Hey Guys! Our "Thanks" button is now available above by the "like" button! If you have found value in this video we would sure appreciate the support! Thanks -Corey
I just finished this modification on our 2005 Holiday Rambler Vacationer. The results are amazing as everyone else has already pointed out. Officially we dropped from around 79-80 decibels to 69-72 decibels. Since those measurements are logarithmic power levels it is a much bigger difference than I had imagined. I used Kilmat self adhesive sound deadener that I already purchased to cover our engine doghouse and front cockpit area flooring and it worked great. I also painted all of the vents and the main intake/exhaust trim since the originals had all yellowed. We can now have a normal conversation and/or listen to TV or our sound system while the AC is on high - we could not do that before.... Planning to do the bedroom unit tomorrow. Next I'm going to clean the coils and see what else can be secured topside with the AC units themselves (2 Dometic 15,000btu units)
Unreal! We're living full-time in an RV as of three weeks ago. Here I'm British Columbia, we're hitting record temps and our AC wasn't performing anywhere near where it should. Found your video yesterday, upgraded our unit based on your recommendation (plus a couple tweaks as our unit isn't the exact same), and INSTANT relief throughout our trailer. This video is worth a million bucks to us right now!!!
Me and my wife are currently in the process of building out our 1993 model 30 foot holiday rambler. Its old but its in really great shape. We have already done the 1800 watts of solar and have 2 inverters totaling 7000 watts. This coming weekend im installing the inovair 38 seer minisplit. I love seeing other people thats made the change to rv living. Its inspiring and we both thank you for sharing
Thanks Matthew, we actually lived in the RV for about 4 years. We’re now on a big catamaran sailboat in the Bahamas. Even though we’re on a boat You may find a lot of value in our off grid build. We built our own LiFePo4 batteries, Solar and more. Please give some of our other videos a look. Cheers! Corey
@@SaltyEscape that's awesome you are living that life. It's gotta be like a dream come true. And building your own battery pack is cool also. I'm currently using 24 leaf modules In a 24 volt configuration. I'm wanting to build a 30 kw battery bank with the lifepo4 batteries but I don't have the money for that just yet. Me and the wife live in this semi truck about 25 days a month and hopefully that'll change soon. Once the camper is completely off grid capable I'd like to work alot less and spend more time in the middle of nowhere lol
@@matthewknight5641 give my video a look on the battery build. We bought the prismatic cells from alibaba and assembled them. It’s not hard. It’s soooo much cheaper to do it this way.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I was looking for options and like others almost bought an aftermarket solution for much more money. I spent about $24 on a roll of Reflectix. It took me about an hour or two but I was very through and careful with the taping and Reflectix install. I have a bit of electrical and mechanical experience so this was a pretty easy project for me. If you do not have experience the project might look a little daunting at first, but take your time and take pics if need be before disassembling anything. I did a couple things different than the video that I'll share. 1) The electrical box is only secured to the metal frame by 2 small screws if you remove the screws you can leave the electrical box suspended and remove the metal frame. This makes access much easier and makes it much easier to work on the metal frame section. 2) On the metal frame section I also put Reflectix on both sides of the angled divider piece, however on the return side I cut the piece so there was about 4"-5" extra on each side to make 2 "flaps". I then taped both sides of each flap to make them a little more rigid. Once I installed the metal frame back I then trimmed the two flaps to fit just past the supply ducts. Before putting the electrical box back I made sure everything was completely taped and sealed. I put the plastic cover on and ran the A/C without the filter in and checked for any places supply air might be leaking through. There was nothing, that sucker was sealed. So this fix works. The A/C is definitely quieter and blows MUCH harder. In fact, I didn't measure but I am convinced that the reason there is only a few recorded dB in sound difference because now I have the sound of air rushing out of the ceiling vents!
Thank you Joey!! This is all great advice for those who may be intimidated by this project. I agree with you though.... it’s not a difficult project and most anyone can handle it. Great suggestions!! Cheers -Corey
This is a very helpful video. For less than $20 you can 1) reduce a/c noise considerably, 2) get much colder air, and 3) increase air output from vents. Well Done!
Just did this today and was able to drop my vent temps down over 20 degrees, I couldn't believe how crappy of a job the factory had done. Now I've got to do the second one in the kitchen area! Thanks for the inspiration to try this!
UNBELIEVABLE! The immediate improvement in air flow is AMAZING. We installed this upgrade just this morning following your guidance plus added second layer of Reflectix over the dump. Thank you. We are impressed with the new performance.
We did and two big observations. 1. Decibel readings before and after front/rear low/high speed: 1 or 2 lower, but, yes sounds better. 2. DRAMATIC change in cooling. Visited family in Las Vegas in July - brutal heat - and our rig was comfortable for the first time in years. Also, cool down time shorter. I extended the insulation up the curved cowling to the cooling fins. That plastic cowling was very hot to touch prior and now is slightly warm when ac is not in use. I looked at your video again and did not see that the insulation extended up that far. Little tricky to get in there, but we think it makes a difference. Thank you for helping us.
I have a similar AC it is so loud we purchased a stand alone unit and vented it out the window. I did what you show in your video and I want to "Thank You" . Our AC is at least 30% quieter and has a lower pitch so it is livable now. Happy Trails.
I just completed my first unit. Wow, what a difference! I’ll be doing the second unit tomorrow and look forward to a great nights sleep when I get to Florida in a month. Thank you for the video. Also, I was shocked by such a lousy install from the factory.
Thank you so much! We did this yesterday to our 2019 Lacrosse. It was unbelievable how bad the factory install was!😡 It took us 4 hours to do what you suggested and it was an immediate obvious difference. We can't thank you enough. We were going to order a $200 RV Ez Airflow but this worked perfect!
I just took a looks at my living room ac (pretty much like yours in the video) and I noticed the manufacturer (Forest River Berkshire model) they did a pretty clean job with all the duct taping. I’m leaning towards leaving that intact and just adding the double reflective insulation and sealing off the louvered dump port. Thanks for the great video. Hoping it makes a big difference! 👍
We did this yesterday to our living room 15,000btu ac with reservations on the results. We spent 12.21 on foil insulation and 8.98 on the foil tape for a total of 21.19 before taxes. AND it is absolutely mind blowing at the results! Our noise level went down 6 decibels and the noise now is similar to a small fan running. We will be doing the bedroom ac tonight. If the ac noise bothers you, this is a must fix. Thank you so much for sharing this video.
I did this on our RV. Wow! What a difference in the noise reduction, but better yet, the scfm through duct increased dramatically and the AC was much more efficient. It is a shame the RV manufacturers can’t get their act together and provide a much better install on AC units. Highly recommend doing this on your RV Dometic AC units!
Hi James! Thanks for the feedback! I’m sure lots of people are skeptical, your comments will definitely reassure them. I’m excited that I helped you out! Stay cool! 😉 -Corey
What model of Dometic is your a/c brisk ll??? Foil taped mine but liked your video ,got reflex and time ,some other video used panel insulation to block air from cycling to intake side.👍🐴
I am glad I found this video. I have the same a/c unit and it is very loud and the airflow through the ducts is minimal. When I opened up the inside cover, I noticed many issues that you resolved. Thanks!
I completed this mod and it wasn't too bad. The foam tape that was installed from the factory was worthless. My only snag was putting the 2 long bolts back in the side the air dump was blocked off. You can't see the holes and I couldn't get them in. As a workaround, I put the reflectix on the inside of the cover. Airflow is so much better. Thanks for the video.
What a huge difference! Thank you for your video! Following your guidance, we made the adjustments yesterday and the AC worked more efficiently and the air flow was 100% better. The master never got good air flow and when my husband opened it up, we found about 3ft of wires shoved into our duct. Thanks again!
The wires in the duct are not surprising... unfortunately. I’m so happy you found this video and now have fully functioning AC!! Thanks for the feedback! -Corey
You are the Man!! I just finished my AC. What an amazing difference. It is unbelievable how crapy the installation was. I didn’t even have half the tape in mine that you had. We are stoked. Thank you so much for the video. Darren. Lissa and Tay.
WOW! Just finished insulating and taping both of my Dometic AC's. Quieter but the best is the volume of colder air entering our living space is awesome! It's easy to cool the rig using 30 amp (one AC). Thanks for the DIY hack!
I just made this mod this morning. Air con runs much quieter now. It is around 90f right now and a/c is only running on low fan speed to maintain set temp. I reduced set temp and fan kicked on to high speed but still did mot need to crank up the tv sound!👍 i also removed the roof vents and the sealed inside with the foil tape as I found there was gaps where cold air could leak into the roof cavity. This mod gets two thumbs up from me! Will get a real good idea how much difference it is making later today with the mercury set to hit around 95f. Based on the results so far I think it will work out great! Thanks for this!
I took on this project today, because camping season is around the corner. I found that my separation baffle was 1” lower than the seal point. There’s no telling how long it has been like that. Also, no telling how much efficiency that I have missed out on. Anyway, I decided to fix it with self tapping screws. That way, even if my tape fails, the screws will continue to hold. Thank you for this video, I stumbled on it by accident, but without it, I would have continued to sacrifice the efficiency of my A/C unit. I now feel confident that my unit will run less and perhaps last longer. I will spread this info and share this video to everybody I know who owns an RV.
