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7:04 pm
June 28, 2010
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TXRR
| | Amarillo Texas | |
| New Member | posts 1 |
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We bought our Sportsmen Classic on the word of a sales person, that promised the Air conditioning unit would keep the unit cool, no problem. He said that people were having very good luck with these units, and that it would "freeze you out" if you don't watch it! It was 98 degrees the day we bought it, so we gave them the benefit of the doubt by trying to cool the trailer down after dark. At 81 degrees, it was unbearable in the trailer, and was more comfortable with the windows open than with the air conditioner on, even at full blast. We took the trailer back and had the air conditioner looked at, thinking it was just a bad unit. Turns out that this Air conditioner is not powerful enough to use in our part of the country. We now have to buy a larger roof AC so that we can enjoy camping in the summer time in Texas. Has anyone else experienced these problems or had to buy a larger AC unit for their 19SB? We love the camper otherwise, and can't wait to really enjoy it. It is made well, and the floor plan is perfect! But, none of that matters if you are melting in the heat, and cannot get relief.
It was sort of a shock after hearing how well the air conditioners were working for so many customers, but it did not work for us even at night when temps are mild. It is terrible to think that it isn't even August yet, and we were burning up sitting in our drive way at night, with only 81 degree heat. Has anyone else had to replace their AC units?
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7:29 pm
June 28, 2010
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mbanda
| | ARKANSAS | |
| Member | posts 121 |
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Here has been our experience. First off, we have always been lucky to camp in shaded spots.
On Memorial Day weekend, we had temps in the mid 90s & did fine. We did leave the AC on full time, but a few times had to turn down fan and/or temp.
This past weekend, temps hit 100 & it did fine. We had to leave AC on the entire time & turned the temp down the 2nd night. Night time temps were in low 70s & the temp inside stayed around 75 day & night.
I will say that it does take a while to cool down the inside after setting up. Set up this weekend around 630pm & was only cool inside after around 9pm. It has been at or near 100 every day for about a week. I'm curious to see how long your unit was on & if it was shaded or in full sun.
I got the bright idea that I would do some work last week (hung a flat panel TV, put up some wood trim, etc) and I pulled the TT close to the house, plugged in, & turned on AC. In full sun 2 hours later, there was no cool air unless I stood right in front of the vent. I got some foam vent cushions today & they are about 4 inches thick. Hopefully they will help prevent heat entering through the vents. I had to remove the opening mechanism to make them fit however. That flimsy plastic cover is worthless. I could feel hot air coming from it all weekend. I am also looking at getting some window coverings to block some sun. The awning helped quite a bit in the afternoon.
Good luck
Matthew
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9:09 pm
June 28, 2010
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smilinjohn
| | Minnesota Prairie | |
| Moderator
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Post edited 4:15 am – June 29, 2010 by smilinjohn
Welcome TXRR!
The 5K A/C has all it can do at max cool to keep up with the 90 degree heat/humidity, here in Minnesota. We have the 14RK……about 550 cu.ft. Since your model is about 210 cu.ft larger (5 feet longer), I can sure believe that 5K is not adequate for your application. Hope you have success, additionally, with a roof A/C……both running at same time should do the trick. Sorry your sales person was misinformed. 
 John
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2010 Sportsmen Classic 14RK; 2005 Ford F-150, 5.4L V8; "…..it is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance." Charles Darwin
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9:57 pm
June 28, 2010
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dallas214
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Post edited 4:58 am – June 29, 2010 by dallas214
I too have found myself wishing for a little more powerful AC. I have been camping several times this summer (14 days this month including Daytona Beach and Norman, OK). A little shade helps a great deal and even with high humidity and temps in the mid-90's I can keep the trailer down to 78 – 80 degrees. Over Memorial Day weekend I was camped out in the open with no shade with temps in the lower 90's and the trailer got up to 82 degrees until the sun went down. After the first day of this I tried a couple of things that lowered the temperature a few degrees. First, I put foil on the outside of the windows on the sides that were getting the most sun. This helped a lot. Also, I turned the fridge to a little warmer — I'm not sure how much difference this made, but the fridge makes a lot of heat while it cools. I didn't notice this in my other trailers. One other thing, I put the biggest oscillating fan I could in front of the AC unit. Since the AC unit doesn't blow very hard, this seemed to help.
One thing I noticed in Oklahoma because I was parked on a concrete pad (the other times I was on grass) is that condensation from the AC didn't just run down the side directly beneath the trailer, it also dripped off the corners of the trailer on the AC side. I suppose because of the high humidity condensation is forming on the inside wall and dripping to the bottom….
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3:55 pm
July 31, 2010
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motx72
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Post edited 11:23 pm – July 31, 2010 by motx72
We too are very concerned about the A/C limitations. I was at one of our local dealers here in the Dallas area a couple of weeks ago. The outside temp was around 90 degrees. It was actually overcast & begain to rain while I was there. The dealer had just received quite a number of Sportsmen Classic models. He offered to move one of the 19BH models over near the building & plug it in. After I walked around the dealership a while, I went over to the 19BH. Stepped inside & it was hot. We both just stood there talking for around 20 minutes, just shooting the breeze & talking about the pros & cons of the Classic series.
Quite frankly, we really like the Classic series. It is our top choice amongst the RV's we're considering. Anyway, we stood there for around 20 minutes. The temp inside went from hot to hot. No change at all. The down side of all this, I was standing right in front of the A/C unit. The very polite sales guy just stood there, dripping sweat. After another 5-10 minutes, I just couldn't do it to him any longer, and we left.
