Old_Crow said:
My '89 coach was wired for the second a/c(but didn't have it). There was a selector switch that said "front" or "rear", so yes, running only one a/c at a time was a thing, especially if it was only a 30amp coach. Later 30amp coaches(my present '00 Bounder for example)have an energy management system that allows both a/c's to run at the same time.
Anyone who runs the house a/c's while rolling down the road is probably running their generator at the same time. We do this regularly when traveling in the Southwest.
There are both roof vents with fans and just plain vents. I have 3 vents in my coach, 2 with fans and one without. There are a couple of different kinds of fans too. My vent in the toilet area has a little 4"-5" fan in one corner of the vent. My vent in the salon area has a fan that takes up the whole vent. The vent near the shower is just a vent.
Hi Wally,
Great, that confirms my suspicions that there's probably a way to route power around to the A/C units, depending on the situation, and I'm guessing that various packages came wired for increasing flexibility ... at increased cost. Fortunately, if the wiring comes together at a central point, aka the breaker box, and if it's wired in a fixed configuration, I can add in the ability to switch, if needed. It's entirely possible that the owner/dealer isn't even completely aware of how to work everything, and one thing I did notice when pawing through the paperwork was the name and address of the original (elderly) owner.
It's been three years since he traded the MH in on a much smaller, more useful vehicle, and if he's still able and willing to talk about these sorts of questions, I can ask him, if the current owner isn't completely up-to-speed on everything. We're going to get a complete dump on how everything operates when we take possession, that we didn't get a chance to exercise during the initial walk-through because there was no shore power or water where it was being stored. We didn't start the genny because the mechanic is going to do that when he does his inspection, probably next week.
The fanless vents aren't a surprise, especially given the dual A/C units (triple, counting the dash system) and, since it's not wildly hot where we'll normally be in the mountains Out Here, one A/C unit running may be enough, perhaps only running in fan mode, at that. If there is no ability to run the aft A/C from shore power, I may have to at least initially swap the power between the two units so that Mary can be comfortable in the bedroom when we're on shore power for the month of June at the KOA in Billings, while I'm doing research at the MSU campus there during the day.
We'll be backed up to the Yellowstone River, though, and given that it was snowmelt a day or three earlier, it may provide most, if not all, of the cool air we'll need. Plus, there will be trees on the South side of the RV, the same side as the river, possibly further reducing the need for A/C. In July, we'll be in faculty housing while I'm doing research at MSU Bozeman, and we hope to be able to make some weekend trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs, as well as the Big Sky ski/golf resort about an hour South of Bozeman, and Points Beyond, if the Challenger is up to The Challenge. If there's enough tow capacity, we'll bring a small emergency/local-trip vehicle along, or at the very minimum, a small motorcycle, scooter, or other street-legal way to get around at much more than 8 - 10 mpg.
I do hope that the Challenger's model name isn't a harbinger of a disaster, as befell the Space Shuttle of the same name, but, I don't
plan on going airborne, let alone into orbit. That can be easier done than said on some of the roads Out Here in the Mountain West, though, if you're not paying enough attention to the "8% Grade" and "Sharp Turns Next 77 Miles" signs! You haven't lived until you've descended past that latter exact sign going Southwest out of Prescott on AZ-89, heading toward Blythe, CA, on I-10 at the Colorado River ... towing a trailer, even an itty-bitty 4 x 6 foot U-Haul ... late at night.
Thanks again for more very useful info and All the Best,
Jim
;D ???