This is the first modification anyone should do to your camper! Very good video thank you for making this. I just finished my 13500 unit in my toy hauler and can't believe how much quieter and how strong the air is blowing now. This is gonna make sleeping easier as well as keep the camper ALOT cooler!
Saw this video yesterday. Thought, let me check it out. Been doing some upgrades when the extra money presented itself. I have all items. So it was just time. I found exactly what you showed. Wide open , and crappy very thin foam stuck in all the wrong places. I even found a plastic piece in the tunnel to the vents that was glued to hold two sections together was hanging down and blocking air flow. Re-glued it and put a block of wood in there to hold it up indefinitely, and it doesn’t block air flow. 2 things I did different than you. The metal that divided the 2 chambers (that was only taped together) I rivered them together. And, I didn’t close off the air dump. We use it a lot. Now this on a 2000 Georgie boy Landau, and it appears to be the original a/c unit. So not sure I heard a big difference in noise level, but air flow was better and colder! Gotta do the bedroom a/c now. Thank for the video and help !
Hi David, thanks for the feedback! I’m happy you found our video helpful. Riveting the baffle is a great idea!! I suspect you didn’t notice much change in the sound because you didn’t cover the dump vent. Now that the flow is much better, you may not need that air dump vent as often. If not too much trouble, share this video with fellow RVers. Cheers, Corey
This was a big help. Thanks for the tutorial. I just finished doing this to our main AC. We were having low air flow to the front of our trailer. After opening up the unit come to find that most of the vent was blocked by the roofing.
Wow!!!! What a difference this has made to my living room a/c. I'm a newbie full timer in a 40ft 5th wheel and came across this video to increase the efficiency and cut down on the crazy noise of our a/c. THIS EASY TO FOLLOW VIDEO is spectacular!! There is a ton more air pushing through my ducts and vents and the ambient noise has dropped by probably 60%. It was very inexpensive, roughly $25. I am the least handy man on the planet and managed to pull this off in about 2 hours. Thank you thank you thank you!!
I like it. I was looking at the product that was an insert that kinda does the same thing. First thing he did was tape up all the gaps and I immediately wondered if that wasn't more of the gain than the actual product. I am gonna go with your technique first. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for a great video. I just completed this project today following the instructions in the video. The only things I did differently was that I used 3M spray adhesive and I put 2 layers of insulation on the grill in order to make things quieter. I tested the unit and it is noticeably quieter.
I assume you’re asking about the layer of insulation over the vent to block it. You could do more than one layer but I doubt if would have much more of an effect on noise and you can’t restrict the airflow too much or the unit will freeze up. The problem with the sound is the high pitched hissing noise created from the turbulence of the air hitting the backside of the vent. When you block it, that turbulence smooths out and the sound changes. If you’re going to take on this project, I suggest to do it completely (as the video shows). You can always go back and add more layers. You’ll be very happy!
Thanks. Corey. I plan to do this mod ASAP. I really appreciate your presentation. I find it much more pleasant than all the guys who sound like shouting used car salesmen. HI GUYS! WHUTSUP! I'M GRATING FRED HERE..... You know the type. Also, thanks for showing detail where it is needed and skipping past the routine stuff. Of course, one man's routine is another man's much needed detail. I watched a video on solar installation a few days ago where one of the comments was "I wish you could have shown us how to strip the wires".... Go figure!
Thank you for this mod. I just saw the 'expensive product' installation / review and had sticker shock. I decided that I would design and 3d print my own solution. But now seeing you fix, I am with you and going to do this. Thanks again.
@@SaltyEscape I decided to 3-D print mine and it works really awesome and fits like a glove. Mine is made of three different pieces that like lock together and are glued it to the Frame with a little bit of clear Alex Koch. What a huge difference it makes. Thanks for taking the time and making this video it really helps a lot of people that have all kinds of jacked up poorly installed AC units like mine was. 👍
Naa, when you see how much airflow you’ll have through the ducts, you’ll see you don’t need the dump vent. But if your worried about loosing it, just omit that part of this modification. The noise won’t reduce as much but you’ll still gain a lot of efficiency because you’re probably loosing your cold air to the dead space in the ceiling. Let me know how it goes. 😊
I had already made a cardboard baffle about 3 years ago and dropped Dometic AC sound level by about 3 db but still too loud to watch TV and carry on a 'normal' conversation, most aggravating! I watched ur video and completed the mods with reflectix and foil tape to block dump valve and seal the supply compartment. Using the Apple watch sound meter it dropped from 61db to 53db while sitting in the recliner about 5 feet away from unit. This is quiet enough to watch TV in my opinion. We have a 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2600RB pull behind. A friend just bought the same camper but a 2020 model with a Coleman Mach 15 AC, his sound level from factory is around 51db sitting in recliner, I couldn't believe how quiet it was!! My added benefit was extra air flow from the ducted vents which I can always use! Thanks "Salty" for taking time to video ur experience!
Hi Guys! Sorry, i have not found anything great. I was entertaining the idea of using aluminum C channel to make a track for a paper furnace filters but Becky said it would look ugly and that's where that ideal ended. Oh well. I'm happy this helped you! Cheers- Corey
Very helpful video. The lack of QC in the RV industry 😔 is abysmal. The companies all brag about Amish Craftsmanship, but fail to tell you they are demanding the workers to work at break neck speeds on an assembly line that cannot support consistent quality. On your AC , you were missing 2 screws. On my 5th wheel my 30lb propane tank straps were only secured by 1 screw instead of 2 causing the tank to fall off the stand when they sheared off. Luckily the hoses were strong enough to keep it from falling onto the highway.
Make a point to pop off every vent and seal the vent to the duct conduit with the foil tape!... Theyare just rough cut circles that the round vents are popped into... A lot of cold air escapes into the attic space at these points...
I had to do that exact thing with my FR FSX26RT. Most of my air was blowng into the roof space. Once i sealed up the vents and the actual diverter box the trailer would cool down quick.
Good advice! Never got much heat in the bedroom of our travel trailer… one of the floor vents wasn’t just disconnected… it had no duct line to it at all! Thankfully the dealership fixed it for free!
I just finished the project using your video and I want to thank you for video detail and excellent instructions. It Truly Works! The only difference I did was use a new foam core insulation. I stopped using Reflectix a couple of years ago due to the poor R value. They claim it has 6 but if people look at the fine print it is substantially less. The new foam core insulation claims it has an R value of 8. It's possible but it certainly holds up better than Reflectix. The only place I found it available was on Ebay. It is 1/4 inch thick and bubble can't break. Anyway, Thank You so much for producing this video. GREAT JOB!
Hi Marie, somewhere in the comments here, someone else did this with their non ducted unit. They said it helped cooling a lot. It won’t hurt! You’re probably loosing conditioned air to the ceiling cavity as well as cold /warm mixing. Good luck! Please let me know how it goes! (Helps the community). Cheers, Corey
This is by far the BEST informative ducting improvements for rv I’ve seen! Definitely going to be doing this upgrade soon. We just came back from a trip where temps reached 100+😰. Wished I seen this sooner. Thank you so much!!👍🏼👍🏼
@@SaltyEscape I just went back and used foam boards and the tape to redirect the air into the ductwork as smoothly as possible. I have to say, it did reduce the noise and made the pressure coming out of the vents a lot stronger. I’m really impressed so far
@@SaltyEscape I hope so. my air conditioner motor was bad most of last year so we only had the one in the bedroom and it got kinda warm in the main area. okay, it actually stayed pretty hot until the main area. i recently was able to replace the bad motor on it and it works great now
Is this a small fishing campground on Lake Okachobie?? With a lot of old tiny white clapboard fishing cabins and some RV spots? I recognize "the do not swim sign"....I bet it is. LOL
Good video, mine is loud so I’m hoping to dampin that but my unit looks exactly like yours. But even being hvac certified I was hesitant to mess with these goofy camper hvac setups. So this will be my next project
I agree with everything you did in this video. I have 2 suggestions to increase airflow and to make it even quieter. 1. Use dynamat or kilmat noise suppression material like they use in cars. It is adhesive so it will stick on its own, no need to tape it down. It will absorb noise much better and is worth the money. 2. To increase airflow, buy a 4" diameter aluminum chimney section from Lowes. Cut a section the width of the outlet area. Fold it back words to make what looks like a cursive I. Seal this to the outlet area to direct the air left and right into the ductwork....makes a huge difference. Everything you suggested is great....these are just some "upgrade" ideas.
I completed the “upgrade” on my motorhome’s Dometic Penguin II AC. The task was done exactly as your video. The results are mixed. The noise was marginally reduced by 4db. The air flow coming from the air ducts was negligible. I wish there was a “T” that I can insert into the cold air fan vent (dump) and branch it into the 2 vent cut outs feeding the venting. Other UA-camrs have used insulation board and created a “tent” (where the dump side is located) to direct the cold air to the 2 vents. This was a good start…but more work is indicated. Much cheaper than a new unit or that “Wacko” product. Thanks
Thanks for the feed back Dean. Sorry the results aren’t more dramatic. I guess individual results may vary. The diversion baffle or “tent” is a good next step so long as it isn’t restricting the air flow. If you start to freeze it’s a sure sign that you’ve gone too far. Definitely cheaper than the wacko product.
