15k AC unit was struggling

ParrishCamper · 05-30-2016, 08:05 PM

We have 2016 Eagle 284BHBE (has thermal package) w/ 1-15k Coleman Whisper Quiet AC.
This weekend past weekend it was 93 out. Our AC was set at 78. The AC ran all day long never shutting off and dripping lots of water from camper roof. It couldn't keep up, the camper was 82/83 inside until the sunset.
I'm very shocked by this seeing we aren't new to Florida camping. We camped the last 2 years in hybrid w/ 3 popup beds. When fully open the camper length was 30 feet. Granted we put solar reflectors on the tent ends our Coleman 15k AC never had a problem keeping cool and would kick off during the hot days. I don't know anything about the whisper quiet units and if they aren't as efficient as the normal 15k units but I'm shocked as the camper has thermal shield and all hard wall but the AC can't keep up.
Does this sound right??
As a side note: We keep the AC vent in the bathroom closed to help push more air into the main living space. And the shades closed on windows where sun is coming in.
Our friends camped right next to us in the same length camper and their AC unit had no issues. Granted their AC is 8 years old and dometic ac.

justman · 05-30-2016, 08:33 PM

Unfortunately, most of the thermal barriers and such are marketing hype. They may be marginally effective, but there's only so much you can do with reflective bubble wrap and a few inches of insulation when battling the massive energy output of Big Red.

Probably a lot you can do to help out the AC.

1. Check for air flow coming from around inside speakers, antenna crank handle, etc. This is an indicator the AC vents aren't sealed properly. Take one of the vents down and see if there's any tape between the duct and the ceiling. If not, air is probably being blown into the roof cavity where it's exiting around your speakers and other ceiling openings. Use a good metal/foil based tape (feels like thick aluminum foil---super sticky) and use small strips to seal the area around the vent. Do the same for all vents and you should see a bit of a difference in cooling capacity.

2. Pull your intake vents and see if they're sealed. There should NOT be a gap between the ceiling and the return air duct. If there is, seal it using the same method described above. A gap will pull warmer or hotter air from your "attic" into the return duct, making your AC work harder to cool the return air.

3. Check your solar heat gain. The biggest thing you can do to help your AC is to reduce the amount of solar gain it's trying to compensate for. Put out your awning to shade at least one side of your camper. Cover your windows on the exterior of your camper with some sort of shade fabric. Park in a shaded campsite when possible. Bottom line here is to reduce the amount of solar energy that makes it to the surface of your camper.

Truth be told, I don't know if the new quiet vent systems are any less efficient than a regular AC. There are several factors to consider that may cause your buddy's trailer to be fine and your trailer to be warmer. Number and size of windows, orientation, number of roof penetrations, etc. are all things to consider.

If you're still not satisfied, it may be well worth your comfort and sanity (due to complaining family members) to get a second smaller AC mounted. I recently put an 11K BTU unit in my front bedroom and when combined with the 15K BTU main AC, keeps the camper at whatever temp I set on the thermostat.

ScarabChris · 05-31-2016, 07:21 AM

The thing to remember is the AC will only be able to cool the incoming air a certain amount. So the cool air coming out will only be a certain degrees cooler than going in. So when you start the AC and the trailer is super hot inside it will take hours to get it cool. As the air cools down the AC becomes more efficient and the trailer will really begin to cool.

In really hot climates....keep the AC running or turn it on early in the morning or the night before. I'm in the Miami area and got my new Jay Feather 25BH home last week. I turned the air on when I brought it home at high noon and 95 degrees. It took till about 5pm for it to get "cold" inside. The air has been on and set at no warmer than 73 degrees and the trailer is always nice and cool inside. I even have to turn it down in the middle of the day because it gets so cold in there. At night...forget about it....could hang meat in the trailer.

ParrishCamper · 06-17-2016, 05:52 AM

So with the AC running we unscrewed a speaker in ceiling and sure enough cold air is coming out of the hole.
Husband opened all AC vents and taped the space between ceiling and where the cold air comes in (the 1 inch lip on plastic AC vent is all that gaps the hole. If hole isn't cut perfect then the AC can leak into roof space). Hopefully by doing this will stop air leaking into roof.
One of two return vents had a slit in rubber foam they use for duct work. So we taped that up as well.
Our next step will be to remove AC unit to see if it needs taped anywhere as well.
I also made reflexive covers for 2 doors on camper that aren't tented and allow a lot of heat in.
Fingers crossed this weekend camping trip will be easier on the AC.

preceptjoe · 06-17-2016, 07:23 AM

Before I bought my precept we had a 32 foot Forest River trailer and the 15K unit struggled in florida in April and May. You have to get it cold before the sun hits the walls and roof. Find a site with shade trees. My new Precept 31ul with two 13k units still require a 68 degree start in the morning. If you have slides you definitely want slide covers. There is very little insulation in the ceilings of the slides.

ParrishCamper · 06-17-2016, 07:34 AM

We don't keep our camper freezing.
Normally 77 degrees during day and 75 at night.
We normally try and get shaded sites.
Trip to Keys in Aug has no trees. Camped in Keys many times in hybrid w/ 15K AC never had any issues in full sun.
Hoping our mods will help. I know out trip this weekend will have shade so not a real test. We'll see.

3'senough · 06-17-2016, 08:05 AM

I would do a thermal check of the output air from the closest vent to see what the actual unit is cooling to. It should be in the 60's minimum. If it 70 or above then sounds like the dealer needs to look at the unit.

The bad thing about the whisper quite is that there is no direct dump from the unit. Sure it's quieter, but you a relying on the vents to supply all the air.

