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Old 06-20-2018, 09:39 PM   #21
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I had so many problems with basement a/c. The only place on the east coast I found that could repair them was CTC Murrels Inlet, SC.Have helped many with this problem. Recommend calling them 853-353-0344 and getting their help to locate a repair facility near you.
Warning - if you want to waste your money get a local Residental a/c company or Camping World.
There was a reason Winnebago stopped using them.
That reason was space available for the -then new, environmental equipment was not available. It was logical to use the cheaper roof units, thus making space available near the drive engine.
The Coleman-Mach units are the best air conditioning ever used in the RV industry IMO. It is a residential-type air conditioner/heat pump; the only difference is Coleman-Mach used 2,12,000BTU(1Ton) 120VAC compressors instead of 1, 240VAC, 24,000 BTU(2ton) compressor. Just visit the irv2.com forums to read up on them. Winnebago was just one of several MH mfgrs. to use them.
Perhaps it's most appreciated asset is, it is very quiet. Carrying on a discussion while eating at the table without shouting is the norm.
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Old 06-20-2018, 10:42 PM   #22
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RV Air Conditioner Repair and Troubleshooting
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Old 06-21-2018, 02:46 AM   #23
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It's not cooling and we've had two guys look at it and we're told by both that there's nothing they can do because it's a sealed system and that our only option is to replace it. HVAC guy said there's no freon in it. 2010 Itasca Suncruiser. We are not at all mechanical and would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. If we do have to replace, any idea of cost?
I thought that the basement system on our Journey was low (2004).
I had it checked this Spring (2018) and our RV guy told me it was a sealed system and seldom lost its charge. He found that some prior "repairman" had over-tightened the hot wire lugs and only one compressor was running. The other one wasn't making contact and was causing a fire danger because of the lug being loose. A $3.00 part and change of filter got us up and running great. Get someone who works in residential systems to check it out. Could be something as simple of wires not making good contact.
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Old 06-21-2018, 02:54 AM   #24
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P.s. We were told it is $2500 to $3000 to replace the system. If you have to replace it you might search out a remanufactured system to keep costs down. I did that for the refrigerator in our early on 5th wheel. Got 2 year warranty and a third of the cost of new and was still working great when we sold it 6 yrs. later.
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Old 06-21-2018, 03:42 AM   #25
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I can say that my basement air in my current and prior RV, have worked and continue to work well.

But there are lots of folks out there who have legitimate serious problems with the basement a/c units. From simple tape on the duct joints going to the roof, to low Freon, to electrical issues. If you can get a residential repairman to look at it, they can usually fix it.

But keep in mind, with all the many vocal complaints you see on the forums, there are tens of not hundreds of thousands of units out there working just fine. Winnebago along with several other RV brands have been installing them for decades.

And there are many, many roof top units replaced every year too, perhaps a simpler easier repair, so you don't hear as many complaints. And I have seen many roof top a/c unit shrouds lying along the freeways, that never looks good!
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Old 06-21-2018, 06:19 AM   #26
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Thanks, Rick, for the suggestions. We have checked most of those items plus the circuit breakers and replacing the filter, which was pretty bad. We have had issues with the basement air literally since the day we bought the coach two years ago and have an appointment with an "authorized service center" next week for a diagnosis. I posted this before a planned short getaway to middle Georgia, where the daily temps were in the mid to upper 90's and the roof air did a fabulous job of keeping us comfortable. Almost tempting to give up on the basement altogether, but we'll see what the diagnosis is before deciding on next steps.

At least you have a roof air backup. My '05 vectra didn't. TX, July, 115* outside. 90* inside. Basement air before fixes. Not much better after.
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Old 06-21-2018, 08:55 AM   #27
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Essgee1952-

I have read a number of threads on the Winnebago basement air systems. The standard advice is to call a home air conditioner repairman- not an RV air conditioner repairman. Apparently, inside they are built like residential air conditioners, not RV air conditioners.