Good video and information. I think the only thing I would change is not to run the reflectix into the vent because you are restricting the air flow into the vent slightly. I would just cut the reflectix at the edge of the vent and tape it.
My brand new trailer had been hacked apart at the dealer and the internal baffle was missing completely. I have a feeling they swapped AC units on my prior to my sale. I installed some reflective insulation for a new baffle but I think I am going to check it out and see if I can make it better including blocking off the air dump. Great video!
Scott, wow! Some of these RV dealerships are terrible. I’m sorry you are dealing with their fails. Hope my video helps you out! My advice... don’t go back to that dealership for anything. Good luck! Corey
@@SaltyEscape Well, I finished up this project today. I may have went a little overboard but why not. The sound difference is dramatic including the volume of air coming from the vents. Which has now created a new issue. Since the bedroom is the only vent on one of the trunks the amount of air coming out is crazy and now has more air noise than before. I've got some ideas to bring down the air volume.
Thank you for the post. I've been doing different things to improve our air flow and help the overall cooling of our RV. They've helped some, but I know I have a ways to go so I've been digging around YT the past couple of days to see what I could do at the unit itself. We have the same unit you do. I haven't pulled the base plate off yet, but will tomorrow. Initially I pulled the grilles off to see what that did to air flow. Made a big difference so I cut every other fin out and that helped quite a bit. Some folks have a problem with the grille "inserts" sticking up into the air stream. Ours seem okay. The other thing that seems to happen to ours is that I believe the evaporator coil is freezing up after 4-6 hours of use because the temperature drop goes to almost 0 later in the day. Cross contamination could explain that. Thanks again for the video. I'll let you know what I find.
@@SaltyEscape We made the changes to the AC you did. It's not hot enough here to tell if it helped cool better, but the air flow was improved and I know the air isn't short cycling now so I'm confident we'll see a good improvement. We also dug into the grilles today. If you pop those round covers off there is a piece that's screwed to the ceiling. It has a short tube that goes up into the trunk. You might want to see if the tops of yours are sticking up into the trunk. Ours were about 1/2". We decided to pull them and cut the excess off. That made a huge difference in air flow as well. I hadn't checked them before, but I had previously taken every other fin out of the grilles and got an air flow improvement there. While I did this primarily to help cooling in the camper, the noise level is significantly reduced as well. Thank you for the suggestions.
Thanks Steven! Glad to hear you’re seeing improvement already! Yes, our vent covers project into the ceiling duct also. I haven’t cut them flush yet but we have thought about it. Thanks for the tip and for taking time to give me an update! Seriously excited that this information helped you also! Corey
We have a small vornado fan on low speed that makes a world of difference especially between cooling cycles. I would not be able to stay in there on a hot day if I didn't have this fan! Makes night time cooling better also!
@@SaltyEscape as an update this mod is fantastic. I am impressed how much cooler the RV is and it gets cooler a ton faster, definitely thos mod is a must. Thanks again.
Hi Nick! You’re the second person to ask, so I’ve tried to look it up. Most online resources say “snug” and “do not over tighten”. I found one forum that said 20 INCH pounds!! INCH not Foot. Others say, hand tighten and then an additional 1/4 -1/2 turn. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Amazing video! Thanks so much! I did this to both of my units and the improvement is obvious! However, one of my units (the living room) frosts over every few days. I've taken it apart and re-sealed the divider between the warm/cold sections twice and it's still having the issue. I can't figure out what in the world I've done differently on this unit ... any advice on what exactly I should look for to troubleshoot it? Thanks again! We're all loving the sound and air flow improvements!
Hi Brian. Sorry you’re having trouble with frosting. I’m not an expert but my understanding is the frosting occurs when there is not enough airflow through the system. For example a clogged filter or blocked ducts. The filter is easy. Try to make sure all your ducts are open and the air is not restricted. Also check the coils. There will be a coil on the inside when you take the cover off and they’ll be a coil on the outside under the shroud. They make a special foaming cleaner that works well and you can also spray it with a gentle spray bottle. The coils are the part of the unit that have the thin aluminum fins that can be easily bent and dented. I’m sure there are plenty of UA-cam videos out there talking about strategy on how to clean them. This is the cleaner I’ve used previously with success. I hope you find some success with these tips! If all else fails you may need to run it at a warmer temperature. It could be the factory built your camper with undersized ducting and it is too restrictive. (just guessing) amzn.to/3ev86O7
@@SaltyEscape HI Corey, - regarding Brian Rhea's icing for frosting issue: The sensing thermocouple which senses the temp is usually just pushed between the fins of the inside coil. This can easily be dislodged when removing the inside mounting plate, or replaced in the wrong location. The result is the inside coil (evaporator) will ice up. Just a thought. Great video.
This video is great and I plan on doing it to mine, I have the same AC unit. The only problem is that when i moved into my RV the AC unit was working fine, it would reach temp then turn off. Now it never turns off. Could this be apart of the problem? Loosing some air so it never really fills the room fully? The air coming out def feels cold and stays for awhile but I have to manually turn off my ac when i find I've reached the temp thats cozy.
Hi Sam, yes, it’s likely this is part of your problem. They tend to only use foil tape to seal the ducts and after a while the tape fails causing you to lose a lot of air into the dead space of the ceiling. It’s worth a good inspection and fixing. Good luck!
Thanks for the video. I find my ac doesn't cool my RV enough and it often freezes the coils which cause water to fall into the trailer from the vent. I bought the materials and will do this as soon as they arrive. I'll report back once completed.
Yes, please let me know. You may need to clean the coils while you are at it. (Because it’s freezing) Give them a good look over to see if they are dirty. There will be one inside and one outside. Good luck! Corey
Good video. Easy to do You can buy the Reflectix @ Lowe’s or HD. Take you time to seal every crack. Don’t leave any hard edges on your tape. You want to have the smoothest airflow you can get. Smooth everything and don’t worry about how much tape you use. This is a better solution than the Wa**o unit and you’ll save $375 by following his video. Remember, he meticulously taped everything. Expect about a 10-12 dB sound drop.
Thanks Mark! I agree with EVERYTHING you have said. Sounds like you made these modifications on your own unit and it sounds like the project went well… Thanks for sharing. Corey
Tackled this today because I was afraid that my a/c was not exactly up to par anymore. Turns out that it was just leaking air into the roof gap and cooling down the attic. Lots of foil tape and some of that aluminized bubble wrap and it works better than it did when new.
I already had 1/2” styrofoam boards and aluminum tape from wintering in Ohio, now that I’m in Georgia trying to stay cool is the goal. I used the styrofoam to block out the heat on the inside from the sun shining on the outside of the ramp all day .
I’m sure you can over tighten them. This is an excellent question! I’m sure there is a factory foot pounds of torque that is suggested however I tried to tighten them down reasonably so to match how tight they appeared to be when I took them out. Good and tight but not excessive. Hopefully somebody else reading the comments can add in how much torque is needed…
Blakehx So far we have not done anything to the shrouds. Maybe white paint would work... cheaper too. We are in Coastal South Carolina, it gets hot but not like out west. If you do change out the shrouds, be sure and let me know if it helps. -Corey
I just recoated the Alpha rubber roof on my bought new 2000 Terry TT with RVRoof Magic yesterday (first time). If this material sticks to the roof like it sticks to my hands... The roof is now a glossy white rather than a flat black...heh. Because of this, I discovered that the A/C shroud is disintegrating, beyond JB Weld-ability...lol, so I'm ordering a new MAXXAIR shroud that has received excellent reviews. I definitely am going to do the mod in this vid. (No affiliation to any product mentioned here). Happy RVing, folks...
Awesome video. I looked inside of mine and it's like a birds nest up there. Wires all over and I can see the sides of the unit and I know it's not flowing air well at all. Not to mention pretty loud. Thanks for this, it's on my list of To Dos!!!
@@SaltyEscape I had some Foil tape from when I was lining the dog house of my gas class A. So I started on the rear AC and I'm waiting for the insulation to get here from Amazon. This is much needed. Thanks for the video and explanation.
We are purchasing the same unit this week. First thing I am going to do! I wonder if there is a way to tube from the cold air and split directly into both ducts? Thanks for posting !
Great video! I pulled my cover off to see what mine looked like and there are leaks that need to be fixed. My AC ducting is different in that the airflow coming down from the blower has to make a 90-degree turn into a very small opening. What is even worse is the opening is up about 5 inches up or so, so the air-flow has to hit the cover then get forced back up into the vent. Jeesh, what a crappy design. I think I may have to make some sort of air-flow shoot that would direct the air directly into the air-vent. Any Ideas?
I thought about making an air director also. If it were me doing it, I would try to get my hands on some styrofoam, shape it, and then cover it with foil tape or duct tape. Let me know how it goes and what you decide to do! Good luck! Corey
@@SaltyEscape Check out the big box home improvement stores for some 2' x 2' pink (or blue) foam sheets. We made diverters ( in a teepee shape _/\_ ) to guide the cold air into the raceway in our Grand Design.
