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11-15-2014, 07:04 AM
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#1
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Winnebago Watcher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2
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Basement AC
What year did Winnebago begin placing the AC units in the basement rather than on the roof? I'm looking for an older (in my price range) diesel pusher and so far I'm most impressed with Winnebago. Thank you.
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11-15-2014, 07:21 AM
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#2
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,080
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The first year for the basement air was 2000. The last year was 2010.
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Hikerdogs
2013 Adventurer 32H
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11-15-2014, 07:54 AM
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#3
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Full-time RVer
Posts: 14
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Love our basement heat exchanger
We have basement heat exchanger on our 2005 Winnebago Vectra. We've been full-timers in it for over 3 years, and no problems with basement unit yet. We like how quiet it is compared to roof top units. When we toured the Winnebago factory, I asked the tour guide why Winnebago stopped using the basement unit. He said the reason is that Coleman stopped making them about 2010. Apparently, the market was too small to be profitable.
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Ray Czaplewski
Full-timers, Fort Collins, Colorado
2005 Vectra KD, Jeep Wrangler
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11-15-2014, 07:58 AM
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#4
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Skiatook, OK
Posts: 1,460
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We had basement air in our 1994 Vectra.
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Grant & Pat
2014 Adventurer 35P
2021 Rapid Red 4dr Bronco OBX
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11-15-2014, 08:11 AM
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#5
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: FTer Class of 2015 Origin: Evergreen, Colorado
Posts: 117
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Don't know the exact dates, though our 2005 Vectra FD has basement air. We have not had any problems with the unit though we have been warned by others to expect them (hyperbole?). There is a small vibration when the unit is running that you feel while sleeping, but we got used to that pretty quickly.
IMO, the basement units operate more quietly (more important in tight CG scenarios) than the roof top units.
\ken
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Ken & Deb (WIT Club, FMCA, SKP, Harvest Hosts, and grateful volunteers with SOWERs)
2005 Winnebago Vectra 40FD w/400ISL and Allison 3000MH on Freightliner's Evolution chassis, Onan QD7500, 1000w Renogy solar, BlueOx tow gear, and 2015 Cherokee TrailHawk toad.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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11-15-2014, 08:26 AM
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#6
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drczap
We have basement heat exchanger on our 2005 Winnebago Vectra. We've been full-timers in it for over 3 years, and no problems with basement unit yet. We like how quiet it is compared to roof top units. When we toured the Winnebago factory, I asked the tour guide why Winnebago stopped using the basement unit. He said the reason is that Coleman stopped making them about 2010. Apparently, the market was too small to be profitable.
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Despite what the "tour guide" said, Airxcel still manufactures the unit, so not sure where he/she got their information. Take a look here:
Airxcel | RV Products | Special Application Air Conditioners
It is the last product listed on their products page and is called a "Two Ton High Efficiency Heat Pump"
From time to time the rumors pop up that there are no parts and they are no longer made. I will call Airexcel on Monday just to verify. We may find out that the Tour Guide is, in fact, the guy spreading these rumors!
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Stik
Full Timing since 2005
09 Journey 34Y, 2015 Grand Cherokee Toad
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11-15-2014, 04:03 PM
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#7
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 562
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drczap
We have basement heat exchanger on our 2005 Winnebago Vectra. We've been full-timers in it for over 3 years, and no problems with basement unit yet. We like how quiet it is compared to roof top units. When we toured the Winnebago factory, I asked the tour guide why Winnebago stopped using the basement unit. He said the reason is that Coleman stopped making them about 2010. Apparently, the market was too small to be profitable.
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The tour guide is incorrect. Winnebago went to roof air conditioners in 2011 because they were implementing the EPA 2010 emission standards and required that basement space for that equipment including a newly required DEF tank.
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Bob
09 Journey 39Z
Southern Ontario
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11-15-2014, 04:07 PM
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#8
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
Posts: 224
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I just had the basement air replaced in my 2005 Suncruiser with a brand new unit. Coleman still makes the units but the quantity's are much smaller.
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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] 2005 Suncruiser Banks Powerpack
Chocolate lab (Buster) 2007 Jeep Wrangler
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11-16-2014, 05:40 AM
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#9
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 36
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We just replaced our basement unit on our 1999 Vectra Grand Tour. No problem finding a unit or finding people to work on them. Happy as a crab with the unit.
Cork
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11-16-2014, 06:33 AM
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#10
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Winnebago Watcher
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 3
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what does it cost to replace the units? and how large are they?
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11-16-2014, 07:10 AM
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#11
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
Posts: 224
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I paid about $2800 Total (for the unit & labor), but the quote from Coleman indicates $3000 or so. The new unit is an exact replacement for the old one. There is no change in the size. The basement unit, if I understand correctly. is 30,000 btu's with each compressor being about 15.000 btu's.
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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] 2005 Suncruiser Banks Powerpack
Chocolate lab (Buster) 2007 Jeep Wrangler
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11-16-2014, 09:39 AM
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#12
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by codgerbill
I paid about $2800 Total (for the unit & labor), but the quote from Coleman indicates $3000 or so. The new unit is an exact replacement for the old one. There is no change in the size. The basement unit, if I understand correctly. is 30,000 btu's with each compressor being about 15.000 btu's.
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Coleman's website calls their unit a 2 Ton Plus. 13,500 per compressor, two compressors makes it a total of 27,000 btu.
One ton = 12,000 btu, guess that is why they call it a 2 Ton Plus.
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Stik
Full Timing since 2005
09 Journey 34Y, 2015 Grand Cherokee Toad
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11-18-2014, 10:12 PM
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#13
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Winnebago Watcher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2
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Great info.. but plans changed
Thanks for all the input. We are no longer going to purchase the Winnebago, but have placed a deposit on a Europremier, which we hope to go pick up on Saturday. Very nervous and excited, as we've never so much as driven one of these DP's in our lives, much less owned one.
I have downloaded a pre-purchase checklist from this site, but won't be able to go over it until tomorrow. The unit has a 300 Cummins and an Onan 7.5 genset... Should I be concerned about either of these?
Thanks
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11-19-2014, 04:27 PM
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#14
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Full-timer/volunteer w/SOWERS
Posts: 2,734
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We had a '05 Vectra 40FD. The plenum stack in the rear bonnet separated on us a couple of times. The second time DW and I fixed it. Stayed fixed till we traded for this coach. I have read several post about start caps failing. I was not impressed with the cooling in TX. So far these very noisy roof A/C units seem to be out performing the basement air of the old rig. Heat pumps work into the low 30's and the cooling has yet to let us down but we have not been in TX heat with it.
We were at the factory 3 years ago and were told the same story. Nice to see that someone has the correct answer.
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Rick & Melissa Young & Dawson (RIP), 2011 Meridian 40U, FL XCL, ISL 380HP/DEF, Al 3000 MH, 2014 Honda CR-V, SMI AF1, Blue Ox TruCenter & tow equip.,EEZTire TPMS.
Servants On Wheels Ever Ready. Best job we ever paid to do . (full time volunteers)
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