed another Unit it would be easy to install. Our rig is only 30 ft so even in 90 plus Florida weather it does fine.
I live in my camper year round and been with the factory single ac and now after watching this I am decently adding another ac I also have a 30 amp service thank u so much for the video
@@funbro1 Just wanted to say last night I had this bright idea to start like a "brotherhood" of RV TH-camrs to share tips and tricks. Also to receive constructive criticism which I'm in need of I'm sure!. If you are interested check it out... My channel is still very small but gaining momentum all the time. Just had this random idea and it may even be kind of dumb... but thought it was worth a try! facebook.com/groups/1098080200390857/?ref=share
You do not need one as most electric trees that you plug into will have one as well as a GFCI outlet. They do make one that will go in line if that would make you feel safer. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching.
On our 35 foot Jayco, we have only one roof vent and it’s off to the side over the bathroom. Would this setup work for something like that? I’m worried about the center of gravity being off. Awesome video!
Geese, that’s tough, it would probably work BUT as you said the center of gravity and the fact that you would have the coldest bathroom in the campground. In your case I might just cut my own hole. I wish you the best. Thanks for watching.
Great idea. Great video. My only concern is the romex wire sitting on the metal truss where over time it could possible rub through the insulation. Maybe add a grommet in those locations.
Very detailed. I need a second air conditioner for my rv trailer bedroom. I thought it was possible to tap into the existing wire to the thermostat and use a switch over between the ACs? A lot of older units have this switch.
Your RV would need to have a switching unit to alternate the 2 AC units so that they both do not run at the same time or you would need a 50 amp service to the RV. Either one. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
My moms camper is 30 amp and all the outlets were on one 15 amp breaker. The ac on one 15 amp and hot water on one 15 and the microwave on one 15. She doesnt use the ac alot. She likes to use electric cooking appliances when possible but limited to one even if that all the 110 she is using at the time. Fixing water damage we added another 15 amp breaker and took one outlet off the chain of outlets and put separate so she can use 2 appliances at same time if nothing else being used
Great video! My only concern is having to buy a portable ems for the off chance of bad power from the pole. I use a hardwired for the rest of the trailer.
Love the video and late to the game, but exactly what brand/item is the wire raceway? That is the only thing I can't pin down. Well that and the adjustable hole saw, which I saw you bought a long time ago.
The wire raceway is just some thing that I picked up at the local hardware store, I do not know the brand name for that nor should it really matter. Happy camping and thanks for watching.
Nice job on the video and install. I assume you used a gasket but didn't see one used or did you just not mention it. Thanks for posting, it gave me the idea to get things going to add a second for our unit.
I found a Retail Video and 2 DIY Videos on AC unit efficiency that about doubles your airflow (cfpm) by eliminating the turbulence in the plenum. There are also 2 other DIY Videos that increase cooling capability and reduction in power consumption. Retail Version Rvairflow.com 1 Retail Video Showing Iinstall th-cam.com/video/2ryWU-yZ-X4/w-d-xo.html 2 DIY Version Videos Showing the install th-cam.com/video/3Vhv_b-1zAk/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/fBAUuMoD-ec/w-d-xo.html Video of DIY Insulating each unit on the roof th-cam.com/video/ZFQxZmIdw-4/w-d-xo.html Video of DIY Maximizing exhaust of each unit on the roof th-cam.com/video/aWUqQnEw-8Y/w-d-xo.html
I have a 50amp with 2ac unit I would like to add a 3rd one because in tx is 110 degrees in summer but is not Pre-wire do I follow ur steps or how do i make it work i think i don’t have an extra space for an extra breaker
Good video and explanation. I have a trailer that didn't come with a/c but it has a large skylight right where it would go. I haven't had a chance to take the trim off and look but I'm hoping the wiring is already there. Any thoughts?
Definitely would be worth the time to investigate. What amp service do you have coming in to your trailer? Some models had the option to be wired with either 1 or 2 AC units and were able to be wired with 30 or 50 amp service. Thanks for watching.
funbro1 it's 30 amp service. I can tell it was designed for a/c since the skylight is in the right place and the right size. The thermostat also has a “cool” setting. It's the “Northwest Edition” which probably meant “No a/c 'cause it never gets hot here Edition”. I guess I should be able to find the wiring in the ceiling if i take the trim down on the inside of that skylight. I just don't want to get it leaking. If it's not there, what do you think are my best options for running the wiring?
I would find the best looking way to get the wiring to the outside of the RV. They all have a different set up and some are easier to hide and some will need a wire mould to hide the wire.
It can actually be either as this unit does not use any more than 15 amps. I located it on the camper side power inlet. Hope this helps, thanks for watching.
Was going to go this route but bedroom didn't have existing air vent so had factory installed 2nd unit. I was to scared of actually having roof cut to add a unit.
The yellow wire is for indoor 20 AMP, so if you use orange wire (30 AMP) you may get better service from the unit. Thanks for the vid Can you please include links on where you got the equipment.
The orange (10 gauge) wire would be an unnecessary overkill as the unit will max out at 15 amps. I just used the 12 gauge as a little extra. I did an internet search for the equipment and went with the supplier with the best review. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Fantastic Job! But you have two very real safety issues. You needed to use a 20Amp plug on the outside of your camper. A/C's have two motors (Fan motor and Compressor). Each has a "startup" or "surge" amperage that combined is typically around 18 to 24 Amps. Then the motors settle to a "run" amperage of around 12 to 15 Amps combined (depending on the age of the A/C unit and the quality of the power at the campground). You used 12 gauge wire which is perfect, but you mention that 14 gauge would have worked. 14 Gauge is not sufficient for the startup amperages. Finally, I would recommend that you use an extension cord with 10 gauge wire. Extension cords use "stranded" wire which will not conduct as much power as "solid" wire, therefore you have to step up a gauge. I would also recommend covering your wire nuts with an approved electrical tape. We have provided this exact upgrade in our shop many times and you video is the best example I have seen out in the world yet. Great Job.
Great, thanks for all of your concerns but I assure you that all the specs on this AC work out so that it can be done with 14 gauge wire. I decided to go with 12 gauge wire to address the things that you mentioned. I have done extensive research and understand motors capacitor ratings, and motor start ups. As for the extension cord I do use a 10 gauge just because of the length that must be used sometimes and again just to be over the specs. I appreciate your comment thanks for watching.
Great Video *** Just a word of caution as I have a conductive aluminum framework in my Keystone product that could result in a bond to the existing 30 A grounding. Campgrounds have often had OPEN Ground or Neutrals (which many surge guards safely catch). You would never want a 12 or 10 gauge AC cord trying to provide an electrical return for a defective 30 amp load connection. The pole mounted 20A breaker only protects the Hot lead. My onboard protector has shown line input errors every season...stay safe.
