Houghton AC for 5.0 TA

sofmerc · 05-24-2021, 05:50 PM

Has anyone installed this AC aftermarket? I'm not thrilled with the Dometic for the usual reasons and am considering omitting the AC and install Houghton. It looks like the Solar panel is close to the "hole" and wondering if anyone has done an install?

kavm · 05-24-2021, 05:53 PM

Last I checked, the 9500 BTU version is out of stock... I have ordered our camper without AC and plan to install this when available. We will do without until that happens.

kavm · 05-24-2021, 06:09 PM

Have you looked at this... A bit pricey - like 3x the Houghton 9500 cost. Slightly noisier - max 60 dBa vs 56 dBa for Houghton. On the plus side, lighter and supposedly runs on 12v and is intended for boondocking situations...

https://www.campervan-hq.com/product...ioner-9500-btu

I am not knowledgeable enough to understand everything I am reading here. My plan A anyway is Houghton - as least noise is our #1 priority. 56 to 60 might not seem big but, if I understand the scale, it is 10^4 times noisier...

sofmerc · 05-24-2021, 06:42 PM

I haven't seen that before.. Looks pretty cool (pun intended!). I'm not interested in spending that much coin on an AC though. I live in Florida and don't think the 9500 Houghton would be enough.. Was looking at the 13,500 model. Trailer won't be delivered until end of year... I don't want to order it if Its going to be a fit issue because I will have the solar panel install and it just looks close.. Wondering if anyone has done it on a 5.0

uthorns · 05-24-2021, 07:19 PM

We took delivery of our 5.0 Feb.2021 and have the Coleman AC 13,500 BTU that Escape offered. We are happy with it so far although it hasn't gotten that hot in Texas yet. We've used it in the heat setting and AC both. It is plenty quiet for us, much more so than the Dometic.

I don't know if Escape offers it anymore, I understand it was difficult for them to get but I'd think you could get one aftermarket.

kavm · 05-24-2021, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofmerc

I haven't seen that before.. Looks pretty cool (pun intended!). I'm not interested in spending that much coin on an AC though. I live in Florida and don't think the 9500 Houghton would be enough.. Was looking at the 13,500 model. Trailer won't be delivered until end of year... I don't want to order it if Its going to be a fit issue because I will have the solar panel install and it just looks close.. Wondering if anyone has done it on a 5.0

I am thinking if the Coleman AC can be up there, so can a Houghton. The camper is supposed to be AC ready. Is something wrong with this simplistic thinking?

sofmerc · 05-24-2021, 07:44 PM

Nothing wrong with your thinking at all. The 5.0 comes prewired for AC and they all fit in the 14x14 hole.. The difference is,The Houghton is longer than the Dometic.. Not sure if it has room to fit with the solar panel install. I haven't done extensive research yet, hence my question to the forum..

kavm · 05-24-2021, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofmerc

Nothing wrong with your thinking at all. The 5.0 comes prewired for AC and they all fit in the 14x14 hole.. The difference is,The Houghton is longer than the Dometic.. Not sure if it has room to fit with the solar panel install. I haven't done extensive research yet, hence my question to the forum..

Thanks for sharing this point. Now I am very interested in the answers

uthorns · 05-24-2021, 08:13 PM

Sorry, my trailer is at a storage facility so I can't give you measurement on the space to the solar panel.

kavm · 05-24-2021, 10:22 PM

Looking at the Coleman Mach 10 13,500 BTU, the dimensions are:

Medium Profile - 13.8"H x 26.1"W x 38.0"L
Low profile - 11.8"H x 26.1"W x 38.0"L

The Houghton Low Profile 9.5k is - 9"H x 21.5"W x 39.5"L. So, the length is 1.5" longer.

I do not know the model of Dometic AC Escape offers, so do not know its dimensions. It might be useful to know its length, given that it too is an option on Escape...

richm · 05-24-2021, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavm

Have you looked at this... A bit pricey - like 3x the Houghton 9500 cost. Slightly noisier - max 60 dBa vs 56 dBa for Houghton. On the plus side, lighter and supposedly runs on 12v and is intended for boondocking situations...

https://www.campervan-hq.com/product...ioner-9500-btu

I'm impressed that they specify power consumption at certaian temperatures (eg. 85F). Most of the other rooftop ACs don't provide that info, so this is at least one thing that sets it apart.

There are a variety of 9000 BTU high SEER mini-splits that specify around 600W (50A) nominal. The above is certainly in the same ballpark.

oldwave · 05-24-2021, 11:29 PM

The dometic penguin is noisy, but I don’t mind it enough to replace it. It does cool down fast.

Centex · 05-24-2021, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavm

Looking at the Coleman Mach 10 13,500 BTU, the dimensions are:

Medium Profile - 13.8"H x 26.1"W x 38.0"L
Low profile - 11.8"H x 26.1"W x 38.0"L

The Houghton Low Profile 9.5k is - 9"H x 21.5"W x 39.5"L. So, the length is 1.5" longer.