We only saw small alligators 🐊. They were actually fun to watch until the grounds keepers got scared and the camp ground had them removed. Funny thing is… they’re wild. In a few weeks another one found the pond. 🤷♂️
I already have the reflective bubble wrap, I might buy the tape and do this! I live full time in Texas and I hate how noisy it is!! But also for the first time tonight on 50amp my breaker tripped with the living AC Off and only an overhead light on which I found weird. I also use the air dump bc I feel like to cools down more efficiently(so could I skip that step of blocking and it still be okay?)
Hi Brittany! Regarding your breaker.. keep an eye on your voltage. Some campgrounds have old wiring and When everybody in the campground is running air conditioners, sometimes two or three air conditioners the voltage can drop. When it does it forces your air conditioner to draw higher amps. A breaker is set to pop at a certain amp level. It is worrisome that your 50 amp breaker popped. If your voltage is running low, watch my video about the Hughes auto former. This device will boost your voltage so that your equipment isn’t struggling to function. I have a really nice discount code for this product also to save $30-$40. If you want to skip the dump valve step you should still have a lot of benefit with airflow because a lot of times we lose our cold air to the dead space in the ceiling. However the air blowing down on the dump valve is one of the heavy sources for the noise so it may not be much quieter even though you have improved efficiency. Cheers Corey
Thanks had an issue on the last trip we did on the 4th of July the heat was unbelievable felt like the ac wasn't blowing much and after this video I understand why. I just ordered some materials on eBay thanks . Haven't gone camping much this year its in storage for now 😫 going to take advantage of the black Friday deals to get some stuff for the travel trailer 🙃 Thanks 😊 🙏 Any suggestions for the roof section of the ac
Good luck with the modifications! It will make a big improvement! Someone suggested adding thread lock to the long bolts that hold the rooftop unit on and I suppose that is a good safety net. We didn't make any other modifications to the roof top unit. Again, Good luck, take your time and you'll be happy! Corey
@@SaltyEscape thanks for taking the time to reply, appreciate the help and step by step process . I'll be watching your videos for more info . Have a great weekend 😀 And I subbed and like your work .
Hi Brandon, I’m so happy I could help you with your TT! Sorry, I don’t know much about the non ducted units. If you come up with something, let me know! -Corey
Did you find any solutions for a non-ducted unit? I'm struggling with the noise level more than anything. I'm still going to try to get in there and tape everything. Also waiting for some sound dampening car foam to arrive. I plan on adding that as well. Fingers crossed. Gonna lose my mind over the sound of this unit and its 100 degrees in Florida so going without is not an option.
Thank you - I did one unit about a month ago with good results, I plan to do the other tomorrow. - When I looked for this video again I could not find it, I changed computers so I did not have a bookmark. I had to scroll through my watched videos in order to find it again. I cannot find it with a search on youtube.
Another thing that helps is if u have the race track type ducking use the plastic round things u put on ur walls so door knobs don’t puncture the drywall. Remove the cover to each vent and stick them to the top of the duck and replace vent cover. This breaks up the flow and helps push the air down thru the vent as it rushes by.
Hi Corey. I just saw your video. Did you completely cover the other duct opening with the reflective where you cut slits for the wires to fit? It looked like it in the video. Thx Johnny
I never comment on videos but this project was a nightmare with just one person and a manual ratchet. I spent two hours trying to remount it and had to give up (FOUR HOURS total). Of course, videos like this don't include the hard parts so people will share it more, and the channel makes more on ads. If anyone is reading this and hasn't started, you will want to consider 1) having a second person to help, 2) using masking tape or a marker to outline where the unit fits back in BEFORE you take it out (so you can realign it properly when you're finished with the insulation), 3) having an electric ratchet to get the 8 inch screws back in. You might also consider using a tension rod between the unit and the ladder so you don't have to hold the unit in place and ratchet at the same time (my neck is killing me). Did nothing to make it quieter, but I'm more concerned about the efficiency than anything else. I won't know if it was worth it until it gets hot again.
I (the creator of this video) did both of mine by myself, No issues like you’re describing. There were no “hard parts”. I was honest and straightforward. Of the 224,000 other viewers your comment is the first to report these difficulties. Sorry you had trouble. I would NOT suggest using a powered driver. You’ll strip it out if the torque settings aren’t perfect. The screws are 8 inches because they have a 7 inch gap to span. I would LOVE for you to come back and leave a follow up review when it gets hot to report if it was worth it. Cheers from the Bahamas, we are no longer in the RV but rather sailing the Caribbean on a 42 foot Catamaran Sailboat! Have a look at our current content, you may enjoy it. Corey
Hi Lee, I’m sorry, I don’t know. But chances are.. there are manufacturing deficiencies. Poke around and see what you find. Same principles apply, seal it up so the hot and cold air are isolated. Good luck! -Corey
Hey Guys! Our "Thanks" button is now available above by the "like" button! If you have found value in this video we would sure appreciate the support! Thanks -Corey
I just finished this modification on our 2005 Holiday Rambler Vacationer. The results are amazing as everyone else has already pointed out. Officially we dropped from around 79-80 decibels to 69-72 decibels. Since those measurements are logarithmic power levels it is a much bigger difference than I had imagined.
I used Kilmat self adhesive sound deadener that I already purchased to cover our engine doghouse and front cockpit area flooring and it worked great. I also painted all of the vents and the main intake/exhaust trim since the originals had all yellowed. We can now have a normal conversation and/or listen to TV or our sound system while the AC is on high - we could not do that before....
Planning to do the bedroom unit tomorrow.
Next I'm going to clean the coils and see what else can be secured topside with the AC units themselves (2 Dometic 15,000btu units)
Unreal! We're living full-time in an RV as of three weeks ago. Here I'm British Columbia, we're hitting record temps and our AC wasn't performing anywhere near where it should. Found your video yesterday, upgraded our unit based on your recommendation (plus a couple tweaks as our unit isn't the exact same), and INSTANT relief throughout our trailer. This video is worth a million bucks to us right now!!!
Hi Shawn! Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m so excited to help!
- Corey
Me and my wife are currently in the process of building out our 1993 model 30 foot holiday rambler. Its old but its in really great shape. We have already done the 1800 watts of solar and have 2 inverters totaling 7000 watts. This coming weekend im installing the inovair 38 seer minisplit. I love seeing other people thats made the change to rv living. Its inspiring and we both thank you for sharing
Thanks Matthew, we actually lived in the RV for about 4 years. We’re now on a big catamaran sailboat in the Bahamas. Even though we’re on a boat You may find a lot of value in our off grid build. We built our own LiFePo4 batteries, Solar and more. Please give some of our other videos a look. Cheers! Corey
@@SaltyEscape that's awesome you are living that life. It's gotta be like a dream come true. And building your own battery pack is cool also. I'm currently using 24 leaf modules In a 24 volt configuration. I'm wanting to build a 30 kw battery bank with the lifepo4 batteries but I don't have the money for that just yet. Me and the wife live in this semi truck about 25 days a month and hopefully that'll change soon. Once the camper is completely off grid capable I'd like to work alot less and spend more time in the middle of nowhere lol
@@matthewknight5641 give my video a look on the battery build. We bought the prismatic cells from alibaba and assembled them. It’s not hard. It’s soooo much cheaper to do it this way.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I was looking for options and like others almost bought an aftermarket solution for much more money. I spent about $24 on a roll of Reflectix. It took me about an hour or two but I was very through and careful with the taping and Reflectix install. I have a bit of electrical and mechanical experience so this was a pretty easy project for me. If you do not have experience the project might look a little daunting at first, but take your time and take pics if need be before disassembling anything. I did a couple things different than the video that I'll share. 1) The electrical box is only secured to the metal frame by 2 small screws if you remove the screws you can leave the electrical box suspended and remove the metal frame. This makes access much easier and makes it much easier to work on the metal frame section. 2) On the metal frame section I also put Reflectix on both sides of the angled divider piece, however on the return side I cut the piece so there was about 4"-5" extra on each side to make 2 "flaps". I then taped both sides of each flap to make them a little more rigid. Once I installed the metal frame back I then trimmed the two flaps to fit just past the supply ducts. Before putting the electrical box back I made sure everything was completely taped and sealed. I put the plastic cover on and ran the A/C without the filter in and checked for any places supply air might be leaking through. There was nothing, that sucker was sealed.
So this fix works. The A/C is definitely quieter and blows MUCH harder. In fact, I didn't measure but I am convinced that the reason there is only a few recorded dB in sound difference because now I have the sound of air rushing out of the ceiling vents!
Thank you Joey!! This is all great advice for those who may be intimidated by this project. I agree with you though.... it’s not a difficult project and most anyone can handle it. Great suggestions!! Cheers -Corey
This is a very helpful video. For less than $20 you can 1) reduce a/c noise considerably, 2) get much colder air, and 3) increase air output from vents.
Well Done!
Thanks Greg! 💯 % Correct!
Just did this today and was able to drop my vent temps down over 20 degrees, I couldn't believe how crappy of a job the factory had done. Now I've got to do the second one in the kitchen area!
Thanks for the inspiration to try this!
UNBELIEVABLE! The immediate improvement in air flow is AMAZING. We installed this upgrade just this morning following your guidance plus added second layer of Reflectix over the dump. Thank you. We are impressed with the new performance.
