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Is the AC very noisy???

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Topic: Is the AC very noisy???
Posted By: Ninjamini
Subject: Is the AC very noisy???
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2015 at 8:51pm
I have not heard it run yet but I saw a YouTube video where the mans only complaint was how loud the AC is. He turned it on and it sounded like a jet engine? I live in Florida and would run the ac a lot. How bad is the noise?



Replies:
Posted By: Podster
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2015 at 9:00pm
It is loud, but you can talk over it with no trouble. I find it easy to get beyond. Being out in the middle of nowhere with the ability to crank up 13,500 btu of cooling is kinda cool. Cool No pun intended. Wink

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Cliff & Raelynn
Ranger 4.0/178
(1/2 ton 5,800lb tow capacity)


Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2015 at 9:25pm
    I agree with Podster it is nice to have and yes it is loud. I am sure Techntrek could better explain the noise and how to possibly make it just a little bit quieter. You learn to live with it or wear ear plugs Ermm.

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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab




Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 8:56am
Its like sitting 6-8 feet away from a window air conditioner - because, essentially, that's what you're doing.

There's no problem having a normal conversation while the air conditioner is going.  While watching television, you've got to bump up the volume a little.  However, many people have difficulty trying to sleep while its running.


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Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150


Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 10:06am
I made a few mods to mine to quiet it down.  Mine came with the heat strip option (but no way to turn it on), and the air flow through it made extra noise.  So I removed it.  That mod has to be done from above, and not all of the A/Cs have the heat strip.  Oh, I also made sure the blower assembly was tightened properly, mine felt a bit loose.

From below I found a bundle of wires running right through the intake air stream, but there was enough extra slack that I could push them to the side.  There is a safety guard at the end of the air output which keeps you from putting your hand into the squirrel cage blower - but that isn't a problem when the decorative air deflector is in place, so that was removed.  Once that was off I could see that the flex tubing between the blower and safety guard caused turbulence and vibration, so I added foil duct tape all over it to make it smooth.

All of those things together made it noticeably quieter.


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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: Ninjamini
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 5:47pm
What do you get if you don't take the 13,500 btu ac option? Can it be replaced with a better quieter ac after the fact?


Posted By: Podster
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 6:38pm
Originally posted by Ninjamini

What do you get if you don't take the 13,500 btu ac option? Can it be replaced with a better quieter ac after the fact?

Skylight?


-------------
Cliff & Raelynn
Ranger 4.0/178
(1/2 ton 5,800lb tow capacity)


Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 8:18pm
   I think so, If I am right you would need to cut the opening and it may have the wiring in place from factory not sure about that though. Yes there is a quieter AC. And again Techntrek could answer that question. I know he did a lot of searching for a replacement AC.

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2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab




Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2015 at 8:30pm
Here you go.  Latest find is at the end:   http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433 - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1433

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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 6:53am
It is a bit loud but you get used to it pretty quick

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171


Posted By: Ninjamini
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 7:34am
Techntrek

Looks like the Sanyo link broke on the page you linked too. Did a quick search but I could not find one.

Looks like it is a tongue mounted solution. This would have to be quiet as the nOisey part is outside. I would think it would get damaged from road debris.

I have to think there is a replacement of better quality of the same size.


Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 8:52am
The Sanyo mini-split line is gone, I think Panasonic bought it out.  There are many other high-SEER mini-splits out there but almost all of them now require 240 volts.  So not entirely compatible unless you add a 120-to-240 transformer.
The more recent (traditional camper A/C) suggestions were the Polar Cub (page 5) and the Mach 8 (page 6).


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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: HuronSailor
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 11:13am
It's noisy as h&ll. I can sleep through it but SWMBO despises it. We use it during the day sometimes here in MI to provide us with a cool place to escape for a while on especially hot days, but it usually cools down enough at night that we rarely use it. It's so oversized that it cycles constantly.

I did meet a couple from MI who had a skylight in place of their A/C unit. Not sure if it was a dealer installation or not.


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.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :.


Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 12:58pm
Have you tried to quiet yours down like I did?

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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: HuronSailor
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2015 at 1:12pm
I've done some of them. I don't have the heat strip in mine so that wasn't an issue. I have tightened the fan assembly a few times over the years. As far as checking for stray stuff in the airflow, I will do that this spring. Good idea.



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.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :.


Posted By: coopercdrkey
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2015 at 7:01am
As loud as the stock A/C is inside the Pod, I am amazed how reasonable the noise level is outside.  My bet is that our neighbors are disturbed very little, if at all, and we prefer the "gray noise" inside.  It helps keep the "Campin' Cocker Spaniels" from reacting to every campground noise at night for one thing.

The FR Surveyor line, which is what we would upgrade to if we ever sold the Pod, advertises "ducted A/C" which, I assume, would lessen the inside noise level.


-------------
Bob and Joyce
Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels
RP 177 "Key Pod"
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71



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