AC service in Iowa

[srowe]

Anyone have experience with air conditioner (cruiseair) service in central Iowa? Everyone I call comes up with lots of excuses not to work on them when I explain what they are.

Any help is appreciated. I'm a newbie with a '91 Royale, learning the hard way.

Steve

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Which AC? OTR, Cruise Airs, or roof airs?

Roof airs are clearly an RV dealer's specialty. Bus air (OTR) is something a refrigerated truck or trailer place can handle, and Cruise Airs just need to be shown to the service folks. They are nothing more than an R22 "package" and once the tech sees how simple they are there is usually no issue.

[dalej]

Steve,

Welcome to POG!

Cruisair's have a site glass close to the units, if you start them and look at the site glass it should be clear after running a few minutes.

Just look in the local yellow pages and find someone that will stop by and add a little freon.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I gotta learn to read.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

On the average Jon you do pretty well, just chalk it up to the first senior moment of the day;):eek::D

JIM

[rahangman]

With all the AC talk going on lately, and now the tip about the sight gauge for the Cruise Airs, what type of preventive Maintenance other than keeping the fins clean/clear of debris & dirt could we do without really "getting into it" resolve. My front 2 (under driver in spare tire compartment) behind a heavy front bumper, does not seem to gain admittance to being able to clear/clean them. They are working extremely well and I would like to keep them like that especially given the local high temperatures. :)

[truk4u]

Jim, he has many!:D

[Joe Cannarozzi]

srowe are you headed east or west. If a charge adjustment is all it needs I have a guy in Chicago.

If you are headed elsewhere go to busted knuckles and greasy jeans and then to the thread cruisair demystified and then to Jack14r's post. you will find all the charts a tech will need to get the charge perfect.

I too found it difficult to find a guy but with those charts there was really nothing left to chance and any good tech will do.

[dalej]

Crusair's are very low in maintenance. There are places to add oil to the shafts of the squirrel cage motors, but I think most guys will tell you, the trouble that it is to get to the front one's, well lets just say, I have never oiled mine.

I replaced the motor in the back one. The one in the engine compartment gets more dust and dirt in that area.

In short... maybe have to add freon once in a while but that's about it.

[Judi Brown]

We have a 91 Liberty and the crusairs need freon. We can't get it in Canada,
so am going down to Bellingham to get it done, Where is the one for the back bedroom and does anyone know of place in Bellingham Wash. to get it down.
Thanks
Judi B

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Judy with all of the pertinent info on your coach needed to help find that bedroom compressor not included in your signature I can tell you without a doubt it is in the basement:rolleyes:

Look at the exhaust openings under the bus for the 2 a/c's up front behind the bumper then search for the same thing elsewhere under the bays.

Again not knowing whether you have 3 or 4 would also help to help you.

If you find 2 similar additional openings under the bus turn the unit on and off the blower will be the giveaway.

I'm assuming it is completly behind a panel since you can not see it, half a dozen screws usually pretty easy.
I can say for sure that the bedroom unit will not be either of the 2 behind the front bumper.

[jack14r]

If cruiseairs are properly charged the sight glass will not be clear but will look like water flowing.

[dalej]

Judy,

Just look in the yellowpages.com for the town you will be in and type in air conditioning. Call and ask how much to add a little R-22 to your system. Hint, don't go into, It's a Prevost conversion with Crusair's. Just say you have some small R-22 units that need topped off.

After the service you can tell them all about your MILLION DOLLAR BUS. :)

[dalej]

Clear water, no bubbles.

[Judi Brown]

Hi
There are 3 spots to set air tempature. So he thinks there are 3 on bus.
Now I will tell you his new hairbrain plan . He can get lots of recovered freon
and is buying unit to charge himself. He just paid $100.00 for airconditioning
course on internet and says he has lots of time to learn. Someone help me talk him out of this.
Judi B

[dalej]

I'm not Judy, I think him learning all about his air conditioning is a good idea. Who knows, maybe he can charge other at rallies!

I'm really not sure about using the recovered freon though.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Dale,

Not so sure about clear in the sight glass. Last OWT I heard was not foamy, not clear but occasional bubbles.

Judi,

Don't get pissed, but I would have some reservations about the skill levels of an AC guy if he cannot find one of his three AC units.