Thanks for the feedback guys! So happy we could help! -Corey
The upsell on these is huge!! Things are just thrown together. Amazing
Yeah... not much quality control. 😐
The structural integrity of these things isn't anything to be proud of.
We did and two big observations. 1. Decibel readings before and after front/rear low/high speed: 1 or 2 lower, but, yes sounds better. 2. DRAMATIC change in cooling. Visited family in Las Vegas in July - brutal heat - and our rig was comfortable for the first time in years. Also, cool down time shorter. I extended the insulation up the curved cowling to the cooling fins. That plastic cowling was very hot to touch prior and now is slightly warm when ac is not in use. I looked at your video again and did not see that the insulation extended up that far. Little tricky to get in there, but we think it makes a difference. Thank you for helping us.
Hi Timothy! Thank you so much for your feedback! I love hearing how much this video is helping my fellow RVer!
Cheers, Corey
I have a similar AC it is so loud we purchased a stand alone unit and vented it out the window. I did what you show in your video and I want to "Thank You" . Our AC is at least 30% quieter and has a lower pitch so it is livable now. Happy Trails.
Wow! That’s awesome! Thank you for letting me know. This made my day!! Corey
I just completed my first unit. Wow, what a difference! I’ll be doing the second unit tomorrow and look forward to a great nights sleep when I get to Florida in a month. Thank you for the video. Also, I was shocked by such a lousy install from the factory.
Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know!!
Thank you so much! We did this yesterday to our 2019 Lacrosse. It was unbelievable how bad the factory install was!😡 It took us 4 hours to do what you suggested and it was an immediate obvious difference. We can't thank you enough. We were going to order a $200 RV Ez Airflow but this worked perfect!
Hi Melissa, thank you so much for sharing your results! Happy we could help! Cheers, Corey
I just took a looks at my living room ac (pretty much like yours in the video) and I noticed the manufacturer (Forest River Berkshire model) they did a pretty clean job with all the duct taping. I’m leaning towards leaving that intact and just adding the double reflective insulation and sealing off the louvered dump port. Thanks for the great video. Hoping it makes a big difference! 👍
We did this yesterday to our living room 15,000btu ac with reservations on the results. We spent 12.21 on foil insulation and 8.98 on the foil tape for a total of 21.19 before taxes. AND it is absolutely mind blowing at the results! Our noise level went down 6 decibels and the noise now is similar to a small fan running. We will be doing the bedroom ac tonight. If the ac noise bothers you, this is a must fix. Thank you so much for sharing this video.
Hi Whit! Thanks so much for the feedback!
I did this on our RV. Wow! What a difference in the noise reduction, but better yet, the scfm through duct increased dramatically and the AC was much more efficient. It is a shame the RV manufacturers can’t get their act together and provide a much better install on AC units.
Highly recommend doing this on your RV Dometic AC units!
Impressive fix for a problem I wasn't aware existed. Going to do this for sure. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Just finished this mod on my rv ac and Wow......can’t believe how quieter it is....gotta say I was skeptical at first but sure glad I did it!
Hi James! Thanks for the feedback! I’m sure lots of people are skeptical, your comments will definitely reassure them. I’m excited that I helped you out! Stay cool! 😉 -Corey
What model of Dometic is your a/c brisk ll??? Foil taped mine but liked your video ,got reflex and time ,some other video used panel insulation to block air from cycling to intake side.👍🐴
I am glad I found this video. I have the same a/c unit and it is very loud and the airflow through the ducts is minimal. When I opened up the inside cover, I noticed many issues that you resolved. Thanks!
I completed this mod and it wasn't too bad. The foam tape that was installed from the factory was worthless. My only snag was putting the 2 long bolts back in the side the air dump was blocked off. You can't see the holes and I couldn't get them in. As a workaround, I put the reflectix on the inside of the cover. Airflow is so much better. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, that’s the only challenging part. It takes some perseverance but it’s doable. So happy to hear it was successful!
What a huge difference! Thank you for your video! Following your guidance, we made the adjustments yesterday and the AC worked more efficiently and the air flow was 100% better. The master never got good air flow and when my husband opened it up, we found about 3ft of wires shoved into our duct. Thanks again!
The wires in the duct are not surprising... unfortunately. I’m so happy you found this video and now have fully functioning AC!! Thanks for the feedback! -Corey
You are the Man!! I just finished my AC. What an amazing difference. It is unbelievable how crapy the installation was. I didn’t even have half the tape in mine that you had. We are stoked. Thank you so much for the video. Darren. Lissa and Tay.
Hi guys! Thanks so much for the feedback!
WOW! Just finished insulating and taping both of my Dometic AC's. Quieter but the best is the volume of colder air entering our living space is awesome! It's easy to cool the rig using 30 amp (one AC). Thanks for the DIY hack!
Hi Mike, thanks for the feedback! It’s amazing how much conditioned air you loose due to the subpar factory install. Stay cool 😎
Corey
I just made this mod this morning. Air con runs much quieter now. It is around 90f right now and a/c is only running on low fan speed to maintain set temp. I reduced set temp and fan kicked on to high speed but still did mot need to crank up the tv sound!👍 i also removed the roof vents and the sealed inside with the foil tape as I found there was gaps where cold air could leak into the roof cavity. This mod gets two thumbs up from me! Will get a real good idea how much difference it is making later today with the mercury set to hit around 95f. Based on the results so far I think it will work out great!
Thanks for this!
Hi Robert, Thanks for the feedback! -Corey
I took on this project today, because camping season is around the corner. I found that my separation baffle was 1” lower than the seal point. There’s no telling how long it has been like that. Also, no telling how much efficiency that I have missed out on. Anyway, I decided to fix it with self tapping screws. That way, even if my tape fails, the screws will continue to hold. Thank you for this video, I stumbled on it by accident, but without it, I would have continued to sacrifice the efficiency of my A/C unit. I now feel confident that my unit will run less and perhaps last longer. I will spread this info and share this video to everybody I know who owns an RV.
Wow! Thanks Matt! I’m stoked that this helped you... Thanks for sharing! -Corey
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This is the first modification anyone should do to your camper! Very good video thank you for making this. I just finished my 13500 unit in my toy hauler and can't believe how much quieter and how strong the air is blowing now. This is gonna make sleeping easier as well as keep the camper ALOT cooler!
Hi Kenny! We completely agree! Lol
Thank for the feedback! -Corey
Saw this video yesterday. Thought, let me check it out. Been doing some upgrades when the extra money presented itself. I have all items. So it was just time. I found exactly what you showed. Wide open , and crappy very thin foam stuck in all the wrong places. I even found a plastic piece in the tunnel to the vents that was glued to hold two sections together was hanging down and blocking air flow. Re-glued it and put a block of wood in there to hold it up indefinitely, and it doesn’t block air flow. 2 things I did different than you. The metal that divided the 2 chambers (that was only taped together) I rivered them together. And, I didn’t close off the air dump. We use it a lot.
Now this on a 2000 Georgie boy Landau, and it appears to be the original a/c unit. So not sure I heard a big difference in noise level, but air flow was better and colder! Gotta do the bedroom a/c now. Thank for the video and help !
Hi David, thanks for the feedback! I’m happy you found our video helpful. Riveting the baffle is a great idea!! I suspect you didn’t notice much change in the sound because you didn’t cover the dump vent. Now that the flow is much better, you may not need that air dump vent as often.
If not too much trouble, share this video with fellow RVers.
Cheers,
Corey
This was a big help. Thanks for the tutorial. I just finished doing this to our main AC. We were having low air flow to the front of our trailer. After opening up the unit come to find that most of the vent was blocked by the roofing.
Hi Benjamin, thanks for the feedback! I bet your A/C is much better now! -Corey
Wow!!!! What a difference this has made to my living room a/c. I'm a newbie full timer in a 40ft 5th wheel and came across this video to increase the efficiency and cut down on the crazy noise of our a/c. THIS EASY TO FOLLOW VIDEO is spectacular!! There is a ton more air pushing through my ducts and vents and the ambient noise has dropped by probably 60%. It was very inexpensive, roughly $25. I am the least handy man on the planet and managed to pull this off in about 2 hours. Thank you thank you thank you!!
Thank you so much for the feedback!! I’m excited that I could help! -Corey
What a difference!!!!! Just did mine today, cut the volume of noise in half!!! And a very noticeable temperature difference as well.
Scott, That is AWESOME!! Thanks for the feedback!! -Corey
I like it. I was looking at the product that was an insert that kinda does the same thing. First thing he did was tape up all the gaps and I immediately wondered if that wasn't more of the gain than the actual product. I am gonna go with your technique first. Thanks for sharing.
Happy to help! Have a look through the other comments below. Lots of people have shared their results!
We've tried a similar mod but not as in depth. Definitely worth trying. Have been taking a stand alone AC unit that takes up alot of valuable space.
You’ll be amazed at the results. 😊
Thanks for a great video. I just completed this project today following the instructions in the video. The only things I did differently was that I used 3M spray adhesive and I put 2 layers of insulation on the grill in order to make things quieter. I tested the unit and it is noticeably quieter.
