AC not cooling in 115 degree heat
Not sure if this is because of the excess heat or if I have a problem. Coming from the PNW we don't experience this kind of heat. Had both the roof AC and the cab AC going from Anaheim to Needles, CA....
Forum Discussion
Even if your air conditioner is working perfect, the heat (BTU) gain rate of your RV must be less than the heat (BTU) removal rate capability of your air conditioner in order for your air conditioner to cool the interior to any temperature you want, after enough time, regardless of the ambient exterior temperature.
It's true that most air conditioners can reduce their exit air temperature (going into the RV's interior from the A/C) only about 20-25 degrees below the entrance air temperature (coming into the A/C from the RV's interior). This interior air recirculating cycle means that if the air conditioner is large enough to always "swamp out" all heat gain of the RV's living area from any conceivable outside ambient temperatures, then the interior should be able to be kept at, say for example, 72 degrees even in outside extremes as summer Death Valley ambient temperatures.
We intentionally bought a small Class C RV to, among other things, keep it's interior living area as small as possible so it's air conditioning system - which is about the standard size one normally put into small RVs (13,500 BTUs) - can always be made to swamp out heat (BTU) gain from the outside through the RV's ceiling, walls, and floors. As some above have suggested, in our case we can block off the cab, cabover bed, and rear bed areas with curtains if necessary so the air conditioner's BTU removal capacity can keep ahead of all heat gain coming from the outside into the remaining small interior space.
For immediate "emergency type" cooling in extreme exterior ambient temperatures, we can block off the rear bed and cabover bed areas for more than 35,000 BTU cooling capability coming from both the rooftop A/C and V10 engine A/C. So far when parked we have not been able to budge the V10's engine temperature gauge while idling it long periods with the cab air conditioning set at full power in outside temperatures as high as 105 degrees. We haven't yet been parked in higher outside temperatures than that, however.
For the OP's situation in 115 degree heat, the heat gain rate of the RV is obviously ahead of their air conditioner's (current) BTU removal rate. The operation of their A/C can of course be checked/verified by comparing A/C entrance and exit air temperatues to make sure the difference is at least 20 degrees.
It's true that most air conditioners can reduce their exit air temperature (going into the RV's interior from the A/C) only about 20-25 degrees below the entrance air temperature (coming into the A/C from the RV's interior). This interior air recirculating cycle means that if the air conditioner is large enough to always "swamp out" all heat gain of the RV's living area from any conceivable outside ambient temperatures, then the interior should be able to be kept at, say for example, 72 degrees even in outside extremes as summer Death Valley ambient temperatures.
We intentionally bought a small Class C RV to, among other things, keep it's interior living area as small as possible so it's air conditioning system - which is about the standard size one normally put into small RVs (13,500 BTUs) - can always be made to swamp out heat (BTU) gain from the outside through the RV's ceiling, walls, and floors. As some above have suggested, in our case we can block off the cab, cabover bed, and rear bed areas with curtains if necessary so the air conditioner's BTU removal capacity can keep ahead of all heat gain coming from the outside into the remaining small interior space.
For immediate "emergency type" cooling in extreme exterior ambient temperatures, we can block off the rear bed and cabover bed areas for more than 35,000 BTU cooling capability coming from both the rooftop A/C and V10 engine A/C. So far when parked we have not been able to budge the V10's engine temperature gauge while idling it long periods with the cab air conditioning set at full power in outside temperatures as high as 105 degrees. We haven't yet been parked in higher outside temperatures than that, however.
For the OP's situation in 115 degree heat, the heat gain rate of the RV is obviously ahead of their air conditioner's (current) BTU removal rate. The operation of their A/C can of course be checked/verified by comparing A/C entrance and exit air temperatues to make sure the difference is at least 20 degrees.
