A couple years ago I got a Honda EU2000i generator and a GE 5000 BTU window air conditioner (the smallest I could find). It worked ok at first, but the a/c keeps failing. So far it hasn't failed during a trip - which is good - but it only seems to work for a few trips - maybe 10-15 nights of operation before the a/c just blows warm air. I have had two air conditioners and the same thing happened both times.
Anyway, I was wondering what others experiences have been.
My thoughts on why I've had 2 failures of new A/Cs is either:
1) The window a/cs aren't designed for road vibration and it causes them to fail.
2) The starting load on the A/Cs is too high for the generator, and the compressor motor burns up.
Hypothesis #2 might be further aggravated by operating the system in Arizona summer conditions (110 F outside and very hot inside too), and/or using the ECO throttle mode which seems likely to aggravate the mismatch between the generator and A/C when the A/C is starting.
It may just be that the small window units can't take the vibration on the road, even when not running. ISTR a rumor here that the window units used older Roadtreks had some added bracing on the lines to cope with it (not sure if true).
But a big debate on other forums here has been whether the Honda 2000 would start & run a 13,500 Btu RV A/C. Some say yes, some say no. So it sounds like unless ECO mode is on, it shouldn't be an issue with a 5K unit. With your next one, buy a volt meter of some sort, and check your line voltage occasionally.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison (aka 'Loafer's Glory') www.tigervehicles.com
Definitely not designed for the road vibration. Most likely getting a freon leak and the compressor won't run if the low pressure limit switch isn't tripped. Also, monitor the voltage while running the A/C, you may have low voltage, causing a higher amp draw and burning up the compressor.
2010 Ram 3500, Crew Cab, Long bed, 4 x 4,Dually, Lights & Siren!
What, precisely, is failing? Everything (including the compressor) starts and runs, but it doesn't get cool (e.g. no freon)? Compressor not running?
There just aren't that many parts to fail. If the failure is from freon leaks, that's most likely caused by vibration. If the compressor won't start, then it could be a bad capacitor caused by the voltage drop when starting.
Thanks all for the ideas. I've never worked on the guts of an air conditioner before now, but now I have ideas on what failures to look for. I'm planning to pull the unit today and do some investigation. I will report back. Thanks! Shane
Ok, now I feel almost stupid for having asked. Or more to the point being so intimidated by something I had never worked on before - that I hadn't even tried.
I took the unit out, and pulled the cover. Turned it on. Listening to it and touching the compressor it was clear the compressor was running - and after a while the compressor case warmed up also. I felt the lines going into and out of the compressor - it seemed that one should eventually get quite hot, and the other quite cold. This did not happen - nor did the evaporator or condenser coils get cold or hot. After looking around at lines I found a place where there is a clear crack in one of the lines.
So, I have an answer. The road vibration rattled one of the lines until it cracked, then all the refrigerant leaked out.
Thank you all for offering your thoughts - that really helped me narrow down the places to look - and to be less intimidated by a project I was unfamiliar with.
If I can remember how to post pictures (and the associated passwords), I'll post some pictures.
Shane,
In our 2000 Xplorer the window type AC units failed and we had them replaced. It was quite a process as the Class B service techs did it and it took about 2-3 hours each time. I did not watch the process but it was quite involved and they added "stuff" to cushion the unit.
Also, we learned that we should not run the AC when the van is on an angle. We were running it while parked on our driveway which is sloped. Just a couple of items to consider.
Marilyn w/ Joe, 2000 Xplorer Class B van, usually pulling a Ranger bass boat.
Smudge, (in photo) a Shih Tzu/Yorkie Mix and Gizmo is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge
Offline
Online
