rear bedroom engine heat

[paultracy3]

just got back from a trip to sturgis for the bike rally . on the way north i was able to keep the rear bedroom fairly cool with fans and ac going strong but i was also going north and the temp was cooling but still was warm back there . on the way back temp was under good control till we hit flagstaff at 12 noon and it was close to 100* as we came down into phoenix on the 17 there is 1 major climb where we got down to 25 mph for a while and working the motor hard . engine temp got up to 230 and to back bedroom got up to 100* inside with 2 fans going and the ac on 69* . anyone have heat problems in the back ??? we ran the bus up and back 18hours straight with 1 fuel stop each way , its just had to get some sleep in the back when its 90+ * in the bedroom .

[tuga]

Paul,

What year model is your coach?

Do you have SCS basement ACs or roof airs?

I have SCS basement ACs in my '99 Newell, and you are right the rear bedroom does not cool down as well as the front.

The difference in the register air and the return air is about same for both units; the front cools slightly better. I think that the reason the bedroom does not cool down is because the air is ducted thru a chaseway that goes from the SCS AC unit in the front of the coach - along the passenger side - thru the mid-bathroom - thru the bedroom and up to the register next to the TV. All of that chaseway area has to be cooled down before the bedroom can be cooled. A great deal of cool air is "warmed" in the process.

When it is 100* + outside about the best you will get inside is 20* difference. It is also very important to close the shades on all windows to stop the sun from warming the inside of the coach. About the only solution is to add a roof AC or two.

[paultracy3]

I just gor a 02 4 slide . My old 99 had the same problem . The small toilet room you could hang meat in !!!! 2 feet away. Its 40* hotter in some cases . One of my tricks if its not to hot outside is to open the toilet window 2 inches and the bed window the same and that pushes the air thru the bus . But if its hot its hot in the bus

[afrench45]

On a hot day mine is always 90-100*+. The basement airs just can't keep up with te hot temps. I have no tricksno keep it cool.... Usually will slide it it on the road when sleeping and it cools all the way down.

[Ron Skeen]

Usually the bedroom unit also cool the kitchen, rear closet and toilet areas. You may try to route more air to the bedroom by changing the airflow that goes to the toilet, closet and galley. My coach has five outlets control from the bedroom thermostat which actually only has one outlet that in the bedroom, one in the rear walk-in closet, one in the toilet, one in the kitchen, and one discharging toward the front living area. I have use adjustable grills which can change the air flow. Try rerouting your air flow. My toilet and closet need very little flow. Hope this helps.

[larryweikart]

Our 94 currently has only 2 basement airs that work, (hope to have 3 working soon) but they seem to keep the coach quite cool even with the 90+ degrees we've had most of the summer. The rear a/c blows the hardest (I don't know why) When we get the 3rd one working again it should be sufficient in any climate. We will be considering adding a roof air also as parts for the basement airs are becoming more difficult to locate and even when we've had them repaired they don't seem to operate for long without more service. Adding roof airs will probably pay for themself in a short period of time. However I don't look forward to changing the interior appearance.

[FJGuard]

When it's scorching hot I have found the same problem. You just can't get it cool enough. Our air works over time and it still don't cut it if it's 100+ outside. Larry I agree it seems with the basement airs you get them working sufficiently and then something goes out and needs to be serviced again.I like the look of our coach and don't really want the look of roof air units. I've thought about it but if you add 2-3 roof airs you're talking about some $$$ and maybe it's time to consider trading?

[express1]

Looking for wood to knock on, but I've had 0 problems with my basement air. I have actually given spare parts to Ron Skeen and helped install a circuit board with him. I've been from Miami to Moab and alway run the air. I will complain even if its 70 degress inside. (ask Tuga).
Ron Skeen has also had very good results with his basement air. However he most likely has 100 times the use on his. His wife is HOT!
Sorry about that comment Jean, but you know what I'm talking about. Ron is always running in and out of the coach.

[Neweller]

It sounds like the cooling problems are mainly on the coaches with slides. I'm wondering if it would make any sense to add one roof air in the back?

[afrench45]

Ken, it's not a bad idea. Newell said it would cost $4000-5000 per unit to have done. They would also have to redo the ceiling in the coach and it sounds like a big job. I think having one unit may look odd so for now I'm gonna stick it out.

[Richard and Rhonda]

Te Dometic basement units are build much as a house unit. The compressor and condenser are in the basement (outside) and the evaporator are inside. The SCS units are quite different as Tuga pointed out. They are self contained units where everything is in one package and air is pulled from the coach, circulated through the unit and returned to the coach.

There are some clues in Tuga's post about how one might get the best performance out of the system. In general, make sure there are no air restrictions in either the return or the supply side. Two, make sure the air ducts are as insulated as possible and don't have leaks.

Newell didn't do a great job filtering the AC air, consequently the heat exchangers do tend to get clogged up with dust and lint. It's a pain to clean them, but it may help. Obviously if there are filters in the duct, clean them or change them. Look for leaks in the duct work all the way back to the basement unit.

[ccjohnson]

We have been in PHX with our coach 118 outside 82 in back bedroom. But, we block the A/C discharge port in lavy forcing all the air flow into bedroom. All 3 basement units work pretty hard at those temps though. Also if stationary, we have found the awnings are a great help. Driving we run generator & all A/C's keeps us nice & cool!

