I just saw this advertised in a Heartland product, also Komfort (both Thor). This would seem to offer the advantage of lower height for under overpasses etc. Your opinion? I seem to remember Alfa doing this in the past, but I may be incorrect.
Sounds like it's an AC unit built into the basement of the trailer? If so, sounds like a good idea to me!
There is really no reason an AC unit has to be on the roof. There are plenty of homes that have the AC unit sitting on the ground next the house, instead of on the roof. I don't see why an RV couldn't have an AC in the basement.
Makes a lot of sense. Keeps the weight down low, decreases overhead clearance height, eliminates one more hole in the roof to leak, easier to service or remove/replace the unit if it has a problem, less wiring going to the roof. On a 2-unit system, both units can be positioned next to each other, closer to the axles, for better weight balance. Or, one single, larger, unit can be used, instead of 2, which would be cheaper, save space and save weight, versus 2 separate units.
I think commercial passenger buses have the AC in the basement, don't they? I don't recall seeing multiple AC units up on the roofs of Greyhounds. Or maybe I just wasn't looking....
SoCalDesertRider wrote: Sounds like it's an AC unit built into the basement of the trailer? If so, sounds like a good idea to me!
There is really no reason an AC unit has to be on the roof. There are plenty of homes that have the AC unit sitting on the ground next the house, instead of on the roof. I don't see why an RV couldn't have an AC in the basement.
Makes a lot of sense. Keeps the weight down low, decreases overhead clearance height, eliminates one more hole in the roof to leak, easier to service or remove/replace the unit if it has a problem, less wiring going to the roof. On a 2-unit system, both units can be positioned next to each other, closer to the axles, for better weight balance. Or, one single, larger, unit can be used, instead of 2, which would be cheaper, save space and save weight, versus 2 separate units.
I think commercial passenger buses have the AC in the basement, don't they? I don't recall seeing multiple AC units up on the roofs of Greyhounds. Or maybe I just wasn't looking....
But then what are you going to do with your stuff......put it on the roof?
Wouldn't the heat exchanger being located close to the ground mean it is covered with road grime? Not that tree sap is better, but the road grime tends to get everywhere..
Got the basement a/c and heat pump in our Alfa fiver. We love it, but alot of people hate it. It was made by Coleman but marketed under another name. Winnebago and Itasca MHs also use the unit.
We have the basement unit in our Alpha. The AC & Furnace use the same ducts. The ducts in the upper level of the 5ver were crushed during construction so have never worked. In dry heat the ac seems to work marginally ok but in high humidity it fails. We finally added a roof mount ac unit with a heat strip in it for the bedroom. It took all units to cool the rig to 80* last summer when temps reached 113* with 3 fans running also.