Should I choose a roof-mounted or bottom-mounted air conditioner for my RV?
Why not a home air conditioner?
The air conditioners in RVs are divided into driving air conditioners and parking air conditioners. Driving air conditioners are those that come with the original vehicle engine when it is started, and are used during the vehicle's driving. Parking air conditioners are car air conditioners used when the vehicle is parked. They are usually installed on the top of the vehicle, with the external unit outside the car and the internal unit on the top of the vehicle. The parking roof-mounted air conditioner raises the height of the RV by 20-30cm. Some manufacturers also install their parking air conditioners under the seats, because they do not need to change the appearance, which is more suitable for friends who want to modify it personally. Parking air conditioners are divided into heating and cooling air conditioners and cooling-only air conditioners. Should I choose a roof-mounted or bottom-mounted air conditioner? Let's take a look at the structure of the RV air conditioner first!
Roof-mounted air conditioners are more common in domestic RVs. We often see the protruding part on the top of the RV, which is the outdoor unit. The working principle of a roof-mounted air conditioner is relatively simple. The compressor on the top of the RV cools the air and delivers the cold air to the indoor unit through the fan.
When we need to replace the air conditioner ourselves or modify the air conditioner by ourselves, we should pay attention to the size of the opening frame on the top of the RV, which must be consistent with the size of the opening at the bottom of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.
When modifying a roof-mounted air conditioner, the top must be waterproofed to prevent water from entering the gap on rainy days. Generally speaking, a roof-mounted air conditioner is designed with a water guide groove, and the condensed water discharged from the outdoor compressor will not penetrate into the car. In addition, in terms of appearance and structure, a roof-mounted air conditioner is easier to replace and repair than a bottom-mounted air conditioner, but the indoor unit is on the top of the RV, which will bring corresponding noise.
Bottom-mounted air conditioner
As people's requirements for indoor noise increase, some RV manufacturers have begun to study the use of bottom-mounted air conditioners to provide cooling/heating in RVs. Bottom-mounted air conditioners are generally installed under the bed or at the bottom of the sofa in the RV. The bed board and the sofa can be opened for later maintenance. One of the advantages of bottom-mounted air conditioners is that it reduces the noise generated when the air conditioner is working.
Bottom-mounted air conditioners adopt a square box-shaped appearance, and hot/cold air is transported to various areas of the RV through pipes from three circular outlets.
Whether the bottom-mounted air conditioner can operate optimally will be determined by the correct installation position. First, try to get as close to the axle as possible, and generally choose to install it in a position opposite to the RV door. The installation of the air conditioner is very simple, but an opening is required on the floor of the vehicle for ventilation (inlet and outlet) and condensate drainage. If an infrared remote control is required, the infrared transmission device needs to be installed near the air conditioner for remote control operation.
