Air conditioner Temp balance

[carlus gann]

Hello owners, we have a 2013 FL and have a problem trying to keep our room temps from swinging freezing to hot. We set the thermostats at 72 but room temps will fall into mid 60's which then we set the thermostats up to stop the units. Soon it will get to hot inside and we repeat the circle set the thermostats back down. The thermostats are never close in indicated setting and room temp. Any ideas??

[rob_fla]

I always set my thermostat by the front living room stairs 1 degree higher than the thermostat on the Kitchen Pantry, seems to work pretty good

[carlus gann]

I have tried many times to do just that but still the same problem. I have thought I may have one bad thermostat and it is tricking the other one to over compensate. Thank you for your input. We have the same paint as you and really love our camper.

[Redwood2013]

We had a light switch creating additional heat about 4" below the entrance area thermostat. Thermostat only worked properly when light was off. My fix was to unplug all the wiring from the 2 bank sets of light switches. Changed the location of each bank of switches and reattach the wiring. Additional heat was gone, thermostat works fine.

Guessing one of the wires was not attached properly before creating heat.

[mstan]

Air conditioner in the Redwoods are absolute junk!!! pure and simple junk. It has only been 89 degrees this week and the Air con struggles to keep it cool. And I have the same problem. You wake up during the night hot. So you reset the temps and then next thing you know the front AC in the bedroom is freezing you out.... while the living room it is is struggling to keep it at 74. I went into a Grand design Momentum last week and it was 90 degrees out. AC's were cycling and it was a very comfortable temp inside. Looks like if they can design on that works a Full time unit like the RW could do the same. And it has not even got hot yet!!!

[rob_fla]

I agree, the Redwood Air Conditioning system as it comes from the factory has poor performance and leaves something to be desired.

After all my mods and fixes to my Redwoods Air Conditioning, I was able to maintain 72/74 degrees inside (with the rear unit occasionally cycling) with a outside temp of 96 degrees a couple of weeks ago in Daytona Beach FL and Tampa FL.

Still would be nice to have a 3rd A/C unit up in the Front Living area.

Now for the real test, I arrived in Miami FL area yesterday, staying at a Broward County Campground in Hollywood FL with little or no shade

[carlus gann]

Thats a good point, I will check and see if thats my problem. Thx

[carlus gann]

What mods and fix's have you done?

[rob_fla]

A/C Mods

Roof AC Mod.pdf


As I sit here in Miami Florida with a nice sunny day and outside temps in the upper 80s today and inside my Redwood temp maintained 72/73

[RCAircraft]

Our 2013 36RL A/C has work very well here in the central Midwest. The comments around extraneous heat near the thermostat could be worth checking out.

[RW Cal]

I'm going to check this out. There seems to be a heat source near the thermostat, but I did not think the switches could be the cause. It should be easy to test.

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by rob_fla

A/C Mods

Attachment 2132


As I sit here in Miami Florida with a nice sunny day and outside temps in the upper 80s today and inside my Redwood temp maintained 72/73

Rob-thank you for the great A/C article.

[mhs4771]

Here's a thought: While I haven't pulled either T-stat on the RW, on our Montana there was a similar issue with the main AC. Pulled the T-stat from the wall and there was a HUGE hole, almost as big as the T-stat. This was allowing warm air from the underbelly and basement to come up into the wall and affect the T-stat. Covered the hole with several layers of Duct Tape and everything seemed to work better.
Again, this is something to look into as it seems the folks building these things love to make over sized holes, except when it come to the Microwave vent.

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by RW Cal

I'm going to check this out. There seems to be a heat source near the thermostat, but I did not think the switches could be the cause. It should be easy to test.

