Replacing Air Conditioner - which one?

[BarneyS]

I have an 11 year old Dometic Brisk Air 15,000btu air conditioner in my trailer. For the past several years I have had to climb up on the roof, after the trailer has been sitting unused for 30 days or longer, take the shroud off the unit, and physically turn the fan blades and lubricate them before the air conditioner will operate normally. After doing that, it will continue to operate and put out fairly cool air as long as it does not sit unused for a long period of time.

I am getting up in the years and no longer feel too comfortable climbing up on the roof of my RV. I do not want to just repair the existing unit but instead want to replace it with a new one. My question is:

Should I purchase a direct replacement (Dometic 15000 BTU Duo Therm Brisk 2 Air RV Air Conditioner Complete)
or

Dometic Commercial Grade 15000btu
or

Dometci Penguin II High Capacity
or perhaps a

Coleman unit.

All would have to be ducted models but no heat pump.
I would appreciate any recommendations you might have or even any additional units I have not seen yet but high quality.

I will be doing the installation myself(with the help of my two sons and a grandson or two).

Thank you! 🙂
Barney

[LarryJM]

One thing to check is to make real sure that whatever unit you get it will be compatible with the Air Plenum that is currently there or that you ensure a proper Air Plenum can be installed and correctly matched to your existing duct work.

I would not want someone trying to jury rig a new Air Plenum to marry up a new roof unit to the existing duct work.

Larry

[BarneyS]

I have the Dometic "Comfort Conrol" digital thermostat which I like very much. I think I can keep it if I change out the control unit in the ceiling - that at least is what I was told. If not, I would get the new digital thermostat with it.

On my unit, it is the fan shaft that is freezing up with prolonged non-use. Moving it and lubing it frees it up until the next time it sits. I just got back from 4 months in Florida and the trailer is now in the barn until late June. I know I will have to get up on the roof again to free it so I want it replaced. Also, since the unit is 11 years old, with my luck, I could fix the motor, and then something else will go. I think I would prefer a new, modern, more efficient unit.

I think I am leaning towards the new Brisk Air II unit as it is almost a direct replacement for what I have and, with a control box fix, can work with my existing thermostat. Most places I have checked with sell it with the new digital thermostat though, so I would have a choice.

Thank you for all the responses so far. They have been very helpful. 🙂
Barney

[ScottG]

I've had to do the roof thing since my TT was 1 y/o and I still need to do it this year.
Are they doing anything different to the new ones so we don't have to do this?

Oh and don't try to free it by using the blades to turn it, they'll break.

[j-d]

Chris is one of several recently who like the Dometic line over Coleman/RVP. I personally like the durability of Coleman and the parts availability seems a little better. But ours is LOUD. A quieter brand would appeal to me. Coleman hs two fan speeds and Dometic has three. That low speed might be quieter.

I had the blower bearings go "bad" in a Coleman A/C. The porous sleeve bearings must have gotten fouled with something that became sticky. Completely dismantling the motor, soaking and crocus clothing the sleeves and shaft, still left it where it'd stick. If the unit was mine, I'd try cleaning the coils with a temporary lubrication of the blower. If cleaning led to colder air, then replace the blower motor. I spent way too many hours on those sleeve bearings before giving up and ordering a new motor.

[Chris_Bryant]

I would go with the Briskair II- pretty nice unit. While it should be plug and play with the old inside assembly, you can install the new Dometic digital t-stat- the only disadvantage to going with a new inside assembly is that you are stuck with the Dometic t-stat- with the original assembly, you can use a standard one (i.e., hunter, et. al.)

[Jim-Linda]

You will also have to replace the 'stat and control box, yours is not compatible with new ones.

Jim

[Ivylog]

Getting your old Tstat to work with a newer unit may be a problem so check compatibility first.

I had much the same problem last year with one of my 12 year old Dometic heat pumps. By putting 1/4" spacers under the front fan motor mount it no longer rubbed the fan housing which was making it hard to turn. Tried oiling for several years and this would help but not for long. This solution has solved the problem for a couple of cents.

Try spinning the shaft before and after raising it up. I think you will be able to tell how much longer it keeps spinning. I could not hear it dragging or hitting and the rubber motor mounts were good. The pan/base in that area looks to be slightly bent/sagging.

[Big_Katuna]

I replaced the fans in my ten year old units. But I see your point about replacing with new. I'd go with direct replacement.

[pianotuna]

Have you tried "flipping" the fan by hand from inside the RV?

If I were to replace the air conditioner I would upgrade to a heat pump model.