There are number of Web pages and documents available on how to troubleshoot and repair these units, but it sounds as if you'd be better off calling a repairman than diagnosing and fixing yourselves. If you watch the repairman, you might be able to take care of it yourselves next time!
Unless you are an HVAC service tech, you can not repair these basement units yourself. But, YES, they are repairable by a reputable commercial or residential repair company. We had ours totally rebuilt with both new compressors directly from the manufacturer of the a/s unit, Coleman Mach. They repair company came to our house. dropped the a/c unit, opened it up and replaced a bunch of parts. They told me that they did indeed googled and viewed a bunch of videos in the internet and felt that it was not going to be a problem. I could go on. Bottom line, our 2004 Itasca Meridian, that we bought new, now has an a/c system that is working perfectly! I've got about $2,200.00 bucks into the repair.
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Old 06-21-2018, 09:58 AM   #28
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Unless you are an HVAC service tech, you can not repair these basement units yourself.
I think this is a matter of degree. There are repairs that you can do yourself if you are reasonably handy, such as capacitor replacement, wiring repairs, squirrel cage fan/motor replacement, gap sealing etc. are well within the range of most competent DIYers. I only wish these units were installed so there was easier access for at least some of these repairs instead of having to pull the unit.

Clearly anything involving the sealed system such as compressor replacement is best left to the professionals.

My squirrel cage fan rattles for a few minutes after start up but then settles down but replacing it is on my to-do list. While I'm at it I'll give everything a good cleaning and inspection. I might replace the capacitors while I'm at it since they don't last forever and mine are 16 years old. Removal/replacement and disassembly/assembly of the unit looks like it makes up 80% of the work.

You'll find a detailed PDF on how to remove the unit, service the squirrel cage fan along with a couple of other DIY repairs here, along with a copy of the Coleman service manual:

https://sites.google.com/site/billmarie2008/
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Old 07-01-2018, 12:41 PM   #29
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Hi rick, can the condenser coil be cleaned from the side without pulling the unit out.
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Old 07-02-2018, 08:19 AM   #30
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Hi rick, can the condenser coil be cleaned from the side without pulling the unit out.
Billy, there are 2 coils as I recall. On my Vectra I could see the 'A' frame coil through the hole in the filter box. The other needed access by dropping the unit. The factory installs the A/C before some of the body panels are installed. Bummer trying to get behind and into the places the plenum is attached. It's possible but care must be taken not to remove what is not necessary. Getting things back together could be an extra challenge. Once out, you can check the functioning of the unit and, if need be, get a residential HVAC tech in to inspect/repair what you can't figure out.


Keep us posted.
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Old 07-02-2018, 08:26 AM   #31
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Rick, I was just going to spray some ac cleaner on the coil that I see and rinse off with a water spray, and hopefully it will drain oit
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:48 AM   #32
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Rick, I was just going to spray some ac cleaner on the coil that I see and rinse off with a water spray, and hopefully it will drain oit
That is acceptable practice, just insure the drain "duckbill" in the drain pan is not clogged up with bugs N dirt first.
Technically the two coils swap functions/names depending on which mode the unit is operating, heat or cool.The inside coil gets the most dirty unless pains are taken to keep a clean air filter installed. The cheap green mesh "filters" do little to catch dust, I use Filtrete brand air filters, at first I had to change it every two weeks, now It's once a month. MH stays much cleaner and dust-free, which alleviates my asthma symptoms.
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Old 07-02-2018, 11:41 AM   #33
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Thanks Ray for the info
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Old 07-30-2018, 01:25 PM   #34
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I think this is a matter of degree. There are repairs that you can do yourself if you are reasonably handy, such as capacitor replacement, wiring repairs, squirrel cage fan/motor replacement, gap sealing etc. are well within the range of most competent DIYers. I only wish these units were installed so there was easier access for at least some of these repairs instead of having to pull the unit.

Clearly anything involving the sealed system such as compressor replacement is best left to the professionals.

My squirrel cage fan rattles for a few minutes after start up but then settles down but replacing it is on my to-do list. While I'm at it I'll give everything a good cleaning and inspection. I might replace the capacitors while I'm at it since they don't last forever and mine are 16 years old. Removal/replacement and disassembly/assembly of the unit looks like it makes up 80% of the work.

