|
10-27-2021, 04:43 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sequim, Washington
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA towed with a 2017 GMC Canyon V6
Posts: 143
|
My A/C Unit Blower grenaded
We're in the process of moving our 2017 5.0TA out of storage in TX and up to Washington State where we now live. Because we moved across the US, we have had the trailer in covered storage for a year. Being TX, it got to the high 80s and so I turned on the A/C. As soon as I did, the blower started making a hellacious racket and started spitting black plastic particles out of the vents. I removed the inside cover on the ceiling and the plate above that and it appears that the blower is now cockeyed and has worn a groove in the black plastic duct. My guess is that either the blower motor came off its mounts, or the motor bearings catastrophically failed, or the blower squirrel cage came off its shaft. Looks like the blower cannot be accessed from the inside and the unit will have to come off the roof. It was working fine when put in storage a year ago so I'm perplexed as to how being in storage caused this. Anyone have any experience with fixing this issue? Thanks.
|
|
|
10-27-2021, 04:58 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,866
|
First thing I'd look for is evidence of insect / dirt-dauber / rodent nesting in the squirrel-cage blower which would have thrown it off-balance and led to the self-destruction when turned-on. Critters can (often inexplicably) find their way into the most inconvenient places!
Sorry to hear of the problem, methinks you can access the assemblies in question with the AC in-situ on the roof, I hope you can repair it without too much hassle.
|
|
|
10-27-2021, 05:10 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
|
We had that happen this fall. Pulled our 21 out of the barn/ workshop, pulled the cover off and started checking all the systems. When we turned on the ac , it started with loud thumping. I killed the power ASAP n got up on the roof pulled the cover off the ac and found a huge dirt dauber nest. Cleaned it out, made sure the squirrel cage was on the shaft straight . We had ac back. Most likely it is a pesky dauber nest causing the issue.
David
|
|
|
10-27-2021, 10:00 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Kent, Ohio
Trailer: 2017 21c Sold, 2023 Bigfoot 25RQ
Posts: 1,382
|
There were some other reports of mounting bolts that vibrated loose.
|
|
|
10-28-2021, 06:45 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Venice, Florida
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,265
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkordzi
We're in the process of moving our 2017 5.0TA out of storage in TX and up to Washington State where we now live. Because we moved across the US, we have had the trailer in covered storage for a year. Being TX, it got to the high 80s and so I turned on the A/C. As soon as I did, the blower started making a hellacious racket and started spitting black plastic particles out of the vents. I removed the inside cover on the ceiling and the plate above that and it appears that the blower is now cockeyed and has worn a groove in the black plastic duct. My guess is that either the blower motor came off its mounts, or the motor bearings catastrophically failed, or the blower squirrel cage came off its shaft. Looks like the blower cannot be accessed from the inside and the unit will have to come off the roof. It was working fine when put in storage a year ago so I'm perplexed as to how being in storage caused this. Anyone have any experience with fixing this issue? Thanks.
|
There were two bolts with ours that came out. When we started it up it made a hellacious racket. We shut it down right away, and didn't have any damage. We opened up both the top and bottom covers and figured out the bolts had come out from the rear of the air conditioner above the squirrel cage. The bolts were laying at the bottom of the air conditioner housing. While I held the squirrel cage from inside the trailer my wife put the bolts back in. After we got home we went out and purchased new bolt washers and nyloc nuts. We replaced the stock bolts that just threaded into rubber. It was a chore getting the nuts on in the tight space behind the bracket, but, now the rubber bushing is compressed and the air conditioner is much quieter than it ever was.
|
|
|
10-28-2021, 07:48 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sequim, Washington
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA towed with a 2017 GMC Canyon V6
Posts: 143
|
Thanks everyone. I'll report on what I find when I get back to Sequim.
|
|
|
10-28-2021, 10:14 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: New Milford, Pennsylvania
Trailer: 2020 Escape 5.0ta
Posts: 146
|
Ours did the same thing the first time I tested out the AC unit on our new trailer. When I pulled the top cover off of the unit I found the fan shaft mounting bolts completely out and the fan resting loosely in the housing. Bolts were easily reinstalled from the top of the unit.
Cleaning up the shredded plastic actually took longer.
I've added this item to my Spring checklist and will likely replace with longer bolts and nylox nuts.
|
|
|
10-31-2021, 07:44 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sequim, Washington
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA towed with a 2017 GMC Canyon V6
Posts: 143
|
I fixed my A/C. The problem was indeed that the blower motor mounting bolts had come loose. Hard to believe the unit was not put together better. All it would have taken would have been some lock nuts. The pics show the two mounting bolts and one mounting nut - the two bolts go into rubber mounts in the back and the one nut goes thru a tab under the shaft. I used locktite on the threads and added lock nuts.
|
|
|
11-01-2021, 08:09 AM
|
#9
|
Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
|
Just when you think Dometic couldn't be any worse, people post photos of improperly assembled units that prove you wrong.
If I were having a new Escape built today, there is no question I'd opt for an AC ready unit, buy a Houghton and have it installed later. The fewer items in the trailer with the word Dometic on them, the better.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
|
|
|
11-01-2021, 08:21 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: alpharetta, Georgia
Trailer: 2014 21' Escape
Posts: 494
|
How do you get 'on the roof' to fix your AC? This is something I've wondered about for a while. In the past our trailer was in my business warehouse so always figured I could just use a forklift to get up there when needed but now we store it in a garage building we had built mostly for it.
Enjoy the road and stay safe.
Steve
|
|
|
11-01-2021, 09:23 AM
|
#11
|
Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by stratos175
How do you get 'on the roof' to fix your AC? This is something I've wondered about for a while.
|
I've been able to get access to the unit by just crawling. But I don't try to stand. Roof can't take the weight in one concentrated area.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
|
|
|
11-01-2021, 11:15 AM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sequim, Washington
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA towed with a 2017 GMC Canyon V6
Posts: 143
|
I spread out a moving blanket and knelt on the right side.
|
|
|
11-01-2021, 11:33 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
|
When I added a soft start to the Dometic AC, I used a large piece of 2" foam to spread my weight.
|
|
|
11-02-2021, 02:11 PM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Sequim, Washington
Trailer: 2018 5.0TA towed with a 2017 GMC Canyon V6
Posts: 143
|
Why the soft start and is that a capacitor?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vermilye
When I added a soft start to the Dometic AC, I used a large piece of 2" foam to spread my weight.
|
|
|
|
11-02-2021, 05:04 PM
|
#15
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
|
To get on top of our 21 I laid cardboard then carpet then a 3’x6’ sheet of 5/8 plywood to spread the load out
David
|
|
|
11-02-2021, 06:12 PM
|
#16
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkordzi
Why the soft start and is that a capacitor?
|
The device I installed is a Micro Air Easy Start.
Why? I have a Sportsman 2200/1800 generator that I run on propane. I only carry it for summer travel, and while it started the Dometic AC OK at home (at 260') I was concerned how it would do at altitude. The Easy Start also eliminates the compressor start up "thump" which makes it more pleasant to use.
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|