That being said, I guess my question to the group is has anyone added a roof air conditioning unit? Can the roof handle a the roof A/C ? We are leaning towards the 19SBT model. While searching the internet for pics of this model (since we cannot find one locally), I found the following pics:
 
Anyway, just wanted to see what you guys thought about this. Looks like this was installed in a unit that did not come with the factory "window unit" in the side. It also looks like it was installed in place of the vent I have seen in other models. Then again, maybe KZ has decided to begin offering roof A/C as an option.
Sure would appreciate your input. Thanks everyone.
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Sportsmen Classic 19SBT or Spree Escape E19SBT – perhaps in 2012
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5:55 am
August 1, 2010
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carolandjack
| | Spring Hill, Tennessee | |
| Member | posts 62 |
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We have the 16BH and actually we have been doing okay with our wall AC unit. We have a small fan that we always keep going just to keep the air circulating in the unit. We also have a fantastic fan that we keep going on low. We live in the Nashville area and we also have been having terribly hot weather here this summer. This past week, we spent 5 days at a local Corps of Engineers park and it did fine. One evening, we did notice that it wasn't cooling as well. I checked the filter and it was PLUGGED. I pulled it out, cleaned it and all was well again. The filter is easy to check and clean. Just another notch on my learning curve.
A neighbor down the street has a 19 foot unit. She is out this weekend. I will ask her how her unit cooled this trip out as the temps are in the high 90's. I will let you know.
The downside that I have on our unit is that the AC is above the hot water heater and the water from the AC unit drips down on it. Makes it somewhat a problem to light (and somewhat difficult to keep going at first). I hope that that KZ addresses this in their future models.
Bought a winterizing and hot water heater bypass kit from Camper Supply this past week. Plan on installing them today.
Jack
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2010 Sportsmen 16BH * 2011 Ford F-150 XLT Super Crew *ECO BOOST Engine* Reese Weight Distribution Hitch * Anti Sway Bars
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6:46 am
August 1, 2010
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mbanda
| | ARKANSAS | |
| Member | posts 121 |
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Is it possible that the 19x Classics just need a larger unit? We just got back from some awful Florida heat & humidity, and the 16bh got downright cold. We had to turn it down a couple times & temps were in 98-100 range with heat indices close to 110.
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6:54 am
August 1, 2010
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kayaknut
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Post edited 3:46 am – January 14, 2012 by kayaknut
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6:56 pm
August 1, 2010
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motx72
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Post edited 3:07 pm – August 2, 2010 by motx72
I'm with you Julie. Hopefully a simple solution can be found. I guess I'm just going to have to give it another chance. While I can see that a 5000 btu unit might be more than sufficient for the 14 & 16 models, it seems that it might be a little underwhelmed for the 19 foot models. Especially with the tent/bunk ends on the 19SBT model. And the idea of having to have fans sitting around my RV, just to help circulate the air, is not my idea of a solution.
I guess I'll just have to give the sales guy another call, have him pull a unit over to the side, and cool it down for an hour before I show up. One of the things we love about the Classic series is the "basic" style. No frills. It gives you what you need, and keeps things simple. We actually liked the idea of a "house window unit" because if & when the unit ever quits, it would be a lot cheaper & easier to install another one, as opposed to what is required with a roof A/C. Not to mention available choices & locations for window units, options like remotes & oscillating features, etc.
In any case, if anyone has any information about roof A/C units being installed on the Classic models, I'd really appreciate your input. Otherwise, I guess we'll have to just pay our dealer another visit. The forecast is for this week is 100+ degrees, so that would be great test indeed.
=motx72
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Sportsmen Classic 19SBT or Spree Escape E19SBT – perhaps in 2012
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8:23 pm
August 2, 2010
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smilinjohn
| | Minnesota Prairie | |
| Moderator
| posts 380 |
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motx72 said:
While I can see that a 5000 btu unit might be more than sufficient for the 14 & 16 models, it seems that it might be a little underwhelmed for the 19 foot models.
In any case, if anyone has any information about roof A/C units being installed on the Classic models, I'd really appreciate your input. Otherwise, I guess we'll have to just pay our dealer another visit. The forecast is for this week is 100+ degrees, so that would be great test indeed.
=motx72
'motx', how about checking with Matt Deal, KZ-RV Customer Service at 1-866-472-5460, extension 247 or email mdeal@kz-rv.com . Matt has helped me out considerably, he has even gone to Engineering to obtain the correct answers for me. If Matt doesn't know the answer, he'll find out and then get back to you. Ask him if roof is strong enough to support a roof a/c and size, also.
John
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2010 Sportsmen Classic 14RK; 2005 Ford F-150, 5.4L V8; "…..it is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance." Charles Darwin
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10:24 am
August 19, 2010
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thomascampers – Houston, TX
| | Houston, TX | |
| Member | posts 11 |
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Monday when we I picked up the TT in Austin the air had been on for only an hour or two. It then spent the rest of the day trying to catch up. Come about 3:00 AM we were freezing. Tuesday morning was much better because the trailer was already cool. We had to close up and head for home around 10:00 am so I am not sure how the rest of the day would have been.
I wonder if it would be possible to put a larger window unit in there? If anyone has tried this or has thoughts on the subject please respond.
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2011 16BH*2010 Nissan Titan*sway bar
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