Rear Air Conditioner Question

[LandonFamily]

We currently have a 1999 2720 with a side air conditioner. We're thinking about upgrading to a 3124KB that has a rear air conditioner, but I'm not sure I can stand having the cold air pouring down on top of me while trying to sleep. Does anyone have this type of air conditioner, and has that been a problem? When looking at an online photo, it seemed that the vents pointed up the length of the trailer, rather than straight down onto the bed. Is that the case? Do you still feel the cold air in bed? Does it take a long time for the AC to cool the unit from way back there? It seems the air flow would be significantly impeded by the wardrobe and bathroom.

Of course maybe we'll just hold out till the "perfect" model becomes available, which would be one that's new enough to have the front AC, but it seems there aren't that many 3124KBs that come up for sale.

Thanks for any help,
Caroline

[BOB_STRONG]

Caroline,

We had a rear Coleman a/c on our 1994 3326 King unit. To stop the cold air from blowing down on the bed, I took clear packing tape, and I covered the rear vent completely so no air could escape. Then I directed the front vent so the air would blow straight out towards the front of the trailer. After doing this, we did not have any more problems with the cold air blowing down on the bed. Our 2002 3326 King has the center a/c which is a lot nicer. Now you don't have that loud noise over your head while sleeping.

Hope this helps out.

Bob Strong

[G-V_Driver]

We had a 1998 3124KS until recently. The A/C was in the ceiling over the bed. The 2003 3124ks we now own has the A/C in the kitchen ceiling area.

Both have talking points. The unit over the bed is obviously noisier at night, since it's right over your head. When the compressor comes on you know it.

On the other hand, the AC makes so much noise that you aren't bothered by noises in the campground or passing traffic. The airlflow seems to work fine. Adjustable louvres allow you to direct as much or as little air into the bed area as desired and the volume of air going out the other end seems to cool the kitchen and living area fine. And since the unit is in the bed area, it's pretty quiet in the living area when the unit is running. The power cord hangs from the unit and must be plugged in for use, and seems to be in the way more than it should, but maybe I just didn't know how to deal with it. I guess I would say that if air-flow in the bedromm area is your primary concern, I don't think you will find it to be a big problem. And if it is, a roll of duct tape and a couple of pieces of cardboard will fix it.

I have modified the AC unit in our 03 by installing the ceiling tile on the register (as recently described by Denny or somebody on this site) and found it helps a lot. Haven't found the heavy-duty foam yet for the intakes, but looking for it. The unit is noticeably quieter than before, but still not to be confused with central air. The power cord is built in, and it makes sleeping easier at the expense of harder conversation in the living and kitchen areas.

The best solution we have found is to camp in the rockies in the summer where you don't need the #(*&@! air conditioner anyway.

Our AC unit over the bed has 4 outlets for the air, 2 facing rear & 2 facing forward. They are adjustable, so we close off the two facing the rear.

I have fabricated ducting which is approx 8 ft long, stuck to the ceiling with round dots of (what else) velcro. We leave it in place, it doesn't interfere with closing.

On really hot days I use a fan on the counter which is angled up towards the end of the duct. This seems to work best for getting the cooler air into the front of the TM.

I am attaching some pics, hope they show up.

Dan

[LandonFamily]

Sorry I took so long to reply - we were out of town this weekend. Thanks for your great answers. I had no idea the rear AC had to be plugged in! Is that standard on those models?? I think that little detail will convince us to wait for a front AC model to become available! Also, I hadn't even considered the noise factor. I know our side AC is pretty loud, so I imagine an overhead one would be worse.

Boy, I sure wish Trailmanors were less expensive! What we'd really like is one of the beautiful new 2005 models! We saw them at the Dinuba dealer and they sure are nice. It has a new model faucet in the kitchen sink which seems to be somewhat more sturdy than the other one that they've used for years. The sofa fabric was so nice - even the cushions themselves seemed thicker and more durable, but that's probably because our 1999 ones are gettin' kinda saggy. Oh well, sigh, we can't have everything. I am truly thankful for all that we do have.

Caroline

[G-V_Driver]

IMO, the sofa upholstery will never be a TM strong point. As long as they make the seat out of one long piece, sags and wrinkles ae going to happen--and more quickly than we would like.

They are pricey, but seem to hold their value better than most. Watch the ads carefully the next few months. I'm convinced you can make a better deal in the off-season.

We have a 3124KS which has the rear A/C. It does have a cord that needs to be plugged in, but it just hangs down along the side of the bathroom and then plugs into an outlet below the bed. We have had no problem with this arrangement. Since I closed the rear vent by rotating the louvers so the blank side is vertical we have had no problem with too much air. It is noisy, but the noise will be with you regardless of the location. We also find that it is easier to turn it off or make adjustments with it being over the bed than having to get up and go down the hall to do so.