Here in Texas we are experiencing those hot triple digit temperature days, and if your RV air conditioner goes out, it could be one of the worst days of your life. This happened to our cousin last weekend and it didn’t take long to find out that a mobile RV technician could replace it in about 7-14 days. After all, it is the middle of summer and they are busy, too. That might be acceptable if you are in between trips, but for the full time RVer this is a nightmare.
Fortunately, they had a couple of people who came to their rescue to replace the AC unit. Having just recently replaced one for a friend, they knew exactly how to do it. The only thing they didn’t know was that you have to make sure you buy a replacement that is the same brand and model as the one you are replacing.
After about 4 hours in the heat (inside and outside the trailer) they finally called PPL’s RV Parts Superstore where they purchased the new AC and decided it was time to ask questions. Within about a minute or two they found out they had more work ahead of them. You see they were trying to replace a Coleman AC unit with a Duotherm and it just won’t work. The wiring is completely different, so they had to take the new one down, return it and buy the correct one. Double the work and frustration!
Now the moral of this story is that when replacing RV appliances it is a good idea to take the model and serial numbers with you when you purchase the replacement parts. In addition a simple picture of the thermostat and ceiling assembly could have helped the parts store identify their needs. Take a few minutes to save a lot of time.