Custom Air Conditioning Retrofit

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Yes, it has been welded as per the recall. The steel channel appears about a 1/4" thick when you look where it joins under the coupler. It's amazing there would have ever been any issue with the frame. Probably done out of an abundance of caution.

Escape's Points to Ponder page includes this:

The frame is constructed with 3/16” thick 1 ½” x 3” T1 steel tubing creating a solid foundation, eliminating any chance of fatigue.

It is outdated, presumably written when all Escape frames were 1 ½” x 3”; now all current models have 2” x 4” main rails and tongues, with 1 ½” x 3” rear sections. I don't recall a wall thickness statement for the 2"x4" tubing.

3/16" is 50% thicker than my 17-foot Boler's 2"x4" frame tubing. The tubing is more than strong enough in 3" tall or 4" tall sizes; the concern was only with the mitre joint in the 3" tall version, and even then less than 1% had any problem.

[rubicon327]

Just a final picture of the outside lines rolling out from under the trailer to the condenser. The one Liquidtight conduit has 120V AC power from a new 15 amp breaker installed in the power center. The other Liquidtight line is the interconnecting power and control wire between the indoor and outdoor unit. You can also see the refrigerant line set. A pre-insulated 15' line set was perfect. It meets the system minimum and there are only small coils at the front of the trailer, tight to the underside. I am enlisting a friend who is an HVAC tech to pressure test with nitrogen, evacuate and charge some time this week. I'll report back when it is running with some feedback on the performance, including a sound comparison.

[rubicon327]

Oh and a lesson learned with pre-insulated refrigeration lines. The 1/4" line had flared ends that were absolute garbage and would have leaked like a sieve. My only guess is they do enough to hold the nuts on and assume the installer is cutting and flaring themselves. Interestingly the 3/8" line ends were beautiful. I took the lines back apart tonight and did new flares on the 1/4" line. Quite a bit of work taking the inside unit back out, but it had to be done to have an honest shot at a leak-free system. I didn't have the flare tool during the original installation or I would have done it then.

You can see a good flare on the left that I made and the garbage from the factory line set on the right.

[rbryan4]

You're probably right about the factory flare. Doesn't even look like a flare -- more like a bend just to hold the nut on for shipping.

[Brian B-P]

Looking good!
Any plan to add something to avoid damage (with motion during travel) to the conduit at the edge of the mounting plate?

[Jim Bennett]

Your installation is looking great, good job!

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Brian you came through again. It is the 120177 box and I had to make it work because it cannot be returned through Fastenal. I slid the box forward enough to keep some storage behind the access door and vent the box out the front. The seat support structure made it difficult to do it any other way. Battery box lid comes off easily for access.

I had my battery box pretty much exactly where yours is. As close to the left as possible, and right up to the support. This left room for lots of footwear.

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The outdoor unit looks like it belongs there, and those corner pads (which Escape uses because the liner material wouldn't fit the interior shape otherwise) are certainly handy!

i think the fact that it makes applying the fabric to the walls a bit easier is a bonus for Escape. They too use it for running wiring. When adding a second set of tail/brake lights it certainly was handy for me.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Looking good!
Any plan to add something to avoid damage (with motion during travel) to the conduit at the edge of the mounting plate?

Thanks Brian. The mounting plate edge has been filed, but I see your point and will look to add something or shorten the Liquidtight to prevent rubbing. I am also going to extend, cut and reflare the refrigerant lines to eliminate the small coils of excess under the trailer that will have a tendency to bounce and rub unless secured. This way the lines will come straight out of the trailer floor and roll right up to the condenser connections. An installation that rolls down the road needs to consider a few more of these finer details!

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Your installation is looking great, good job!

Thanks Jim. Many of the custom projects I have seen on this forum has provided some inspiration.

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I had my battery box pretty much exactly where yours is. As close to the left as possible, and right up to the support.

Thanks for adding this. I was flying a little blind and just going with what looked practical. I am very pleased that there is still some room for storage accessible by the end cabinet door.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Thanks for adding this. I was flying a little blind and just going with what looked practical. I am very pleased that there is still some room for storage accessible by the end cabinet door.

This was very handy for our footwear. I added a shelf so we didn't have to just pile them high.

[rubicon327]

Started the system up tonight with the help of a friend who is an HVAC tech. Held nitrogen at 300psi then evacuated with a vacuum pump for about a half hour. No leaks so we released the refrigerant into the lines and turned the unit on. This thing is incredible! I knew it would be quiet, but you can't hear it at all in quiet mode or low when at the back bed. Medium and high are audible, but pleasant. You cannot hear the outdoor unit at all. It throws a nice stream of air down the length of the trailer. While this project is a serious undertaking I recommend it for those that are very handy and have a reason to eliminate the overhead Dometic. Hopefully Escape considers offering a quieter alternative like this as an option in the future. It is well worth any extra cost and it would be great to have a warrantied install. I know a few were interested in how this turned out so let me know if you want anymore info.

[Brian B-P]

Lots of work, but the results sound great!