You have to get rid of the massive unit, and go minis. I made a 32 foot 1976 Holiday Rambler ice cold with 2 window units of only 5000 btu, but from the ROOF! And now 2 Zone controllable, It was so simple I have now installed hundreds to service customers who's RV's I repair. And running 2 into 2 ends of the RV uses 25% less power. And the best part, they were only $140 each, with remotes. Just took a little sheet metal work and the original faceplate of the AC is now flat ceiling mounted! Damn shame I could not get investors on it!
@@funbro1 Building a new one for a Truck bed campers roof from a Haier 5k , a 1999 Elkhorn fully contained I got. PLan to do a video on it. Its the most insane thing seeing a 200lb+ 11,000 to 13,000 btu Dometic on the roof of a tiny truck bed camper, but thats your only options! In fact I designed a AC unit thats in the belly frame of a friends 33 foot 5th wheel that works so much better than a roof mounted and uses the heaters ducting. Its not that hard to take them apart and add gas line and recharge them to make your own split system but on the single Cond and Evap Fan motor issue, I use 8 to 10" DC radiator fans with a built by me 2 speed control and its even more efficient!
I have a little teardrop I want to put a rooftop ac , but I was worried about the wiring. Running the the ac with just the exterior power no regulator or anything crazy electrical modifications needed ?
I realize this is an older post, but what are your thoughts on adding a mini split to our stationary travel trailer vs. the second air and circuit that you had done. Thanks for your thoughts!
That would be something I would consider however this might be easier because of the hole in the roof is already there and the rooftop AC fits perfectly. Either way would probably work though. Thanks for watching, happy camping.
The condensation drain is set up so that it is built into the unit. The condensation all happens on the top of the roof and there is a pan underneath that catches the water and drains across the roof just like most rooftop units. Nothing special was needed for the condensation. Very easy, basic, install other than some minor modifications. Hope this answers your question, thanks for watching.
great video. I have a 2017 24' toy hauler that's a 50 amp service. How would you wire this in? Could you just wire the ac unit to a standard 110 plug and simply plug it into an existing outlet?
You could do it that way but if you have a 50 amp service your camper may already be wired for a second unit. If not I would look at the breaker box to see if there was enough room to hard wire it into the box. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video! I have a 2018 forest wildwood. The master bedroom has no roof ventilation. The ceiling has a vent from the AC duct. Is it possible to cut a space open in the roof to mount a new 30 AMP ac unit or even a motorized vent?
You would need to block off the vent from the main AC first then you could cut a space for the secondary unit. You may want to add another vent for the main unit so that it still has enough flow. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for watching.
Loved the video! Which AC unit did you buy? This is exactly what I want to do in the rear garage area of my 29' 5th wheel toy hauler. I plan on doing a bit more though. I use my camper in colder weather like way up in the mountains where it gets chilly even in summer. Don't just put that "second service" in for only the AC unit . Instead add a couple extra strategic outlets in the camper to plug in a space heater or two for cold nights to help save on LP. Most campgrounds do not meter the electric at the sites , sooo...... Heat with electric as much as you can. The extra 20 amps can be used for rear cooling on hot days and heating on cold days. I am even installing a 2 GFCI breaker box in a closet so I have my own overload protection in the camper for these 2 devices. It is much easier to add the extra service than mess with the OEM power center the RV comes with.
I believe I bought a domestic but not sure which one. I didn’t get any sponsorship for this video so any one that fits your specs will be a. I’ve addition. It sounds like you are setting your rig up nicely. Thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 BTW , I went to my local "Camping World" store , ordered and received the 20 amp 120 volt power inlet that goes on the outside skin of the camper. I do plan on using the 10 gauge wire for all this as the heaters and AC unit draw a lot of current. I bought an 13,500 btu AC unit with motor start capacitor from ETRAILER for $600.00 , free shipping. Now just I need warm weather. The extension cord I'll buy for this will be the 10 gauge contractor grade cords.
In this case there was no MaxAir fan, but if you do have a MaxAir fan it is a way smaller gauge wire and already wired up to DC and cannot be used for this application. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Yes, The reason is that this RV is only wired for a 30 amp service. Most RVs that run to AC units have a 50 amp service. The existing 30 amp breaker panel is already at capacity. By doing it this way you bypass the limit of the 30 amp panel. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Since I am not sponsored by any particular brand I did not include or save all that information. Many brands have models that will work for this application. This video is just meant to show how it can be done. Thanks for watching.
You answered my question sir. I was wondering if you could put an ac unit in place of the vent. Now I'm getting my son charged up for us to do the same thing. Only question is do you have a parts list? Thank you so much for the video.
I do not recommend any particular brand as I am not sponsored by any particular brand. Any brand should run on an electric cord once you wire it up as shown in the video. Hope this helps, thanks for watching.
Did I miss it or did you not show the roof installation for the exterior unit? Other than that this is just about the best retrofit video to an existing RV that I have seen. I was wondering how you were going to add the "load" to the RV panel and get away with it, but making it a separate circuit that goes to the electrical supply was the solution. Great job. I'm glad the interior cabinet was not so big that it ovoerlapped the ceiling fixture opening (might make it hard to relamp the fixture).
Roof installation starts at 2:44 in the video. Most of the roof installation is done inside. The only thing done outside is setting it in the correct location (centering it). This set up works great in hot weather. Thanks for watching.
I do not endorse any particular product for this install however I would make sure that the unit is able to work with the size hole you have in the roof of your camper, it just makes the job that much easier. Thanks for watching.
Didn't fail, I showed it in the video at 5:23 and talked about compressing the insulation/seal also. If you have this unit you will notice that it is already built in. Thanks for watching.
Hi, I really appreciate your article. I only have one question/suggestion. It looks like where you ran your power wire from the AC unit into the ceiling that is also the return? I think you need to seal that area so that you are not pulling return air from above your ceiling. I am now in the process of making the same upgrade to my 5th wheel, installing a 2nd AC unit in the front bedroom. When I removed my old vent assemble I noticed that I have a similar area towards the front and rear of the opening where I can see my aluminum roof rafters. Your article has been a great help.
I believe the vent you are looking at is the ducted vent from the existing(main) AC unit. Very soon after completing this video and the first camping trip I added a cover to the vent to force the air from the main AC to the rear of the camper. This works great because the secondary(new) unit will easily cool the front and with the extra air going to the rear it keeps the camper nice and cool. Best of luck on your install, you will enjoy the added AC. Thanks for watching.
Hi I recently bought an used unit but doesn’t come with the 6pin conector plug my question is are all the cables form the unit same color as the air distribution box?
