Where to buy Cruiseair split system?

[scanzel]

After reading the post on heating and air conditioning it seems that roof air is noisy. I am leaning toward the basement split system made by Cruiseair. Where is the best place to purchase? What is the cost of these systems?

[H3Jim]

and what are the dimensions of the units?

[luvrbus]

Nick sells the unit basement or split or can get them for you 

Jim  the split units are small enough you can put 2 in the spare tire compartment of a Eagle (the condenser and compressor)
I will measure mine today and give you the dimensions

[TomC]

The main reason for roof tops is price ($5-700), ease of service, out of the way, very efficient coolers, and can be quiet if you duct the units into the roof.

Dometic/Tundra makes truck units that are either all in one that are inside the bus, in the bottom of a cabinet, with two holes in the floor for the in and out for the condenser air and then just simply duct the air to the top of the cabinet.  These units are about $1500.  Also are a split unit where the main unit again sits at the bottom of a cabinet with the air ducted to the top, but with the condenser remote mounted through pre charged freon lines.  These units are about $1800.

Cruise Airs are about the most expensive.  I priced a 14,000btu condenser with two 7,000btu blower condensers, electronic thermostat, and with ducting, freon lines, etc was about $3000.  Needless to say, I'm just going to put up with my noisy but very effective Coleman (3 or them) roof tops.  Good Luck, TomC

[John Z]

Re: roof air units. I could maybe put up with the noisy. What i can't stand about them is the "ugly", both from the inside and the outside. I have tongue and grove on my ceiling. I like it a lot! Them my eye catches that ugly inside unit of the roof air. Also i have an old GM without a roof raise and i see no reason in the world to give up almost 3" of headroom for one of those units! And they are noisy for a fact! And i suspect they are very poorly insulated from feeling around them when it is cold out. The good points are that they are relatively inexpensive: I guess it depends on how you look at it. I don't buy them being any easier to work on then a unit in the luggage bay. I am pretty sure i will be going the route you have chosen - the split setup. Puts all the noise in the basement and it is a lot easier to run a couple coolant lines then it is to duct the cold air up into the coach. By the way, a 12,000 btu minisplit costs about 650.00, and it heats also!

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Steve,

I'm off to Florida on thursday. If you want to wait till I return, I can set you up with Cruisair splits.

I should be back the 25th.

Nick-

[H3Jim]

There are ways to make both  the inside and outside not ugly, or at least not as..

I used ducted roof airs and built a box for the inside.  I get to cover that box anyway I want, so it does not look bad.  I aslo made it shallower than 3" so as not to interfere with headroom too much.  I was also able to change the "envelope" of the box so it does not extend as far above the islway.  MOt of the box is above where the steps are, so losing a few inches there is not a big deal.

For the outside I bought the low profile units - they are only 7" tall.  After I put up my awnings,, for the most part you cant even see them from the side of the bus.  When you do see them, they don't look too bad as they just don't stick up too high, are not any worse than the rest of the crap I have up there.

[DavidInWilmNC]

I went cheap for my bedroom air.  I used a high effic. 8,000 BTU window unit mounted in a bay and ducted though (what will be) a closet in the bathroom into the bedroom.  I have a filter grill for the return that's down near the floor.  The window unit exhausts its hot air down through the bay floor.  I haven't put an intake on it yet; I just open the bay door a bit.  If I direct the hot out from under the bus, I should be able to pull air in from the bottom.  I don't need to use this while on the road (OTR air takes car of that).  I still need to set up a thermostat in the bedroom so I don't have to go out to change the temp, but I leave it on 72 anyway. 

The unit is virtually silent inside - if the 'fridge is on you can't hear the A/C - and almost as quiet outside.  I used insulated flex duct, which I'm sure contributes to its quietness.  I know these units aren't rated for use in a vehicle, but for $159, I decided to risk it.  It won't be particularly difficult to change the unit out when it dies.  One nice thing is that in July when it's in the 90's outside, it's cool and dry inside.  The 8,000 BTU unit runs most of the time and really reduces the humidity.  I definitely wouldn't want a 13,000BTU roof A/C back there.  That 'basement' unit and the 15,000 BTU roof heat pump keep the bus cool in the summer, even in the sun, but I have a lot of original windows with no awning, and that adds a lot of heat.  I realize the splits and basement units are better suited for this, but for the price...

David