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know! Great idea to add an extra layer, i was thinking about doing something like that myself! -Corey
Can you help explain where you added two layers? My only real reason for considering doing this is due to the noise.
I assume you’re asking about the layer of insulation over the vent to block it. You could do more than one layer but I doubt if would have much more of an effect on noise and you can’t restrict the airflow too much or the unit will freeze up. The problem with the sound is the high pitched hissing noise created from the turbulence of the air hitting the backside of the vent. When you block it, that turbulence smooths out and the sound changes. If you’re going to take on this project, I suggest to do it completely (as the video shows). You can always go back and add more layers. You’ll be very happy!
Thanks. Corey. I plan to do this mod ASAP. I really appreciate your presentation. I find it much more pleasant than all the guys who sound like shouting used car salesmen. HI GUYS! WHUTSUP! I'M GRATING FRED HERE..... You know the type. Also, thanks for showing detail where it is needed and skipping past the routine stuff. Of course, one man's routine is another man's much needed detail. I watched a video on solar installation a few days ago where one of the comments was "I wish you could have shown us how to strip the wires".... Go figure!
Jack Hall Thanks Jack!! I appreciate the feedback. Good luck with the mod. Let me know how it goes, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Corey
I wish i could like this 100 times. Thank you so much
You’re welcome... I’m happy I could help! -Corey
Great job! Just simply using the tape to seal the leaks and jagged edges makes a big difference in these units.
Thank you!!
Thank you for this mod. I just saw the 'expensive product' installation / review and had sticker shock. I decided that I would design and 3d print my own solution. But now seeing you fix, I am with you and going to do this. Thanks again.
The 3-D print is a great idea, but I agree you may not need it. Good Luck! - Corey
@@SaltyEscape I decided to 3-D print mine and it works really awesome and fits like a glove. Mine is made of three different pieces that like lock together and are glued it to the Frame with a little bit of clear Alex Koch. What a huge difference it makes. Thanks for taking the time and making this video it really helps a lot of people that have all kinds of jacked up poorly installed AC units like mine was. 👍
Great video ..that "Dump Port" is clutch when you cook in your RV
Naa, when you see how much airflow you’ll have through the ducts, you’ll see you don’t need the dump vent. But if your worried about loosing it, just omit that part of this modification. The noise won’t reduce as much but you’ll still gain a lot of efficiency because you’re probably loosing your cold air to the dead space in the ceiling. Let me know how it goes. 😊
@@SaltyEscape 10 4 about to do it after breakfast
Howd it go @@MR_UNOoo?
I had already made a cardboard baffle about 3 years ago and dropped Dometic AC sound level by about 3 db but still too loud to watch TV and carry on a 'normal' conversation, most aggravating! I watched ur video and completed the mods with reflectix and foil tape to block dump valve and seal the supply compartment. Using the Apple watch sound meter it dropped from 61db to 53db while sitting in the recliner about 5 feet away from unit. This is quiet enough to watch TV in my opinion. We have a 2018 Grand Design Imagine 2600RB pull behind. A friend just bought the same camper but a 2020 model with a Coleman Mach 15 AC, his sound level from factory is around 51db sitting in recliner, I couldn't believe how quiet it was!! My added benefit was extra air flow from the ducted vents which I can always use! Thanks "Salty" for taking time to video ur experience!
That’s Great! So happy we could help! -Corey
Subscribed buddy! This was super helpful!
Question, have you found better air filters for these units?
Hi Guys! Sorry, i have not found anything great. I was entertaining the idea of using aluminum C channel to make a track for a paper furnace filters but Becky said it would look ugly and that's where that ideal ended. Oh well. I'm happy this helped you! Cheers- Corey
@@SaltyEscape Gotcha, thanks!
I'll be doing this on our unit in the spring. Thanks for taking the time to be so detailed.
You’re welcome! Happy to help! Corey
Very helpful video. The lack of QC in the RV industry 😔 is abysmal. The companies all brag about Amish Craftsmanship, but fail to tell you they are demanding the workers to work at break neck speeds on an assembly line that cannot support consistent quality. On your AC , you were missing 2 screws. On my 5th wheel my 30lb propane tank straps were only secured by 1 screw instead of 2 causing the tank to fall off the stand when they sheared off. Luckily the hoses were strong enough to keep it from falling onto the highway.
Thank you! Glad you didn’t have a propane disaster.
This is my AC exactly, You did a great job, will be coping what you did. Thanks
You’ll be impressed with the difference it makes!! -Corey
@@jeffhoffer9097 Thanks!
Just finished about an hour ago. Big thanks! Huge difference in air flow. I also taped every vent so no air leaks through.
Thanks for the feedback Chris! So happy this helped you! -Corey
Make a point to pop off every vent and seal the vent to the duct conduit with the foil tape!... Theyare just rough cut circles that the round vents are popped into... A lot of cold air escapes into the attic space at these points...
ABSOLUTELY! Ours were (surprisingly) already taped. GREAT TIP!!! Thanks
I had to do that exact thing with my FR FSX26RT. Most of my air was blowng into the roof space. Once i sealed up the vents and the actual diverter box the trailer would cool down quick.
It’s ridiculous how these RVs are put together. Almost no quality control.
Good advice! Never got much heat in the bedroom of our travel trailer… one of the floor vents wasn’t just disconnected… it had no duct line to it at all! Thankfully the dealership fixed it for free!
Thanks for commenting this, ours are terrible!
I just finished the project using your video and I want to thank you for video detail and excellent instructions. It Truly Works! The only difference I did was use a new foam core insulation. I stopped using Reflectix a couple of years ago due to the poor R value. They claim it has 6 but if people look at the fine print it is substantially less. The new foam core insulation claims it has an R value of 8. It's possible but it certainly holds up better than Reflectix. The only place I found it available was on Ebay. It is 1/4 inch thick and bubble can't break.
Anyway, Thank You so much for producing this video. GREAT JOB!
Hi Paul, Thanks for the suggestion! Foam core insulation sounds like an excellent choice!
Paul, did you use the 2-sided core R 8 insulation? Or can you use it?
Thank you for this!! So looking forward to doing this tomorrow!! Can’t wait so excited!!
You’re welcome! Let me know how it goes! -Corey
Great video. My ac isn't the duct type. Not sure this will work with my unit. Worth a try. The loud noise is brutal.
Hi Marie, somewhere in the comments here, someone else did this with their non ducted unit. They said it helped cooling a lot. It won’t hurt! You’re probably loosing conditioned air to the ceiling cavity as well as cold /warm mixing. Good luck! Please let me know how it goes! (Helps the community). Cheers, Corey
This is by far the BEST informative ducting improvements for rv I’ve seen! Definitely going to be doing this upgrade soon. We just came back from a trip where temps reached 100+😰. Wished I seen this sooner. Thank you so much!!👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you Marcus! Let me know how it goes! -Corey
This is a great video. I taped the inside of my A/C unit, but I like what you did here better. I may have to go back and redo mine.
I bet the tape helped! Agree the insulation may be better. Let me know if you tackle it!! Corey
@@SaltyEscape I just went back and used foam boards and the tape to redirect the air into the ductwork as smoothly as possible. I have to say, it did reduce the noise and made the pressure coming out of the vents a lot stronger. I’m really impressed so far
That’s awesome Jay!! Camping is going to be so much better this year!! 😁
@@SaltyEscape I hope so. my air conditioner motor was bad most of last year so we only had the one in the bedroom and it got kinda warm in the main area. okay, it actually stayed pretty hot until the main area. i recently was able to replace the bad motor on it and it works great now
Is this a small fishing campground on Lake Okachobie?? With a lot of old tiny white clapboard fishing cabins and some RV spots? I recognize "the do not swim sign"....I bet it is. LOL
No, it was in Myrtle Beach area… Conway SC. 😊
Good video, mine is loud so I’m hoping to dampin that but my unit looks exactly like yours. But even being hvac certified I was hesitant to mess with these goofy camper hvac setups. So this will be my next project
This is more insulation than HVAC. I’m sure you can do it. Good luck. -Corey
I agree with everything you did in this video. I have 2 suggestions to increase airflow and to make it even quieter.
1. Use dynamat or kilmat noise suppression material like they use in cars. It is adhesive so it will stick on its own, no need to tape it down. It will absorb noise much better and is worth the money.
2. To increase airflow, buy a 4" diameter aluminum chimney section from Lowes. Cut a section the width of the outlet area. Fold it back words to make what looks like a cursive I. Seal this to the outlet area to direct the air left and right into the ductwork....makes a huge difference.
Everything you suggested is great....these are just some "upgrade" ideas.
Thanks John! Excellent ideas!!
Good video, only one like it to help me with replacement of dometic vent replacement.
Glad i could help!
Excellent video. Well edited. Well scripted. Glad I found it. Good job!
Thanks Dan! Hope it will be helpful for you! - Corey
Awesome video! Really well done with clear enunciation and great detail that was hands-on and easy to follow. Thanks very much!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the feedback! -Corey
I completed the “upgrade” on my motorhome’s Dometic Penguin II AC.
The task was done exactly as your video.
The results are mixed.
The noise was marginally reduced by 4db.