To answer your question about where they are....keep in mind you have an H3 and I have only had XL shells so take this with some skepticism. You should have two behind the bumper. Both of those should be positioned so you can see the sight glass.

The third on both my coaches (actually the 3rd and 4th on the present coach) is located behind a panel that is in the center of the rear wall in the first bay. When that panel is removed you should see the third unit. That is the one for the bedroom. If it is like my former coach the sight glass is visible.

Good luck on both the Cruise Air hunt, and having your new mechanic service them. (Just kidding a little because they are not difficult to recharge, and unless the problem is just a bad capacitor, or something related to the compressor topping off the R-22 should not pose any problems.)

[tdelorme]

Judi, the third Cruiseair in your coach will be serviced through the second or third bay, curbside, behind the entertainment center. The entertainment center unit has to come out. The Cruiseair is behind a removeable panel at the back of the bay.

[mike kerley]

Judy, Judy, Judy,,,,(do I sound like Cary Grant),

Let him do his thing. Buy the freon after the course and he'll know not to use recovered freon unless its been reconditioned.

He'll save himself a lot of grief being able to top off the charges himself and its not rocket science. Follow the charts for temperature and pressure. These are great units and very easy to work on, just tough to access.

Grainger (in the south) sells Freon 22 (if your certified, and he will be after the course) and its nice new stuff. He can also buy it online with certification. Just paid $160.00 for a 30lb can.

Some Marathon coaches and maybe others have all three cruisairs behind the front bumper. That's the way Lew's was set up. Two on pivots and one set back in the middle.

Our CC has the third Cruiseair in the third bay, curb side. It services the bedroom unit.

[Jerry Winchester]

I have always had better luck with boat guys working on them. This is from the Cruisair website.

Iowa

J & S Marine Sales & Service

Location: Detroit, Michigan 48045 USA

Phone: (586) 463-3400

Fax: (586) 463-1762

Email: jandsmarine@comcast.net

Website: www.jandsmarine.com

Washington

Sure Marine Services Inc.

Location: Seattle, Washington 98107 USA

Phone: 206 -784-9903

Fax: 206-784-0506

Email: sales@suremarine.com

[Judi Brown]

To add to storey,this bus and retirement may have created a mad man. He ordered his equipment. ($3,500.0 US ) Says he is not going to kiss these air conditioners guys butts any longer trying to get them to just have a look.
One thing I will say, when he makes up his mind, money or research will not stop him.
Judi B

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Judi,

Get used to this pattern. It is the same path I am traveling. After years of dealing with service people who treat you like the village idiot, fail to show up on time, who overcharge, and who rarely get it right the first time I have concluded if a guy with butt cleavage and a bad haircut can do it, I can.

Look at it this way. The time spent driving the bus somewhere along with the fuel cost, along with the huge bill you will get will more than pay for the tools. Usually the time I spend doing repairs is longer because I am doing on the job training, but because I want to do it right I rarely have to do it twice. So far on the bus all the repairs were done right the first time so taking my time has been worthwhile.

A bus is a complete assemblage of every system known to man, and despite the seeming complexity it is really quite logical and serviceable. Not only the bus, but the house portion, and both are assembled from common parts easily obtained.

So next Christmas, your birthday, your anniversary, and other holidays, encourage your hubby to buy tools. They are cheaper than both repairmen and mistresses.

[truk4u]

Judi,

Mine is in the 2nd bay curbside (40' XL) behind a panel in the back of the compartment. It can also be accessed from the 1st bay, center of the bus, rear bulkhead behind a removable panel with the house batteries.

[dalej]

Tom tell us the truth, a Liberty... have you really found it yet! :)

[truk4u]

Dale,

I think I found everything, even a loose squirrel cage fan belt for the remote gen radiator hidden behind an 18" X 18" panel in the radiator/electronics bay. You need to lay on your side with hands over your head, turn part of your body 90 degree's and work with your nose sticking through the itty bitty panel!:rolleyes:

[Jon Wehrenberg]

That's part of the Liberty old man's health program. Those are stretching exercises you old fart.

[Judi Brown]

He has found a product that is legal in Canada.Enviro-Safe22A. He says the equipment he has ordered can be used to charge system. Can purchase with no certificate, He wants me to ask if anyone has used this product. There web page is (autorefrigerants.com ) Thanks again for putting up with his
dreams.
Judi B

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I would use only R-22 and it would be new product.

I do not have any experience with the alternatives.