Noisy AC

[trumpetguy]

I sit at my dinette table this morning having coffee and thinking that my Oliver trailer is much better as a cold weather camper than a hot weather camper. Why, you ask? The Coleman AC is so loud...inside and especially outside that a decent conversation cannot be held with the air running. I walked around the campground loop several times to observe and hear other AC units and there were none even half as loud as mine.

 

The AC literally sounds like a jet engine when outside the trailer. Forget about sitting outside whit it running. Inside is so bad my wife and I have to wear ear plugs to sleep. The thing has so much torque on start up that the trailer shakes, and, when it shuts off the wind down is similar to an old car coughing when the key is turned off.

 

I am prepared to replace this six month old unit with something quieter if anyone has experience to share. Is Dometic any quieter? Any other brands out there? Will a smaller unit be better and still cool the trailer?

 

This is our first hot weather camping trip where the AC is essential. The Coleman does keep us cool, but at the cost of conversation and outside living.

 

Help Oliver!

[mountainborn]

I heard sometime back about a owner that had a couple of the Coleman factory rivets come out and they said that it was quite noisy when running. I have looked on these forums and can't find that post so it was likely on another forum somewhere. Have you , by any chance looked at the ac cover to see if something could be loose ? I know that my ac got loud after a wind storm and I found a tree limb had cracked the plastic housing. Replacement cleared the noise right on up. It was a simple ladder and screw driver fix.

[JuniorBirdMan]

I once experienced the screw that holds the fan blades on the motor shaft loosen up just enough to allow the blades to slip down slightly. It made lots of noise, but it was difficult to tell it was a mechanical noise as opposed to an air noise. Resetting the blades and putting a drop of Loctite (blue, NOT red) on the screw took care of the problem nicely.

 

Incidentally, adding a soft start kit to the A/C helped it start up easier (softens the torque and electrical loads at startup) and allowed me to run it with a 2000 watt generator even at higher altitudes. The kit is basically just a capacitor and is very simple to install.

[trumpetguy]

Thanks for the tips guys and I will have a look inside the Unit cover. I put the soft start kit in my Casita AC unit for generator reasons also, and that may help with the initial start up clunk. The noise seems to be a pitch thing. Rather than a low hum it is an angry roar. I measured 69 DBs 10 feet away from the trailer which is louder than my 3000 WATT genset.

 

When Casita switched to the Mach 8 unit there were numerous complaints over noise, and Coleman came out with a blade mod for them. I will research that aspect.

[trumpetguy]

I have been researching the Coleman Mach 8 and there are numerous complaints about noise. Some even refer to agitated neighbors who complain to CG hosts. Here is a quote from www.irv2.com "I had the same complant about the outside noise of the mach 8. got the factory

and Winniebago involved and was sent a new set of fan blades 3 verse 5 blade

and a support bracket.About a 30 min. job and what a difference.

It went from sounding like a jet to a microwave vent fan type noise"

[trumpetguy]

I may have found the cure. Aircel/Coleman has a kit to replace the stock six blade fan with a three blade fan, which many say reduces the noise substantially. Of course if the Oliver units have a three blade already, my only option is to replace the unit with either a Mach 1, or another brand. I will post again after I get into the AC unit.

[trumpetguy]

Tommy Staggs is in contact with Aircel to investigate a fix.

 

Stay tuned.

[GaryJona]

We and another couple picked up our new Oliver II's a month ago and went on a fantastic 3 week trip. We totally agree on the noisy ac units. You should have heard the 2 Olivers side-by-side! Talk about some noise....almost embarrasing. I certainly hope this can be rectified, as this is a major concern, in my opinion. It was even hard to sleep at night as it cycled on and off. Please keep us all informed.

[trumpetguy]

No joy on the fan blade. I looked into my unit from the top and it has a three blade fan so Airxcel must have done a mod after so many complaints. I don't know what else to do. This really sours my feeling toward my Oliver. They should choose a different AC supplier...Dometic, or Polar Cub. Even the older Mach One units are quieter.

