Hello folks. Have never owned an RV. Me and wifey are empty nesters and it looks like we are going to take the plunge. I have spent a few hours reading on this forum...great people and info source.We are looking for 30ft-ish bumper pull. NEED 10ft garage, AND it be able to keep me cool. I don't want it struggling to keep 75 degrees. Everything else is a WANT.A primary purpose for TH will be camping on the beach without hookups...in Texas. I feel like we need 2 AC's for our hot and humid June/July/August. So that would require 50 amp RV with 5500 gen.My questions:-Am I wrong thinking I need 2 AC's?-Are 30 amp RV's retrofitable to 50 amp?-Would like to buy used, am I just dreaming?

No hook ups and wanting to run 2 A/C's. You will need a big generator and many 5 gallon gas cans!

You can't have enough a/c's. The insulation on a trailer is pretty thin compared to your home so the a/c will have to work to compensate. Two might do the trick. Keep the windows to a minimum and dual-pane them if available. Best wishes on your search.

DownTheAvenue wrote:No hook ups and wanting to run 2 A/C's. You will need a big generator and many 5 gallon gas cans!Good point, need to know more about fuel consumption of 5500 generator

azdryheat wrote:You can't have enough a/c's. The insulation on a trailer is pretty thin compared to your home so the a/c will have to work to compensate. Two might do the trick. Keep the windows to a minimum and dual-pane them if available. Best wishes on your search.Ya, folding door probably not real temp efficient either.

We full time in a 43 ft TH with 3 AC's. If you plan on being in Texas in summer and insist on being cool, you will definitely need 2 AC's and 50a service. I have a 5500 Onan generator built in and it consumes about 5 gallons of gas every 8-10 hours of operation. Good luck on your hunt.

Not a TH owner yet-AC question | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

TexasChaps
Explorer
Feb 22, 2017
mapguy wrote:
big lithium battery bank - 600ah or more -lots of solar panels and stacked hybrid inverter chargers plus a generator will cut the need for a power pole to plug in the camper. You will be on the bleeding edge of geekdom with this set-up.

and very poor too.. !!
have you seen the price of 600/700 AH lithiums ?
mapguy
Explorer
Feb 22, 2017
big lithium battery bank - 600ah or more -lots of solar panels and stacked hybrid inverter chargers plus a generator will cut the need for a power pole to plug in the camper. You will be on the bleeding edge of geekdom with this set-up.
Y-Guy
Moderator
Feb 22, 2017
Not all RVs need to be 50a for two AC units. Our Class A Winnebago has a 50amp Onan 5500, but shore power we're 30amp plug. When we're on shower power the RV has technology that allows it to monitor and cycle the units so they don't blow a breaker, it also can shut down other power draw items like the microwave, water heater, etc. The Winnebago Spyder Toy Haulers might use this too.
HouTX
Explorer
Feb 22, 2017
lawnspecialties wrote:
At our ATV races, we'd arrive on Saturday around noon and during the summer, two ACs would run almost non-stop until we packed up late Sunday. The 30 gallon tank on the toy hauler was getting really low. That was the Onan 5500.

Finding a used bumper pull toy hauler with two ACs and 50A service is going to be a rare find. They're certainly available; especially if you order one. But they are quite rare and even more so in the used market.

Yes I am seeing the scarcity of 50A. Would think the dealers here in TX would stock more 50A but not what I have seen so far.
dedmiston
Moderator
Feb 21, 2017
Sandia Man wrote:
At least 2 ACs for that type of weather, bigger THs would need three but those are 5er toyhaulers. We have separate tanks for our generator and fuel station on our TH and can easily go at least a couple of days non-stop which we have done in Texas near South Padre. Our generator is mid-ship and has no effect on our sleep, we find it easy to get used to the drone of our generator on our rig. Good luck hope you find what you are looking for.

We can only run two out of three ACs at once. There's a switch in the front bedroom that toggles between the bedroom and garage ACs. Poor us. :)
Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Feb 21, 2017
At least 2 ACs for that type of weather, bigger THs would need three but those are 5er toyhaulers. We have separate tanks for our generator and fuel station on our TH and can easily go at least a couple of days non-stop which we have done in Texas near South Padre. Our generator is mid-ship and has no effect on our sleep, we find it easy to get used to the drone of our generator on our rig. Good luck hope you find what you are looking for.
lawnspecialties
Explorer
Feb 21, 2017
At our ATV races, we'd arrive on Saturday around noon and during the summer, two ACs would run almost non-stop until we packed up late Sunday. The 30 gallon tank on the toy hauler was getting really low. That was the Onan 5500.

Finding a used bumper pull toy hauler with two ACs and 50A service is going to be a rare find. They're certainly available; especially if you order one. But they are quite rare and even more so in the used market.
garyemunson
Explorer II
Feb 21, 2017
Texas can stay pretty hot at night. Trying to sleep with a running generator is a challenge that I prefer to pass on. If you go that route, do not do it without one of these if your gen is built-in...
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-44461-Gen-Turi-Generator-Exhaust/dp/B000BUU5XG
May well keep you alive.....
arhayes
Explorer
Feb 21, 2017
We full time in a 43 ft TH with 3 AC's. If you plan on being in Texas in summer and insist on being cool, you will definitely need 2 AC's and 50a service. I have a 5500 Onan generator built in and it consumes about 5 gallons of gas every 8-10 hours of operation. Good luck on your hunt.
HouTX
Explorer
Feb 21, 2017
azdryheat wrote:
You can't have enough a/c's. The insulation on a trailer is pretty thin compared to your home so the a/c will have to work to compensate. Two might do the trick. Keep the windows to a minimum and dual-pane them if available. Best wishes on your search.

Ya, folding door probably not real temp efficient either.