Air Conditioner Noise Level

Jma3910 · 07-17-2013, 07:04 AM

Just completed our first trip in our new Ultralite Camper 197. Great experience, love the camper. Only issue is how loud the 13500 Coleman Max air conditioner is. There is Low Fan, Low Fan, High Fan, Low cool, High Cool. It works great, but can't have a pleasant conversation in the trailer with the AC on. I suspect the second low fan setting is a misprint and should say medium. Regardless, there is almost no noise level differance between the settings. The noise level just did not stand out when we were looking at trailers, and when we did our walk through, it did not seem that loud. Is the noise level normal?

Jma3910 · 07-17-2013, 09:15 AM

The noise level is not mechanical, it is an air flow noise. I am wondering if there is a different louvre that is available to lessen the noise level....any ideas?

bigbird · 07-17-2013, 09:58 AM

Yes to me it's also way to noisey.

We run it when were out of it only. Shut it off when we go in. It seems to stay cool for a good while with the windows shut and a small fan running. That works for the upper 80's but I don't know what i'll do when it gets into the 90's.

sirrealone · 07-17-2013, 10:39 AM

We have a Coleman, I think a Mach 3, that my wife complains about the noise level. It doesn't bother me as much, as I see it as white noise, but I do agree it's very loud.

Heady · 07-17-2013, 10:44 AM

Mine is loud too....same as sirrealone, I count it as white noise....nice when the campsite next to you is a little loud.

The extra low fan is not a mis-print, it's for when you have the optional heat strip. Without the heat strip, it's just another low fan setting.

muelldawg · 07-17-2013, 12:20 PM

Yes Yes, the AC is much too loud for us also. I have considered ear plugs during the night but am uncomfortable with not hearing what is going on around me. I have noticed after a week of running the AC at night, you begin to get use to it.

bigbird · 07-17-2013, 12:28 PM

I like my table top fan for the white noise as it does block out most outside sounds. I hope I never need the ac on to drown out a noisey campsite but I will if need be.

Farmer Dave · 07-17-2013, 01:38 PM

At least the AC drowns out the generator noise.

**norty1** · 07-17-2013, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jma3910

The noise level is not mechanical, it is an air flow noise. I am wondering if there is a different louvre that is available to lessen the noise level....any ideas?

Do some experimenting... Make sure ALL vents are open and the filter is clean. Try re-directing air flow to see if it makes a difference. If your rig is big enough for 2 units, you can run the farthermost one at night.

Parcany · 07-17-2013, 02:36 PM

Noticed on ours that if you close the quick cool vents it gets much quieter, and all the cool air is directed through the vents at a higher flow.

Camping Couple · 07-17-2013, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jma3910

Just completed our first trip in our new Ultralite Camper 197. Great experience, love the camper. Only issue is how loud the 13500 Coleman Max air conditioner is. There is Low Fan, Low Fan, High Fan, Low cool, High Cool. It works great, but can't have a pleasant conversation in the trailer with the AC on. I suspect the second low fan setting is a misprint and should say medium. Regardless, there is almost no noise level differance between the settings. The noise level just did not stand out when we were looking at trailers, and when we did our walk through, it did not seem that loud. Is the noise level normal?

Hey JMA.....I'm glad your first trip went OK...yes the AC is loud but it is what it is. We are camping as I respond to you and we are in the 90s with heat index at 100 or above. There isn't much you can do about the noise unless you turn it off while your in the trailer.

Mark and Carolyn

Forgvn77 · 07-17-2013, 09:45 PM

We have a Mach 15 and yes, it is loud. The noise is definitely from air flow and not motor or condenser related. That thing moves a ton of air! I agree that closing the Chill Grill vents and forcing the air out through the ducts is the best way to quiet it down. In our trailer there are ducts in the main living area as well that can provide cool air there in lieu of the vents in the grill. I'll have to try closing all the grill vents and see if things still stay cool enough.

John

DocBrown · 07-18-2013, 07:14 AM

Not much you can do about this. A 13k BTU unit blowing air into a small amount of square footage is going to be noisy. We had window C/C units in our house the first 8 years or so we lived in it. They were noisy. The RV units are essentially roof mounted window units.

Camping Couple · 07-18-2013, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forgvn77

We have a Mach 15 and yes, it is loud. The noise is definitely from air flow and not motor or condenser related. That thing moves a ton of air! I agree that closing the Chill Grill vents and forcing the air out through the ducts is the best way to quiet it down. In our trailer there are ducts in the main living area as well that can provide cool air there in lieu of the vents in the grill. I'll have to try closing all the grill vents and see if things still stay cool enough.

John

Closing chill grill vents and forcing the air through ducts is not an option for JMA and myself. If you look at his post again....he has a jayco 197 as do we. doc hit the nail on the head....its a window unit mounted on the roof.

Mark & Carolyn

TX_Arvee · 07-18-2013, 09:22 AM

If I did nt have the ducted version, I would look at getting a replacement grill and doing some modifications and testing to see what I could change to lower the noise of the air rushing out of it. BAsically all you need to do is dump cold air into the big space under the unit. It would be nice to direct it, but being able to direct it, is causing most the noise. I would question taking out the registers that restrict airflow, thus reducing the things the air hits on the way out. The fan is going to generate noise itself and I think that cannot be solved.

In residential systems cold air goes into a plennum and then out to the ducts. Noise of the fan is trapped in it. Maybe a modified grill to create a compact plenum could be made.

McGyver could solve this, but it wont look pretty.

Jma3910 · 07-18-2013, 01:34 PM

Thanks for the input. Called the manufacturer and feel satisfied with their answer. With the 13,500 BTU Coleman roof air that we have, it is just a forced air issue. The good news is that it does a great job cooling off the trailer, so we will live with the noise and be grateful for the cool air. Happy Trails!

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