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Old 08-15-2017, 08:58 PM   #241
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Brian: I was thinking of something unique. Maybe the condensing unit could fit inside the compartment with inlet air from the bottom or somehow fan assisted like Kimberley does with their split A/C system. The compartment door would be watertight for the road but would be removed for discharge air from the condenser during A/C operation. Propane tanks would then sit out on a custom tray and could be separated just enough to not obstruct the condenser discharge air. Thoughts?
I think there still isn't enough space. The Scamp has enough space because it is sized assuming that a tank will be on an outside bracket - the custom setup shown adds a box, but at least one tank is always there. Anyone have a tape measure and suitable trailer?

The propane could be relocated elsewhere, but that's about as big a challenge as finding a location for the condenser/compressor unit.

I was thinking that it would be nice to mount the condenser/compressor unit in the storage space above the propane tanks (meeting the requirement of not ruining the fine lines), with suitable venting; however, it would need to be horizontal and I think it would need to be a relatively small unit.
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Old 08-15-2017, 09:22 PM   #242
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If you were to attempt this in the 5.0TA, it would definitely need to be in the rear. I have about 1" of space between the frame and tailgate when open as it is.
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Old 08-15-2017, 09:55 PM   #243
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Given my guesstimate of the outside unit being in the 50lb range, that leaves some wiggle room for a custom cargo deck off the back bumper. Wouldn't have to be all that deep either, based on it fitting on the tongue of the 19.
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Old 08-15-2017, 10:17 PM   #244
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If you were to attempt this in the 5.0TA, it would definitely need to be in the rear. I have about 1" of space between the frame and tailgate when open as it is.
The rear for sure. You could relocate the spare and have a platform for the condenser unit there instead. And, since the dinette is in the rear on the 5er, that would put the inside unit close by.
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Old 08-16-2017, 09:00 AM   #245
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You guys are thinking either inside the box or outside the box. What about on top of the box. That's where buses put theirs. You'd have to ask Reace to put in some support for it, but it may not be any heavier than the conventional RV A/C. It would need a gap underneath for air flow... I guess that makes ort a hazard for blowing off. Oh well!

Maybe you put the spare over the hitch. Kind of ugly, but feasible. Or under the trailer, better looking, but harder to do and would probably require a lifted trailer.

Quiet cool.

Yup, jealous, that's me!
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:57 AM   #246
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You guys are thinking either inside the box or outside the box. What about on top of the box. That's where buses put theirs. You'd have to ask Reace to put in some support for it, but it may not be any heavier than the conventional RV A/C. It would need a gap underneath for air flow... I guess that makes ort a hazard for blowing off. Oh well!

Maybe you put the spare over the hitch. Kind of ugly, but feasible. Or under the trailer, better looking, but harder to do and would probably require a lifted trailer.

Quiet cool.

Yup, jealous, that's me!
Interesting, but it might defeat part of the purpose - to get away from anything mounted to the roof which could produce noise or vibration. The other part is, the condenser units on these mini splits are designed to be sitting upright - and I'm not at all sure if mounting them laying down would have a negative effect. In a 5.0TA, I see the rear as the only practical placement.

I hereby nominate Jim Bennett as the beta tester for a rear mounted mini split on a 5er. Any seconds?
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Old 08-16-2017, 11:18 AM   #247
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I'll second that! Or Chris R. If anyone could make it work it'd be those two.
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Old 08-16-2017, 11:41 AM   #248
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Interesting, but it might defeat part of the purpose - to get away from anything mounted to the roof which could produce noise or vibration. The other part is, the condenser units on these mini splits are designed to be sitting upright - and I'm not at all sure if mounting them laying down would have a negative effect. In a 5.0TA, I see the rear as the only practical placement.

