We're spending a beautiful dry sunny Monday (NO RAIN) in the shop at Nacogdoches Motorhome Service getting our two new Atwood A/C units installed. Just finished the one in the bedroom, and it is working great. Got it set on 65 degrees, and is pretty chilly back there. David and Seth are working on the front one now. Should be done easy before noon. These guys are living up to their excellent reputation on the Forum. I've not seen anything (so far) that I would do different (and I'm pretty anal).
Detailed performance report to follow.
Atwood 15,000 BTU Non Ducted AC with Heat Pump (https://www.my12voltstore.com/Atwood_15_000_BTU_Non_Ducted_AC_with_Heat_Pump_p/15021-15026.htm)
Please take a lot of pics on how they ran everything and how its connected .. we have had a couple big topics of discussion on this in the last 2 weeks
Thanks
David,
In our case, there was not much to hooking up the units. We have non-ducted air, and each of the old units had a individual analog thermostat. The original A/C controls were completely separate from the (propane) heater controls.
The wiring for the new units could not be much simpler...just connect 3 wires for 115V power, and turn the unit on. There is a separate remote control for each unit, so the old thermostats will not be used. I will remove them eventually.
The new units are cooling really well, although it is not too hot here today. There is much less vibration felt from the running compressors. The (constant) fan noise is not too intrusive - I think we will quickly get used to it.
SO FAR - SO GOOD!
Sent you a pm Chuck
let me know how the cooling is.. is it faster better? even cooling? Better overall? ^.^d
Have to give us a few days for a proper test, but so far exceeding our expectations. When first turned on, they cool down very quickly. The noise level is low, but more importantly the noise is less "irritating" than the old Penguins. We feel a lot more air "movement" in the coach, which makes the temps feel more consistent throughout. I think the fan design and air routing on the new units must be superior. We like them!
PS: New units also a lot quieter when standing outside the coach. With both of them running I can just barely hear them. We will NOT be a noise nuisance to our neighbors in full hook-up parks.
Chuck,
as David says...lots of interest on this. Would it be ok to ask what it cost to have it installed. We are interested in 1500btu and we are ducted. Thanks
Installation just costs "shop time" whatever it is where you get it done. At Nacogdoches Motorhome Service they currently charge $100/hr which is pretty reasonable these days. The installation took almost 4 hours, so it was $400.
I was very happy with the work we had done. David and Seth were both very careful to do a neat, professional job. They kept our coach plugged in while working, and cleaned up the interior when finished. I recommend the shop without reservation. They are staying busy, and don't have a lot of room in their parking lot, so it would be best to call and make appointments ahead of time.
Nacogdoches Motorhome I RV Service and Repair (https://nacogdochesmotorhomes.com)
Thanks. We drove by them last week. We know we will be seeing them some time soon. That is a VERY good rate, these days.
Thanks
My 2000 U320 is there now to have everything gone through, fluids serviced, and a new radiator installed so I can put it up for sale. I've mentioned before on other threads that the guys there do great work! Once they button up the 2000, I'll be taking them my new-to-us coach to have everything looked over and add a new Splendide. Glad to hear your experience is positive as well!
As a reference, the Toyota dealership here charges $115 or $120/hr. because they can, and that's using "flag" time. One hundred dollars an hour at actual shop time is quite a bargain! On my last visit, I had an isolated problem and David spent about four hours trying to replicate the issue. No problem was found and he only charged me for one hour which I really appreciated. David, Seth, and Bruce are industry veterans, and not only professional, but honest. Highly recommended and glad everything worked out for you Chuck!
Well, we spent our first night with the new Atwoods, and they are a big improvement over the old Penguins. With the old A/Cs we could never sleep with the rear unit running. It made too much disturbing noise when the compressor/fan kicked on and off. Even just the fan noise was way too loud. Always had to run the front A/C at night, and used a portable fan to blow some cold air back to the bedroom.
With the new Atwoods, much nicer! We didn't actually need the A/C (cool) running on both units, so we ran the rear unit on FAN, and the front unit on COOL. The fan noise on the new units is much more pleasant - did not disturb our sleeping at all. My wife normally likes to sleep with a rain CD (white noise generator) playing in the bedroom CD player at night. Helps cover up all the strange noises outside the coach. She says the A/C fan noise is a very good substitute, and worked fine for her.
SO FAR - SO GOOD!
