We've never had a problem keeping cool (I don't know exactly what cold means)during our SC and FLA beach trips when we run the AC off electric power.
Forget about using the generator to run the AC for more than a day or two. It consumes propane too quickly.
In north Texas, high summer, plugged in, A/C running full blast in a '01 Dodge 190 - NO. You have to strip to your undies & huddle on the back bed, the rest of the unit w/ all interior doors closed.
Advantage - Sprinter cargo van w/ NO windows. Sigh.
I have an 05 Roadtrek 190P, and the answer is yes and no.
The No:
If there is a lot of sun coming in the windows and the rv is already hot, no.
The yes:
If the b is in the shade or the windows toward the sun are protected, yes.
If the b is in the shade or the windows toward the sun are protected and the b is already hot, then you would need to run both the rv generator, house a/c and the van's engine and a/c Until the van was at least as cool as you wanted or a little cooler. When the van is already too warm, everthing in the van has to be cooled down, not just the air.
MrT wrote: On the newer models, will the ac keep the inside cold on those hot, humid texas days?
Hard question to answer, with all the different RT models, year of production and different capacity AC's. For the current 2008 model year the same AC unit is not even used in all of the current model RT's. All Chevy 170's, 190's and 210's get a 12,000btu "CoolCat" heat pump while the Spinters get a 11,000btu AC with a heat strip heater. I believe that the new Sprinters (read that V6 models) with their increased amount of window area may need even a larger btu unit. Years ago Dodges got an AC unit with only 8,000btu. I can personally state that my 12,000btu CoolCat can keep my Roadtrek cool, but as others have stated it sure helps to start with an interior that is not already a furnace. Parking in the shade if possible, covering the windows, and facing the windshield away from the sun all help.
It's hard to cool the inside until the whole van cools down. One thing to remember is that you are driving a metal box, and that box can really heat up, especially when it's hot out. Just put you hand on one of the wheel wells from the inside after a long drive. It takes a lot longer to cool down a Class B after it has been driven for some distance, than it does for one that has been sitting for a day. Opening the hood (disconnect hood light), and spraying the underside of the chassis, with water, after you stop for the day, will help the cooling process, but don't expect much from any of the AC units in cooling the van down after being driven for hours in 90+ heat.
If the vans been sitting and is cool, the ac should cool the interior down 15 to 20 degrees. So if it's 105 out, expect a temp inside of around 85/90. With a Rt you can block off the bed area, and get it a little cooler in that area.
A winnebago View parked in Phoenix, AZ when its 110degrees will start out in the 70's in the morning, by the hottest part of the day you'll be up to 88, then slowly cooling back off to 70's by 10pm. This is if you use the curtain to block off the cab & leave all window shades closed and are not in the shade. Your AC unit will never shut off.
The view is of course larger, but it has a 13,500 btu AC.
The best thing you can do is put sunshades on the OUTSIDE of the windshield and any other window that aren't shaded by trees/etc. That kept the view 80 or below in 110degrees.
I would expect better performance out of a Roadtrek.
Shade is your friend.
On a related topic, can the roof-mount 11,000btu units be swapped out for a high efficiency 13,500btu unit? If the AC makers are to be believed these low-profile units (even at startup) can easily be handled by a propane generator whereas a regular 13.5k might not.
My 2003 Gulfstream "B+"/C would cool down in the hot Oklahoma sun when it was 100 outside with humidity. It had roof air and was ducted.
My 2007 Roadtrek 210P will not cool down more than 15 or 20 degrees from the outside temp. We had a 96 RT 190P several years ago and it would not really cool down much at all. Like the others have said, you gotta block the sun and remember you are in a tin can.
My 2007 Roadtrek 210P will not cool down more than 15 or 20 degrees from the outside temp. We had a 96 RT 190P several years ago and it would not really cool down much at all. Like the others have said, you gotta block the sun and remember you are in a tin can.
Of course, the 1996 RT only has an 8500 BTU window AC.
Erroll, Mary, Duffy the Wonder Doxie & "Ollie"
1996 RoadTrek 210 Popular, on 1995 Chevy Chassis
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