If you’re a full-time RVer, an air conditioner is essential for a comfortable experience. If you travel part-time, it can also be helpful to have a cool space.
When choosing an RV cooling unit, consider its BTU rating. This will tell you if it’s large enough to handle your rig’s square footage.
Mini-Split ACs
Mini-Split ACs are a great solution for cooling or heating specific rooms in your home. They offer a lot of benefits over traditional air conditioning systems, including high energy efficiency and superior indoor air quality.
Ductless mini-split ACs can be placed anywhere in your house, and they can be floor-standing or wall-mounted. You can even attach them to ceilings and suspend them from the walls, as you choose.
Because they don’t rely on ductwork, they don’t lose energy through leaks and cracks that occur in traditional AC ducts. That can be a big savings in terms of energy usage, especially if you’re using it to heat a room during the winter.
They also don’t put allergens, bacteria, and other contaminants into the air that they blow out, making them a good option for people who suffer from asthma or allergies. Plus, they’re usually quieter than conventional rooftop RV air conditioners. Generally, they use 50% or less of the power required for standard rooftop units.
Ceiling Cassettes
Ceiling cassettes are one of the most popular options for RV cooling units. These units come with powerful fans that distribute conditioned air efficiently, especially in large spaces.
These units also have built-in return air sensors that help maintain consistent indoor temperatures. They can even adjust their settings to accommodate rooms that are warmer or cooler than the rest of the space.
In addition, they have a photocatalytic purification air filter that brings in fresh air from the outdoors to keep indoor air clean-smelling and healthy.
Before installing ceiling cassettes, make sure that the room you wish to condition has enough insulation. If not, condensation will build up on the outside of the unit and drip into your living area.
Interior Wall Mounted Units
Most modern-production RVs come with a roof-mounted AC unit. Some large class A diesel pushers and some class B’s camper refrigerator vans have more than one unit installed to ensure even cooling throughout the entire coach body.
If you prefer not to use a rooftop AC, or want to avoid using the space it occupies in your RV’s limited interior footprint, consider an interior wall mounted unit. These units offer many of the same benefits as ducted mini-split air conditioners, but operate quietly.
They also are able to be operated in heating mode if the outdoor temperature is below freezing or you plan to travel to colder regions.
If you’re looking for a reliable and effective alternative to a propane furnace, a heat strip is a good option. These strips, which are electric coils, generate enough heat to warm your rig up in fall and spring when the temperatures outside are below your preferred comfort level.
Outside Units
A unit that sits outside your RV is referred to as an “outside unit” or simply an “outdoor unit.” These units are more efficient and quieter than other types of HVAC systems, but they’re also more expensive.
Outdoor units feature a compressor that’s similar to an electric pump and a condenser coil that removes the heat from the refrigerant. The coil is also used to cool the air before it’s released into your home.
Refrigerant in your outdoor unit travels through a copper tube to the indoor unit and then back to the condenser coil. A fan blows outside air over the coil, removing the heat from the refrigerant.
If your unit isn’t working, there may be a problem with the switch that activates it. It could be in the wrong mode or it might have tripped a circuit breaker that stops the outside unit from working.