@funbro1 I am considering this approach, but have had dealerships tell me the AC will not last as long unless I upgrade the electrical to 50 amp and tie the second AC into that. Its pretty costly. How has your install held up after this install? Any AC issues? That is what I am being told, that the unit will burn out faster if doing it this way. Thanks in advance!
I would guess that the dealership has your wallet in mind when telling you that. Many people are intimidated by an install like this, that is one reason why I figured I'd post this video. To explain how it works consider your RV is hooked to a 30 amp service, you then add an AC unit that can effectively run off of 15 amps or less and is wired as the only thing on that circuit. Most Campgrounds have 3 plugs, a 50 amp, a 30 amp, and a 20 amp. Doing this type of install I simply use the 30 amp service that comes factory installed from the manufacturer then I add a completely different 20 amp service making the RV a total of 50 amps. Stop by that dealer and ask them if you have a whole house AC can you run a window unit as well? If they know anything about electrical they will tell you that there are 2 different circuits and that it should work fine if your panel can support it. Same thing with this set up... Also make sure that you do run a heavy duty extension cord, especially if it is any length. So to answer your question. This AC works so good (still) that I am upset that I did not install it sooner or in previous RV's. It makes all the difference. Hope this helps,Thanks for watching and happy camping.
Just wondering what you did with air vent hole next to the a/c unit. My RV has two ducted vents 1 on each side of vent from my front A/C. Was thinking of covering them up.
That's what I did. I only have one but I covered it up. Make sure that you don't restrict the airflow from your primary unit or it is possible that it could freeze up and damage the unit. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely fantastic video, one question though, Whats not included when you buy an AC unit. Im thinking of buying a Dometic or Coleman. Thanks Ohh by the way my RV is already prewired for a second unit.
As for just the AC unit. the control panel was a separate purchase from the AC unit. Other than that everything else needed would be for hook up and that may vary from camper to camper. Hope this helps, Happy camping.
The control unit was a separate purchase done at the time we bought the A/C unit. After using this set up in very hot conditions we found that the sensor/thermostat would register a colder temperature than the room temperature because it was so close to the supply of cold air. This caused the A/C compressor to cycle on and off too much and didn't allow enough cool air. We ended up getting a remote thermostat and putting it 8' away from the unit and not in the direct path of the cold air and found that made a BIG difference. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
No need to as the unit has vents all around and that is the only place where air can go. It is set up that way. Not to say a little tape or foam in select places hurts but it is not necessary. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Very nice job. The use of the dedicated circuit is a good plan; you're also in luck that you have the removable header and space for the wiring over the ceiling. That, plus the wire duct, makes for a very tidy electrical installation. I also like your choice of inlet -- it appears to be a solid, quality unit and does a nice job of adding finish and a professional look to your installation. Like everyone else, I hope you'll not be bothered if I pick on your planning a little. I know that it will be clumsy to have a breaker installed in the closet, but have you thought of the utility (and maybe safety) of having a switched breaker inside the RV and as close to the back side of the inlet receptacle as possible? That way, you wouldn't be relying on the quality and efficiency of the RV park pole breaker and you'd also have an emergency point to isolate the entire circuit inside the RV if "worse comes to worst". Probably overkill, but I'd consider that. As I said, it's a very neat, efficient, and safe installation. You should be proud of that work, and thanks for the video. Bb
That thought did cross my mind and it may be something to add down the road but everything seems to be working fine now so chances are (knowing me) I will leave it the way it is. There are also GFCI circuit breakers that can be added to the extension cord if that would make it easier, I do use one of those for extra safety. Thanks for the comment and Thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 Oh, yes, a quality GFCI protector device is a very good addition for safety and an excellent choice. Thanks for the kind reply and again, thanks for the useful video.
A couple things here. One is an electrician with advice that sounds condescending but as for when making the electrical connections, especially what I noticed at the plug, using the phillips is a great connection STARTER but to finish it off, use a large flat head to REALLY make those screws tight. The AC is a big power consuming appliance that heats up the wiring, causing expansion and when it cools, contraction of the wires with eventual loss of connection causing the circuit to end up sparking at the connections over and over, causing heating of that area then eventually HOPEFULLY just melting of the plug and wire. That is a huge service call situation I get many times a month, even a week. NOW, the question... What if I don't have a vent? My rear bed's ducting isn't sufficient air flow and I'm thinking another AC might be the trick. How do I know where to cut for the ceiling cut out?
I checked the connection again and they are still tight. You will need to locate the roof trusses and place the unit between the trusses, Keep in mind that the ducting may run through the ceiling so you would need to avoid that as well. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
I notice you have wood frame box when was installing the AC. My Xplorer 1986 do not have an AC roof. Do I have to place a wood frame where I do the cut ?
It drains into the pan that fits over the opening. The pan has a hole in it so the drainage runs down the roof and into the gutter like the other unit. During hot humid days we will have 2 streams of water on the roof. Thanks for watching.
*Solid, **Fastly.Cool** and gets the job done. For rooms where window-mounted air conditioning is not an option, this works very well. Easy set up, rapid cooling, and great design.*
Thanks for watching.
Purchased: August 2023 - still works GREAT!I th-cam.com/users/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install. This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment. I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!
We love our additional unit.
Thanks for watching.
Very good video, I added my second a/c after watching this video. It gave me a great deal of confidence and took away all of the "fear" I had of doing the install. I was able to hide all wiring and it looks like a factory install. By far the best upgrade to our 5th wheel, make these florida summers bearable to go camping. Thanks Bob for the great video.
We love the difference that it makes. It was well worth it. Thanks for watching.
I added a Coleman Mach 15K BTU ac to my bedroom on my 30 amp KZ Connect 261RL. I mainly did the 2nd ac add incase my main AC ever goes out. Watching your video helped me with install and running the wires. I was able to run the 12 gauge power wire along the same route that the factory wiring was going to the side closet down to the front storage compartment. The wiring was the hardest part fishing the wires where they needed to go. removing the vent and installing the AC was a piece of cake. For now my plug in is in the front storage compartment till im ready to drill into my camper in the correct location. Thanks.
Drilling through the camper was the hardest par, just because I didn’t want to mess anything up. Thanks for watching.
About to rig a Coleman unit to the emergency hatch of our DIY baby tour bus today. It was a shuttle bus and we ripped out all the seats and made bunks for everyone to crash. Thanks so much for this video!
Thanks for watching.
Great video! We have a 31' 30amp class A, and I've been dreaming about installing a 2nd A/C unit. I assumed I would have to work out and install some type of complicated power management system to run both. Had never even thought about simply running a 2nd power source! And what a clean install. Thanks for the smart content!
We have loved having the flexibility of having a second unit in our RV. Definitely recommend it if you camp in warm weather. Thanks for watching.
