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My annual DIY CruiseAir TuneUps
Tuned up the 3 CruiseAirs today. 85F humid day. R22 30 Lb tank static pressure 160 psi. Exactly as it should be under these conditions.
To access the aft condenser king valves had to drain and remove fresh water tank.
Aft unit initial static pressure 120 psi. Its low on freon. Initial gauge pressures before adding freon 53/185 psi and king valve temps before adding 82*/88*. Added R22 a little at a time until pressures were 68/255 psi and king valve temps were 41*/107* and air duct outlet temp of 50* w/temp gun and 55* on analog thermometer, and inlet air duct temp of 81*.
Lowered front bumper.
Mid unit initial static pressure 150 psi. Probably doesn’t need any freon. Gauge pressures were 72/260 psi and king valve temps were 49*/100* and air duct outlet temp of 49* w/temp gun and 55* on analog thermometer, and inlet air duct temp of 83*. Didn’t need to add freon.
Fwd unit initial static pressure 145 psi. A little low on freon. Initial guage pressures before adding freon 65/255 psi and king valve temps before adding 64*/112*. Added a little R22 until pressures were 70/270 psi and king valve temps were 65*/120* and air duct outlet temp of 49* w/temp gun and 55* on analog thermometer, and inlet air duct temp of 84*.
In the end all three units had condensation coming from their drain at a rate of about 1 drop/sec. SWEET!
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7 Replies
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THANK YOU DON – Awesome work and awesome of you to share pics AND details! I look forward to learning how to check them and the OTR ac.
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I’m in awe. I wish I knew how to do that!
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Don did a good job explaining it, but I hope it does not mislead people into thinking every year they have to top off their freon.
Keep the coils and filters clean and make sure any baffles at the condensing units have not been bent and blocking air flow and you have done the needed maintenance. I don’t know how other coaches are set up, but I can access two of my A/Cs, but two are buried in the center of the coach behind the entertainment center with access difficult to say the least. I never want to go to the trouble to access one.
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It took me 3 hrs to do the complete job. That’s from the start of draining the water tank(half full), doing all 3 units, to having the water tank back in and half full of water. It was mid eighties and humid, but my bus is under cover. Bus interior temp was mid eighties too.
I bought this old bus 6+ yrs ago with no mx history, that includes these CruiseAirs. The tags on the condensing units tell a story. Three different manufactures: Manufactured by Dometic, Manufactured by Marine Development, Manufactured by Taylor Made Development. I haven’t changed them?
My aft unit has a history of being a leaker. So annually I know it will need some R22. I have a can of stop leak for it but I don’t want to use it for fear of doing more damage than good. I’m fortunate that my Liberty doesn’t have an entertainment center in the 2nd curbside bay. There is a plastic fresh water tank that is easily removed to access the aft condensing units and service ports. Once the water is drained, there are 5 screws and 2 hose clamps to remove and it slides right out.
You may have noticed that the front 2 condensing units have their capacitors mounted of the outside. I relocated them there previously because in the past I had one fail on each unit. If it happens again, they are now easy to get to and change. I carry spare capacitors.
Somebody asked me about the temp differentials I get. When using the ir temp gun, it can get the temp from deep in the air duct before it mixes w/warm interior air. The little analog thermometer I have sitting on the outer air duct exit and it has already mixed w/warm interior air.
For the DIYer out there, stop at NAPA or where ever and get an assortment of ac o-rings for the king valve caps. They come in handy on other ac projects I do too, Like the OTR system and my cars.
If I wasn’t retired and a DIYer I couldn’t justify owning any big complicated peace of machinery like this.
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Nice job Don…
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Don … you’ve given me the confidence to buy the equipment and try it myself. Between your post and some YouTube videos will see what I can do. Hopefully I won’t screw them up so bad that Jeff and his guys can’t get the Cruise-Airs going again.
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Dick,
You do realize when an A/C fails or performs poorly there is more to it than just adding R-22 don’t you?
Are you getting a vacuum pump, scale, leak detector, thermometers for checking supply and return temps, gauges, and R-22?
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