Dual Alternators for A/C Removal, newbie
Good morning everyone! I'm joe, new to the forum. To give a super quick backstory, I bought a 87 Minnie Winnie for $500 about a year ago, it was stripped and a leaky mess. 1 year later, me and my girl...
Forum Discussion
joeexsmoot,
Welcome to the Forums! :)
If the A/C system is still in tact, you don't have to put refrigerant in it to see if it's leaking. Just pull a vacuum on it and see if it'll hold it. You can have somebody do it for you, or if you are planning on doing the work yourself, it's worth the investment. There are probably others, maybe even cheaper and no endorsements for this brand or retailer: Harbor Freight Vacuum Pump
A set of gauges is about $60 bucks for R-134 systems, which is what you'll probably end up converting it to. Unless, of course, it doesn't leak.
If you know it leaks, you can just shoot a bit of refrigerant with a dye in the oil to find the leak with a UV light. Again, a bit more money, but if you do it yourself, fairly reasonable compared to having someone do the work for you.
However, if the compressor, condensor, evaporator or hoses have been damaged, the dollars can add up fast. In a rig that old, I'd be tempted to just rig up a decent generator and run the roof air.
I would be cautious about putting too much money into it.
And yes, when shops hear "motorhome", the rates often raise. Sometimes it might be justifiable, but at least in my experience, testing/charging the A/C system isn't any harder for me to do on my motorhome than on our minivan & SUV or any car I've had previously.
Good Luck,
~Rick
Welcome to the Forums! :)
If the A/C system is still in tact, you don't have to put refrigerant in it to see if it's leaking. Just pull a vacuum on it and see if it'll hold it. You can have somebody do it for you, or if you are planning on doing the work yourself, it's worth the investment. There are probably others, maybe even cheaper and no endorsements for this brand or retailer: Harbor Freight Vacuum Pump
A set of gauges is about $60 bucks for R-134 systems, which is what you'll probably end up converting it to. Unless, of course, it doesn't leak.
If you know it leaks, you can just shoot a bit of refrigerant with a dye in the oil to find the leak with a UV light. Again, a bit more money, but if you do it yourself, fairly reasonable compared to having someone do the work for you.
However, if the compressor, condensor, evaporator or hoses have been damaged, the dollars can add up fast. In a rig that old, I'd be tempted to just rig up a decent generator and run the roof air.
I would be cautious about putting too much money into it.
And yes, when shops hear "motorhome", the rates often raise. Sometimes it might be justifiable, but at least in my experience, testing/charging the A/C system isn't any harder for me to do on my motorhome than on our minivan & SUV or any car I've had previously.
Good Luck,
~Rick