Really nice job showing (teaching) us how to do this type of install. I've been thinking about adding a 2nd unit, so this video has given me the guts to do it. Thanks!
I wouldn't change a thing, we love this addition. Thanks for watching.
Brilliant Bob! At first I'm like, "He's gonna blow the heck out of that 30 amp. Then I saw the connector post outside. Then it was, "Amazing!!! He's going to run a direct cord to the 20 amp on the pedestal! Brilliant!!!"
It works great, Just last week we had the camper out, no shade, and the thermometer read 98 degrees, went inside and it was a cool 72. At night without the sun we have hit 55 degrees. I don't regret it at all, one of the best ad ons to our RV. Thanks for watching.
I have done this mod to my TT and have never regretted it. One thing I did, and did not notice in this video, was to add a 6" x 6" electrical box on the inside of the exterior wall close to the point where the hole is cut for the male plug to be mounted. In this box I also added a 20 amp resettable circuit breaker for additional protection. I feel more confident with this breaker being closer to the A/C unit than depending on the 20 duplex outlet on campground power pedestals.
That’s not a bad idea at all, but in the interest of simplicity I just use a inline, plugin circuit breaker right off of my extension cord. Thanks for watching.
you could also add an additional outlet for other items to reduce loading on your 30A service.
Thanks for the video, I was able to follow right along to add a 2nd AC unit to the front bedroom area of our KZ Sportsmen 5er. I was able to fish the power wire through the storage area through a void in the wall behind our bathroom, up through the ceiling and to this AC unit. I then drilled a hole in the outside fiberglass (man that's nerve-racking!) and then wired in a single pole breaker before the power outlet just-in-case.
Sounds great, You will love it. Oh YEAH that was very Nerve-racking. Thanks for watching, glad the video helped. Happy Camping.
Did you have a vent like this video shows? Or did you have to cut a hole in the ceiling? I'm in need of something for our 33footer bedroom as the ducked isn't sufficient for the bedroom. No vent in the bedroom.
Best practice is to tape off the four sides pf the opening with metal HVAC tape to air seal the opening from the inner cavity of your roof. That forces the conditioned air into the living space instead of into the roof cavity.
Good tip, Thanks for watching.
That is the best step by step ac install. Thank you for making it les complicated.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for posting this, we’re camping in New Mexico on our way to the Grand Canyon and our one roof unit isn’t cutting it lol. I wasn’t sure how to add the power wire to the existing camper wiring, this helps a ton!
Wow Bob. Not only is this video a great video about a topic that I was thinking about, its also one of the best how to videos I think I may have ever seen. That's somethin because I watch A LOT of how to videos. We just did a similar thing with a washing machine in our rv and I'm stoked to see this work with an RV AC! Now I just have to convince my wife we need to buy the second unit!
Glad it was helpful! I will not go back to a single unit, This has changed camping for the better. Thanks for watching.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! We added an additional AC unit and did it ourselves thanks to you and this video. Our bedroom is identical to yours in the video. It was unbelievably easy to do. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. We are grateful!!!
Awesome, so happy to hear that the video helped. Thanks for watching.
I have a 30 amp bus with 2 roof top air conditioners and i also installed a stand up air conditioner in the bed room, I put a hole in the wall and vented it plus a small hole for the water to vent. for the larger hole I put a dryer vent cover, plus i use a high power extension cord out the back bedroom window and plug it into the regular plug at the campground it works great and does not use any of my 30 amps.
Perfect set up. Thanks for watching.
Our 30A RV has two air conditioners with a wall switch to change between them--you can run the bigger one to cool down more quickly and the smaller one to maintain. Also we can run both when we're on generator.
Interesting set up, What brand of RV do you have?
We have a 1995 Thor Residency 3275. We're not the original owners, but it came like this off the line, as it's mentioned in the owner's manual.
It sounds like a nice unit. Thanks for watching.
Very well laid out and illustrated as the work rolled out. Thank you.
Thanks for watching. Happy camping
I don't know if your Rv tech tech but I am..been doing it 20+ years...super clean install brother I need you in my payroll..lol
Thanks for your encouraging words, and Thanks for watching.
I made a 32 foot 1976 Holiday Rambler ice cold with 2 window units of only 5000 btu, but from the ROOF! It was so simple I have now installed hundreds to service customers who's RV's I repair. And running 2 into 2 ends of the RV uses 25% less power. And the best part, they were only $140 each, with remotes. Just took a little sheet metal work and the original faceplate of the AC is now flat ceiling mounted! Damn shame I could not get investors on it!
@@JOHNDANIEL1 i always thought about doing something like that..lol...
@@JOHNDANIEL1Make a video let's see your work. ? Interesting.
Great job. Great video. I wasn't aware of the exterior outlet for the 110v and have been brainstorming how I was going to add a second AC unit to our 30 amp service.
Thank you.
Glad I could help, Thanks for watching.
Can’t wait to do this for our 5th wheel we just have a roof vent like you had and only one duct from the main unit and so this sounds like it will keep us comfortable when the heat gets here in Arizona
Since we have installed our second unit we have never had an issue with the camper being too hot for us. It was probably one of the best upgrades we have done on our camper. Thanks for watching.
I was going to add a second ac to my class c but I did not want to upgrade to 50 amp. Thank's for the awesome idea!!
If you do decide to do this, you will LOVE it. I don't know how we went without it for so long. Grreat addition. Thanks for watching.
THIS is exactly what I was wondering about 'how' to do. You made an excellent video, with detailed explanation.
I read ALL the comments and replies, and I'm not sure how you maintain your cool! (no pun intended!)
My only 'mods' would be that yeah I'd probably use silver tape, and my leak paranoia would probably make me over do sealant, and if I could find it, a more heavy duty external plug {with extra sealant...)
But overall, a very clean install and exactly the tutorial I needed. Thanks.
Sometimes it’s hard to keep cool. Thanks for watching.
Thank you. I assumed the duct divider should be straight up. Mine was in crooked upon cleaning out the vents. AC is running much quieter now and working well.
Good to hear, Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video! It helped me the entire way. Only thing I added was one of them 30amp shed sub breaker box with a 20amp breaker. I've notice a lot of the sites I've been to are dedicated 30amp or 50amps and no 15amp. So gonna run a 50 amp plug that drops to two 30amps and run one to my camper and the other the the 20amp breaker box for the 2nd ac
Sounds like a good plan. Glad the video was a help. Thanks for watching.
Just finishing the wiring. The unit looks and works great. Thanks for the great video.
Glad it helped, you will find that it is most helpful when it get hotter out. Thanks for watching.
Great video. Thanks for posting. Needed to have a 2nd AC installed and decided to do it myself based on this. Saved me tons of money and valuable vacation time
Glad it helped, It works great. Thanks for watching.