You'll find a detailed PDF on how to remove the unit, service the squirrel cage fan along with a couple of other DIY repairs here, along with a copy of the Coleman service manual:

https://sites.google.com/site/billmarie2008/
After spending more time on my A/C, I've determined that compressor #2 isn't kicking in. I've tried it on the generator as well. I've replaced both the start and run caps. If I disconnect compressor #1 and connect #2 in it's place, it still doesn't run. Therefore my conclusion is either compressor #2 is bad or there's a wiring or other problem between the relay, caps, and the compressor.

Can anyone give me some info on how much replacing the compressor would cost (parts & labor). If it's significant, including any related troubleshooting cost, I'm toying with the idea of replacing the unit.
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Old 07-31-2018, 07:47 AM   #35
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After spending more time on my A/C, I've determined that compressor #2 isn't kicking in. I've tried it on the generator as well. I've replaced both the start and run caps. If I disconnect compressor #1 and connect #2 in it's place, it still doesn't run. Therefore my conclusion is either compressor #2 is bad or there's a wiring or other problem between the relay, caps, and the compressor.

Can anyone give me some info on how much replacing the compressor would cost (parts & labor). If it's significant, including any related troubleshooting cost, I'm toying with the idea of replacing the unit.

Bob, I think it is time to call in your local HVAC guy. He can answer these questions for you and even do the compressor replacement, and service the total unit while he is at it. I think you have proven that compressor #2 is toast and that you now need professional assistance. Just my opinion.


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Old 07-31-2018, 09:00 AM   #36
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I've started my own thread on my basement air situation if you'd like to join me there:

http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f...nt-352080.html
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Old 08-01-2018, 09:13 AM   #37
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Replacement compressor
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Old 08-01-2018, 10:04 AM   #38
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Yuck! $526 for just the compressor makes the $2,500 replacement unit look even better to me (I'd install it myself). I haven't heard anything about installation cost for the compressor but I'm assuming I'd be into this for at least $1,000, if not more, and I'd still have a 16 year old A/C.
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Old 08-06-2018, 07:44 AM   #39
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94 vectra motorhome basement air

Good morning, I am new to rving and bought a 94 vectra 31 ft motorhome, it sat for 3 yrs and had some wiring,plumbing problems so I chased everything down and fixed them. I had my power system upgrade to a 30 amp service for the rv and had the air conditioning running, (very cold) for days. Wife turned it off and a cupple of days later she went out and turned it back on, nothing she said happened but for getting a shock when stepping into the rv so she unplugged the rv. I got home and checked it out. Plugged in rv and shut off breakers for air. Everything good. Called a ac tech and he unhooked all the ,switches, relays ect in unit and said he would be back.. well never came back so I am stuck not knowing where all wires go. Anyone have a pick of wires for ac? There is no board, just a bunch of relays, switches, ect.. I am back on the road for a few days so I can't send a pic of my unit.. any help will be greatfull.
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Old 08-06-2018, 10:48 PM   #40
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Good morning, I am new to rving and bought a 94 vectra 31 ft motorhome, it sat for 3 yrs and had some wiring,plumbing problems so I chased everything down and fixed them. I had my power system upgrade to a 30 amp service for the rv and had the air conditioning running, (very cold) for days. Wife turned it off and a cupple of days later she went out and turned it back on, nothing she said happened but for getting a shock when stepping into the rv so she unplugged the rv. I got home and checked it out. Plugged in rv and shut off breakers for air. Everything good. Called a ac tech and he unhooked all the ,switches, relays ect in unit and said he would be back.. well never came back so I am stuck not knowing where all wires go. Anyone have a pick of wires for ac? There is no board, just a bunch of relays, switches, ect.. I am back on the road for a few days so I can't send a pic of my unit.. any help will be greatfull.
There is a missing/ badly corroded ground wire not making contact. If you are not familiar with working on alternating current, I recommend having a licensed electrician double-check the original wiring upgrade.
It can also be the CG pedestal is not wired correctly and/ or the neutral and ground buss's are not connected together. Another thought, inspect your entrance cable plugs for corroded terminals, a badly corroded/burnt prong will lose contact. Replacement ends are available at any RV parts store, but beware, I bought 2 that have the wrong wire color-code;that's last time I buy by low price.
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