Question 2002 Breckenridge 43 footer A/C not adequate?

[Soup-N-Sandwich]

Hi guys,
First time here on the site.
I purchased a 2002 Breckenridge 43 foot travel trailer for full time living about 2 years ago and haven't stopped working on it since. I'm trying to make it the best it can be with mods here and there with my latest mods being to the plumbing to prevent pipes from freezing below 10 degrees winters.

The summers and winters are uncomfortable and I feel like every season change I'm scrambling to fix the next problem before it gets too bad.
This year it's the summer heat. I installed awnings over each window (15 windows!) and window tint. This helps but not enough. There is for sure a lack of insulation which I'm going to tackle next while replacing my roof...but this air condition (Coleman Mach) NEVER shuts off during the day when the sun it shining. It simply can't keep up. The temp rises about a degree or two an hour during hot days. The air doesn't seem that cold. I just now stuck a thermometer inside the duct and the temp is 52 degrees. Is this normal? Seems rather high to me, no?

I purchased a "pierce valve" to have it recharged by a pro as it seems to run fine so I'm hoping it just needs a recharge. I believe the unit is a 15,000 BTU unit but I'm having trouble confirming this. It seems that 15K BTU is the max for a roof top unit. Could this A/C be simply too small for the space? I had the fan motor seze up last year and replaced it with the exact same unit. Fan performance is very good.

The specs of the unit:
Made by Recreation Vehicle Products DIV. of Airxcel inc. Wichita Kansas
Model: 833588914 Serial:020207838
Refrigerant Charge:
Type: 22 Oz: 17.0
Design Pressures:
High side: 324 Low side: 150
Compres. LRA: 71.0
Compres. RLA: 12.6
Fan Motor: 1/3HP
Fan Motor FLA: 13.2
It's a 20amp 120volt unit

Any feedback would be much appreciated.
Thanks very much guys.

Soup

 

[USNRET]

From my experience and reading up on the subject, most RV A/C systems are doing well if they can stay 10-12 degrees cooler than the outside temps. So if it’s 90 outside it’s going to be uncomfortable inside. Our 5W is only 34’ and the 15k unit we have doesn’t do the job alone. Fortunately, we had the dealer throw in a second unit over the bedroom. It helps a lot but is noisy as heck. One thing we did that helps is to put reflective insulation material in the windows where direct sunlight is hitting. We just cut it to size and stick it behind the couch when not in use. You can get a 4’ x 50’ roll from Lowes.

 

[Buly]

One unit for a 43’ trailer with questionable insulation, and 15 windows is very inadequate. My 43’ coach has 3 15k units.
Long time ago I used to install AC’ in Boats and yachts. As I remember, the recommendation was 9 BTU’s per cubic foot of interior space.
You may want to start thinking about at least one more AC?

 

[Soup-N-Sandwich]

One unit for a 43’ trailer with questionable insulation, and 15 windows is very inadequate. My 43’ coach has 3 15k units.
Long time ago I used to install AC’ in Boats and yachts. As I remember, the recommendation was 9 BTU’s per cubic foot of interior space.
You may want to start thinking about at least one more AC?

Wow 3 15K units!? Ok yeah I guess one is not enough. I'm planning on adding 2" of polystyrene insulation to the room since I have to install a new PVC roof anyway. I'm sure this will help but not likely enough.
Really sad how poorly engineered these park trailers are.
Thank you Buly for your input.

 

[Soup-N-Sandwich]

From my experience and reading up on the subject, most RV A/C systems are doing well if they can stay 10-12 degrees cooler than the outside temps. So if it’s 90 outside it’s going to be uncomfortable inside. Our 5W is only 34’ and the 15k unit we have doesn’t do the job alone. Fortunately, we had the dealer throw in a second unit over the bedroom. It helps a lot but is noisy as heck. One thing we did that helps is to put reflective insulation material in the windows where direct sunlight is hitting. We just cut it to size and stick it behind the couch when not in use. You can get a 4’ x 50’ roll from Lowes.

Hmm really? Well I have recently installed UV window tint with a mirror like reflective outward facing layer to all the windows and the helps a tad...like 10 percent but the air temp out of the vent is only 51 at it's coldest and this doesn't seem right.
Thanks for your help and input on this

 

[Buly]

I think USNRET is talking about:
Reflective insulation
It is effective, but not transparent. I have used it on my huge front windshield.

 

[Soup-N-Sandwich]

I think USNRET is talking about:
Reflective insulation
It is effective, but not transparent. I have used it on my huge front windshield.

Yup I understand...but I'm not placing something that's solid on my windows. As it is already, the tint is much darker than having no tint and as much as I like the light, the heat is brutal so I'll put up with it. I think USNRET was referring to that silver reflective Bubble Wrap type of insulation. Yup I understand.

I'm so disappointing in how difficult it is to get these park trailers to be comfortable. I haven't stopped working on this thing since I bought it two years ago. Plumbing issues, insulation...or lack of it, cooling, heating. It's a full time job.

 

[Buly]

Don’t feel bad. I have not stopped working on my coach either .
It is getting harder every year (at 74).
Going on the roof again this week to service the AC’s. Willing to pay, but hard to find competent people to work.

 

[USNRET]

This is the stuff I was talking about. It’s about 1/4” thick, folds and tucks away easily. We

have large windows and use it to block afternoon sunlight then take it down. Helps a lot!

 

[Soup-N-Sandwich]

Don’t feel bad. I have not stopped working on my coach either .
It is getting harder every year (at 74).
Going on the roof again this week to service the AC’s. Willing to pay, but hard to find competent people to work.

Ahh I feel for you Buly! I'm 51 and feeling it already...mostly mentally right now though. I'm determined to resolve some of the short-cumming to trailer living. I had my pipes freeze during several 8 degree days this winter. I said "enough is enough!!" I re-plumbed the entire trailer with all PEX pipes behind cabinets and under the tub now. All pipes that were in the belly have been abandoned. No more of that! I made all the new connections under the dead space of the tub and have a 4 inch muffin fan blowing warm air from the water heater cabinet under the tub and out into my closet. So far the temp never dripped below 64 degrees in the dead of winter. So I guess that resolved. Water heater died the same week as the pipes freezing....then the black water pipe froze and blew apart.

I have to do the roof over but before I do this I'm thinking all of this through. I'm adding 2" thick insulating panels first them adding the new PVC roofing over that. I'm also determined to create a 1200+ CFM whole house fan as once this thing heats up it take forever to get that warm air out. I have to fabricate something but I good a decent idea how to make this work. I was going to use the existing AC return hole with some solenoid control dampers but it's not large enough as it won't handle the CFM of the fan. I don't want the fan attached directly to the ceiling because I want to limit the noise so I'll make a "remote" fan installed at the end of a 3 to 4 foot, 16 inch insulated duct. This will make the fan be a considerable distance from the opening in the ceiling. The new whole house fans are built like this now...but WAY over priced. I can do it for about $350 with a 1300CFM 16" fan.

Well it's a comforting to know that the issues I'm having are common and others are dealing with the same issues as me. I guess it's "normal"? lol
You know it's a bad sign when it's 68 outside and the temp in the trail gains a degree or two every hour. The trailer should be cool if it was insulated correctly. A lot of this isn't design but poor workmanship. Lots of overlooked thing I've found. Missing insulation in areas, bad calking jobs...must have been built on a Friday!

Thanks for the conversion Buly