Updated now, How to tell what A/C has for starting

[partsman01]

In other words before I try to get up on the top of fifth wheel, how do I tell if I have a hard start or an easy start set up, I know with a cord from the house it does seem to be slow to start, but that maybe due to an extension cord too.
Anyway short of climbing on a ladder to get on the roof which is almost I think 13' up, and taking apart the A/C unit?

Thanks
Bill

[partsman01]

Okay, finally got around to wiring a 30 amp service from my sub panel in the garage and put the 30 amp receptacle outside in a waterproof housing, now when I plug in and run the A/C I stay in the green at around 115 Volts and the A/C works way better than running it from the house plug in that i believe was a 20amp service, so next is trying out my generator to see how well the homelite 3500 works, it is 3000 watts running, I bought it new a few years ago from Home depot, but it crapped out on me and only just last year did I get around to fixing it, so have not tried to run anything substantial with it yet.
So will be interesting to see how it handles the A/C

[partsman01]

Well found out that our voltage is higher this morning and when I put the a/c on the voltage starts at 120 and goes down to 115 when running, so my problem here at home looks to me to be the high demand later in the day is why I have such a low voltage

[partsman01]

Well been busy, took off the 12 gauge cord I was using, and hooked up an old RV cord I salvaged from an old trailer.
So using it as an extension hooked into an outlet that has a 20 amp breaker and I am hoping the previous owner used the right wire gauge to this outlet, I found with the A/C running the voltage according to the meter plugged into the outlet shows it drops to about 110V which is in the red zone, so not sure if I will get to it, but down at my garage which is a ways away I am thinking I could run a 30 amp breaker in the sub panel in there and see how much cord I would need to reach it, think is that would cross the driveway and the vehicles would run over it, so would need to raise it up high to clear vehicles, but I still need to drag my homelite generator out and see how it goes running A/C off it, I believe it is a 3500 peak, and 3000W running.

[j-d]

I was looking for something else for another thread, came across a page advertising RVP/Coleman 13500 A/C as having a start capacitor with control relay, as standard equipment.

Anyhow, let us know what you find with your 13500, whether it has start assist now, and how it works when you add it.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

FWIW - w/o checking the model numbers of my A/Cs....
The AC I have (on my 5th) came with a 15K standard equipment from the factory.
If you wanted a second AC (an option) it was a 13.5K.

I have both ACs.
Running nothing else - starting the ACs (only one running)...
My Yam 2400is will start and run the 15K - no problem.
However, it struggles to get the 13.5K off the starter winding, but will accomplish that.

One of my "projects" was to see if the 13.5 had a hard start or not - but I hardly ever need/use it - and then only with full hookup (shore power).
Soooo - just never got a round tuit.
Although, as an add-on "option" - my guess is/was "no" hard start.

OP - make sure you use at least a 12 ga extension cord - as short as possible for your home use. Be good idea to check voltage when you start the AC.

~

[j-d]

This A/C is 13,500. When we had a coach with one that size, we could run it on the RV's own shore tie cable that I plugged into a 20 Amp outlet on the house. I actually had a 30A receptacle, because it was melting the 20-to-30 adapters. It would probably have also run using a 30A RV extension cord, but I didn't need that and never tried it. I would not use a "power tool" extension cord.

[jolooote]

When you say extension cord from the house I sure hope you don't mean a 15 0r even 20 amp power connection. If so, you may be trying to run the AC on low voltage (less than 108 VAC) which can damage the compressor over time.

[j-d]

RVP (RV Products) sells the Coleman brand of A/C units.

From what Doug posted above, the second number after "B" in the Model Number is a "7" and that means it DOES have some form of Hard Start Kit. I don't know if 7 means one type, 8 means another, and 9 means yet another.

I furnished a model number here awhile ago and a tech was able to tell me it had a Hard Start Kit incorporating a Potential Relay to control the Start Assist Capacitor. Others uses a Positive Temperature Coefficient Resistor (PTCR) to control it.

[fluffo2]

Try this parts list; especially item 15. http://www.arvparts.com/coleman_mach_8333B671_parts.pdf

Good luck, Bob

[SoundGuy]

partsman01 wrote:
So manual for a/C says RV products, I gather mine is an 8000 series in this 2004 fleetwood wilderness lite fifth wheel, model number is 8333B671 serial number is 120213337, so I gather that means mine has no hard start kit, and what make would this a/c be?

Coleman.

[partsman01]

So manual for a/C says RV products, I gather mine is an 8000 series in this 2004 fleetwood wilderness lite fifth wheel, model number is 8333B671 serial number is 120213337, so I gather that means mine has no hard start kit, and what make would this a/c be?
And would I be able to buy a hard start kit now to install, as I believe that makes it easier starting up, especially if I use a generator.

[partsman01]

Okay, thanks, I will start by looking through the paperwork from when we bought it used, otherwise i guess I have to get on top to look for serial numbers or model numbers.

[dougrainer]

Dometic will NOT have a Hard Start. RVP(Coleman) MAY have a Hard Start. RVP Hard Starts are only spec'd out on Towables, if the OEM requests them. Below is how you tell if RVP has the Hard Start. Doug

2ND NUMBER AFTER THE LETTER IN MODEL NUMBER TELLS THE TALE

IF 5 O6 THEN NO HARD START KIT

IF 7 -8- OR 9 HAS HARD START KIT

[j-d]

If you provide Make and complete Model Number, and you know nobody had repaired or modified it, one of our tech members may be able to tell you.

In my case, Chris Bryant was able to tell me that of the three possibilities

1. No Start Assist
2. Start Cap with PTCR
3. Start Cap with Potential Relay

that our Coleman Mach 15 had Start Cap with Potential Relay.

If you're trying to start A/C with anything less than a legitimate RV extension cord, that's likely to be your problem.