I installed a in room air conditioner and vented it through the wall with a dryer vent, it works great and takes up almost no room, plus it doesnt fight the sun and heat of the roof, and it cost under 300 dollars. And to top it off I run a separate cord to the main outlet outside so I dont use any of my 30 amps.
I don't use any of my 30 amps either but have found that this unit works FAR better than an in room air conditioner. We tried one prier to the making of this video other than the extra space that it uses it did not seem to remove the humidity very well. Thanks for watching.
Hey... 300 bucks is 300 bucks, but there are some trade-offs. I have tried it, just to try it. I had an 800 BTU portable, and hooked it up just like you're doing. It worked, but just didn't cut it. One, portables are noisier for the amount of cooling you get. Two, all of the heat-generating stuff that makes your AC unit work is now inside the space you're trying to cool, including that dryer duct carrying the heated air to the outside, further reducing efficiency. Three, most portables do not dump their own condensation, requiring the user to dump the reservoir periodically. Four, portables take up precious floor space in your RV. For about 750 to 900 dollars, you can put a purpose-built RV unit in your ceiling.
Was wondering what the price might be if a domestic ceiling AC unit. So around $1000 if lucky all said done and installed.
Great job, nice clear explanation with the video voice over
Thanks for watching
Great Video! It gets pretty hot and muggy in NE Mississippi during the summer months and this would be a great upgrade for my 30 amp fifth wheel Laredo camper. Thanks!
Thanks for watching.
Thank you for posting, great video! I might suggest some aluminum tape to seal the wood from the airflow inside the new system. I really liked how you did that though!
Done, The finishing touches help it work better. Thanks for watching.
I lined mine with aluminum flashing sealed with aluminum tape, I built my own divider from double layer alumium flashing with 1/8 foam insulation. My trailer sees HOT DESERT time...
Wow nice video, I have a 2018 coachman concord bought in 2019 and very unhappy with with the single air conditioner in the heat, I did some research an decided to to buy a furrion 14,500 btu with the manual knobs as a second air conditioner, I did exactly what you did and all is fine however just for kicks I plugged it into one of my out door plugs on the RV and dissconected shore power, then started the generator (4K) and turned on the main air and then turned on the new air conditioner and both were on full blast with 30 amp, it was hard to believe, I left it on for over a half hour no issues however I know I cant run the fridge or microwave put my fridge works great on gas anyway, I am not sure but this new air conditioner has soft start built in, either way its great now, I got the coach down to 70 degrees and finally turned it off, I also turned the 30 amp shore power back on and left it plugged in to itself and it ran fine, when I go camping I will still use the 20amp and the 30 amp so there will be no issues other appliances.......................Super Happy Now!!!!!! thanks for the great VID.
WOW, sounds like you have a "cool" set up. Thanks for watching.
You make it look so effortless. It does kind of take some of the fear away. TFS! 👍
Thanks for watching.
Great job. My Crossroad cruiser has only one AC. The Bedroom has a electric hookup installed from the factory. If we needed another Unit it would be easy to install. Our rig is only 30 ft so even in 90 plus Florida weather it does fine.
Sounds like an easy install. Thanks for watching.
I live in my camper year round and been with the factory single ac and now after watching this I am decently adding another ac I also have a 30 amp service thank u so much for the video
It makes it so much more comfortable. You will love it. Thanks for watching.
I'd still put sealant around the plug on outside either cap it or all around. Double sure it's weather proof
Sure thing. Thanks for watching.
That's pretty sweet... I would have never thought to add another power source for it.
Thanks, It works out very well. Thanks for watching.
Already added it to someone in my rv group that just happened to ask today if his a/c could be wired on a separate 110 plug
@@funbro1 Just wanted to say last night I had this bright idea to start like a "brotherhood" of RV TH-camrs to share tips and tricks. Also to receive constructive criticism which I'm in need of I'm sure!. If you are interested check it out... My channel is still very small but gaining momentum all the time. Just had this random idea and it may even be kind of dumb... but thought it was worth a try! facebook.com/groups/1098080200390857/?ref=share
Just joined.
And we've been told you can't do this on 30 amp! Very much looking forward to adding a 2nd unit to our 36 foot TT.
One of the best additions we have made to our RV for warm weather it is a must.
Thanks for watching
Excellent video, thanks so much! One question- Do I need an inline breaker for the second AC?
You do not need one as most electric trees that you plug into will have one as well as a GFCI outlet. They do make one that will go in line if that would make you feel safer. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching.
On our 35 foot Jayco, we have only one roof vent and it’s off to the side over the bathroom. Would this setup work for something like that? I’m worried about the center of gravity being off. Awesome video!
Geese, that’s tough, it would probably work BUT as you said the center of gravity and the fact that you would have the coldest bathroom in the campground. In your case I might just cut my own hole. I wish you the best. Thanks for watching.
Great video, excellent presentation. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching.
Great idea. Great video. My only concern is the romex wire sitting on the metal truss where over time it could possible rub through the insulation. Maybe add a grommet in those locations.
Yeah, good idea…done. Thanks for watching.
Very detailed. I need a second air conditioner for my rv trailer bedroom. I thought it was possible to tap into the existing wire to the thermostat and use a switch over between the ACs? A lot of older units have this switch.
Your RV would need to have a switching unit to alternate the 2 AC units so that they both do not run at the same time or you would need a 50 amp service to the RV. Either one. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
My moms camper is 30 amp and all the outlets were on one 15 amp breaker. The ac on one 15 amp and hot water on one 15 and the microwave on one 15. She doesnt use the ac alot. She likes to use electric cooking appliances when possible but limited to one even if that all the 110 she is using at the time. Fixing water damage we added another 15 amp breaker and took one outlet off the chain of outlets and put separate so she can use 2 appliances at same time if nothing else being used
That sounds like a good improvement, thanks for watching.
Great video. Ingenious work-around!
Thank you very much! Works great. Thanks for watching.
Great video! My only concern is having to buy a portable ems for the off chance of bad power from the pole. I use a hardwired for the rest of the trailer.
I use a portable power GFI breaker to plug into the pole, and would recommend it. Thanks for watching.
Great video! Well edited. Thank you. I plan on doing this to my wildcat Maxx in the front bedroom. 👍
We love the addition to our camper.
Very neat professional install.
Thanks for watching.
Great video, what model Dometic is that?
Great video thanks .....thinking of adding a 3rd to my toy hauler. Yours was nicely done!
Thanks for watching.
Wow do you really need 3. Holy crap. Is it an rv or a freezer. Lol. Good luck
tractorboy31 yea Florida is hot and I want to keep the air at 73
Is that just normal household romex? Also the plug you put on the outside or your rig is a 15A receptacle, a 20A has one sideways pin.
