Air conditioner on 2015 rpod 172 - R-pod Owners Forum

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thompsonzoo View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 20 May 2016
Location: Illinois
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Posts: 1

Calendar Event: Air conditioner on 2015 rpod 172
Posted: 20 May 2016 at 12:49am

I'm new to this R-pod travel trailer. We love ours but we had a few problems since buying last year. Now I'm not a newbie to camping we used to own a 28 foot Trailvision in the past. We've figured out most things but I have a question in regards to the air conditioner. When it comes on its so loud you can't hear tv, or anything else for that matter. It's like it belongs in a massive tour bus or something. In our old Trailvision trailer it wasn't like that. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just loud and strong. Im considering getting another less strong one in. Any suggestions? Does anyone else have this problem?

Karen

Leo B

podders Helping podders - pHp

Joined: 13 Jan 2012
Location: Lyndonville, VT
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Posts: 4517

Posted: 20 May 2016 at 7:25am

Welcome to the group! Yes they are loud. We keep our fan on low so it is not to bad.

Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

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Posted: 20 May 2016 at 7:52am

Welcome to the forum!

Yep, they are loud.

WillThrill View Drop Down

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Joined: 04 Jul 2014
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Posts: 298

Posted: 26 Jun 2016 at 11:29pm

Yours is a common complaint. The only real solution is to swap out the AC unit for a smaller one, which has the major benefit of allowing you to easily run the AC with a 2 kW inverter generator. A 5-8k BTU air conditioner is sufficient for an RV the size of a Pod.

"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien

2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL

this_is_nascar View Drop Down

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Joined: 24 Jan 2010
Location: NJ
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Posts: 466

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 7:34am

Hate the sound, but love the performance of the 13.5 AC. I can hang meat in here, once this thing runs for an hour.

"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road

WillThrill View Drop Down

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Joined: 04 Jul 2014
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Posts: 298

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 7:54pm

Originally posted by this_is_nascar

Hate the sound, but love the performance of the 13.5 AC. I can hang meat in here, once this thing runs for an hour.

We're in the last third of a month long Pod trip to OR and CA. We spent the last two nights in Red Bluff, CA, and the temps hovered around 100F both days. The first day, we had driven in the heat for several hours before stopping, so the inside of the Pod was probably around 100 when we plugged in and turned on the AC. The condenser didn't stop running for nearly four hours. I never dreamed it would take that long to cool everything down to 70, but everything inside was still retaining all that heat, and it was almost 100 outside at 8:00 p.m. So the 13.5k ACs are overkill in most situations but definitely not all!

"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien

2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL

techntrek

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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
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Posts: 9062

Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 9:56pm

I seriously looked at downsizing my A/C but found a few things to make it somewhat quieter. Somewhat.

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433

I've been keeping my eye on those high temps for a while, we'll be there in about 2 weeks... and the current forecast high for the day we'll be in Las Vegas is 110 F. Yee-haw.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

Westgl

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Joined: 07 Jun 2016
Location: Oregon
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Posts: 35

Posted: 28 Jun 2016 at 10:48am

Is the loud sound of the air cond. Unit the fan or the compressor? if the fan, then maybe a different fan?

Maybe more isolation between the air cond. unit and the Rpod roof?

I May look at this, test with Fan only on to see how loud fan only is, Maybe more isolation of just the fan unit, or a Better ball bearing fan?

What about a volt reducer, like a potentiometer to further lower the fan speed? Maybe get the fan speed half the speed of what it currently is on Low?

I wish I had a DB meter, hey wait I have a guitar tuner that would work, to give a starting point.

2010 RAV4 V6
2017 RPOD 179 Hood River Edition
Dual 6 volt Batts
Dual propane Tanks
Batt Disconnect
Bed leg extension
Dinette modification
Renogy 100w solar
Motorcycles several currently

Westgl

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Location: Oregon
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Posted: 28 Jun 2016 at 12:17pm

ok I turned the fan only on both high and low, to check the sound level by ear.