Oh, one small disappointment on the Atwoods. Even though the inside ceiling panel measures the same dimensions as the old Penguin panels, because of the rounded corners the new panels do not completely cover the dark "shadow" left when the old panels were removed. We will need to get some carpet stain remover and see if we can clean up some of the visible stains. Not a big deal, but thought I'd mention it.
Will take and post some photos later today after we get moved to our next location.
Chuck, Soft Start installed?
15000btu Vs 13500 OEM that I have
Did you get them from attwood? Maybe a "6 pack deal" :))
John,
No "soft start" installed - they are just "stock" with whatever is standard equipment.
I ordered them from My 12Volt Store. They shipped from a warehouse near Dallas, so a short trip by truck to NAC. No shipping damage found.
Atwood 15,000 BTU Non Ducted AC with Heat Pump (https://www.my12voltstore.com/Atwood_15_000_BTU_Non_Ducted_AC_with_Heat_Pump_p/15021-15026.htm)
For those who fret about "Made in China" there are inspection tags on these units indicating they were manufactured in Australia!
I agree with everything Chuck has shared about the AC units, we installed ours almost two years ago and they work perfectly. Chuck just says it better then I do👍😁
Finally got around to taking some snap shots (below).
New Atwood units still working great! Fingers crossed for long-term reliability. We are sleeping like hibernating bears with the rear unit running all night right above our heads. The (low) fan noise is actually quite soothing (in our opinion), and the greatly improved air circulation is keeping the temperature much more consistent throughout the coach interior.
In addition to the A/C function, I find the heat pumps very efficient.
Is it normal for the ac on the rear to be off center of the roof? Never noticed before.. older style?
Yes, it is on the '93 GV. The front unit is offset to the curb side, and the rear unit is offset to the street side.
Thinking about it, it makes sense for the rear unit, because it allows the air flow a straight shot through the bedroom door into the bathroom.
As for the front one...don't ask me.
Perhaps to allow a bit more head room for tall people standing in front of the couch?
Chuck, off subject however I was curious as to the CG you're were in when these pics were taken, looks very manicured.
I made a wide luan trim ring for my new ceiling assembly, wide enough for an Accent that looks planned vs ought oh! To hide the shadow. Sanded it slightly, applied some howards wax and feed. Looks good as most luan has a pretty grain and close to my faded walnut cabinet color.
I never mind going off subject - do it all the time!
Campground is the Shady Pines RV Park in Texarkana, TX. One of our favorite parks when in East TX. We have been stopping here for years, and it
always looks exactly like in the photos - clean, neat, quiet and peaceful. Only demerit is they don't have online reservations - you have to call them. Other than that, highly recommended. Added a couple more photos.
https://shadypinesrv.com/rv-park/
For me the "demerit" is a plus.
Chuck,how are the filters in that unit,easy to clean and replace?
Yes. Filters don't amount to much - just a plastic frame with flow-thru mesh filter material. They pull out and snap back in - one on each side of the cover plate. To clean, you can vacuum them off or wash them. Easy.
Plus 1 on Shady Pines. We stayed there for a couple of nights last month.
How much higher are the new AC on the roof? I have 12 ft door on my shop so can't add much more to the height on my coach.
The Atwoods are about 14" tall, which is 4" taller than the original Penguins that came on our coach.
From the spec sheet: Dimensions: 39" L x 26.5" W x 13.6" H
The taller height allows more direct flow of air through the condenser coils. Air comes straight in the aft end of the housing, straight through the condenser, and out the side grills. Comparing this to the convoluted air flow in the old Penguins, it is obvious that this is more efficient.
I KNEW IT!! I KNEW IT!! :D :D :D I absolutely identified that park immediately when I looked at the photo, and thought about mentioning it, but didn't want to derail the thread. I am tickled that such a nice park makes such a great impression in photos that it is easily identifiable. ^.^d ^.^d ^.^d My signature line photo of our coach was taken at Shady Pines. ^.^d
I am going to have to replace the front a/c on my coach. Can an Atwood ducted be used in conjunction with the older Dometric unit? Old unit being controlled with wall mounted thermostat, and the Atwood using it's self contained controller?
Mike
I can't see any problem with that combination.
The ducted Atwood is a stand-alone unit with its own wall mounted thermostat
and a wireless remote control. It seems like it would replace your old unit without causing any "control" conflict.