In our 2013 36RL we were having similar issues. When I removed the two rocker switch and thermostat assemblies there was a very noticeable draft of warm air exiting the openings in the wall. The wall surface from the openings towards the floor was warm. Inside the closet door, nearest the thermostat the wall was also warm down towards the converter/circuit breaker/fuse panel. My guess is that some heat, generated by the converter and some by the voltage drops within the breakers and fuses (hopefully not from loose connections), was rising up the hollow space in the wall. Several solutions came to mind however I chose the easiest one which was plug the wall openings such to insulate the thermostat from the warm air. The wild swings was significantly reduced. The room temperature stays within two degrees F. It can get very hot here in the central Midwest. Good A/C is a must for us. Rob's post on adding additional A/C inlets, reducing the protrusion of the the return vents into the return duct and assuring that the A/C unit gaskets are in place and supported is on my to-do list. Temp's in the 105-110 F so far have not been an issue however improving A/C efficiencies is always a good thing.

[GWHoll]

Rob or anyone that can answer about the AC modification. I have installed more vents in my RW 2012 36FL and am now in the process of adding return air vents. I started adding the return air vents in the kitchen and found while running the rear air unit, there was air blowing through the return duct via holes for the wiring. Should there be spray foam put in the openings where the wiring goes through? I am duct taping around the holes where the output vents go and where the returns go - leaving no opening between the duct and the attic (I thought this would eliminate the problem - it has helped some but still feel air pushing out the filtered intakes). Should I use spray foam around wire openings to eliminate this? Also when you talk about the foam gasket between the return and supply side - I assume that is under the AC cover on the roof? Have not gotten that far yet but maybe that is my problem.

[rob_fla]

Originally Posted by GWHoll

Rob or anyone that can answer about the AC modification. I have installed more vents in my RW 2012 36FL and am now in the process of adding return air vents. I started adding the return air vents in the kitchen and found while running the rear air unit, there was air blowing through the return duct via holes for the wiring. Should there be spray foam put in the openings where the wiring goes through? I am duct taping around the holes where the output vents go and where the returns go - leaving no opening between the duct and the attic (I thought this would eliminate the problem - it has helped some but still feel air pushing out the filtered intakes). Should I use spray foam around wire openings to eliminate this? Also when you talk about the foam gasket between the return and supply side - I assume that is under the AC cover on the roof? Have not gotten that far yet but maybe that is my problem.

If there is air blowing back into the return cavity, and it is coming through the wiring then there is a leak into the attic space.
Could be at the supply register collars, or a the plenum where the A/C unit is mounted.
As shown in some of the pictures posted, the whole roof truss section is sealed off as a return air plenum, if it is not sealed correctly, you will get air from the other sections of the roof cavity.
I am not sure you can get 100% of the leaks out of the ducts and connections so the next best thing is to reduce the backpressure on the duct system so the backpressure does not force air out the seams and connections and into the attic space.

[5th_Time]

On my RL, after I did the foam gasket under ACs with foil tape, if I hold something like a paper napkin within 4 or 5 inches of the return ducts, it will suck the napkine up to the duct grate and I have to pull it down. That might mean it needs additional return inlets...
My problem is that I have really low flow out the bedroom AC ducts. Last week I removed a ceiling light in the bedroom while the AC was on and felt cold air discharging out that hole. RutRooo...

[rob_fla]

Originally Posted by 5th_Time

On my RL, after I did the foam gasket under ACs with foil tape, if I hold something like a paper napkin within 4 or 5 inches of the return ducts, it will suck the napkine up to the duct grate and I have to pull it down. That might mean it needs additional return inlets...

That was one of my reasons for adding additional A/C Returns, so much suction at the registers, the system is sucking the Bubble wrap down due to the high negative pressure on the return system since the returns are restricting air flow now that I have opened up the supply duct air flow.

To get air flow to all celling registers, you must cut the supply register collars down so they are not sticking up in the ducts and blocking air flow.

Right now it is 89 degrees outside and sunny, my front A/C (Kitchen area) is running and my rear A/C (Bedroom area) is cycling on and off. (Rear Thermostat is set at 73, Front Thermostat is set at 72, remember I have a front living floor plan) inside temp is 72 degrees.

You are right, my front supply vents do have good air flow but not as much air flow as my rear bedroom vents with the unit right above them.

[RollsRoyce]

Where did you move the light switches to to remove the heat problem