Air conditioner replacement

I talked to my RV Service guy which is good because he is so hard to get a hold of. He stated with profanity which is rare for him under no circumstances to consider the Advent. He states that the brackets are to thin to properly support the unit forcing him to use paint stirrer sticks for added support. They also have a condensation issue that causes water to drip into the unit.

He has also had several DOA Dometic recently and Dometic was difficult to deal with on replacing them. Wanted him to attempt repairs.

He favors the Coleman but thinks he might be able to fix my Dometic for considerably less than replacement. I have an appointment for next week.

I will let you know his findings

Ken has a very good point here, OP. Our coach IS 30A. Even with a single A/C, that 15000 taxes the power supply and causes low voltage. IF the 13500 you now have is/was cooling OK (by that I mean to your satisfaction) then replace with 13500. Add heat strip if you want, make sure the new "upper" (the roof part) will connect to your current "lower" part (the interior ceiling part) and choose the Make/Model that matches those requirements.
ANOTHER reason NOT to upsize: An oversized A/C will cool the coach so quickly that it cycles out before it's removed enough humidity for you feel good. The coach will be CLAMMY! We can prove it. We have to run a dehumidifier to keep the dampness down. Our coach can be 100* inside and comfortable in 30 minutes and that's nice. It's also a ductless unit which I believe sustains less cooling losses. Still, we pay for that cooling power in electrical demand, humidity, and noise. That 15000 has two settings: Very Loud and Even Louder. A ducted version might not be noticeably louder than a 13500, but this ductless 15000 is a good deal louder than our older ductless 13500.

dpgllg wrote:
I need recommendations on a replacement air conditioner for my 5th wheel. It currently has a Duotherm 13,500 ducted AC on a 30amp system.

I see Duotherm and advent and Coleman units. I would like to replace with a 15,000 ducted unit with a heat strip. I realize that if I go with a heat strip modal I will have to replace the thermostat that will handle AC, Heat Strip, and Furnace.

I am looking for dependability, ease of installation, and cost. Can anyone recommend a particular brand and why? Are there modals I should stay away from?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Well, I am not sure that replacing a 13K a/c unit with a 15k unit is a good idea. You have 30 amp service versus 50 amp service. I suspect that all RVs with 15K a/c have 50 amp service. Your unit is not designed for 15K a/c. Stick w the 13K a/c.

We've had two Coleman Mach non-ducted A/C units. Good performance, longevity, and few problems with both. First was 25 years old when we sold the coach and it still cooled well after a good CLEANING. It was a 13500 unit.
Our present Mach is a 15000 (think it's called Mach Plus). At 10 years old, I just had to replace the blower motor and cleaned it while I was at it.
Just from looking at RVs and reading here, I think there are somewhat more Coleman units in use, but more problems with Dometic reported here. Even if it's true, I don't think the differences are significant.
I also like the way RVP (Coleman) makes all the documentation available. Drawback I see on the 15000 Coleman A/C is I can't find a high efficiency version like they have for 13500. Sure, campground electricity usually isn't metered, but 30-Amps isn't much and reduced A/C consumption would be nice. I don't know how this works with Dometic.
And I share you opinion on Advent Brand. Availability of Parts and Service is very critical to me. RVP/RVComfort/Coleman has worked out well.

PPL is always a good place to price shop: http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-air-conditioner-parts-1.htm

OP here,

After reading further about Advent Dometic and Coleman I think I will probably be going with a Dometic or Coleman. I don't feel comfortable with not being able to simply go online and locate a service center if you need help. I don't want to call an 800 number only to find out possibly that there is no center close by.

Your thoughts on Dometic and Coleman and where is the best places to buy them will be appreciated.

Thanks!

Dometic Duo Therm Brisk 2 Air 15,000 BTU HP are good, I installed a dometic duo therm brisk 2 air 13.5k BTU for a 3rd A/C on my 5th wheel my self 2 months ago. Not to hard if you know what ur doing.