wdbates
Oak Hills, ca
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Joined: 07/22/2003
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I have always been lucky with the dash AC and have only a few times had to run House AC. I do think the roof air works well in extreme heat and is better for traveling and power than useing the dash air.
I just blocked and raised the rear tires off the ground and pulled the rear tires off so I could install new rear shocks. I placed a jack stand on each side when I was under the chassis. I would change a front tire or rear tire if I had to and I carry a 3/4in breaker bar with sockett to do the job along with a spare tire...
Geneva & Warren
04 34m expedition
300 ISB cummins/6speed
Oak hills CA
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tom_kat
way upstate new york/lake george area
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Joined: 02/28/2005
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my dash air dont work anymore and its not worth fixing so i run the generator and roof AC and i have used the levelers to change tires and work under the rv but use a jack also just in case.
1985 Class A Holiday Rambler Imperial 33 +1979 Class C Holiday Rambler Statesman 1000 = 24 ft
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Jim@HiTek
Gresham, OR, USA
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Joined: 07/17/2004
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Like many others, my dash air doesn't work and the cost to repair in a DP is prohibitive. So I run the roof air powered by my LP powered genset. I'm pretty sure it's a wash as far as cost goes but I like the cool breeze blowing on my neck in hot climes and love the house being cool when I arrive.
I have a 3 jack hydraulic system and do use it to jack up the rig when needed. But safety first of course...I use a 20 ton jack stand too.
 Jim@HiTek
Have shop, will travel!
Visit my travel & RV repair blog site.
1994 Fleetwood Bounder
Cummins Diesel, 190HP, 36.5'
Black Rock Lava Park, Nevada
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Johnny Hurryup
Tafton Pa.
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Joined: 11/20/2005
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If the dash air causes a 10 to 15% drop in mpg and you are travelling at, say. 60 mph. At 60 mph and 9 mpg you will use about 6.7 gal per hour. That means the dash air is increasing your fuel consumption by about .7 gal per hour. I believe that most gensets use about .4 to .5 gals per hour. And the house air will cool the coach much better, at least mine does.
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kjames90755
Signal Hill, CA
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Joined: 01/27/2008
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tom_kat wrote:my dash air dont work anymore and its not worth fixing so i run the generator and roof AC and i have used the levelers to change tires and work under the rv but use a jack also just in case.
I am not inclined to work under the RV we have, but would not use the levelers to raise the rig without having a way to block the frame securely. There was a post somewhere on one of the threads about a month or so ago, just before we left for Tunica, MS, about one of the users who was checking something under his rig before leaving for a trip, and the jacks didn't hold, and the rig "fell" on him.
As one of the users here stated--"With two different size tires, I'll just call CoachNet and let them deal with it."
On the air issue, with a gas engine, your A/C is powered by the engine, and creates a real power/performance drain on the engine, as well as dumping a lot of heat into the engine compartment. Running the genny and coach A/Cs cools more effectively as they are rated at a higher capacity. With our DP, we use the genny and coach A/C, at a nice comfortable 71F...if it gets too hot up front I can turn on either the A/C or the defroster fans to move air around (bringing cooler air up front).
2008 Itasca Meridian 37H, All. 3000MH (6-auto), Freightliner XC Chass., Cummins 6.7L Turbo, (Sweet! Delivery 03/12/08). Tow: '07 Dodge Gr. Caravan, Me, Him; Sugarbear, Apr. Toy Poodle; Pepe, Blk Toy Poodle; Hero, fat Siam.-mix polydactyl cat/Alarm Clock.
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ArchHoagland
Clovis, CA, USA
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Joined: 11/28/2004
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Going into Las Vegas a few days ago it was 113 degrees. Both house A/C going and the dash air.
Then the generator overheated as we climbed a 13 mile grade and shut off. Got a little toasty for a while.
When it 113 degrees I could care less what it does to gas milage!!!!
2004 Monaco
La Palma 36DBD
Two Slides
2 Potties
Workhorse 22 chassis
8.1 gas engine & Allison transmission
6.9 MPG based on a 6,000 mile trip around the U.S.
2000 LEXUS RX300 FWD 22MPG 4020 LBS
US Gear Toad Brakes
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bill h
el segundo
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Joined: 08/02/2001
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On my puller, I removed the dash air condenser. It got in the way of radiator air flow and heated up the radiator air.
Bill and Susan
84 Barth 30 tag powered by ht502/Thorley, Gear Vendors OD
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes
4WD Toyota toad
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horizon451
Henderson, NV
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Joined: 02/19/2006
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We run our genset and house air when traveling as it will cool the whole coach.
Just last month we added a clear ceramic window tint to the windshield and that made a huge difference in reducing heat gain when facing the sun. Zero problems for our coach to stay cool in 112 degree weather.
'02 Itasca Horizon 36LD
'02 Jeep GC toad
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JerryofWV
Charleston, WV
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Joined: 11/17/2005
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With the sun shining through the windshield the overhead acs don't keep the driver area very cool. We usually run both to stay comfortable.
Luckily I have only had one flat and I did use the hydraulic jacks to change it. I would not hesitate to use them again.
Jerry & Dee Dee Pauley
1998 Pace Arrow 36S, One Slideout, Tag Axle, Triton V10, Front Konis, Rear Track Bar, 2000 Tracker Toad
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have.
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brobox
Sunny SW. Florida
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Joined: 11/18/2003
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I run the roof air while traveling if the dash air will not keep up with the outside temp. That may be 75% of the time in warm country.
I have had two service centers use the jacks to remove a rear wheel. One was a Cummins Coach Care Center, the other was a T/A truck center.
Chuck
02 Travel Supreme, 2 street side slides
02 Jeep Liberty Toad
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