Check your AC mounting bolts

[RCMAN46]

I was doing maintenance on my 5th wheel AC unit. I found three of the mounting bolts loose and one had almost fell out.




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[Acampingwewillg]

I like that idea of springs! On my next retrofit with new gaskets I'll give that a try.

On the subject of air conditioners, has anyone here done the "hack" of placing insulation within the air conditioner separating return air and distributed air from inter-mixing? Just watched it on U tube and it looks like it works well in getting more cold air into the duct work. ( the video shows something of a pyramid shape of hard form insulation helping to direct air). Just curious of any real world results?

[dougrainer]

The CAUSE of loose mounting bolts is simple. The AC gasket slowly compresses over time. Once that happens, the mount bolts are now "loose". Travel and vibration cause them to slowly get looser and looser. The problem with just tightening the existing bolts depends on HOW MUCH the AC gasket has compressed. The most common mistake people make with just retightening the bolts and NOT checking the gasket thickness is, you tighten the bolts but you have to tighten MORE to get the bolts snug and then odds are you have totally compresses the remaining AC gasket and NOW, you have the AC evap pan drain holes touching the roof top and NOT draining correctly and now you have condensation water overflowing into the inside of the RV.
1. ALWAYS replace the gasket when the bolts have come loose
2. One way to STOP the bolts from causing compression of the gasket and then the bolts get loose is to install springs between the bolt head and the retainer ring. This keeps constant tension on the bolts and does not allow the AC gasket to compress as much. Winne/Itasca used to install these springs years ago to stop this. Doug

[Acampingwewillg]

Yes....good point! Bouncing down the road does loosen those bolts. I make a point of checking often!

[Lwiddis]

Good tip on A/C bolts. TY

[bgum]

They clearly didn't check the work or they would have found that it didn't work.

[BB_TX]

But don't overtighten.

I towed my 5er 30+ miles one way and had a second A/C installed. The new A/C would not run. Dealer had to order a new one. Towed it back again a week later and they moved it into the shop to (supposedly) replace the non working one with a new one. After a very short while they said it was ready and I mentioned to the tech (not the same one who initially installed it) that was a quick change out. He said he did not change it out. The only problem was the previous one had been tightened down too tight and the fan would not run. He just loosened the bolts a little.

When I checked out the service manager did not mention it. No "sorry about that". No "our tech made an error". No offer of anything for my trouble. Nothing. When I told him what the tech told me, he just shook his head. And I never went back into that store or another one of their stores again. Over 10 years ago. Need I say this was a Camping World! :S