Love the video and late to the game, but exactly what brand/item is the wire raceway? That is the only thing I can't pin down. Well that and the adjustable hole saw, which I saw you bought a long time ago.
The wire raceway is just some thing that I picked up at the local hardware store, I do not know the brand name for that nor should it really matter. Happy camping and thanks for watching.
Nice job on the video and install. I assume you used a gasket but didn't see one used or did you just not mention it. Thanks for posting, it gave me the idea to get things going to add a second for our unit.
There is a gasket that comes with the kit. You can see it if you look closely at 3:03 in the video. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
I found a Retail Video and 2 DIY Videos on AC unit efficiency that about doubles your airflow (cfpm) by eliminating the turbulence in the plenum. There are also 2 other DIY Videos that increase cooling capability and reduction in power consumption.
Retail Version Rvairflow.com
1 Retail Video Showing Iinstall
th-cam.com/video/2ryWU-yZ-X4/w-d-xo.html
2 DIY Version Videos Showing the install
th-cam.com/video/3Vhv_b-1zAk/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/fBAUuMoD-ec/w-d-xo.html
Video of DIY Insulating each unit on the roof
th-cam.com/video/ZFQxZmIdw-4/w-d-xo.html
Video of DIY Maximizing exhaust of each unit on the roof
th-cam.com/video/aWUqQnEw-8Y/w-d-xo.html
Man very detailed!! Thanks now I’m gonna do mine.
It works great, we love ours. Thanks for watching.
I noticed you did not seal off the AC unit from the open gap in the roof? It will pull/push air into the ceiling void, will it not?
I have a 50amp with 2ac unit I would like to add a 3rd one because in tx is 110 degrees in summer but is not Pre-wire do I follow ur steps or how do i make it work i think i don’t have an extra space for an extra breaker
Good video and explanation. I have a trailer that didn't come with a/c but it has a large skylight right where it would go. I haven't had a chance to take the trim off and look but I'm hoping the wiring is already there. Any thoughts?
Definitely would be worth the time to investigate. What amp service do you have coming in to your trailer? Some models had the option to be wired with either 1 or 2 AC units and were able to be wired with 30 or 50 amp service. Thanks for watching.
funbro1 it's 30 amp service. I can tell it was designed for a/c since the skylight is in the right place and the right size. The thermostat also has a “cool” setting. It's the “Northwest Edition” which probably meant “No a/c 'cause it never gets hot here Edition”. I guess I should be able to find the wiring in the ceiling if i take the trim down on the inside of that skylight. I just don't want to get it leaking. If it's not there, what do you think are my best options for running the wiring?
I would find the best looking way to get the wiring to the outside of the RV. They all have a different set up and some are easier to hide and some will need a wire mould to hide the wire.
Great video! Is the fusible link/breaker 15 amp or 20 amp? and is it connected on the power supply post side or camper power inlet?
It can actually be either as this unit does not use any more than 15 amps. I located it on the camper side power inlet. Hope this helps, thanks for watching.
Was going to go this route but bedroom didn't have existing air vent so had factory installed 2nd unit. I was to scared of actually having roof cut to add a unit.
Fortunately I had a roof vent so that made mine a lot easier. It would definitely be more difficult without the roof vent.
Thanks for watching.
The yellow wire is for indoor 20 AMP, so if you use orange wire (30 AMP) you may get better service from the unit. Thanks for the vid Can you please include links on where you got the equipment.
The orange (10 gauge) wire would be an unnecessary overkill as the unit will max out at 15 amps. I just used the 12 gauge as a little extra. I did an internet search for the equipment and went with the supplier with the best review. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Fantastic Job! But you have two very real safety issues. You needed to use a 20Amp plug on the outside of your camper. A/C's have two motors (Fan motor and Compressor). Each has a "startup" or "surge" amperage that combined is typically around 18 to 24 Amps. Then the motors settle to a "run" amperage of around 12 to 15 Amps combined (depending on the age of the A/C unit and the quality of the power at the campground). You used 12 gauge wire which is perfect, but you mention that 14 gauge would have worked. 14 Gauge is not sufficient for the startup amperages. Finally, I would recommend that you use an extension cord with 10 gauge wire. Extension cords use "stranded" wire which will not conduct as much power as "solid" wire, therefore you have to step up a gauge. I would also recommend covering your wire nuts with an approved electrical tape. We have provided this exact upgrade in our shop many times and you video is the best example I have seen out in the world yet. Great Job.
Great, thanks for all of your concerns but I assure you that all the specs on this AC work out so that it can be done with 14 gauge wire. I decided to go with 12 gauge wire to address the things that you mentioned. I have done extensive research and understand motors capacitor ratings, and motor start ups.
As for the extension cord I do use a 10 gauge just because of the length that must be used sometimes and again just to be over the specs.
I appreciate your comment thanks for watching.
First of all, awesome video!!! Second, I was wandering if I could use the existing wiring where the vent fan is in the bathroom?
Wiring isn't heavy enough
New wire would be my recommendation unless the unit is set up for a 2nd AC. Thanks for watching.
Great Video *** Just a word of caution as I have a conductive aluminum framework in my Keystone product that could result in a bond to the existing 30 A grounding.
Campgrounds have often had OPEN Ground or Neutrals (which many surge guards safely catch).
You would never want a 12 or 10 gauge AC cord trying to provide an electrical return for a defective 30 amp load connection.
The pole mounted 20A breaker only protects the Hot lead.
My onboard protector has shown line input errors every season...stay safe.
You have to get rid of the massive unit, and go minis. I made a 32 foot 1976 Holiday Rambler ice cold with 2 window units of only 5000 btu, but from the ROOF! And now 2 Zone controllable, It was so simple I have now installed hundreds to service customers who's RV's I repair. And running 2 into 2 ends of the RV uses 25% less power. And the best part, they were only $140 each, with remotes. Just took a little sheet metal work and the original faceplate of the AC is now flat ceiling mounted! Damn shame I could not get investors on it!
Definitely recommend some type of protection whether it be a surge guard, voltage protector, or inline breaker. Thanks for watching.
Sounds interesting, I would love to see the finished product. Thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 Building a new one for a Truck bed campers roof from a Haier 5k , a 1999 Elkhorn fully contained I got. PLan to do a video on it. Its the most insane thing seeing a 200lb+ 11,000 to 13,000 btu Dometic on the roof of a tiny truck bed camper, but thats your only options! In fact I designed a AC unit thats in the belly frame of a friends 33 foot 5th wheel that works so much better than a roof mounted and uses the heaters ducting. Its not that hard to take them apart and add gas line and recharge them to make your own split system but on the single Cond and Evap Fan motor issue, I use 8 to 10" DC radiator fans with a built by me 2 speed control and its even more efficient!