The air flow coming from the air ducts was negligible. I wish there was a “T” that I can insert into the cold air fan vent (dump) and branch it into the 2 vent cut outs feeding the venting.
Other UA-camrs have used insulation board and created a “tent” (where the dump side is located) to direct the cold air to the 2 vents.
This was a good start…but more work is indicated. Much cheaper than a new unit or that “Wacko” product.
Thanks
Thanks for the feed back Dean. Sorry the results aren’t more dramatic. I guess individual results may vary. The diversion baffle or “tent” is a good next step so long as it isn’t restricting the air flow. If you start to freeze it’s a sure sign that you’ve gone too far. Definitely cheaper than the wacko product.
Good video and information. I think the only thing I would change is not to run the reflectix into the vent because you are restricting the air flow into the vent slightly. I would just cut the reflectix at the edge of the vent and tape it.
You’re absolutely correct. You don’t want to restrict airflow.
My brand new trailer had been hacked apart at the dealer and the internal baffle was missing completely. I have a feeling they swapped AC units on my prior to my sale. I installed some reflective insulation for a new baffle but I think I am going to check it out and see if I can make it better including blocking off the air dump. Great video!
Scott, wow! Some of these RV dealerships are terrible. I’m sorry you are dealing with their fails. Hope my video helps you out! My advice... don’t go back to that dealership for anything. Good luck! Corey
@@SaltyEscape Well, I finished up this project today. I may have went a little overboard but why not. The sound difference is dramatic including the volume of air coming from the vents. Which has now created a new issue. Since the bedroom is the only vent on one of the trunks the amount of air coming out is crazy and now has more air noise than before. I've got some ideas to bring down the air volume.
great job! and thanks for sharing these tips with us all, its gonna help me out, cuz im bout to tackle mine today!
Glad I could help
This is a fantastic video! Nice job. I will be doing this mod!
Let me know how it goes! I'm sure you will be impressed with the increased air flow!!
Thank you for the post. I've been doing different things to improve our air flow and help the overall cooling of our RV. They've helped some, but I know I have a ways to go so I've been digging around YT the past couple of days to see what I could do at the unit itself. We have the same unit you do. I haven't pulled the base plate off yet, but will tomorrow.
Initially I pulled the grilles off to see what that did to air flow. Made a big difference so I cut every other fin out and that helped quite a bit. Some folks have a problem with the grille "inserts" sticking up into the air stream. Ours seem okay. The other thing that seems to happen to ours is that I believe the evaporator coil is freezing up after 4-6 hours of use because the temperature drop goes to almost 0 later in the day. Cross contamination could explain that. Thanks again for the video. I'll let you know what I find.
You’re welcome. Yes please let me know! Corey
@@SaltyEscape We made the changes to the AC you did. It's not hot enough here to tell if it helped cool better, but the air flow was improved and I know the air isn't short cycling now so I'm confident we'll see a good improvement. We also dug into the grilles today. If you pop those round covers off there is a piece that's screwed to the ceiling. It has a short tube that goes up into the trunk. You might want to see if the tops of yours are sticking up into the trunk. Ours were about 1/2". We decided to pull them and cut the excess off. That made a huge difference in air flow as well. I hadn't checked them before, but I had previously taken every other fin out of the grilles and got an air flow improvement there. While I did this primarily to help cooling in the camper, the noise level is significantly reduced as well. Thank you for the suggestions.
Thanks Steven! Glad to hear you’re seeing improvement already! Yes, our vent covers project into the ceiling duct also. I haven’t cut them flush yet but we have thought about it. Thanks for the tip and for taking time to give me an update! Seriously excited that this information helped you also! Corey
We have a small vornado fan on low speed that makes a world of difference especially between cooling cycles. I would not be able to stay in there on a hot day if I didn't have this fan! Makes night time cooling better also!
Great video, just did mine kinda what you did and I am very pleased, super anxious to see it performing on my next outing to the lake. Thanks a lot.
Hi Hernan, You’re Welcome. Happy I could help! Corey
@@SaltyEscape as an update this mod is fantastic. I am impressed how much cooler the RV is and it gets cooler a ton faster, definitely thos mod is a must. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for letting me know!! I’m Stoked it has worked so well for you!! -Corey
Awesome vid. Thanks! How tight should the 4 main bolts be? I don't want to over-tighten anything. is there a torque spec?
Hi Nick! You’re the second person to ask, so I’ve tried to look it up. Most online resources say “snug” and “do not over tighten”. I found one forum that said 20 INCH pounds!! INCH not Foot. Others say, hand tighten and then an additional 1/4 -1/2 turn. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Very good video. Everybody should look into this
Amazing video! Thanks so much! I did this to both of my units and the improvement is obvious!
However, one of my units (the living room) frosts over every few days. I've taken it apart and re-sealed the divider between the warm/cold sections twice and it's still having the issue. I can't figure out what in the world I've done differently on this unit ... any advice on what exactly I should look for to troubleshoot it?
Thanks again! We're all loving the sound and air flow improvements!
Hi Brian. Sorry you’re having trouble with frosting. I’m not an expert but my understanding is the frosting occurs when there is not enough airflow through the system. For example a clogged filter or blocked ducts. The filter is easy. Try to make sure all your ducts are open and the air is not restricted. Also check the coils. There will be a coil on the inside when you take the cover off and they’ll be a coil on the outside under the shroud. They make a special foaming cleaner that works well and you can also spray it with a gentle spray bottle. The coils are the part of the unit that have the thin aluminum fins that can be easily bent and dented. I’m sure there are plenty of UA-cam videos out there talking about strategy on how to clean them. This is the cleaner I’ve used previously with success. I hope you find some success with these tips! If all else fails you may need to run it at a warmer temperature. It could be the factory built your camper with undersized ducting and it is too restrictive. (just guessing)
amzn.to/3ev86O7
@@SaltyEscape HI Corey, - regarding Brian Rhea's icing for frosting issue: The sensing thermocouple which senses the temp is usually just pushed between the fins of the inside coil. This can easily be dislodged when removing the inside mounting plate, or replaced in the wrong location. The result is the inside coil (evaporator) will ice up. Just a thought. Great video.
Thank you! Brian, I hope you see this, maybe it will help!
This video is great and I plan on doing it to mine, I have the same AC unit. The only problem is that when i moved into my RV the AC unit was working fine, it would reach temp then turn off. Now it never turns off. Could this be apart of the problem? Loosing some air so it never really fills the room fully? The air coming out def feels cold and stays for awhile but I have to manually turn off my ac when i find I've reached the temp thats cozy.
Hi Sam, yes, it’s likely this is part of your problem. They tend to only use foil tape to seal the ducts and after a while the tape fails causing you to lose a lot of air into the dead space of the ceiling. It’s worth a good inspection and fixing. Good luck!
Thanks for the video. I find my ac doesn't cool my RV enough and it often freezes the coils which cause water to fall into the trailer from the vent. I bought the materials and will do this as soon as they arrive. I'll report back once completed.
Yes, please let me know. You may need to clean the coils while you are at it. (Because it’s freezing) Give them a good look over to see if they are dirty. There will be one inside and one outside. Good luck! Corey
Good video. Easy to do You can buy the Reflectix @ Lowe’s or HD. Take you time to seal every crack. Don’t leave any hard edges on your tape. You want to have the smoothest airflow you can get. Smooth everything and don’t worry about how much tape you use. This is a better solution than the Wa**o unit and you’ll save $375 by following his video. Remember, he meticulously taped everything. Expect about a 10-12 dB sound drop.
Thanks Mark! I agree with EVERYTHING you have said. Sounds like you made these modifications on your own unit and it sounds like the project went well… Thanks for sharing.
Corey
Suggest removing the louvered covers of your ducts and cleaning the ducts. I found sawdust and fiberglass from the original installation.
Yep! We found saw dust in the ducts also.
My ac puts out 3 times the air it did before. Can't wait to go camping.
Wow!! Ours was the same!! It’s going to be a great camping season!!! 😄. Thanks for sharing!! -Corey
Tackled this today because I was afraid that my a/c was not exactly up to par anymore. Turns out that it was just leaking air into the roof gap and cooling down the attic. Lots of foil tape and some of that aluminized bubble wrap and it works better than it did when new.
I already had 1/2” styrofoam boards and aluminum tape from wintering in Ohio, now that I’m in Georgia trying to stay cool is the goal. I used the styrofoam to block out the heat on the inside from the sun shining on the outside of the ramp all day .
Hi Robert! This is great! Thanks for the feedback. I’m excited that I could help!
-Corey
When putting back together how tight do you tighten the 4 long bolts? Can you over tighten them?
Your video is very helpful.
I’m sure you can over tighten them. This is an excellent question! I’m sure there is a factory foot pounds of torque that is suggested however I tried to tighten them down reasonably so to match how tight they appeared to be when I took them out. Good and tight but not excessive. Hopefully somebody else reading the comments can add in how much torque is needed…
By the way, have you tried upgrading the exterior AC shroud (especially with a white one)? Thanks for the good video, just subscribed!