It is loud as everyone knows.

I then turned the air conditioner on to see if there is any difference in sound volume to my ear, there was No detectable sound difference between the fan only and air-conditioning on.

So that means the Loud sound is coming from the fan. Right? maybe.

I removed the cover over the air conditioner inside the coach.

This reduced the sound level by a very notable difference.

As the air hits or crashes into this Cover/air diverter it makes a audible sound inside the coach.

There is a Grille that covers the Fan exit Hole, it is under the cover/air diverter inside the coach I then removed the Grille, again a notable difference in sound volume.

The air hits this grille before entering the coach this make a audible sound.

The last thing to try is to remove the upper plastic section that is part of the air diverter, and holds the filters for air recirculation and keeps the condenser coil clean.

I am thinking if I remove this part it could make another audible improvement

My question is in a coach as small as a Rpod do you need the air diverter?

Or is the loud sound of the Fan acceptable for the ability to divert/move air in different locations of the Coach? Or is quiet the ultimate goal?

I was thinking if I did remove the white air-diverter cover inside the coach then what, have a ugly hole I would have to make something to dress it up some for it to look Right like factory, also I may be able to play around with air diversion for a quieter version.

I like my sleep, quiet is king, But then again, earplugs work pretty well at reduce the sound volume.

I was thinking a nice stained piece of thin wood, or it could be painted to match the ceiling so it doesn't stand out so much.

---

2010 RAV4 V6
2017 RPOD 179 Hood River Edition
Dual 6 volt Batts
Dual propane Tanks
Batt Disconnect
Bed leg extension
Dinette modification
Renogy 100w solar
Motorcycles several currently

Westgl

Newbie

Joined: 07 Jun 2016
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 35

Posted: 28 Jun 2016 at 2:28pm

I was looking at the main blower duct (with the white plastic diverter cover inside the coach removed) you can see some alum. ducting tape the thin stuff and also some clear plastic that makes a noisy crackling sound when you touch it.

I had a roll of the thin alum. ducting tape and put it over the nosier plastic tape as the air force coming out of that main duct even on low seems to me it would add to the noise level.

With the white diverter cover that you see inside the coach removed, it is quieter and seems to me less obnoxious sounding.

I have a plan A and Plan B, to try next.

plan A involves using something to add directly under the main squirrel fan duct.

As the Rpod comes un-modified the air blast hits the inside of the plastic diverter and makes a loud (louder than with the diverter removed) obnoxious sound that by just removing the diverter cover, and the Grille inside the Main air duct (what were they thinking) lessens the sound level by a notable difference.

So if some sound proofing where installed into the inside of this cover it may be enough to reduce the Nosie level somewhat.

Maybe a piece of foam, alum. ducting tape, thin piece of wood, something to deaden the sound.

So if plan A doesn't work to what I expect, then off to plan B.

Plan B

So I want to find out, is if they sell the air conditioner diverter white plastic cover separately for this unit and how much they are.

My thought is to cut a hole in the diverter cover the same size as the duct hole.

Then get a small automotive vacuum hose slit it on one side down the length, and put/glue it around the new larger duct hole that I cut out to dress up the plastic edge.

with the cover/diverter off the fan blows mostly straight down, back toward the bathroom wall, which I'm ok with.

this would eliminate the air diversion in any direction, but the Rpod is very small and cooling it quick is not a problem even on low fan setting.

OK plan C

A potentiometer wired between the Fan's "power in" to the fan and the "fan motor" to reduce the speed to a slower or lower than the low fan setting.

There is a good mounting location for the Potentiometer on the white plastic air diverter on the front of the air conditioner there are two round circles that's a good mounting spot easy to mount.

2010 RAV4 V6
2017 RPOD 179 Hood River Edition
Dual 6 volt Batts
Dual propane Tanks
Batt Disconnect
Bed leg extension
Dinette modification
Renogy 100w solar
Motorcycles several currently

Air conditioner on 2015 rpod 172 - Event Date: 19 May 2016