[cpaharley2008]

I never understood why trailer manufacturers always think that bigger is better, The Coleman Polar Cub that goes in the smaller Oliver is quieter and a much better match for the larger Oliver also. If you get a oversize unit, other than the noise,it short cycles. In other words it cools down too quickly before it can "condition" the air and then shuts off. It is the start ups that are so noisy and the smaller unit is much quieter.

[trumpetguy]

I totally get it on the short cycles. The trailer shudders when the motor kicks on.

[Maverick]

Are there other individuals that own a Elite II travel trailer having noise issues with their Coleman Mach 8 air conditioning unit, other than Trumpetguy?

[marsharini]

Ours is noisy, too, to the point of being annoying to us while inside. It's certainly difficult to sleep with it cycling on and off. I don't know what it sounds like from the outside, but I know Casita uses the same AC and one Casita owner had someone in a campground ask them to turn it off, it was so loud. The only saving grace for us is we live in the north and don't have to use it that often.

[trumpetguy]

I have decided to bite the bullet and swap for a new Atwood Command 13500. Expensive but maybe I can sell the Mach 8 to someone who works in a loud shop.

[Maverick]

Trumpetguy:

 

Let us know how the Atwood works out with the noise issue. I was on the telephone yesterday talking with Robert Partee at Oliver about the A/C noise issue with the Coleman Mach 8 units. He said they were getting in a Atwood unit next week for testing. Since our trailer is not schedule to be delivered until September 1, 2015; I would like to see a quiet unit installed and not go through the noise problem you have experienced.

 

Kept us informed and safe travels.

[grc]

My wife and I picked up our Oliver (Legacy Elite II) and left Hohenwald on 6/6 (Hull #84). We did run into quite a bit of heat traveling back to the Seattle area, even up to 105F in Yakima WA. So I followed this thread as we traveled. I discounted the info on noise outside the trailer. Our ac unit is quiet enough outside I never would have thought it was a problem. While home I did watch a video of a conderser fan (outdoor fan) change from 5 or 6 blade fan down to 3 blades to make it quieter on the outside. From what I can see on the parts listing for 47000 series mach 8 they now use 3 blade fans on the condenser fan.

 

As far as the inside noise, yeah our 13,500 btu unit is noisy and blows powerfully on low. I was expecting to find a possible parts change for the evaporator fan (indoor fan, motor and blower wheel). Unless I'm mistaken all the Mach 8 units (9200, 13500, and 15000 BTU) use the same evaporator motor (part# 1468A3389) and the same blower wheel (part# 1472A1191). The other thing that doesn't add up is the Coleman literature. Their claim on the Mach 8 is that it has the "highest air flow delivery on high speed and ultra quiet on low speed for night time cooling".

 

Personally I'll live with the unit as I'm very used to ear plugs if I need them, sometimes the noise bothers me and sometimes it doesn't. I do feel it is good to have an ac unit that can cool the trailer at temperatures well above 100. Also noticed that the people complaining about the noise were located along the east coast which has higher humidity and warmer night time low temperatures. It seemed as though in the dryer heat the night time temperatures many times dropped low enough the ac unit would stop or almost stop cycling. We did have our compromise room temperature setpoint at 74. Any colder and my wife complained.

[trumpetguy]

I will be in Hohwenwald 7/13 for the AC swap, at my expense. Last week my wife and I visited a family who had just installed the very same Atwood as I will get. Standing outside the trailer there was a low hum, barely discernible. We held a conversation in normal voice as opposed to having to shout when the Colemen is running. Inside the unit is much quieter with a seamless transition through all three fan speeds, and lacking the cathartic start up the Coleman has. The temp was 91 with a heat index of 105 and the trailer was cold. This was a 24 foot High Low, which has more CF than our Elite II, an less insulation.

 

Add to this the ability to run the unit with a 2000 genset. I will report back after the installation.

[trumpetguy]

I decided to bite the bullet and pay for Oliver to switch out my Coleman Mach 8 for the Atwood Command 13500. I returned from Hohenwald yesterday and this is what I sent to Oliver...

 

"The unit is exceeding my expectations. Running in my driveway it can hardly be heard, and on a 110 degree day the inside temp is at 68...running on my Honda 2000i generator. The generator is on eco mode and has no problem cycling with the compressor".

