2006 Alfa Gold Motorhome Ad An AC?

[base1957]

2006 Alfa Gold Motorhome

Can you add an AC into the existing fantastic vent or top vent that is on the motorhome?
Trying to find a way to cool it better and would like a long term fixed solution.

[JackMS]

Hopefully this link works. I added a third a/c. Works great.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27021052.cfm

[Community Alumni]

moisheh wrote:
There is also a problem with a lack of insulation in the front cap. There is a poster from AZ in this forum who is an Alfa expert. His is probably the nicest Alfa ever made! Maybe he will join in with some advice.

Moisheh

My front cap is insulated

JimR

[Community Alumni]

gatorcq wrote:
By the way, it is easy installtion, as we have 3 places we trust in doing the installation. Yes a DIYer, can do the job. Power from the panel up the wall behind the refrig. Drill into cabinet, come over to the point where the A/C is installed.
This is where the fun begins. drill a hole into the ceiling, now using a snake, piece of pex tubing push towards the A/C.

Dale

FYI my 2007 is prewired for the rooftop AC from the electric compartment but the wires do go up from behind the refer the wires are there. Not sure about the 2006

To the OP go to the groups as posted for a wealth of information
JimR

[gatorcq]

By the way, it is easy installtion, as we have 3 places we trust in doing the installation. Yes a DIYer, can do the job. Power from the panel up the wall behind the refrig. Drill into cabinet, come over to the point where the A/C is installed.
This is where the fun begins. drill a hole into the ceiling, now using a snake, piece of pex tubing push towards the A/C.

[gatorcq]

First, the basement A/C works very well.
2nd, many people have added a 2nd A/C, this was due to being in extreme heat. over 100 degrees. Many MH have problems over 100 degrees.

To get better results and join a good community on the Alfa's I suggest joining both of these groups

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/alfaseeya/info

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SeeYaDP/info

There are still over 4000 Alfa's on the road.

By the way, many MH have basement A/C,'s but they have very few windows and smaller in height.

[moisheh]

There is also a problem with a lack of insulation in the front cap. There is a poster from AZ in this forum who is an Alfa expert. His is probably the nicest Alfa ever made! Maybe he will join in with some advice.

Moisheh

[Community Alumni]

dougrainer wrote:

JimR 1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
Since they use a Basement system and the drawback on Alfa and one of the reasons they went under is the basement AC was NOT designed and installed correctly by Alfa. There is NO return air from the front half of the motorhome and because of that you cannot cool the interior below 80 degrees in hot weather. Adding a roof top AC will require you run 120 12/3 romex from the breaker panel up to the area where you will install the roof top AC. Unless you can get the motorhome pennies on the dollar, I would not advise buying it. Doug

I do not think that the ALFA motor home company went out of business because of an AC they went out of business because they were not making any money for the investors.

The AC does recirculated air from the front as most of the air is directed there and then through the filter in the rear.

JimR

Well, I SERVICED and we SOLD Alfa for 1 year. We dropped Alfa because of the Lack of a properly designed AC system. What I stated is TRUE. Our Dealership and a Houston dealership did the tests because Alfa refused to believe that the units would not cool in higher than 85 degree weather. We ran a 12 inch duct down the hall to the front area connected to the return air plenum. With THAT hose connected we could get the Alfa down around 72 to 75 degrees up front in 90 degree weather WITH ALL THE SHADES DOWN. Once the word got out about the cooling problem and the front slide problems, we could not sell our Alfa's. We had a few potential customers call us in the middle of the summer and stated they would show up at 3 pm and IF the Alfa was comfortable, they would buy it. We could not get the Alfa's down below 80 degrees and we had to fire sale them after dropping the line. The downturn in the economy and in the RV business did contribute to Alfa's demise, but design defects were a major factor. Doug

Doug to be fair I have a 2007 ALFA and did have a problem with the AC seems that the AC was operating at 1/2 capacity but would test good except the temperature difference between outlet and return was not in specs. (2 shops) Coleman was involved and the AC unit was replaced and the difference was very noticeable and and I will cool down to 75 or less if needed.

I do wonder if some of the Coleman units were bad as the replacement looked different same design but looked better built. Also after 2 shops did the testing one in Wichita KS and one in Yuma AZ Coleman made arrangement for a replacement very quick and was replaced in Oklahoma City OK.