I do not know the model of Dometic AC Escape offers, so do not know its dimensions. It might be useful to know its length, given that it too is an option on Escape...

Please take care, the overall length tells you nothing about how that is situated relative to the roof opening - the 'ends' of different units may fall farther fore-or-aft of the 'ends' of an existing unit measured relative to the solar panel for clearance considerations, and inches can be critical. One could make assumptions about such, but we all know what is warned about assumptions.

It strikes me that the dimension of interest is the distance from the aft-edge of the roof opening to the aft-end of the unit (and a comparison of that among different units when considering clearance to an aft-mounted solar panel).

Just for your consideration.

sofmerc · 05-25-2021, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centex

Please take care, the overall length tells you nothing about how that is situated relative to the roof opening - the 'ends' of different units may fall farther fore-or-aft of the 'ends' of an existing unit measured relative to the solar panel for clearance considerations, and inches can be critical. One could make assumptions about such, but we all know what is warned about assumptions.

It strikes me that the dimension of interest is the distance from the aft-edge of the roof opening to the aft-end of the unit (and a comparison of that among different units when considering clearance to an aft-mounted solar panel).

Just for your consideration.

Correct! That is my concern.

kavm · 05-25-2021, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centex

Please take care, the overall length tells you nothing about how that is situated relative to the roof opening - the 'ends' of different units may fall farther fore-or-aft of the 'ends' of an existing unit measured relative to the solar panel for clearance considerations, and inches can be critical. One could make assumptions about such, but we all know what is warned about assumptions.

It strikes me that the dimension of interest is the distance from the aft-edge of the roof opening to the aft-end of the unit (and a comparison of that among different units when considering clearance to an aft-mounted solar panel).

Just for your consideration.

Thank you! I had not thought of that… I looked at the drawings, to the extent they are available. I still don’t get the concern sofmerc is expressing. Either there is more data that I am not looking at or I am missing something…

The opening size is 14” x 14” in Coleman and 13.5” x 13.5” in Houghton. The opening seems to be on one end for each unit. The exact dimensions are available for Coleman but not for Recpro (on the website). The overall width is smaller for Houghton 21.5” vs 26.1”, so it should not have any bigger footprint in terms of width. I can appreciate the concern about length (1.5” longer). Of course, that could be a show stopper…

Sofmerc - Can you share the Houghton data that is causing you concern?

The question is how to bottom this out before ordering the Houghton unit (which backordered indefinitely). We will have the camper shortly but getting on the roof and measuring is not something we can do. I could take it to an RV shop and have them measure, but the dimensions of Houghton aren’t terribly detailed to begin with.

sofmerc · 05-25-2021, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavm

Thank you! I had not thought of that… I looked at the drawings, to the extent they are available. I still don’t get the concern sofmerc is expressing. Either there is more data that I am not looking at or I am missing something…

The opening size is 14” x 14” in Coleman and 13.5” x 13.5” in Houghton. The opening seems to be on one end for each unit. The exact dimensions are available for Coleman but not for Recpro (on the website). The overall width is smaller for Houghton 21.5” vs 26.1”, so it should not have any bigger footprint in terms of width. I can appreciate the concern about length (1.5” longer). Of course, that could be a show stopper…

Sofmerc - Can you share the Houghton data that is causing you concern?

The question is how to bottom this out before ordering the Houghton unit (which backordered indefinitely). We will have the camper shortly but getting on the roof and measuring is not something we can do. I could take it to an RV shop and have them measure, but the dimensions of Houghton aren’t terribly detailed to begin with.

My concern (which Centex got correct) is the after edge of the Hole to the front of the solar panel... The overall dimensions mean nothing if the unit won't fit because of the back part of the Houghton is too long and comes up against the solar panel. I have no dimensions of the Houghton, that is why I asked if there are any 5.0 installs. I know they would fit if no solar panel installed. The fact that a Coleman fits is irrelevant as well. I would get a Coleman ,but they stopped offering it as an option. I understand a few came in and gave a few people option recently

kavm · 05-25-2021, 07:20 AM

Thank you for that. I understand. I was comparing it with Coleman as ETI were offering that as an option with the solar panels - and I inferred from that those dimensions must work with the location of the solar panels…

Centex · 05-25-2021, 09:13 AM

To illustrate

kavm · 05-25-2021, 09:38 AM

Assuming the front means the bed area of 5.0 that is to the front of the camper when driven, I believe the orientation matches the #1 configuration in your picture. The dimensions are given in the picture. Since it is narrower than the ACs ETI is installing with solar panels, the concern is mainly the length.

sofmerc · 05-25-2021, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kavm

Assuming the front means the bed area of 5.0 that is to the front of the camper when driven, I believe the orientation matches the #1 configuration in your picture. The dimensions are given in the picture. Since it is narrower than the ACs ETI is installing with solar panels, the concern is mainly the length.

It looks like I need 23 1/8" aft of the plenum hole. Most of the length is aft on these. Not sure the distance on the 5.0 but at least I now have a starting point.
I think the Dometic uses around 22" , so it should have enough room

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