Suggested Methods For Getting New A/C up Onto Camper Roof?

[davalt75]

I'm getting ready to replace one of the units on my camper, and I think the hardest part of the job will probably be getting the new one up onto the roof. I've gotten a couple of ideas from YouTube, but I was wondering if anyone who has done it has any tips or suggestions for making that part of the job a little bit easier.

 

[Neemer]

Keep it in its box, tie a rope around it, and then standing on the rig’s roof, pull it up the rails of a ladder. It helps to have a second pair of hands from below, but not necessary.

 

[davalt75]

Keep it in its box, tie a rope around it, and then standing on the rig’s roof, pull it up the rails of a ladder. It helps to have a second pair of hands from below, but not necessary.

That is pretty much what I was thinking. I even thought about backing my truck up to the camper and putting the ladder in the bed of the truck and leaning it against the roof to reduce the angle of the ladder and make it a little easier to pull. It's not too awful heavy. Around 65-70 lbs. I saw a guy on YouTube throw the box on his shoulder and walk it up a ladder a few steps until he could push it onto the top of one of his slides. Then he got up on the roof and grabbed it off of the slide out. But he must have had really big shoulders or his a/c must have been smaller than mine b/c the box mine is in is huge.

 

[Rich W.]

I put one on a 10 1/2’ high B+ just by parking a pickup next to the rv and having someone standing on the bed rails hand it up to me, but that was in a park in Memphis (Agri-Center) with no other facilities avail. When National Refrigeration put one on my Ventana (12.5’) they used a forklift. But I like the drag-it-up-the-ladder-with-a-rope idea when no mechanical means is avail.

BTW National RV Refrigeration in Shipshewana only charged $100 for installation and they have just about everything you could ever need in stock so if you ever have AC or refer problems in that neck of the woods, they are the ones to choose.

National RV Refrigeration | Shipshewana, IN

National RV Refrigeration where we rebuild RV refrigerators and replace your factory fridge with a retro fit that will often out perform the factory unit.

fixyourfridge.com

 

[davalt75]

I put one on a 10 1/2’ high B+ just by parking a pickup next to the rv and having someone standing on the bed rails hand it up to me, but that was in a park in Memphis (Agri-Center) with no other facilities avail. When National Refrigeration put one on my Ventana (12.5’) they used a forklift. But I like the drag-it-up-the-ladder-with-a-rope idea when no mechanical means is avail.

BTW National RV Refrigeration in Shipshewana only charged $100 for installation and they have just about everything you could ever need in stock so if you ever have AC or refer problems in that neck of the woods, they are the ones to choose.

National RV Refrigeration | Shipshewana, IN

National RV Refrigeration where we rebuild RV refrigerators and replace your factory fridge with a retro fit that will often out perform the factory unit.

fixyourfridge.com

We do have a few local, mobile RV repair places that could do it. I think most of those places charge around $100-$150/hr. Which, for someone who has done it a few times, it probably wouldn't take much longer than that. My 5th wheel is 12.5 ft. tall. But if I stand on the bed rails of my truck like you mentioned, as opposed to in the bed, I might be able to push it up there myself. I don't know why that didn't occur to me before.

 

[Rich W.]

We do have a few local, mobile RV repair places that could do it. I think most of those places charge around $100-$150/hr. Which, for someone who has done it a few times, it probably wouldn't take much longer than that. My 5th wheel is 12.5 ft. tall. But if I stand on the bed rails of my truck like you mentioned, as opposed to in the bed, I might be able to push it up there myself. I don't know why that didn't occur to me before.

That one was a two person job and I think we used some rope as well. It was almost 10 years ago. I’m not sure you could lob it up there on your own unless the pickup is really high.

 

[TheLooks]

I built a lift to do it by myself, using it tomorrow morning. But that is for doing it as a business not a one off deal. I have pulled 3 units up a ladder hand over hand with a ratchet strap around the box and another one hooked in for the lifting. Not ideal. 2 people should be able to easily push and pull one up.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Interesting solutions to move A/Cs to the roof. A Google search came up with some great ideas..

 

[GypsyR]

Son in law helped me just basically lift the new one up and bring the old one down. Using the kids' swingset thing, wife's kitchen stepladder, and the cardboard box from the new unit to not scratch everything on the rear cap. It went pretty easily really. Both of us being reasonably able and healthy.

 

[davalt75]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I ended up using an extension ladder as a ramp from the bed of my truck to the roof. I put a ratchet strap around the box and used a second strap, looped through the first one to pull it up the ladder. Basically b/c I had the straps handy instead of rope. It was a piece of cake. Only thing that was a little nerve racking was making sure the box stayed centered on the ladder as I pulled it up.