Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 11, 2025 ...

A/C upgrade

April 15, 2011, 02:23:34 pm

Some of you expressed interest in upgrading the A/Cs on older coaches. Ours is a 96 U295. Duotherm Penguin 13,500BTU w/heat strips. Non-ducted. We are upgrading to Duotherm 15,000 BTU heat pumps. Attached is a breakdown of parts and prices at Camping World.

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #1 – April 15, 2011, 05:27:23 pm

I'm glad they included all those part numbers! I plan on cross checking those prices with PPL and a few other places. I'm especially interested in the adapter kit...
I'm wondering if the heat pump price is in line or inflated to cover the low labor charges...

I also think the shipping charges are a tad high.

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #2 – April 15, 2011, 06:30:24 pm

Why heat pumps rather than resistance heat?  I'd guess that most times these will be used while plugged into shorepower, wouldn't you use propane forced air when boondocking? 

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #3 – April 15, 2011, 07:37:05 pm

The newer models are all heat pumps, I think.  We just had a replacement unit installed ... 13,500, not 15,000 ... and I am interested in hearing how LOUD you think your new units are.  I can only run ours with the fan on LOW or it drives me crazy.  I would like to measure the difference in decibels between the older unit in the rear of the coach (also a 13,500) and the newer and supposedly exact replacement that was installed in the front.  There do not appear any bolts too close to the roof, causing vibration, but we had the drain lines installed and that tubing is laying directly on the roof.  Don't know if it needs some dampering just under the unit or has nothing at all to do with the noise, but I'm not real happy with this new Duo-Therm thing.  I don't think it is the compressor, but the actual fan that is causing the noise!

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #4 – April 15, 2011, 08:08:42 pm

That's the main thing I'm worried about. Our rear unit is directly above the bed and the old compressor is really loud.

Looking up prices though, they seem competitive.

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #5 – April 15, 2011, 08:19:49 pm

Well, in a couple weeks, I should be able to give you a definitive answer, and I sure hope it is positive after all this money. We have to do all this stuff now, while we're still working, cause it will be a lot harder on retirement income.

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #6 – April 15, 2011, 08:46:11 pm

If you keep thinking that way, you never will retire. I wouldn't have retired if I hadn't been forced to because there was always something I "needed". Now that I was forced to retire, I find I didn't really need all that stuff anyhow. And, not having the external stress is worth darn near any sacrifice of stuff.

Retirement is great and comes far too late for most of us.

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Re: A/C upgrade

Reply #7 – May 15, 2011, 11:03:55 pm

Well, we used the coach for the 1st time since having the new A/Cs installed. Went over to Ft. Wilderness. Plenty of afternoon thunderstorms to test for leaks, and there were none, thankfully. They cooled very well (you could actually use it as a meat locker). The noise level is about equal or possibly a little louder than the originals. We don't mind the "white noise", however, as it drowns out our snoring, and any outside noises.
Dave Head came by to pick up some spare filters and grates from the originals that he had dibbs on, and we met for the 1st time. Nice guy. I was thinking it might be neat to arrange a weekend gathering somewhere centrally located in Florida for all the Foreforums members down here. Anyone else like the idea?

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