Blakehx So far we have not done anything to the shrouds. Maybe white paint would work... cheaper too. We are in Coastal South Carolina, it gets hot but not like out west. If you do change out the shrouds, be sure and let me know if it helps. -Corey
I just recoated the Alpha rubber roof on my bought new 2000 Terry TT with RVRoof Magic yesterday (first time). If this material sticks to the roof like it sticks to my hands... The roof is now a glossy white rather than a flat black...heh. Because of this, I discovered that the A/C shroud is disintegrating, beyond JB Weld-ability...lol, so I'm ordering a new MAXXAIR shroud that has received excellent reviews. I definitely am going to do the mod in this vid. (No affiliation to any product mentioned here). Happy RVing, folks...
Awesome video. I looked inside of mine and it's like a birds nest up there. Wires all over and I can see the sides of the unit and I know it's not flowing air well at all. Not to mention pretty loud. Thanks for this, it's on my list of To Dos!!!
Good luck! Let me know how it goes! Corey
@@SaltyEscape I had some Foil tape from when I was lining the dog house of my gas class A. So I started on the rear AC and I'm waiting for the insulation to get here from Amazon. This is much needed. Thanks for the video and explanation.
Fade To Black LLC Sounds great! Let me know how it goes! -Corey
I found your video very informative and you did a great job Showing people how to do it and I subscribed to your Channel
Thank you!!
@@SaltyEscape you're welcome👍
We are purchasing the same unit this week. First thing I am going to do! I wonder if there is a way to tube from the cold air and split directly into both ducts? Thanks for posting !
Good luck! It makes a huge improvement! Let me know how it goes.. Corey
Great video!
I’m going to do this to both of our Coleman AC’s ASAP.
Thank you!! Let me know how it goes. Corey
Great video! I pulled my cover off to see what mine looked like and there are leaks that need to be fixed. My AC ducting is different in that the airflow coming down from the blower has to make a 90-degree turn into a very small opening. What is even worse is the opening is up about 5 inches up or so, so the air-flow has to hit the cover then get forced back up into the vent. Jeesh, what a crappy design. I think I may have to make some sort of air-flow shoot that would direct the air directly into the air-vent. Any Ideas?
I thought about making an air director also. If it were me doing it, I would try to get my hands on some styrofoam, shape it, and then cover it with foil tape or duct tape. Let me know how it goes and what you decide to do! Good luck! Corey
@@SaltyEscape Good idea, and I will.
@@SaltyEscape Check out the big box home improvement stores for some 2' x 2' pink (or blue) foam sheets. We made diverters ( in a teepee shape _/\_ ) to guide the cold air into the raceway in our Grand Design.
Great idea!
You should poke holes in the closed duct for a few additional air outlets
Hi Jason, you’re welcome to try. My worry would be that it would make an annoying whistle.
Going to do your mod. Awsome job cause I was looking at that wacko products but that 200 price is way to much.
Good luck! It’s an easy project took me about 1-2 hours. The second one was faster lol. Works great!
@@SaltyEscape Should have put a db meter app on your phone to showed the sound level different
Yes, I mentioned that. It dropped the volume about 3db but also the pitch is much lower which makes it seem quieter. Much less harsh and hissy
Very informative video. Now I am going to check out my AC on my motorhome..👍👍
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video - very helpful! This is now on my to do list.
You’re welcome, happy to help.
Any thoughts about how to improve roof units that don’t go to ducts but just dump out of vents in the roof unit?
The only thing you can do is keep it clean. Clean the fins inside and out and keep the filter clean. I like this cleaner for the fins. amzn.to/3YWVJAG
Thank you so much ordering tape and Reflective now
No swimming or fishing alligators no way I wouldn't camp there lol
We only saw small alligators 🐊. They were actually fun to watch until the grounds keepers got scared and the camp ground had them removed. Funny thing is… they’re wild. In a few weeks another one found the pond. 🤷♂️
Thanks going to do the same to mine.
Happy to help!
I already have the reflective bubble wrap, I might buy the tape and do this! I live full time in Texas and I hate how noisy it is!! But also for the first time tonight on 50amp my breaker tripped with the living AC Off and only an overhead light on which I found weird. I also use the air dump bc I feel like to cools down more efficiently(so could I skip that step of blocking and it still be okay?)
Hi Brittany! Regarding your breaker.. keep an eye on your voltage. Some campgrounds have old wiring and When everybody in the campground is running air conditioners, sometimes two or three air conditioners the voltage can drop. When it does it forces your air conditioner to draw higher amps. A breaker is set to pop at a certain amp level. It is worrisome that your 50 amp breaker popped. If your voltage is running low, watch my video about the Hughes auto former. This device will boost your voltage so that your equipment isn’t struggling to function. I have a really nice discount code for this product also to save $30-$40.
If you want to skip the dump valve step you should still have a lot of benefit with airflow because a lot of times we lose our cold air to the dead space in the ceiling. However the air blowing down on the dump valve is one of the heavy sources for the noise so it may not be much quieter even though you have improved efficiency. Cheers Corey
I subbed a long time ago I just never did the modification trailer was in storage now that it's home I'm doing some upgrades 😆
Good luck! Let me know how it goes! 😊
Thanks had an issue on the last trip we did on the 4th of July the heat was unbelievable felt like the ac wasn't blowing much and after this video I understand why.
I just ordered some materials on eBay thanks . Haven't gone camping much this year its in storage for now 😫 going to take advantage of the black Friday deals to get some stuff for the travel trailer 🙃
Thanks 😊 🙏
Any suggestions for the roof section of the ac
Good luck with the modifications! It will make a big improvement! Someone suggested adding thread lock to the long bolts that hold the rooftop unit on and I suppose that is a good safety net. We didn't make any other modifications to the roof top unit. Again, Good luck, take your time and you'll be happy! Corey
@@SaltyEscape thanks for taking the time to reply, appreciate the help and step by step process .
I'll be watching your videos for more info . Have a great weekend 😀
And I subbed and like your work .
Just did this on the main a/c on our travel trailer. Very noticeable improvement Any! Any advice to quiten down a non ducted a/c?
Hi Brandon, I’m so happy I could help you with your TT! Sorry, I don’t know much about the non ducted units. If you come up with something, let me know!
-Corey
Did you find any solutions for a non-ducted unit? I'm struggling with the noise level more than anything. I'm still going to try to get in there and tape everything. Also waiting for some sound dampening car foam to arrive. I plan on adding that as well. Fingers crossed. Gonna lose my mind over the sound of this unit and its 100 degrees in Florida so going without is not an option.
Thank you - I did one unit about a month ago with good results, I plan to do the other tomorrow. - When I looked for this video again I could not find it, I changed computers so I did not have a bookmark. I had to scroll through my watched videos in order to find it again. I cannot find it with a search on youtube.
Sorry Bill, there was a weird glitch. It’s fixed now.
Thanks this works really well
You're welcome!
Another thing that helps is if u have the race track type ducking use the plastic round things u put on ur walls so door knobs don’t puncture the drywall. Remove the cover to each vent and stick them to the top of the duck and replace vent cover. This breaks up the flow and helps push the air down thru the vent as it rushes by.
Great idea!!
Hi Corey. I just saw your video. Did you completely cover the other duct opening with the reflective where you cut slits for the wires to fit? It looked like it in the video. Thx Johnny
Hi Johnny, No I didn’t cover any ducts. I only had 2 ducts on each unit. It’s possible that you could have more than two. Good luck! Corey
Very well done. Keep it up.
Thank you!
I never comment on videos but this project was a nightmare with just one person and a manual ratchet. I spent two hours trying to remount it and had to give up (FOUR HOURS total). Of course, videos like this don't include the hard parts so people will share it more, and the channel makes more on ads.
If anyone is reading this and hasn't started, you will want to consider 1) having a second person to help, 2) using masking tape or a marker to outline where the unit fits back in BEFORE you take it out (so you can realign it properly when you're finished with the insulation), 3) having an electric ratchet to get the 8 inch screws back in. You might also consider using a tension rod between the unit and the ladder so you don't have to hold the unit in place and ratchet at the same time (my neck is killing me).
Did nothing to make it quieter, but I'm more concerned about the efficiency than anything else. I won't know if it was worth it until it gets hot again.
I (the creator of this video) did both of mine by myself, No issues like you’re describing. There were no “hard parts”. I was honest and straightforward. Of the 224,000 other viewers your comment is the first to report these difficulties. Sorry you had trouble. I would NOT suggest using a powered driver. You’ll strip it out if the torque settings aren’t perfect. The screws are 8 inches because they have a 7 inch gap to span. I would LOVE for you to come back and leave a follow up review when it gets hot to report if it was worth it. Cheers from the Bahamas, we are no longer in the RV but rather sailing the Caribbean on a 42 foot Catamaran Sailboat! Have a look at our current content, you may enjoy it. Corey
Thank you! I’ll be doing this ASAP!
Hi Mena! You’re welcome! I’m happy that I could help! -Corey
Good video. Thanks for idea.
Fantastic!
Thank you!
Excellent Video !!!
Hi Dennis, Thank you! -Corey
Thanks great video, my rv has the race design and there no ac panel to remove. Do I have remove the ac and go from the top. Thanks.
Hi Lee, I’m sorry, I don’t know. But chances are.. there are manufacturing deficiencies. Poke around and see what you find. Same principles apply, seal it up so the hot and cold air are isolated. Good luck! -Corey