Replacing ducted ac with nonducted unit.

It will fit , but you will have to cut the ducting and tape up for the other one to work. Hole in the ceiling also. Your duct probable has open up due to age/or not secure when it was installed with the duct tape.

Our AC units have vent slots with sliding closure tabs so the bulk of the cold air can come down right off the unit not push all air through the ducts. We have 2 units..for a quick cool down in either the front or back we open these vents then close it up to run through the ducts.

Opening and closing these smaller slots does not affect the main intake vent.

To some extent I agree...trying to cool off the ceiling/roof area where the ducts run, is difficult in the most extreme heat. However once the whole place is cooled down the ceiling vents help maintain more equal cooling. We found with the vents on the AC unit open it can get a bit uncomfortably cold near that airflow vents coming down.

I don't know what brand unit you have (ours are Coleman)...could be if your unit is designed to have this type of alternative vent openings just changing out the interior cover may be an option. If the units have some age on them, maybe they need serviced. Also check to be sure the intake filter is clean and the metal fins on the backside (exterior on the roof) are clean and not damaged. Our fins were badly bent from a bad hailstorm. I believe it is possible to unmash those fins. So, I'd think a call to the company that made the unit may be in order before you consider replacing it.

And if they are due to be replaced have a look at the newer ones to find more efficient units as well as alternative venting options. Our units also have the heat function.

Good luck...we know how important it is to keep these RVs cool in the heat. With AC they heat up like an oven in short order!

It seems to be that most ducted AC units are quickly installed at the factory without the benefit of the installer taking his time to actually seal all duct leaks at the unit. My AC unit was marginal until I removed the cover and, using AC duct seal, was able to actually seal the ducts so that the cool air actually went where it was supposed to go. After doing that, I am glad that I have the ducted AC system and the airflow is sufficient now to distribute the cool air throughout the coach.

ttwitc9516 wrote:
Have any of you done this? I'm not a fan of my ducted ac. It doesn't seem as efficient and now that one of my unit has faild it seems like a logical time to make the change. Will a nonducted unit bolt in place? I can just ignore the ducting.

ttwitc9516,
Just wondering, what kind of coach, year, model etc.? Some of the Winnes and Itascas out there had the rear main duct, at the bend where it exits the cooler and starts the assent up the back of the coach, become dislodged from the bend. Some folks had to get in there and re-tape the duct to the bend and that improved most of them drastically.

When I did my little "boo-boo" (as in backing into the house eves), I had to have some body work done on the rear of our 2004 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the 330 C-7 CAT. The entire rear cap of the coach had to be removed for the repairs to be done correctly.

When they did that, it exposed the entire duct system inside that cavity area. Apparently my ducting was in good shape but, the company that did the work, was familiar with the issues of that ducting area so, they re-enforced it anyways with new aluminum duct tape.

Our basement A/C has always performed well for us. Some folks claim they're louder and not as efficient as the roof top A/C units but, we've had both, several times and, so far, the basement A/C out performs any of the other coaches we've had. Just an opinion.
Scott

I have a Cobra Malibu 37' with Dometic DuoTherm units. They do not have the direct down discharge provision which sounds like a great idea.

ttwitc9516 wrote:
Have any of you done this? I'm not a fan of my ducted ac. It doesn't seem as efficient and now that one of my unit has faild it seems like a logical time to make the change. Will a nonducted unit bolt in place? I can just ignore the ducting.

Be aware that non-ducted units are sometimes are much louder than ducted units.

At least mine have always been so.

Double post. Sorry.

rgatijnet1 wrote:
It seems to be that most ducted AC units are quickly installed at the factory without the benefit of the installer taking his time to actually seal all duct leaks at the unit.

My AC unit was marginal until I removed the cover and, using AC duct seal, was able to actually seal the ducts so that the cool air actually went where it was supposed to go. After doing that, I am glad that I have the ducted AC system and the airflow is sufficient now to distribute the cool air throughout the coach.

I agree that you might have had a bunch of cold air escaping the cold air duct and just returning to the A/C inlet, causing several problems including ice on the evaporator.

I also had to remove the interior cover of my buddy's Bounder and cut away some excess styrofoam that was in the fresh air duct, blocking proper air flow. I just used a kitchen knife, and cut away a section about 2" thick and 2" wide that seemed to be blocking air flow, and it improved air to the rear vents.

To the OP, Did you consider that your original A/C has not been working correctly for some time? It might be slightly low on freon for a long time, and therefore giving reduced capacity all that time. I have found that ducted A/C is much more quiet, and distributes the air all over the RV, not just into the area below the A/C.

You can buy a replacement interior cover for the ducted A/C that opens a vent directly below the air filter, and blasts cold air into the RV. This might be a great advance to your ducted A/C unit.

Or if you live in a very hot area, and don't typically use 30 amp services with marginal voltage (or already have a voltage booster to get over the low voltage problem) you can get a 15,000 Btu ducted A/C with about 10% more capacity than the typical 13,500 Btu model. This combined with perhaps a marginal A/C unit that you are replacing might give you 30% more capacity than your non-functional unit had.

I would stay with ducted A/C just because they are so much more quiet!

Fred.

Golden,
I've had the same thought. You kick them on and cold air comes out and you don't think about whether either of them are operating at diminished capacity. I'll probably stay with the ducted unit and try to find the vented cover. I do like that they are quieter.