[cpaharley2008]

Well I agree that the o/h air conditioners are loud and there are more quiet options, my use of the front storage box happens daily whereas the a/c use is sporadic, I just hate giving up that front storage box.....I'm grateful I have air conditioning and heat and running water, a refer with cold beer, and a bathroom. With my tools in the front box, I'm a happy camper.
I'm glad it worked out for you and you are pleased, that is all that matters.....

[MyronL]

re: "I have procured a 120V 9,000 BTU/H Fujitsu 9RL2 mini-split system at cost through a contractor friend."

No where on the Fujitsu website does it say what this unit costs, excepting mentioning a $600 rebate to contractors. So, how much does it cost to buy one? Assuming that is even possible without having a friend contractor and your personal expertise, and that's the only way to buy one, any idea what's the bottom line?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Well I agree that the o/h air conditioners are loud and there are more quiet options, my use of the front storage box happens daily whereas the a/c use is sporadic, I just hate giving up that front storage box.....I'm grateful I have air conditioning and heat and running water, a refer with cold beer, and a bathroom. With my tools in the front box, I'm a happy camper.
I'm glad it worked out for you and you are pleased, that is all that matters.....

I realize many have the front box and certainly not advocating removal. Our trailer did not have the front box and we explored getting one through Escape, but it was not practical. We ended up furnishing the Stowaway box on the rear which kept this space available up front after relocating the batteries. If Escape or other manufacturers got creative and worked with an A/C mfr maybe they could come up with a horizontal configuration for the condenser that could be roof mounted. Only penetrations would be refrigerant lines and power and it would still be just as quiet.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by MyronL

re: "I have procured a 120V 9,000 BTU/H Fujitsu 9RL2 mini-split system at cost through a contractor friend."

No where on the Fujitsu website does it say what this unit costs, excepting mentioning a $600 rebate to contractors. So, how much does it cost to buy one? Assuming that is even possible without having a friend contractor and your personal expertise, and that's the only way to buy one, any idea what's the bottom line?

Myron, I procured the unit "at cost" which was $810 which included a 15' line set from a Johnstone Supply in NJ. With misc parts and startup and all my own labor we are probably around $1,000. I agree that most people may not have a direct connection to equipment, but I have a few suggestions. The Fujitsu residential website has a search for distributors and contractors. There are several Fujitsu distributors in your area. Try them first, but they will likely only sell to someone with a refrigeration license. If you cannot buy it direct I would try calling a contractor in your area (the search showed 13 within 50 miles of you) and discuss if they would consider purchasing the unit for you (with hopefully only a small mark-up). Assuming you are going to install then you could discuss paying them to start up the unit which takes the specialized expertise and equipment. This is kind of uncharted territory because the few I've seen out there have been a DIY, no contractors or trailer places involved with the actual install work. I'm not even sure a contractor would install one on a trailer even if asked because of the custom aspects and may be reluctant to warranty something that is rolling down the road. FYI these types of units are available from some of the big box home improvement stores but they are more expensive (retail markup), cheaply made and not as quiet. I did extensive research and can tell you that the model that I chose is the smallest, quietest unit of any quality mfr that I could find that had models available in 120V.

What we need is a custom installation shop for Escapes (similar to Little House Customs for Casitas) that will tackle some of the more unique modifications that would be out of reach for the typical trailer owner!

http://contractors.fujitsugeneral.com/index.cfm

[MyronL]

Great answer, Thanks much. Was guessing a direct buy locally would be $1400 plus tax and a self installation with all the fun and satisfaction that creates. Nice to eliminate the 11,000 btu jet engine currently on my roof but... all things considered might not be cost effective for me. Still.... never say never.

[tractors1]

I found the best pricing online when I was buying a larger unit for my shop to be found here, and never any issues of being a contractor:

Fujitsu 9RL2 - 9k BTU Cooling + Heating - RL2 115V Wall Mounted Air Conditioning System - 16.0 SEER

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by tractors1

I found the best pricing online when I was buying a larger unit for my shop to be found here, and never any issues of being a contractor:

Fujitsu 9RL2 - 9k BTU Cooling + Heating - RL2 115V Wall Mounted Air Conditioning System - 16.0 SEER

Good find! I didn't realize there was any avenue to get the Fujitsu brand besides a supply house. Appears to be free shipping and no sales tax as well. With a 15' line set you are out the door at $1,130.

[rubicon327]

Wanted to share a video of the indoor unit running for those interested. When the video starts its already running in quiet mode. The trailer is easily cooled on quiet or low so medium and high would only be needed if you wanted to get the temperature down quicker inside the trailer. With any system, cooling too quickly (oversized units) is at the expense of good dehumidification which matters in the more humid climates. To address this the unit has a "dry" mode which operates the fan on low and does the best job dehumidifying. It can remove roughly 1/3 gph of moisture. Note that you cannot hear the outdoor condensing unit at all through the front fiberglass wall and no vibration is transmitted to the trailer frame/body.

[rubicon327]

Looks like the video isn't working. It was a .mov that compressed to about 36 MB. It appeared to upload just fine. Any suggestions from the forum masters here?