I hereby nominate Jim Bennett as the beta tester for a rear mounted mini split on a 5er. Any seconds?
Exactly right. The reduction in the vibration was huge. The overhead unit caused a vibration of the whole shell back near the bed when the compressor ran. This was the older Dometic model with overhead controls and may not affect all years/models, but it was an issue for us. The 2010 has the "cap" on the roof that reinforced for A/C. Maybe vibration was reduced when the shell was redesigned? Unfortunately I have not seen a condenser on any commercially available mini-splits that can be mounted horizontally. I think the market just isn't there because these are typically sitting along side a house on a small pad or up on a wall bracket. I do know one company that makes a small, horizontal inverter compressor but I haven't seen it packaged into anything that would be useful to us.

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I'll second that! Or Chris R. If anyone could make it work it'd be those two.
I would really like to see this installed on another trailer. You will not regret it. Jim and Chris can certainly get the job done but might not use A/C enough to warrant it? Rich I nominate you since you are in Texas!
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Old 08-16-2017, 12:17 PM   #249
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I hereby nominate Jim Bennett as the beta tester for a rear mounted mini split on a 5er. Any seconds? [emoji23] [emoji23]
I'm in, but do I need to take it to you for the retrofit, or will you be coming up here?
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Old 08-16-2017, 12:20 PM   #250
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I would really like to see this installed on another trailer. You will not regret it. Jim and Chris can certainly get the job done but might not use A/C enough to warrant it? Rich I nominate you since you are in Texas!
This makes better sense. I have only used my A/C once this year, though only have had hookups once too. Rich, you're up!
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Old 08-16-2017, 05:29 PM   #251
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Maybe you put the spare over the hitch. Kind of ugly, but feasible. Or under the trailer, better looking, but harder to do and would probably require a lifted trailer.
Or between the frame rails, under the sleeping loft, behind the pin box, horizontally... if it doesn't interfere with access to the storage compartment above the propane, or risk hitting the truck box sides in turns. Get out the tape measure...

Or carry the spare in the truck box, not attached to the trailer at all (and put it on the trip pre-departure checklist).
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Old 08-16-2017, 07:08 PM   #252
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Rich I nominate you since you are in Texas!

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This makes better sense. I have only used my A/C once this year, though only have had hookups once too. Rich, you're up!

Guys, this would be great to have in Texas, but my wife will shoot me if I even think it! I'd have to travel around either alone or without kneecaps - neither sounds very appealing. Maybe in a couple of years when the shine has dulled a bit, but for now it's not an option.
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Old 08-16-2017, 09:42 PM   #253
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Guys, this would be great to have in Texas, but my wife will shoot me if I even think it! I'd have to travel around either alone or without kneecaps - neither sounds very appealing. Maybe in a couple of years when the shine has dulled a bit, but for now it's not an option.
I would do it, but two things stop me: first, we don't usually camp in the summer here anyway because we don't like having to hunker down inside due to the heat, and second, I don't want to give up my storage box. Too handy.
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:08 PM   #254
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Hi Robert
And then there's the alternative of heading north and into upper elevations. 44 F two nights ago in North Cascades National Park. Ran the furnace in the morning to take the chill off. Felt decadent. Lots of snow in the high country yet.
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:34 PM   #255
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Hi Robert
And then there's the alternative of heading north and into upper elevations. 44 F two nights ago in North Cascades National Park. Ran the furnace in the morning to take the chill off. Felt decadent. Lots of snow in the high country yet.
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Yep exactly Dave. That's why I said we dont usually camp here (meaning south Texas) in the summer. If we want to camp between June and the end of September, we are usually headed north.
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Old 08-17-2017, 11:40 AM   #256
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We're exactly like Robert. We live in AZ but probably have only turned the AC on 1 trip in almost 2 years. There are a ton of campgrounds here within 2 hours that are over 7000 ft where AC isn't needed in summer. Even though it would be a nice mod, there wouldn't be a return on investment to do this mod for us.
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Old 08-17-2017, 03:06 PM   #257
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Old 10-17-2017, 10:21 AM   #258
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' New dual 15 amp breaker (one spare) added in the WFCO power center.'
Just to clarify that the startup current does not exceed 15 amps so you can plug your trailer into any 15 amp outside plug use the A/C only on hi?
I have a 30 amp plug at home but sometimes we stay at friends during the summer and it would be great to have A/C. Don't need to run anything else as that can be done with gas.
Ordering a new 19 so reading this is just in time to not get the roof top unit. To be able to get A/C from a normal plug, have something reasonably quiet and reduce the weight on the roof for the winter snow load is a real plus. I have also had two tall people not buy the trailer I have now because they hit their head on the A/C...
Thanks for taking the time to post this great article.
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Old 10-17-2017, 02:31 PM   #259
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' New dual 15 amp breaker (one spare) added in the WFCO power center.'
Just to clarify that the startup current does not exceed 15 amps so you can plug your trailer into any 15 amp outside plug use the A/C only on hi?
I have a 30 amp plug at home but sometimes we stay at friends during the summer and it would be great to have A/C. Don't need to run anything else as that can be done with gas.
Ordering a new 19 so reading this is just in time to not get the roof top unit. To be able to get A/C from a normal plug, have something reasonably quiet and reduce the weight on the roof for the winter snow load is a real plus. I have also had two tall people not buy the trailer I have now because they hit their head on the A/C...
Thanks for taking the time to post this great article.
Ed: Correct. The specs for the Fujitsu 9RL2 has a running current of only 7.5A. You would be fine on a 15 amp circuit if only running the A/C. We have done it. Since this unit has an inverter compressor it ramps up slowly and doesn't have the inrush of a constant speed compressor like the Dometic's have. I probably could have reused the 20 amp breaker that fed the original A/C, but I wanted that for something else.

