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Old 10-09-2013, 08:59 AM   #1
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2013 tour/ellipse AC

Has anyone had issues with the new (2011-2013) tour /ellipse ac units not keeping the front of the coach cool? We have awnings out night shades closed partial shade. front is 20-25 deg warmer than the back. ceiling of front cap registers 100 deg with infrared thermometer. mid to upper 80,s outside(not much cooler inside) There is 25 deg diff between intake and discharge vents. This unit is close to unusable for half the year here in Florida. Our last unit 2011 meridian 40u worked great ,shades open or not (week we picked up the new unit we spent one n night /day in the meridian the next in the Ellipse same site same weather) The dealers said it is working fine,I need help.
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Old 10-09-2013, 09:24 AM   #2
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While we no longer have our Winnebago we do have a 42' coach with 3 roof AC's and, yes, the front of the coach gets warmer than the rest of the coach due to the windshield. Even with our previous 36' coach with basement air, whenever you are parked with the front facing the sun anytime during the day, an outside sun shade (or something on the inside) helps reduce heat tremendously. Also, our Winnebago Journey had no insulation in the front cap so wonder if they are still doing that? Our current rig has 3" fiberglass insulation in the front cap so it is better but you can still feel heat from the front when the sun is on it. Finally, is your coach painted a darker color? Many of the manufacturers now seem to use a lot of black in their color schemes.

Do you have two or three AC units? Are they 13,500 or 15,000 BTU? Have you tried running a small fan near the rear of the coach to help circulate cooler air to the front?
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Old 10-09-2013, 09:41 AM   #3
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We have 3 ac( 13.5btu ) we had three on our 40' unit also ( close to the same color) the 40" stayed cool (it had smaller/shorter front cap) There is no insulation in or 42 qd front cap or in our old 40u front cap. There was a noticeable Cooling difference between the two coaches same weekend same site
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Old 10-09-2013, 11:24 AM   #4
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While I liked our two Winnebago motorhomes and thought they were built well for the money paid, I am amazed that they are still not insulating the front cap . That and the huge front glass will let a lot of heat into the coach. However, I would think a 42' coach with three AC's could be kept cool in all but the hottest of weather and in full sun.

I seem to remember a post a few weeks ago from someone with a new Winne Tour or Ellipse 42' with a similar complaint. If my memory is correct, they were in the southwest somewhere dealing with triple digit heat. You might do a search on this forum to see if you can find it and see if they resolved the issue.
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Old 10-09-2013, 03:22 PM   #5
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That may have been me. We were in Phoenix about two months ago when it was 113° outside and the inside temp was 95°. I haven't looked at resolving things, but did decide that we won't be going back to Phoenix in the summer any time soon. I still can't understand why my wife's friend was getting married at noon in Phoenix during the summer
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Old 10-09-2013, 03:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fla tom View Post
Has anyone had issues with the new (2011-2013) tour /ellipse ac units not keeping the front of the coach cool? We have awnings out night shades closed partial shade. front is 20-25 deg warmer than the back. ceiling of front cap registers 100 deg with infrared thermometer. mid to upper 80,s outside(not much cooler inside) There is 25 deg diff between intake and discharge vents. This unit is close to unusable for half the year here in Florida. Our last unit 2011 meridian 40u worked great ,shades open or not (week we picked up the new unit we spent one n night /day in the meridian the next in the Ellipse same site same weather) The dealers said it is working fine,I need help.
I have no problems with the AC in my 2012 Ellipse. I have been in some very hot weather and the AC works very well, both in the front and back. No problem maintaining low 70 temps with almost 100 outside.
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Old 10-09-2013, 04:17 PM   #7
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I have no problems with the AC in my 2012 Ellipse. I have been in some very hot weather and the AC works very well, both in the front and back. No problem maintaining low 70 temps with almost 100 outside.
Thanks for the reply on our last trip it was mid to upper 80,s and our daughter thought the ac was broken
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Old 10-09-2013, 07:21 PM   #8
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Thanks for the reply on our last trip it was mid to upper 80,s and our daughter thought the ac was broken
Wow. Something is wrong. Hope you can get it fixed.
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Old 10-10-2013, 06:38 AM   #9
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Wow. Something is wrong. Hope you can get it fixed.
I do to we have had the coach 4 months the dealers can find "nothing wrong" so far
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Old 10-10-2013, 12:39 PM   #10
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In 80 degree weather you should be able to turn that coach into a meat locker with three AC's, IMO. I assume the dealer has checked for obvious issues such as a blocked duct/ductwork, compressor not running, faulty thermostat, etc. If it were mine, I would call Winnebago and see what they suggest and maybe plan a trip to their factory in Iowa. They do have a great factory service center.
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Old 10-10-2013, 02:07 PM   #11
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In 80 degree weather you should be able to turn that coach into a meat locker with three AC's, IMO. I assume the dealer has checked for obvious issues such as a blocked duct/ductwork, compressor not running, faulty thermostat, etc. If it were mine, I would call Winnebago and see what they suggest and maybe plan a trip to their factory in Iowa. They do have a great factory service center.
I called Winnebago today they said they would be in touch with the dealer so we will see
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Old 10-10-2013, 05:35 PM   #12
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Fla Tom: As some others indicated, something appears to be wrong. I have never had any problems cooling our coach even when temps. got up to the low 90's in Fl. Hope you find the problem.
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Old 10-10-2013, 09:40 PM   #13
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Be sure to take a peek up and behind the windshield shade. On my 2012 qd, there was about a 2" gap that allowed some heat to radiate out from the front roof cap. I bought the 3 inch square foam "bar" style insulation sold at home centers used to insulate around window ac units, (required two 5ft pieces) and stuffed in that huge gap behind overhead cabinets. Never made any scientific temperature measurements because we move so frequently, but I have to believe stuffing that gap keeps heat from coming in, as well as keeping ac from escaping. The $10 repair was beneficial. In extreme hot GA and TX summer days, also placed a small fan near the aisle behind queen seat on floor and pointed toward windshield to circulate airflow a little better.