I will have to check your video out.
I have a little teardrop I want to put a rooftop ac , but I was worried about the wiring. Running the the ac with just the exterior power no regulator or anything crazy electrical modifications needed ?
Nothing really crazy electrically if you run the power externally.
Thanks for watching.
Have you had any issues with doing this? I want to add another AC to my camper, but I'm nervous about doing it.
I realize this is an older post, but what are your thoughts on adding a mini split to our stationary travel trailer vs. the second air and circuit that you had done. Thanks for your thoughts!
That would be something I would consider however this might be easier because of the hole in the roof is already there and the rooftop AC fits perfectly. Either way would probably work though. Thanks for watching, happy camping.
My roof is not flat. It is curved. Does the unit conform to curved shape of the roof so it will be sealed?
Excellent video!
Yes, the roof in the video is not flat. The unit has a thick “seal ring” “padding” “washer” to make up for a non-flat roof. Thanks for watching.
Great job and a awesome video! Please make more videos
Will do, Thanks for watching.
Nice vid! Was there a condensation drain? If so, how is that setup?
The condensation drain is set up so that it is built into the unit. The condensation all happens on the top of the roof and there is a pan underneath that catches the water and drains across the roof just like most rooftop units. Nothing special was needed for the condensation. Very easy, basic, install other than some minor modifications. Hope this answers your question, thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 it does!! Thanks a bunch!
great video. I have a 2017 24' toy hauler that's a 50 amp service. How would you wire this in? Could you just wire the ac unit to a standard 110 plug and simply plug it into an existing outlet?
You could do it that way but if you have a 50 amp service your camper may already be wired for a second unit. If not I would look at the breaker box to see if there was enough room to hard wire it into the box. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Wow what a great video thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video! I have a 2018 forest wildwood. The master bedroom has no roof ventilation. The ceiling has a vent from the AC duct. Is it possible to cut a space open in the roof to mount a new 30 AMP ac unit or even a motorized vent?
You would need to block off the vent from the main AC first then you could cut a space for the secondary unit. You may want to add another vent for the main unit so that it still has enough flow. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for watching.
Loved the video!
Which AC unit did you buy?
This is exactly what I want to do in the rear garage area of my 29' 5th wheel toy hauler.
I plan on doing a bit more though.
I use my camper in colder weather like way up in the mountains where it gets chilly even in summer.
Don't just put that "second service" in for only the AC unit .
Instead add a couple extra strategic outlets in the camper to plug in a space heater or two for cold nights to help save on LP.
Most campgrounds do not meter the electric at the sites , sooo......
Heat with electric as much as you can.
The extra 20 amps can be used for rear cooling on hot days and heating on cold days.
I am even installing a 2 GFCI breaker box in a closet so I have my own overload protection in the camper for these 2 devices.
It is much easier to add the extra service than mess with the OEM power center the RV comes with.
I believe I bought a domestic but not sure which one. I didn’t get any sponsorship for this video so any one that fits your specs will be a. I’ve addition. It sounds like you are setting your rig up nicely. Thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 BTW , I went to my local "Camping World" store , ordered and received the 20 amp 120 volt power inlet that goes on the outside skin of the camper.
I do plan on using the 10 gauge wire for all this as the heaters and AC unit draw a lot of current.
I bought an 13,500 btu AC unit with motor start capacitor from ETRAILER for $600.00 , free shipping.
Now just I need warm weather.
The extension cord I'll buy for this will be the 10 gauge contractor grade cords.
Perfect. You will love this set up I’m sure.
So was the existing wire for the maxAir not a good enough gauge to use that as it was already wired I assume for the maxAir?
In this case there was no MaxAir fan, but if you do have a MaxAir fan it is a way smaller gauge wire and already wired up to DC and cannot be used for this application. Hope this helps.
Thanks for watching.
Excellent job.
Thank you very much!
Any particular reason you didn't just run it to you breaker panel and add a breaker instead of having to plug it in outside everytime you camped?
Yes, The reason is that this RV is only wired for a 30 amp service. Most RVs that run to AC units have a 50 amp service. The existing 30 amp breaker panel is already at capacity. By doing it this way you bypass the limit of the 30 amp panel. Hope this helps.
Thanks for watching.
If I missed it I’m sorry. But could you post model number or make of AC, inside AC cover used and parts list. Thank you!
Since I am not sponsored by any particular brand I did not include or save all that information. Many brands have models that will work for this application. This video is just meant to show how it can be done. Thanks for watching.
You answered my question sir. I was wondering if you could put an ac unit in place of the vent. Now I'm getting my son charged up for us to do the same thing. Only question is do you have a parts list? Thank you so much for the video.
Start with the 2 main items, 1. The AC 2. The control, The rest will vary by the unit. Thanks for watching.
What hole saw bit did you use a carbide or wood?
What brand of air conditioner do you recommend and is there a certain kind that will run off a electric cord like you have set up ?
I do not recommend any particular brand as I am not sponsored by any particular brand. Any brand should run on an electric cord once you wire it up as shown in the video. Hope this helps, thanks for watching.
Did I miss it or did you not show the roof installation for the exterior unit? Other than that this is just about the best retrofit video to an existing RV that I have seen. I was wondering how you were going to add the "load" to the RV panel and get away with it, but making it a separate circuit that goes to the electrical supply was the solution. Great job. I'm glad the interior cabinet was not so big that it ovoerlapped the ceiling fixture opening (might make it hard to relamp the fixture).
Roof installation starts at 2:44 in the video. Most of the roof installation is done inside. The only thing done outside is setting it in the correct location (centering it). This set up works great in hot weather. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing very informative only question where onlinevdid you purchase the unit ! I have a 32 foot camper sn definitely need a second unit !
I did a google search and found the best price. I am not sponsored by any particular manufacturer so there is no bias on my part. Thanks for watching.
Any way to do this if you don't have a second roof vent? I only have a vent in the bathroom and that doesn't seem to be the best place for one.
The only way would be to cut a ole into your roof and brace the roof. This is a little more difficult install. Thanks for watching.
Great video! We are looking to do the exact same thing to our camper. Do you have any specific brand to use? We have a 30amp unit.
I do not endorse any particular product for this install however I would make sure that the unit is able to work with the size hole you have in the roof of your camper, it just makes the job that much easier. Thanks for watching.
One thing you failed to mention and show was how did you seal the roof between the air condition before you placed it in?
Didn't fail, I showed it in the video at 5:23 and talked about compressing the insulation/seal also. If you have this unit you will notice that it is already built in. Thanks for watching.