Reasonably quiet is an understatement. The 9,000 BTU unit cools the 19 adequately on low which you can barely hear. It is the single best thing we have done to the trailer. The fact that it quietly heats too is a great bonus.

A couple of things to keep in mind which you may have gathered from the thread:
-Our 19 luckily had a cabinet across the front that was an option added by the first owner. I see most just have a shelf. To better conceal and support the indoor unit (granted only 16 lbs) you may want to see if ETI can still do a cabinet across the front. Maybe they would even customize the opening for the unit? Another option is to install the indoor unit in the back cabinet over the bed, but this is not as ideal in my mind. This requires a long refrigerant line run to the front of the trailer (presumably underneath) if you are planning for the condenser on the tongue.
-On the 19, the batteries will be on the tongue or in the storage box in same approximate location. Our trailer didn't have the front box so we had a spot for the condenser. Unless you are planning something off the rear of the trailer I would order without the front storage box and plan on moving the batteries, unless Reace would entertain installing them under the passenger side dinette seat (which is where they were on the first 19's in 2009).

By the way, we used to hit our heads on the stock A/C in my father's Scamp 16, but just barely made it without issue in the Escape. I am 6'. At any rate it is nice to have the extra overhead clearance and now a working vent/skylight in it's place.

Excited that someone else might take this on. The A/C systems that are slapped on Escapes and just about every other trailer out there have a lot to be desired. Any questions....just ask.
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Old 10-17-2017, 03:10 PM   #260
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I can weld so placing the unit off the rear would not be a problem. We were just wondering if the unit would be a little loud at night. We do sleep in the house with normal fans on at night so some white noise does not bother us. My wife likes it cold at night, so maybe the falling cool straight down on low would be better than trying to get her cool in bed from a front AC location.
Also my generator is located on a pull out drawer in the pickup bed which means the tailgate needs to be down...say for a cool lunch in the trailer...while the truck is still attached to the trailer. This usually requires the tongue jack to be relocated further back which requires the tanks to be back as well.
If you think the inside unit is not much lower than a normal 16 inch inside fan on height then the rear location might be the best. It also might be more campsite noise friendly at the rear. Walkers would not even know it was on.
I have calls out to local suppliers of this brand and I am just getting the results. They range from we will not sell you a unit for self install to a guy the has done several RV...thinks it is a great idea and will sell me the unit or do the install as well! Price is a little scary in Canadian $ at 1,7000 plus tax just for the unit. We will see if anyone comes in cheaper for the unit...
Thanks
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