[Texas Pete]

Can someone tell me what year they started the basement air and what is the last year the made them? And, during those years, was that the only option?

Thank you

[folivier]

So tell us CCJohnson, what is an 8v92 Hybrid?
Curious minds want to know.

[fulltiming]

Very good question Pete. While the majority of the 'Classic' Newells had roof airs, I saw a 1984 listed for sale about 3 years ago that had 3 basement AC units. With the redesign, designated the 2000 series in 1990, virtually 100% of the Newells had Dometic split air conditioning systems. In about 1994, Newell switched from Dometic to SCS (Specific Climate Systems) basement airs. In 1997, Newell began adding slides to their coaches. This made the installation of the split air conditioning systems more difficult to provide adequate cool air distribution, especially with the slides in (as Steve Magown will attest). By 2000, most Newells had 2 slides and a few Newells were built that had roof airs again. By 2004, almost all of the Newells were ordered with 3 or 4 slides and had 4 roof airs. The 2000i series Newells began in 2005. The i added the flying buttresses to the top which integrated the awnings and hid the roof air conditioners. I doubt there were any basement airs put into i series Newells. By 2006, SCS had gone out of business.

[tuga]

Originally Posted by ccjohnson

We have been in PHX with our coach 118 outside 82 in back bedroom. But, we block the A/C discharge port in lavy forcing all the air flow into bedroom. All 3 basement units work pretty hard at those temps though. Also if stationary, we have found the awnings are a great help. Driving we run generator & all A/C's keeps us nice & cool!

Clint brings out an excellent point, in extreme hot weather we have to use all of the tools at hand. When moving down the highway, close all window shades in the bedroom and the front of the coach. When parked, use the outside awnings and draw the front curtains that cover the windshield. Use fans to help circulate air inside the coach.

Again, all any cooling system can do is a 20 degree difference; 100 degrees outside / 80 degrees inside.

Richard also brings up a good point, check for AC air leaks and keep filters clean.

When it's hot - it's just hot!

[ccjohnson]

This is the 1st so far as I know only Newell "Hybrid" to date! Actually it's just a chrome emblem we got from e-bay. We sure do get a lot of looks & double takes with it though! Give us a wave if you see the "Hybrid" tooling down the highway!

[smagown]

My coach may have been the first 1997 with a slide. The temps in the salon would cool to 85 deg and the bedroom 90 deg. The basement air was fed into the salon on the passenger side floor behind the computer desk and in the wall enclosing the fridge. The air on the passenger side went into a five foot long wooden rectangular box covered with carpet and had a register four inches long for the passenger seat, and blew toward the ceiling thru the two vertical trim pieces on the side wall. On the wall by the fridge facing the dinette, it came out of two holes up high near the ceiling. It went over the top of the slide and was really cold up there if you put your hand up. It could not get out from the top of the slide and was really inadequate.
I posted my problem and the non slide 90's all cooled well. I was sick that I had a beautiful coach that my passengers and I were so uncomfortable in. I began considering roof airs at this point. I called Cressley at Newell and his advice was put them anywhere but in the middle of the coach between the microwave and fridge because there was wiring there. We cut two holes in the salon and I only nicked one wire and it was a 16 gauge to the one halogen round light that was eliminated. The third air I used the existing escape hatch to mount it in the bedroom. My ceiling is white with the gold inlay and the roof air ceiling piece is a matching white and looks like it came from the factory.
I will post the pics and step by step how I did it. The hard part was the fact that I didn't have my forklift out here and had to get the three units in their boxes up the 12' ladder to the top. I basically slid them up the ladder with my head!. I'm glad Tom wasn't here to document that part. Cutting the hole with the drill was trauma too. I made a 14 x 14" wooden rectangle and drew it on the ceiling and my friend who was invaluable help finally grabbed the drill and centered the first hole. I had climbed the ladder at least ten times to keep remeasuring.
I would not have kept my coach if I hadn't done this. My AC's were measuring the right voltage, amperage, and high and low side pressure but couldn't get the job done. This was one of the two best things I've done in the Newell world, the other going to Austin for the first mini rally and meeting so many of the people on the forum.
Thanks,

[GORDON HUMMEL]

http://newellclassic.com/forum/showt...light=roof+air

The above post on this forum, shows how I added a ducted roof air. As I recall it took about 20 hours. I have since added another to the bedroom.

I couldn't imagine having a Newell & not being comfortable !

[Neweller]

Many thanks to members for great follow up and dialog, as this being the hot season and one of those hot years all over the place and like Gordon stated, folks need to be comfortable in their Newell's.

The fix in Gordon's prior post show's how possible it is for owners to do what's in my opinion an upgrade for comfort. I know it's hard for some to want to make changes and that is a personal and financial choice. Some people like Matt want it a little cooler in their coach and it should be obtainable. Anyone who can afford to have it done and if they do not like doing this kind of work, should by all means give the business to the Factory and those who are pretty handy and either want to save or really need to save, then go for it yourself. I'm kind of in between in that sometimes I have the money but want the personal satisfaction of doing it myself and then there have been the times I didn't have the money and had no choice. Of course if you don't like traveling with it being blistering hot out, you can always park it.

As my dad use to say, just my two bits on the subject.

Ken