Rooftop AC

The Dometic top unit will be here tomorrow. Lower unit and heat strip arrived last Friday
Was going to run up to the freight company terminal to pick it up, but they haven't started on that trailer yet, so they can bring it down here to BFE in the morning instead.
Going to go get wire etc today though, then it will be ready for the install tomorrow if the rain holds off!
BTW, it took me under a week from ordering to getting it shipped for the Dometic Commercial unit, so not sure where the 3 weeks comes into play on my end.
Headliner is down in the truck, and there are braces there formed out of plastic it looks like, that run under the fiberglass roof. Thinking about what Rob said, and making my cut then using expanding foam to fill in the now open braces. If it feels weak, I can get a sheet of aluminum and instal that up top between the ac unit and the roof I guess.
Martin

 

Leftlane.... My unit was came from the factory direct not from a distribution/warehouse and they had to build the unit.

Be sure to check the wiring... I had to install some wire loom and zip ties because the wires would have chaffed.

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This is the final update since this project is complete......

This thing is a lot bigger then it looks 10' up in the air on a motor coach, so I had to wait for my neighbor to help me....

To be honest, it didn't take 30 seconds to put it on the roof once I set up my sawhorses on the top deck of the trailer and attach a few 2 x 12 to. We had a pretty good laugh about how quick took to set up there... that was the easy part. The fun began on the inside when I found I had to mount the plate under the roof panels, then if that wasn't bad enough, the air handler wouldn't fit without having to cut it out to allow the air handler to mount flush to the plate.





I hated to cut it out the ceiling panels, but I came this far and I wasn't going to let this stop me at this point, not to forget to mention I sweating my ars off and I had enough with this and wanted it over with. I'm going to wrap some lattice and make some trim pieces to go around the air handler unit and to secure the roof panels in place since I pretty much had to cut out a good portion of it. On a brighter side of things, I didn't have to remove the sleeper light, but I might still move it forward a couple inches just because.




Finished up the interior by making up the trim to go around the lower unit



I'm gonna have to paint the cover... white just sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm thinking of painting the roof as well at the same time, but for now I have AC and it doesn't seem to be drawing down the generator much...







I made a semi controlled tested today.

Sleeper with sun beating on it.
Outside temp, 86 degs
Interior temp of 100 degs (digital as well as a mercury thermometer)
Sleeper/cab wide open (curtain not pulled closed)

Unit thermostat set 3/4 cold and fan set on med

With in 10 mins dropped down to 80 degs
With in 1 hr, 75 degs (most likely was sooner, but that is what it was when I checked it out)
Air temp out of the unit vent... 43 degs

Also I made a unexpected discovery... the lower unit has a vent to the rear of the unit and accepted it as it was... but when I stretched out on the bunk, I found that I have a nice supply of air coming down the back wall past the top bunk...

Needless to say, I'm tickled...

 

I'd be tickled if I were you too. Great job on the install! Sounds like a pretty good unit that should give you plenty of cool nights.
Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to take a few pictures.

 

Good to have guys to take the time

 

I bought mine through a small mom & pops RV shop where I live... $926 total
However Nashville coach want $1000 just for the top unit, not sure about what they would charge for the lower unit, but that's about $100, add tax and your looking at $1200. So it pays to shop around.

Thanks, I've been wanting to do this for yrs and I felt intimidated because no one else took the time to share the process. I just didn't know what I was up against.... and these shops will charge you a fortune.

The way I look at it... if just one guy can use this info to better his situation, then its all worth the effort...

Old school man...

 

Mine was $826 delivered inc the lower unit and heat strip.
Today I wired the truck. I got an automatic battery charger that I wired inside the cab, a breaker protected power strip, a GFI socket that is wired to the generator directly. Basically, the battery charger is to the generator, and the power strip is either the inverter or generator. Sometimes I leave my laptop on while driving to print permits off when they arrive etc, so wanted the option of inverter or generator.
Ran the wires (1 for ac, 1 for power strip) under the bunk and out through a 1" hole near the rear corner of the sleeper. Then into flexible metal conduit into the generator housing.
The headliner is down and the wire in place for the ac unit. That should be here tomorrow am. Then just hope the rain holds off!
Thanks for the tips Starline, I hope to add some of my own tomorrow!

Martin

 

Got the top unit today, then saw this upon removing the cover. Cover was perfect BTW.


Doesnt seem to be any damage to the coolant passages, just the fins. Place I bought it from has copies of the pics and is calling Dometic now. Supposed to leave Sat/Sun this week, so time is short!

Martin

 

Well, Dometic is sending me a new unit out tomorrow. This job will never end!
I load blades on Monday is SD, so will be leaving Sat evening/Sunday morning the latest. Was supposed to be going on a field trip with our 2 youngest ones Friday, but looks like I will be receiving a new ac unit instead.
Here is a pic of the charger etc I installed inside though. Kind of hard to get a picture of it all though, as it is all mounted to a piece of 1/2" plywood screwed to the rear of the passenger side sleeper cabinet. If that makes sense....

Blue thing is an automatic battery charger. Hard wired to the inverter power wires. Under that is a 4 way breaker protected power strip that can be plugged into the GFI socket which is fed from the generator, or the power inverter. Both the GFI socket and the AC socket can be unplugged from the generator to use shore power. I used the RV plug for the ac unit, but made a jumper cable with a female rv plug on one end, and a normal household plug on the other, so I can also use the ac from shore power too.
Roof is ribbed, which kind of surprised me to be honest. I will be cutting through some of the plastic ribbing, so will fill that area and close it off with expanding foam per Robs suggestion.

Martin

 

I'm really liking your setup. Clean and efficient.