TxCowboy Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Need to install a AC in the bedroom over the kingpin box. The RV is a 2011 Heartland Greystone 32RL and is pre-wired for the second AC unit. The main AC, a Dometic 15K BTW unit, is over the rear living room. Just a few questions to capitalize on all the experience on this forum. 1. I've seen bedroom AC units that are approximately 9500 BTW and others that are 13.5K BTW. Is the 13.5K BTW a little much for a bedroom only system or will the smaller 9500 unit be struggling? I don't want the AC running continuously to cool the bedroom. 2. I'd like a very quiet unit for the bedroom. The AC over the living room is very noisy but does a good job of cooling the main part of the RV so I'm not really complaining. In the bedroom, however, a little noise is OK (white noise?) but it needs to be reasonable. Any suggestions? 3. What about a heat strip? The propane heating systems does a really fine job heating the RV except for one place. The bedroom no heat vents! The two forward vents are both in the bathroom. The heat strip seems like a logic choice but how effective are they? Also, how much of an electricity draw am I dealing with. Of course, it's probably still cheaper than propane. 4. Need to be low profile. The placement of an additional AC unit over the bedroom will increase the overall height of the unit by probably half a foot or more. Dometic makes some good choice but the Coleman Mach-series looks pretty good too. There's not much of a price difference and I'm more than willing to pay for something that means my needs. Suggestions and expert opinions are appreciated! Jeff & Laurie South Texas Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel) Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua) Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas" The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted April 28, 2015 Report Share Posted April 28, 2015 Understand the Colemans are the quietest. You cannot run both off your thermostat. Dometic and Coleman will not communicate with each other. Now may be some way to do it but not just buy and install. The Coleman will have to have it's own thermostat. I had to change one of mine and wanted to install Coleman's but didn't want two thermostats, so I settled for another Dometic the latest design. It is louder than my 2003 Dometics but does push more air. Mine are Heat pumps also 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxCowboy Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 ie; 1000 watt heat strip will put out 3.41 btu per watt or 3410 btu's. a heat pump load will put out 3410 x 3 or 10K btu. Just rough figures here. Bill, seems like a heat pump system produces better heat during the cold months but how is there cooling performance during these hot Texas summers? But what I've read seems to limit their operation to 40 degrees or above. How did they perform for you in Mission? Jeff & Laurie South Texas Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel) Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua) Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas" The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxCowboy Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Understand the Colemans are the quietest. You cannot run both off your thermostat. Dometic and Coleman will not communicate with each other. Now may be some way to do it but not just buy and install. The Coleman will have to have it's own thermostat. I had to change one of mine and wanted to install Coleman's but didn't want two thermostats, so I settled for another Dometic the latest design. It is louder than my 2003 Dometics but does push more air. Mine are Heat pumps also Glenn, a couple of very good points in your post. The thermostat that is installed is for the rear AC. I always thought that any unit I installed in the bedroom (front) would have to have a built-in thermostat. I just did some online searches for a dual zone thermostat and about fell out of my chair. Wow, they are expensive! And thanks for the additional vote for the heat pump systems. I assume they are worth the added cost? Seems they are about $350 more than the larger AC units with heat strip plus require some sort of internal air distribution device? Jeff & Laurie South Texas Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel) Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua) Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas" The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 See our thermostat has zone 1 and zone 2, controls for both a/cs. Standard Dometic 5 button thermostat. There is a newer one but it won't work Coleman units either. As long as you use a separate thermostat you will be better off with the Coleman Mach. They are much quieter. The ideal spot for the heat pump is the living room though. Hot air rises. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 The Coleman is the quietest, at least last time I evaluated them. But they are by no means QUIET. Just "quieter". You may or may not find them offensive. If you have a central plenum you can run your LR one at night after cooling down the BR with the front AC unit. Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Actually I benefit from the noise in the bedroom. Know that sounds odd but I have a bad case of tinnitus and rather hear a/c noise than my ringing. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxCowboy Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 I too like a little noise in the bedroom but not the noise produced by the 15K Dometic in the living room. And installing a second thermostat probably isn't an option. I'll just get the interior unit control panel that has the simple dials for adjusting the temp. Put a thermometer on the wall for a temperature reference and go with that. Jeff & Laurie South Texas Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel) Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua) Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas" The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Vaughn Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 We have a 13,000 in the bedroom of our Big Country and we use it in conjunction with with the main A/C when it is hot outside then when it gets dark and cools off we turn it off when we go to bed. It is noisy in that confined space. You could hang meat in the bed room if you set it to max cool. So it will get nippily there....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garyp4951 Posted May 28, 2015 Report Share Posted May 28, 2015 My front ac is a 13,500 Advent with the controls on it, and no wall tstat. It cools great but like others have said is LOUD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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