BCM Community

  hi trying to get more imfo before a roof raise i have both ducted and normal
  13.5 penqin a/c  if i go ducted it means rasing roof 6" more for ducts  is it
  worth the extra roof raise  i saw a bus back in 99 that had a oval board
  under the ducted unit it was about 1 1/2 " down from roof but dont remeber
  anything else or could i put the ducted units in a bay and run a duct up in
  to coach this would be cleaner looking  need lots of help thanks john
  ps if you have pics plese post

   I ducted the roof airs on a friends MC-8 a few years ago.  We made the ducts about 2" tall by about 16"-18" wide. I don't remember the exact size, but it was per the AC manufacturers specifications.  I know it was definately not 6" tall. This job was a conversion from standard roof AC interior grills to ducted AC in a coach that was already converted. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of the installation.
   In our coach we used a basement AC with the air ducted up the wall in the back of the closet to a main AC duct that runs almost the full length of the coach with 5 vents to distrubute the air. Our main duct is 3" X 16" (48 sq. in.) and our return duct is 3" X 18" (54 sq. in.) This is per manufacturers specifications. Jack

 thanks jack i am gutting the monnco and when i took off the a/c return
vent and stuck a tape up there its 6" up to roof maybe get a better look
when i rip out ceilling hows the trip going  john any one else out there got
pics or imfo thanks john

I've heard many times direct blowing A/C's are much more effective then ducted.  I have three 13,500btu Colemans and usually only use two (hottest I've been in is 108 degree weather).  In my truck all A/C's are going to be basement.  I'm leaning towards mounting two roof top Duotherm Penquin in the basement since it uses a squirrel cage blower for the condenser that I can duct outside.  Then just have to duct the return air and feed air into the living space.  I'm going to have single vents coming in with no ceiling duct work.  Both my wife and I like feeling a hurricane of air around us.  One of the main reasons in using a roof top air in the basement is servicing.  Most anyone knows how to work on a roof top-or easily replaceable with a new unit-compared with the complexities of a normal basement unit.  Just have to get the roof top unit with remote thermostat.  Good Luck, TomC

Down side to AC roof tops with remotes are they require a 12v supply also found that out the hard way 


good luck

 hi tom c i need ice cold also any pics or diagrams as to mount
roof top unit in bay i have two ducted units with wall termastats
sure be helpfull thanks john