Hey everyone! I am new here and was hoping to get some guidance about an AC issue in my 26-foot travel trailer. I turned it on for the first time this year and noticed it wasn't cooling well. It was blowing coolish air, but not cold, and was not cooling the trailer much at all. I live in the trailer full time and definitely need ac as our temps can get pretty warm here in the summer (no shade available for parking either). I am wondering if I could just use a portable AC instead, or if it would be better to have the rooftop unit replaced (I am not at all handy so I would need to hire someone). I don't have a lot of cash flow at the moment, so I am looking for the most economical solution. Is it advisable to use a portable ac in a travel trailer safely and efficiently? If so how many btu's would I need for a 26-footer? Thanks in advance for your help!

If you use a portable, you would need at least 1.5 times the btu capacity of your roof mounted unit because portable units are MUCH less efficient.You probably have a 15,000 btu unit. 20,000 to 25,000 btu portable units are quite rare. Check Lowes, HD and Amazon. They would probably run $400 to >$800. It should be worth getting your built in unit repaired. At least get a couple of estimates.

Portables just flat out suck. If you sit right in front of the portable it might cool you down. The downside of a portable is it has to exhaust the hot air to the outside that it creates when cooling. This causes a negative pressure inside so the new hot outside air gets pulled into the trailer to relieve the vacuum.

opnspaces wrote:Portables just flat out suck. If you sit right in front of the portable it might cool you down. The downside of a portable is it has to exhaust the hot air to the outside that it creates when cooling. This causes a negative pressure inside so the new hot outside air gets pulled into the trailer to relieve the vacuum.That is true of single-hose units, which I agree are just about useless because of the pressure differential you mention. If you get a dual hose unit, it both draws and exhausts air outside. No pressure differential with those.

Older portable units did suck. the new roll around units often have a higher efficiency rating than the RV rooftops and do NOT suck air out of the space. They have an inlet/outlet duct for the window so they don't suck air out of the room.Check around and see what you can find. The good ones aren't cheap. Cheap or Good, pick one.

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like it may be worth getting an estimate to see about getting the rooftop unit repaired. No sense in buying a portable if it won't do the job. Do regular HVAC companies work on these type of units or is it best to try and find a mobile tech for RV's/travel trailers specifically? I just watched a video on cleaning and maintaining rooftop units. I am going to clean it and see if it will help it to cool better. I have no idea if a dirty unit could cause it to not blow as cold, but I figure it couldn't hurt to try.

Rooftop AC Unit Not Cooling Well | Good Sam Community

ktmrfs
Explorer II
May 09, 2023
Older portable units did suck. the new roll around units often have a higher efficiency rating than the RV rooftops and do NOT suck air out of the space. They have an inlet/outlet duct for the window so they don't suck air out of the room.

Check around and see what you can find. The good ones aren't cheap. Cheap or Good, pick one.
F_B
Explorer
May 09, 2023
opnspaces wrote:
Portables just flat out suck. If you sit right in front of the portable it might cool you down.

The downside of a portable is it has to exhaust the hot air to the outside that it creates when cooling. This causes a negative pressure inside so the new hot outside air gets pulled into the trailer to relieve the vacuum.

That is true of single-hose units, which I agree are just about useless because of the pressure differential you mention. If you get a dual hose unit, it both draws and exhausts air outside. No pressure differential with those.
opnspaces
Navigator II
May 09, 2023
Portables just flat out suck. If you sit right in front of the portable it might cool you down.

The downside of a portable is it has to exhaust the hot air to the outside that it creates when cooling. This causes a negative pressure inside so the new hot outside air gets pulled into the trailer to relieve the vacuum.
Moochie
Explorer
May 09, 2023
If you use a portable, you would need at least 1.5 times the btu capacity of your roof mounted unit because portable units are MUCH less efficient.

You probably have a 15,000 btu unit. 20,000 to 25,000 btu portable units are quite rare. Check Lowes, HD and Amazon. They would probably run $400 to >$800. It should be worth getting your built in unit repaired. At least get a couple of estimates.

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Rooftop AC Unit Not Cooling Well

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