Best tip I can offer, invest in an OUTDOOR windshield screen that blocks most of the uv rays from coming through that huge windshield. Of course mounting that sucker was another adventure on this unit due to small post configuration around the windshield......but that's another topic for another day.
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Old 10-11-2013, 05:49 AM   #14
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I have to wonder if the increased use of dark colors (mostly black) in the color schemes of motorhomes contributes to this problem. Many of us 'car guys' and 'gearheads' born in the 50's and 60's know that dark color cars look really sharp when they are clean. I guess this factors into customers' preference for dark color schemes and the manufacturers want to build what turns our crank and gets us to spend the big bucks.

When we had our last motorhome fully painted, we used a lot of white in the color scheme and never regretted it. When recently looking for a late 2000's model coach, anything with really light colored exterior was just nonexistant.

Fla Tom, please let us know if you get this resolved and what was found.
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Old 10-11-2013, 09:30 AM   #15
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I'm sure that dark colors don't help, but in my case the walls were very warm in the shade as the awnings were all out. I would guess that a big factor is the lack of insulation. I think we have 1/2" and that's not enough for hot days.
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Old 10-13-2013, 05:07 PM   #16
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Do you have your ac set to auto or high fan ? In high humidity that makes a big difference.

kj: sorry to say last summer in Phoenix, no shade...facing north, our 2012 QD kept the coach cool enough for the ac to cycle on/off. Color: dark ruby.

Kerry
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Old 10-13-2013, 08:22 PM   #17
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I did have them on high. The days we were there were above normal, but not by that much. I'll get them checked the next time it's in for service.
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Old 10-22-2013, 02:31 PM   #18
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Just to update Winnebago will not do any thing about the front cap needing insulation because "that is hoe it is built" they are having the "blower wheel" in the front ac changed out if that does not work will replace the front ac
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Old 03-06-2014, 02:06 PM   #19
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I find the ceiling lights in my Ellipse too bright. Has anyone installed a dimmer switch for them?
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Old 03-06-2014, 04:38 PM   #20
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Two things I did to my 2 AC's to increase efficiency was, 1) remove the covers and paint them white (they were black) with a special plastic spray paint, 2) Use Reflectix, foil insulation and insulated the heat exchange housing compartment. I used 3M upholstery adhesive spray. Took about 1/2 hr to make up manila foler temp plates of the pieces I needed to cut out and then about 1/2hr to glue up each housing.
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