| Author | Message | ||
| Henry 96A3 (Hank)
Registered Member Username: Hank Post Number: 104 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 69.129.126.133 Rating: N/A |
I'm strategizing on the installation of my Coleman basement a/c. The installation guide says that the evaporator coil air intake should come in from the side of the vehicle, not underneath. I don't want to try and out engineer the good folks at Coleman but I really don't want to cut any holes in my bay doors either. I'd like to build an intake port through the floor and hot air exhaust through the floor too. If I maintain enough airflow and create enough separation between the two ports and have the exhaust directed away from the intake, is there any reason not to have the intake come through the floor? I have my stock OTR a/c so the basement air would not be used while the vehicle was moving. Other than separation and getting enough air flow, I can’t think of any other reason why this wouldn’t work. I’d appreciate any suggestions. Thanks, Hank | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 213 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.81.59 Rating: N/A |
Ought to work, you have satisfied all of what would have been my concerns. Keep in mind, though, that there is a lot of wet and dry dirty stuff flying around down there while driving. George | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 600 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 166.165.211.80 Rating: N/A |
Hank, Check the manual for minimum sq. in. of intake air. If I remember right this will require a rather large opening. We removed the rub rail on our MC-8 and removed the SS skin under the rub rail, replacing it with aluminum expanded metal mesh. We also added a baffle below the dischage in the baggage compartment floor to prevent the dischaqge from stirring up the dust and leaves. Jack (Message edited by JackConrad on July 02, 2007) | ||
| WILLIAM D. WATKINS (Sivrtnge2)
Registered Member Username: Sivrtnge2 Post Number: 97 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 76.97.110.75 Rating: N/A |
Can you take a picture of the baffle??? -- BILL | ||
| Rob King (Skykingrob)
Registered Member Username: Skykingrob Post Number: 16 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.161.6.7 Rating: N/A |
Hank I have 2 basements located in my Prevost, one each side. I spoke to Coleman about this, I couldn't engineer enough open square inches of intake evaporator air to make it work. BTW, their manual is very specific about the needs of the evaporator. So I have ordered new SS baydoor coverings to open the area of the baydoor to the evaporator coils. I, like Jack, engineered a baffle system on the discharge that directs the air flow back to keep the hot discharge from potentially coming over the evaporator. Again another thing that Coleman recommends. Bill I haven't mastered posting pictures but can email to you a pic of what I have. Rob 91 LeMirage XL Missouri | ||
| Nick Badame Refrigeration Co. (Dnick85)
Registered Member Username: Dnick85 Post Number: 140 Registered: 2-2006 Posted From: 75.196.245.186 Rating: N/A |
Hi Hank, Is it possible that you can discharge the hot condencer air out the side of your coach somehow? Reason being, I have almost the same setup that you are contimplating.. and the condencer air that I vented out the bottom stays under the coach too long. It eventually gets regergitated back into the intake even with the large baffle I constructed. The warm air is even felt while sitting at our patio area. It's just good sence to discharge the hot air at a higher level then the intake. You know, heat rises! LOL If I had to do it again, I would do the same as I'm telling you now. Good Luck Nick- | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 214 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.81.59 Rating: N/A |
Bob, I think you mean the condenser coils? The evaporator coil is the cold one in the inside air flow... You make an excellent point about "Open air flow," there is a section in the Mechanical Code dealing with the "blocking effect of screens and louvers." My OTR air stirs up such a dust cloud on a dirt road that I turn it off to avoid the person behind me running off the road because he can't see! Not to mention my engine air cleaner doesn't like it either. Nick is right! HTH, George | ||
| David (Davidinwilmnc)
Registered Member Username: Davidinwilmnc Post Number: 177 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 152.20.216.103 Rating: N/A |
I also thought about pulling air from underneath the bus while parked. I have a 'basement' A/C for the bedroom that's a modified window unit with ducts. The problem I see is that it gets HOT under the bus from the exhaust air from the condensor. Even an 8,200 BTU unit will heat up the entire underneath. That hot air is not a good source for the condensor. I've also kept my OTR heat and A/C so I don't have the condensor space for my generator. I put it in the first bay behind the driver. I also don't want to cut up my doors, but here's what I decided to do. On an MC-8, the lower section of the condensor grill/mesh is shaped like the rub rail that runs along all the bay doors. I bought this piece from a scrap bus. I'll cut a length of it and cut out a corresponding section of rub rail. Then, I'll cut a hole in the door, paint that section flat black, and mount the stainless mesh over it. I'll do the same for the rear A/C. Since I've severly damaged one of my bay doors over the weekend, that'll be the perfect one to try this on. David | ||
| Henry 96A3 (Hank)
Registered Member Username: Hank Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 69.129.126.133 Rating: N/A |
Thanks everyone. Your comments are really helpful. One idea I had considered was using an auxiliary blower for the exhaust to help with the added resistance of the baffles and ducting and to help direct the hot air away from underneath the coach. A small blower wouldn't require much power and wouldn't be too noisy either. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 170 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.110 Rating: N/A |
Exit out the side and no problems. Make a bay door for it or at least a grille. Ours sits in a bay and has an expanded metal grille. No problems in a number of years. FWIW  RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) |