I don't know how easily it will
physically integrate into your existing duct work, because we don't have the ducted system on our coach.
Atwood 15,000 BTU Ducted AC (https://www.my12voltstore.com/Atwood_15_000_BTU_Ducted_AC_p/15022-15028.htm)
Revived this thread to give a longer term user report on our new Atwood 15,000 BTU Non Ducted A/C units.
Atwood 15,000 BTU Non Ducted AC with Heat Pump (https://www.my12voltstore.com/Atwood_15_000_BTU_Non_Ducted_AC_with_Heat_Pump_p/15021-15026.htm)
It has been exactly 3 weeks since we had the units installed. They have been running almost continuously during that time. After the install, we spent some time in Texarkana, NAC, Killeen and San Angelo. it was HOT and HUMID in all those places.
The new A/C units have performed flawlessly. They are a BIG improvement over our old Penguins. From a "dead" start in a hot coach, we set them on "auto" fan speed, and they cool it down a lot faster than the old ones. Once cooled down to the desired temp, we turn them down to "manual low" fan speed. On this setting they are just loafing as they maintain the temperature throughout the whole coach. The constant fan noise is not bothersome (to us) at all. The DW thinks it is the perfect "white noise" volume and frequency for sleeping, so we are able to run the bedroom unit all night if desired. (Nothing bothers me when I am sleeping)
Vibration level, with and without the compressor running, is very low. If I put my hand on the ceiling unit when the compressor is running, there is no discernible vibration. The fans and pump must be balanced pretty well.
All in all, we feel it was a excellent upgrade for our old coach.
I agree with you 100%. I have spent the last month cruising down the Texas coast. Just left South Padre Island. My Atwood ACs are working great. Much better than my old penguins also. One of the best upgrades I've made to my coach. The other was a SamSung residential refrigerator.
Chuck thanks for the update. I need to replace my front unit, and might as well do the rear as I am at it. Texas is tough on AC.
Any issues with buying off my12voltstore.com? This one (https://www.my12voltstore.com/Atwood_15_000_BTU_Ducted_AC_p/15022-15028.htm) is $680 vs this one (https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Air-Conditioners/Atwood/AT15028-22.html) whic is $1010. Now I like Etrailer, great company, and they have price matching, but it works like this. First you buy at that price, then you ask them nicely to price match. And if they do.... ^.^d happy dance. If they don't... :facepalm:
Also what about shipping, did it arrive in time, box undamaged and all that, or was it a issue. Mixed reviews on that.
Last, how hard was it to install?
Thanks
Bob
1. No issues and zero problems. I picked my12voltstore.com because they advertised the cheapest price,
and because they received several good reviews from Forum members in past threads on this subject. I called first, to verify the items I wanted were actually in stock, then I placed my order online. Paid with PayPal, as is my wont. Had the units dropped shipped to the service shop in NAC where I had them installed.
2. The units were shipped from a warehouse outside Dallas, so only a short trip by a local trucking company, first down to Lufkin and then back up to NAC. Not much time or opportunity to do damage to the boxes, so they arrived in perfect condition. No guarantee that this would be the case for every shipment - perhaps I was just lucky. The boxes (4 of them in my case) did all arrive exactly on time.
3. Installation was easy - for me. I just stood around and watched as David and Seth (Nacogdoches Motorhome Service) did all the heavy lifting. Technically, not very challenging, but the devil is in the details. They followed the instructions, and said it was, for them, a "typical" A/C installation job. In other words, no surprises. Took slightly less than 4 hours, start to finish. I was totally satisfied with all aspects of the installation, and I highly recommend this shop.
Nacogdoches Motorhome I RV Service and Repair (https://nacogdochesmotorhomes.com)
Thanks Chuck. Sounds like a plan then. I will of course be installing them myself as 1, I am cheap, and 2 don't have the time or extra cash to drive up there, and 3 could use that cash for something else, like new flooring. But I am convinced that buying from them now is the way to go. They do charge 100 bucks or so to ship it but still is less, and I would rather go with the company that prices it right the first time. Not sure why there is such a disparity between the two, but since domentic owns them now, maybe they are getting rid of them?
I just replaced my front a/c with the Atwood and ditto with every ones previous posts. I did not replace the rear a/c as there is nothing wrong with it yet. I am very pleased with the Atwood.