So yes the AC may or is a problem for some but I am good so far.

Also to slides did have issues but I have the newer slide and it is working very well.

JimR

[tropical36]

base1957 wrote:
2006 Alfa Gold Motorhome

Can you add an AC into the existing fantastic vent or top vent that is on the motorhome?
Trying to find a way to cool it better and would like a long term fixed solution.

So you evidently already own this rig. OK and well the mounting should be easy enough, it might take some doing for getting the wiring neatly out and where you can plug it in to a shore pedestal, using a dual power adapter and accomplished by splitting a circuit feed from the genset. This way, you can use both the genset and shore, by simply plugging or unplugging into a self installed on-board outlet. Then again, I don't know your setup, exactly, so might have to take some studying and evaluating.

[dougrainer]

JimR 1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
Since they use a Basement system and the drawback on Alfa and one of the reasons they went under is the basement AC was NOT designed and installed correctly by Alfa. There is NO return air from the front half of the motorhome and because of that you cannot cool the interior below 80 degrees in hot weather. Adding a roof top AC will require you run 120 12/3 romex from the breaker panel up to the area where you will install the roof top AC. Unless you can get the motorhome pennies on the dollar, I would not advise buying it. Doug

I do not think that the ALFA motor home company went out of business because of an AC they went out of business because they were not making any money for the investors.

The AC does recirculated air from the front as most of the air is directed there and then through the filter in the rear.

JimR

Well, I SERVICED and we SOLD Alfa for 1 year. We dropped Alfa because of the Lack of a properly designed AC system. What I stated is TRUE. Our Dealership and a Houston dealership did the tests because Alfa refused to believe that the units would not cool in higher than 85 degree weather. We ran a 12 inch duct down the hall to the front area connected to the return air plenum. With THAT hose connected we could get the Alfa down around 72 to 75 degrees up front in 90 degree weather WITH ALL THE SHADES DOWN. Once the word got out about the cooling problem and the front slide problems, we could not sell our Alfa's. We had a few potential customers call us in the middle of the summer and stated they would show up at 3 pm and IF the Alfa was comfortable, they would buy it. We could not get the Alfa's down below 80 degrees and we had to fire sale them after dropping the line. The downturn in the economy and in the RV business did contribute to Alfa's demise, but design defects were a major factor. Doug

[Ivylog]

Yes you can put a non ducted AC in the vent hole but getting to the controls on the unit would take a ladder. You could solve this and the power issue by just running your power cord from it to the 15 A outlet in most 50A pedestals over the roof Plug it in when you need more AC.

[Community Alumni]

dougrainer wrote:
Since they use a Basement system and the drawback on Alfa and one of the reasons they went under is the basement AC was NOT designed and installed correctly by Alfa. There is NO return air from the front half of the motorhome and because of that you cannot cool the interior below 80 degrees in hot weather. Adding a roof top AC will require you run 120 12/3 romex from the breaker panel up to the area where you will install the roof top AC. Unless you can get the motorhome pennies on the dollar, I would not advise buying it. Doug

I do not think that the ALFA motor home company went out of business because of an AC they went out of business because they were not making any money for the investors.

The AC does recirculated air from the front as most of the air is directed there and then through the filter in the rear.

JimR

[Community Alumni]

Go here and you will get an answer:

Alfa Forums Link

Some units were manufactured with wiring to the top for an AC.

ANd you may have other issues with the AC as to it cooling properly.

Question do you have the 50amp / 30amp switched to 50amp?

JimR

[Fulltimers]

I had a friend that took his back to Alfa (when they were still in business) and requested a roof air. They told him they are prewired to install an AC unit in the roof vent hole. You might remove the inside shroud from your fan and see if you can find any wires in there. The problem might be (if they are there) is where does the other end go.

[dougrainer]

Since they use a Basement system and the drawback on Alfa and one of the reasons they went under is the basement AC was NOT designed and installed correctly by Alfa. There is NO return air from the front half of the motorhome and because of that you cannot cool the interior below 80 degrees in hot weather. Adding a roof top AC will require you run 120 12/3 romex from the breaker panel up to the area where you will install the roof top AC. Unless you can get the motorhome pennies on the dollar, I would not advise buying it. Doug