Griff in Fairbanks wrote:
...On another note, I really hate -- really, really hate -- really, really, really hate -- working inside a dash. Working on the backside of instrument clusters and similar dash 'faceplates' is okay but actually working inside the dash isn't. (Did I mention I really hate working inside a dash?) I'd gladly trade rebuilding an automatic transmission to have someone else do the contortions required to actually work inside a dash.
It's actually not that bad. When the RV manufacturers cut the middle section out to fit the A.R.A. A/C system, it really opened everything up. Taking the instrument cluster out really opens everything up, and if you take the glovebox out, you can access absolutely everything.
What I really don't understand is why the RV manufacturers installed these A.R.A. aftermarket A/C units, rather than just order the MB300 from Dodge with factory A/C already installed. I actually broke the original plastic A.R.A. shroud....shattered into a thousand pieces, and I freaked out, because A.R.A. is no longer in business and what are the odds of finding a replacement online?
Well, I got real darn lucky, because I found a shroud on eBay. I did some plasti-welding and then took my heat gun to the whole thing and annealed the plastic, releasing any stress that might have built up in the shroud over the years. A quick cleaning with soap and water, rubdown with alcohol and then I hit it with Krylon Matte Black.
The AM radio was dirty but intact, so I cleaned everything up, inside an out. I used the condenser from my old unit, because I know it works. The nice thing is that this shroud has small side vents, in addition to the three front vents...my old shroud didn't have them, although the condenser was pre-cut for them.