Hi, I really appreciate your article. I only have one question/suggestion. It looks like where you ran your power wire from the AC unit into the ceiling that is also the return? I think you need to seal that area so that you are not pulling return air from above your ceiling. I am now in the process of making the same upgrade to my 5th wheel, installing a 2nd AC unit in the front bedroom. When I removed my old vent assemble I noticed that I have a similar area towards the front and rear of the opening where I can see my aluminum roof rafters. Your article has been a great help.
I believe the vent you are looking at is the ducted vent from the existing(main) AC unit. Very soon after completing this video and the first camping trip I added a cover to the vent to force the air from the main AC to the rear of the camper. This works great because the secondary(new) unit will easily cool the front and with the extra air going to the rear it keeps the camper nice and cool. Best of luck on your install, you will enjoy the added AC. Thanks for watching.
Wow! Amazing video man. Where did you purchase these items? How much did everything cost? Thanks
I bought everything online and the total cost was around $600. Well worth it when it's all done.
Thanks for watching.
Hi I recently bought an used unit but doesn’t come with the 6pin conector plug my question is are all the cables form the unit same color as the air distribution box?
I would check with the manufacturer of the unit to be sure before wiring anything. Thanks for watching.
real nice job and excellent video.
We love how well it works. Thanks for the view.
@funbro1 I am considering this approach, but have had dealerships tell me the AC will not last as long unless I upgrade the electrical to 50 amp and tie the second AC into that. Its pretty costly. How has your install held up after this install? Any AC issues? That is what I am being told, that the unit will burn out faster if doing it this way. Thanks in advance!
I would guess that the dealership has your wallet in mind when telling you that. Many people are intimidated by an install like this, that is one reason why I figured I'd post this video. To explain how it works consider your RV is hooked to a 30 amp service, you then add an AC unit that can effectively run off of 15 amps or less and is wired as the only thing on that circuit. Most Campgrounds have 3 plugs, a 50 amp, a 30 amp, and a 20 amp. Doing this type of install I simply use the 30 amp service that comes factory installed from the manufacturer then I add a completely different 20 amp service making the RV a total of 50 amps.
Stop by that dealer and ask them if you have a whole house AC can you run a window unit as well? If they know anything about electrical they will tell you that there are 2 different circuits and that it should work fine if your panel can support it. Same thing with this set up... Also make sure that you do run a heavy duty extension cord, especially if it is any length.
So to answer your question. This AC works so good (still) that I am upset that I did not install it sooner or in previous RV's. It makes all the difference. Hope this helps,Thanks for watching and happy camping.
Just wondering what you did with air vent hole next to the a/c unit. My RV has two ducted vents 1 on each side of vent from my front A/C. Was thinking of covering them up.
That's what I did. I only have one but I covered it up. Make sure that you don't restrict the airflow from your primary unit or it is possible that it could freeze up and damage the unit. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely fantastic video, one question though, Whats not included when you buy an AC unit. Im thinking of buying a Dometic or Coleman. Thanks
Ohh by the way my RV is already prewired for a second unit.
As for just the AC unit. the control panel was a separate purchase from the AC unit. Other than that everything else needed would be for hook up and that may vary from camper to camper. Hope this helps, Happy camping.
Does the a/c unit come with control panel on the bottom? If not, where can I buy the control? Thanks
The control unit was a separate purchase done at the time we bought the A/C unit. After using this set up in very hot conditions we found that the sensor/thermostat would register a colder temperature than the room temperature because it was so close to the supply of cold air. This caused the A/C compressor to cycle on and off too much and didn't allow enough cool air. We ended up getting a remote thermostat and putting it 8' away from the unit and not in the direct path of the cold air and found that made a BIG difference. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Did you insulate the roof to stop your cold air from interning your roof? Tape, foam, etc.
No need to as the unit has vents all around and that is the only place where air can go. It is set up that way. Not to say a little tape or foam in select places hurts but it is not necessary. Hope this helps, Thanks for watching.
Awesome job, any ideas on how to convert a manual awning to a powered awning?
A replacement? Thanks for watching.
Was hoping there was way to add a motor to my current one.
Very nice job. The use of the dedicated circuit is a good plan; you're also in luck that you have the removable header and space for the wiring over the ceiling. That, plus the wire duct, makes for a very tidy electrical installation. I also like your choice of inlet -- it appears to be a solid, quality unit and does a nice job of adding finish and a professional look to your installation.
Like everyone else, I hope you'll not be bothered if I pick on your planning a little. I know that it will be clumsy to have a breaker installed in the closet, but have you thought of the utility (and maybe safety) of having a switched breaker inside the RV and as close to the back side of the inlet receptacle as possible? That way, you wouldn't be relying on the quality and efficiency of the RV park pole breaker and you'd also have an emergency point to isolate the entire circuit inside the RV if "worse comes to worst". Probably overkill, but I'd consider that.
As I said, it's a very neat, efficient, and safe installation. You should be proud of that work, and thanks for the video. Bb
That thought did cross my mind and it may be something to add down the road but everything seems to be working fine now so chances are (knowing me) I will leave it the way it is. There are also GFCI circuit breakers that can be added to the extension cord if that would make it easier, I do use one of those for extra safety. Thanks for the comment and Thanks for watching.
@@funbro1 Oh, yes, a quality GFCI protector device is a very good addition for safety and an excellent choice. Thanks for the kind reply and again, thanks for the useful video.
Which unit did you use?
A couple things here. One is an electrician with advice that sounds condescending but as for when making the electrical connections, especially what I noticed at the plug, using the phillips is a great connection STARTER but to finish it off, use a large flat head to REALLY make those screws tight. The AC is a big power consuming appliance that heats up the wiring, causing expansion and when it cools, contraction of the wires with eventual loss of connection causing the circuit to end up sparking at the connections over and over, causing heating of that area then eventually HOPEFULLY just melting of the plug and wire. That is a huge service call situation I get many times a month, even a week.
NOW, the question...
What if I don't have a vent? My rear bed's ducting isn't sufficient air flow and I'm thinking another AC might be the trick. How do I know where to cut for the ceiling cut out?
I checked the connection again and they are still tight.
You will need to locate the roof trusses and place the unit between the trusses, Keep in mind that the ducting may run through the ceiling so you would need to avoid that as well. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
I notice you have wood frame box when was installing the AC. My Xplorer 1986 do not have an AC roof. Do I have to place a wood frame where I do the cut ?
It would not be a bad idea to add a frame just to reinforce the area. I personally would add a frame. Thanks for watching.
Where does the water drain or does it not have a return side
It drains into the pan that fits over the opening. The pan has a hole in it so the drainage runs down the roof and into the gutter like the other unit. During hot humid days we will have 2 streams of water on the roof.
Thanks for watching.