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Originally Posted by indhci
Has anyone had any experience adding an AC unit on the side to a TM that has never had AC. I have a 1988 3023 that I would like to add AC. From looking at photos of the side AC unit it appears that TM just uses a standard window air conditioner with a pass through to the outside. I presume there is a drain hose to the outside and obviously there needs to be an electric connection. My biggest concern is damaging the unit by cutting through structural framing. Any information/experience in this area would be appreciated. Thanks.
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I had my TM dealer do just that to my TM about 10 days ago. I've been resisting having AC installed because I hadn't needed it and didn't want the weight. I didn't take the factory roof AC option on mine because it made the trailer too tall to get under my garage door. But I foresee needing it for enroute stops this summer. So now I've finally joined the ranks of air conditioned TM owners. Mine (a nice 10,000 BTU Kenmore unit) even came with a remote control.
Yes, a commercial window unit is used...though it has to be the right dimensions...not too wide, not too long (but also not too short), and not too high. And yes, a drain has to be constructed for the condensate as well as some ducting on the back side to separate the hot from cool air. Also a properly sized and shaped grill has to be obtained. In all likelihood, if factory air was available on TMs of the same vintage as yours, then there's an electrical plug under the counter to make the hookup easy (my '02 was the last year the factory put this plug under the counter). As for cutting through the outerwall, you will need to have extremely careful measurements to make sure the hole matches up with the cabinet inside.
Because of all the above considerations and concerns, I felt it was far easier to have my TM dealer do this as they had templates for the cutting and experience with all the installation issues. And since my TM dealer is only about 35 minutes away, it was quite convenient as well.