Side mounted A/C - does the roof thingy serve any purpose?

[EnochLight]

Hello,

I have a 2013 Gulfstream Amerilite Ultralite 16BHC, and its AC is mounted on the wall and appears to be a regular low profile air conditioning unit. It's made by GE.

My question is: does the black roof vent thingy serve any purpose in this setup? I have no idea why it's even installed:



There doesn't appear to be any sort of drain line for the condensation, and often (on warmer humid trips) I find water spilling out from the bottom onto my bed! :S

[campigloo]

It sure looks like a fridge vent but who knows. There is not enough tilt on the a/c. Find a low spot near the middle of the underside of the unit and drill a small hole in it. Many of them need some water to splash on the condensing coil so don't make it too big.

[billroz]

some of these sidewall air say to turn off the air and just run fan so the water is blown out

[hohenwald48]

I have a small (5000 BTU) window unit in a small shop. It flings the condensate on to the condenser. That helps cool the condenser and the condensate evaporates into the outside air. In 3 years it has never dripped a drop of water anywhere. That's in middle TN where the humidity level is so high you can practically swim thru the air.

I suppose if airflow was restricted the condensate might not efficiently evaporate and could then drip. Additionally, if your evaporator coils freeze up there can be a significant amount of water when the ice begins to melt after the compressor shuts off.

All that may mean absolutely nothing in your installation but I thought I'd just throw out the info for what it's worth.

[colliehauler]

Gsragtop wrote:
The black box allows the unit to breathe, with out it the surrounding air would cause it to over heat.. Remember in a window application like the unit was designed for the entire back end would be exposed.

How does yours cool btw? I have a similar unit and the ac does not cool worth a darn..

Thanks

.

[Doug33]

dtappy3353 wrote:
This may sound crazy however, has anyone tried to install a free-standing air conditioner from Home Depot? They stand anywhere in the RV.

All you have to do is be close to an electrical plug and figure out a way to vent the hose.

Yes/no?

This may be an option for those who have problems with their current roof conditioners and don't want to replacement em.

Just a thought!?

I bought one for my home sunroom, which does not have A/C. It works fantastic for the room that is about 24' x 10'. You just have to connect the vent hose to a window. In all the time I've used it, I've never had to empty the condensation tank. It must just evaporate over time.

The issue in a TT may be floor space and how to rig it to a window for venting.

[EnochLight]

Domo wrote:

EnochLight wrote:
Hello,

I have a 2013 Gulfstream Amerilite Ultralite 16BHC, and its AC is mounted on the wall and appears to be a regular low profile air conditioning unit. It's made by GE.

My question is: does the black roof vent thingy serve any purpose in this setup? I have no idea why it's even installed:



There doesn't appear to be any sort of drain line for the condensation, and often (on warmer humid trips) I find water spilling out from the bottom onto my bed! :S

Regarding water spilling - all A/C's make water due to condensation on the evaporator coil (the one in the front near the controls). This is supposed to run down and get channeled to the rear where the condenser fan is supposed to pick up the water and use it to help cool off the condenser coil. However, dirt, bugs, improper installation, trailer not level can all lead to the water not flowing to the back of the unit and will result in an overflow into the living quarters.

Hi Domo,

This thread is over a year old. I actually sold the camper this past spring. Thanks for chiming in though. 😉

Cheers,

EnochLight

[Domo]

EnochLight wrote:
Hello,

I have a 2013 Gulfstream Amerilite Ultralite 16BHC, and its AC is mounted on the wall and appears to be a regular low profile air conditioning unit. It's made by GE.

My question is: does the black roof vent thingy serve any purpose in this setup? I have no idea why it's even installed:



There doesn't appear to be any sort of drain line for the condensation, and often (on warmer humid trips) I find water spilling out from the bottom onto my bed! :S

Regarding water spilling - all A/C's make water due to condensation on the evaporator coil (the one in the front near the controls). This is supposed to run down and get channeled to the rear where the condenser fan is supposed to pick up the water and use it to help cool off the condenser coil. However, dirt, bugs, improper installation, trailer not level can all lead to the water not flowing to the back of the unit and will result in an overflow into the living quarters.

[Domo]

Gsragtop wrote:
The black box allows the unit to breathe, with out it the surrounding air would cause it to over heat.. Remember in a window application like the unit was designed for the entire back end would be exposed.

How does yours cool btw? I have a similar unit and the ac does not cool worth a darn..

Thanks

You are correct the black box is needed. Some companies, such as TravelLite Campers don't allow the A/C to get air to cool the condenser (compressor) coil. Therefore, the A/C won't work very well, will cycle constantly and will burn out early in life. But, they don't care as long as you get out of the warranty period.

[EnochLight]

upsnake wrote:
My KZ Spree Escape has the same set up. The A/C is in the same spot and has the vent on the top as well. I always assumed it was for the AC to breath as well.
When running mine just drips from the lower corner of the a/c about an inch from the trailer sidewall.

I have never noticed water coming back inside the trailer.

Curious - now I'm starting to wonder if perhaps my tray is clogged or something. Would you care to post a photo of yours if you get a chance?

Thanks!

[upsnake]

My KZ Spree Escape has the same set up. The A/C is in the same spot and has the vent on the top as well. I always assumed it was for the AC to breath as well.
When running mine just drips from the lower corner of the a/c about an inch from the trailer sidewall.

I have never noticed water coming back inside the trailer.

It cools the camper really well, and is small enough to run from a 15 amp plug. 🙂

[Jerry9n]

My BIL has a small canned ham trailer he restored and uses one of the free standing units. Works quite well. He vents it through a window. I am restoring an 18' 1965 vintage trailer and will probably do the same thing.

These units, while more expensive than a window are quieter and pretty versatile (you can even take it into your house with you when not in the RV).

[dtappy3353]

This may sound crazy however, has anyone tried to install a free-standing air conditioner from Home Depot? They stand anywhere in the RV.

All you have to do is be close to an electrical plug and figure out a way to vent the hose.

Yes/no?

This may be an option for those who have problems with their current roof conditioners and don't want to replacement em.

Just a thought!?

[EnochLight]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I don't know what that cover is on top, also don't know what you mean by "regular low profile air conditioning unit". That is a window unit modified for side wall use.

Correct, however; it's also a low profile unit - similar to what you would find here:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Frigidaire-8-000-BTU-Mini-Compact-Window-Air-Conditioner-FRA082AT7/1344897...

[EnochLight]

beemerphile1 wrote:
I don't know what that cover is on top, also don't know what you mean by "regular low profile air conditioning unit". That is a window unit modified for side wall use. Does it look like this on the street side?


It probably should drain out the back of the unit which means down the outside wall.

Hello,

gsragtop said it's a vent to allow the unit to remain cool while operating, which makes complete sense to me. The one you pictured doesn't seem to show one, so maybe it doesn't have one or it's out of the picture? Anyway, I posted a picture of mine right here:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27787552/gotomsg/27787570.cfm#27787570