Recommendation on 2nd AC

All of the second units I've seen have their own controls and thermostat on bottom face of the unit. A pre-wire typically only includes the 110V wiring, unless you're in one of the super high-end units that are made for full-timing.

To install a wall mounted controller/thermostat, you'd need to pull wiring for it. Not a problem in most coaches to pull an interior wall panel to run wiring, but it's not for the faint at heart. We've got one separating the bedroom from the bath, and it's been removed a couple times to run wiring from the attic to the basement... YMMV.

All that said, we're on our third RV and never have seen a need for a second unit when the main is a 15K. And we did a lot of camping in AZ/UT...

The only time we use our second AC is to initially cool down the 5w after set up. The other use is to run the bedroom AC instead of the lower one in the evening so we can heat the tv. So, convenient, but not necessary

pennysmom09 wrote:
The only time we use our second AC is to initially cool down the 5w after set up. The other use is to run the bedroom AC instead of the lower one in the evening so we can heat the tv. So, convenient, but not necessary

Curious about your "heat the TV statement". What do you mean by that. First I have heard of that. Thanks!

I'm not sure I would want a TT with only 1 AC ?? I have have plenty of RV's in my time, all different sizes..

We went from 1 AC.. to wishing we had 2.. then we had 2 and loved it.... now with 3, it's awesome.... never again will I have only 1... Just the convenience of being able to run one or the other ..OR BOTH ( if the RV is wired properly).. as far as the size, depending on the difference, I would drop a 15k in, BUT a 13.5 would be just fine as a second unit.

I'm partial to Coleman. Either a Mach 1 11Kbtu or Mach 3 13.5K non ducted would work. The Dometic we have now sounds like we are standing in a wind tunnel.

Our previous 35' Outback TT had an 11K in the bedroom and it worked well for us. We set the fan to be always on so the fan cycling didn't wake us up.

Is your TT 30A or 50A service? If it's 30A, you can run only one at a time unless you wire it to be able to use an additional pedestal outlet. We could run only one or the other in ours.

We've always had 1 AC unit. But in our class C, last summer, we experienced extreme heat and I looked deep into a 2nd unit. Controls on the unit, and I'd add a male plug to a storage bin, so that I can plug it in at a campsite in the 20A outlet.

Our issue was keeping back bedroom cool -- it would hit 78 to 81 deg in dead of summer. And rest of unit was only 77to 79. Add to that 4 of us plus 2 dogs...so lots of heat.

HOWEVER, I ended up trying a $9 camco roof vent cover. Yes, we have the external vent covers, but this is soft with reflective material on one side. Fits in the vent on the inside...and wow...it made a huge difference. We have 2 vents and a skylight...so lots of heat loss/heat gain (depending on season). Sure, another AC unit would be even better...but for now, I saved on the cost and pain of install with 3 covers at $9 to $11 each.

Note I looked heavily at eTrailer for the AC unit -- better cost, all the parts you need, and tech help.

I added a 13.5K AC to the bedroom in our 34' 5er. Even in very hot weather we only use it to help cool the trailer after a long day driving in hot weather. Once cooled off, the rear 15k AC keeps it cool. So no need to run the noisier bedroom AC at night.

The OP didn't ask whether or not to have a second AC. He asked for a recommendation for "something quiet with its own controls and thermostat".

Look at the Airxcel Mach 8 Plus Cub.

kfp673 wrote:

pennysmom09 wrote:
The only time we use our second AC is to initially cool down the 5w after set up. The other use is to run the bedroom AC instead of the lower one in the evening so we can heat the tv. So, convenient, but not necessary

Curious about your "heat the TV statement". What do you mean by that. First I have heard of that. Thanks!

Typical LCD displays have problems operating in cold temperatures (below 30 - 40F is where you can start to see problems, though you probably wouldn't use an air conditioner to heat it -- even if it's a heat-pump/AC, those usually aren't very effective below 30-40F either.

Though judging by the context, pennysmom09 most likely meant "heaR", not "heaT". Our only AC is near the TV, and with the AC on, the TV is pretty much unusable.