 

The three speed fan allows one to repidly cool the trailer on high, then cycle down to low speed for quiet maintenance. It has a "dry" mode that removes humidity without cooling. The fan runs either in auto or manual mode.

 

There is no external thermostat but it has a handy remote for controlling the unit.

 

There are two features that some may miss. 1. No heat strip. Not a problem for us because we supplement our propane furnace with a small oil radiator, and or a cube heater. The oil heater is quieter so that is our default. In extreme cold we will set the furnace at 60 in case the radiator cannot warm us up enough. 2. The drip line is outside the trailer so there is always a stream of water coming off the trailer. Not an issue for me, and Dusten added some flexible molding to route the water away from windows. The capability of using the small Honda or Yamaha 2000 WATT genset more than offsets the drawbacks.

 

I am even thinking that my 2000 WATT inverter will start and run the Atwood, with a dedicated transfer switch. It only draws 11.8 maximum Amps. Heck, I was pulling in 14.8 amps PV at a rest stop on the way home. Would have been nice to have a few minutes of AC for a nap.

 

I don't know what route Oliver will take but I can highly recommend the Atwood.

[Mike and Carol]

This is good to know. Sounds like the Atwood is both quiet and efficient.

[Commanche]

Trumpetguy:

 

Let us know how the Atwood works out with the noise issue. I was on the telephone yesterday talking with Robert Partee at Oliver about the A/C noise issue with the Coleman Mach 8 units. He said they were getting in a Atwood unit next week for testing. Since our trailer is not schedule to be delivered until September 1, 2015; I would like to see a quiet unit installed and not go through the noise problem you have experienced.

 

Kept us informed and safe travels.

 

Did you hear anything back from Robert regarding the Atwood? We finally had the opportunity to use the AC Thursday for the first time, and yes, the noise is unacceptable, both inside and out. I took the top cover off and run the fan, and it appears the noise is from the fan itself. Is it due to the actual shape of the fan, and would a different type of fan make it quieter? Just wondering.

 

Stan

[trumpetguy]

Oliver did switch out my unit, but said they will evaluate individual cases. I paid them $580 for the Atwood plus labor, which is a moving target...just negotiate with Tommy Staggs on that.

 

We went to Grayton Beach State park last weekend. 110 heat index each day with no relief at night. We spent a lot of time either soaking in the Gulf, driving around, or in the trailer. The Atwood performed flawlessly and was so quiet outside that I don't think the tenters were bothered. Inside is much quieter than the Mach 8, but a draw back is the fan never shuts off. The only way to stop it is to switch it off. I was going to install a low voltage relay connected to the Oliver thermostat, but Atwood said it will void the warranty. On low speed though it is very quiet. The transition from fan only to compressor is almost seemless compared to the Mach 8, which shook the trailer.

 

I paid extra for expedited handling. The Oliver cost on the unit is only $400.00. I sold my Coleman on Craiglist for 525 and could have probably gotten more since there were several interested parties.

Oliver is leaning toward Dometic as their standard unit. The connection with their thermostat is a big deal to Them.

[widgetwizard]

Hi Folks,

 

This is Jim from Orbital Machine Works in Dallas.

We make aftermarket products for travel trailers (mostly Casitas but don't hold that against us!)

 

The Casita folks asked us to see if we could come up with a solution to their noisy Mach 8 problem.

Well we have finally got there with a workable fix.

 

If you are interested in the fix - pop over to http://www.perfectcasita.com/fred.html for all the gory details.

 

Thanks,

Jim

[Maverick]

We took delivery of our Oliver Elite II TT on September 2, 2015 and it has the Dometic Penguin II with heat strip installed. we were able to use the trailer for three weeks in September and an couple weeks in October. The unit worked great and was fairly quiet. In September we used the air conditioner and then in October we use the heat strip; both time the AC unit function great, with no regrets.

[widgetwizard]

So does anybody know how many were made with the Mach 8?

 

thanks,

Jim

[trumpetguy]

My guess would be less than 50 were made with Mach. We are hull 64 and it came with a Mach 8 which I switched out for an Atwood Air Command.