ScarabChris · 06-17-2016, 11:53 AM

Here is a good video with some tips on how the AC works best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja9zhyfrIqE

Jopopsy · 06-17-2016, 01:05 PM

RV Accessory Store - RV TOY STORE - 1-800-334-5533

I just purchased a bunch of these to put over my windows on the outside. No more super darkening Reflectix on the inside for us. Early reviews from another Jayco owner are positive. 4th post down: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7...out-36031.html

homer1959 · 06-17-2016, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParrishCamper

So with the AC running we unscrewed a speaker in ceiling and sure enough cold air is coming out of the hole.
Husband opened all AC vents and taped the space between ceiling and where the cold air comes in (the 1 inch lip on plastic AC vent is all that gaps the hole. If hole isn't cut perfect then the AC can leak into roof space). Hopefully by doing this will stop air leaking into roof.
One of two return vents had a slit in rubber foam they use for duct work. So we taped that up as well.
Our next step will be to remove AC unit to see if it needs taped anywhere as well.
I also made reflexive covers for 2 doors on camper that aren't tented and allow a lot of heat in.
Fingers crossed this weekend camping trip will be easier on the AC.

All that on a 2016 ? Cool..... :-) Jayco must be glad to have one more customer like most of us lol :-) good luck !

lx22f/c · 06-17-2016, 07:57 PM

What color is your camper?
What color is your buddies?
Reason I ask is if yours is darker then that would explain the difference.
High humidity also plays a big role. You may try cooling the camper down colder at nights to get longer before it gets hot.
We keep ours set at 70 and it gets very nice at night.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jagiven · 06-17-2016, 08:38 PM

One more thing to check. Every day or two clean the filters. After a week of use mine are packed with dust.

Neo1130 · 06-17-2016, 09:06 PM

Our 2015 174BH with an 8,000 BTU I actually had to turn down on a 92 degree day a couple weeks ago.... The 5,000 BTU in our last trailer wouldn't even bring the temp down below 85 on a 90 degree day...

Griswald One · 06-19-2016, 12:45 PM

Take full advantage of the evening cool down. I was going to shoot my bride this morning. She woke up and felt it was a little on the chilly side so she turned off the A/C even though we were expecting 32 degree temperatures today.

I argued with her and lost... Until an hour later when the indoor temp had already risen by 4 degrees and was looking to climb higher. Turning on the A/C at that point meant it was fighting a losing battle.

Not sure when sticking her tongue out at me became the appropriate response for my "I told you so!"

**norty1** · 06-19-2016, 02:15 PM

32, is that a typo?

Vaquero · 06-19-2016, 02:35 PM

I reckon it's Celsius.
Canadian.

Griswald One · 06-19-2016, 03:59 PM

Yup ... 32 Celsius.. Otherwise known as Dang Hot.... I think it converts to around 94 Fahrenheit???

Either way.. It was swimmin' weather!

Jamsom · 07-13-2016, 04:57 PM

We just upgraded from a 2013 Keystone Premier 31BHPR with 15k a/c to 2016 Jayco Eagle HT 29.5 FBDS with 15k "whisper quiet" a/c. Our last a/c would cool down the trailer fast and if you wanted it "chilly" you would get whatever you set the thermostat at. This whisper quite a/c doesn't cool down very fast and the difference in "low" fan speed and "high" fan speed is barely noticeable. The master bedroom, which is at the rear of the trailer, gets barely a puff of air coming out of the vents compared to the front vents. The farther you are away from the a/c returns the slower the air coming from the vents. Our last a/c had air blasting from all the vents no matter the distance, and out last trailer was actually 1' longer than this new one. I've checked for air leaks, smashed ducting, ect and can't find anything unusual. I'm hoping this isn't normal for this unit.

ParrishCamper · 07-13-2016, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamsom

We just upgraded from a 2013 Keystone Premier 31BHPR with 15k a/c to 2016 Jayco Eagle HT 29.5 FBDS with 15k "whisper quiet" a/c. Our last a/c would cool down the trailer fast and if you wanted it "chilly" you would get whatever you set the thermostat at. This whisper quite a/c doesn't cool down very fast and the difference in "low" fan speed and "high" fan speed is barely noticeable. The master bedroom, which is at the rear of the trailer, gets barely a puff of air coming out of the vents compared to the front vents. The farther you are away from the a/c returns the slower the air coming from the vents. Our last a/c had air blasting from all the vents no matter the distance, and out last trailer was actually 1' longer than this new one. I've checked for air leaks, smashed ducting, ect and can't find anything unusual. I'm hoping this isn't normal for this unit.

I hate to say it I don't see it getting better. I feel like the Whisper Quiet is the wrong AC to be using. I'm debating having a better unit installed. Sad because we didn't opt for 2nd unit based on our previous Coleman 15k unit which froze you out.

Only thing we have found that helps is using back bathroom door as our main door. Keeping bathroom door closed at all times. We also put reflective material in the door windows as they are not tinted.

Wonder if Jayco sees the issue with these? I plan on contacting them.

mohok1 · 07-13-2016, 06:32 PM

Check the incoming air temp at the unit intake and then check the out put at the nearest vent to the A/C. I check mine at the over head grill. One side is input and the other is output. The output temp should register 16 to 22 degrees lower than the input temp. I purchase the Nubee NU8380 Infrared Thermometer from Amazon in 2014 for $16.98 and it has done the job for me. I check my house A/C input and output, TT and TV tires and hubs and many other uses. Takes the guess work out of things.

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