Yahoo Message Number: 99539 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99539)
Hi All!
We have a 40' 98 Intrigue with the original 2 Dometic roof air units (13500 btu) We spent last summer traveling and now plan to live full time in an RV park in the Phoenix area while finding full time jobs again. Reading on the internet it looks like many other coach brands have not been able to cope with the heat.
My questions are, any of you who may have done this, have you had a bad time of it as well?
Our coach has a fantastic fan in the center near the kitchen area. Does anyone know if this is also wired for a 3rd AC unit? or any work-around to powering it? Any advise or recommendation of an affordable RV park, or lot with canopy, or private area with hookups would be welcome.
Thanks!
John & Sherri Laurin, 40' 98 Intrigue (cooks delight)
Yahoo Message Number: 99543 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99543)
We spend the winter in Lake Havasu. A couple years ago we got there on September 1 and it was 116 degrees.
At the time we had a 2005 Inspire with two AC units and it kept up just fine. They probably ran 18 hours a day but they kept working! Linda and Larry
08 Intrigue #12234
Yahoo Message Number: 99547 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99547)
John, I do know know if you have windshield screen but in the summer I have to use them so the coach will stay cool. I also keep my shades down and have a heavy tint on my shower skylight!
Vick Welsh
99 Intrigue 10714
Yahoo Message Number: 99552 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99552)
Thanks Vick,
I have a windshield screen as well, and good foil for the inside of all the windows. we have endured mid nineties in Montana too, but thought a bit of advance planning in Phoenix will help.
Thank you for your advise!
John
Yahoo Message Number: 99554 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99554)
John and Sheri,
In addition to what Vicki said, be sure to pull all the awnings down, get one of those silver windshield protectors to reflect out the sun, set your thermostat to 82-84. It will be a tad warm but you will get us to it. I also run a small electric fan. I used to my summers in Utah, Arizona and Nevada on a regular basis for years.
Enjoy and good luck.
Michael
05 Inspire 51381
Yahoo Message Number: 99555 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99555)
Careful using foil on the windows, if they are doublepane it is claimed to cause them to fail. The thought goes that the foil reflects the light and heat back into the window and builds heat and pressure in-between the panes causing the seal to fail leading to fogged window(s).
Ray
They say wine improves with age! As I enter my golden years, I say age improves with wine! The Born Loser
Yahoo Message Number: 99557 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99557)
John,
I used to be in the custom solar screen business (CoachShades was our name). We made external sunscreens for motorhomes and occasionally RV's. I can tell you they work extremely well if they are made of quality "90%" solar rejecting fabric. We used Phifer Suntex 90% fabric and had a total of 2 minor issues over 10 years. We tested 80% fabric but it just didn't block enough UV... There are many providers out there and quite a few use substandard fabric with anywhere from 60% to 80% fabric so if you choose to go this way make sure you know what the fabric is. If they don't know or won't show you proof, WALK AWAY.
I can also tell you of an experiment a customer made. The gentleman was an engineer and he thought he wanted inside shades. He asked for some scrap fabric for his experiment. Then he used our fabric on the outside of part of his windshield and inside the other side. The temperature between the windshield and the inside fabric exceeded the 140 degrees his thermometer would read. The temp inside the windshield and behind the fabric put up outside was 80 something. Moral of the story is you want to block the heat outside if possible. Better for your fabrics, windows, etc. Someone else mentioned harming the seals by using foil inside and I agree it will heat the inside of the windows dramatically.
Regards,
Jim Wiler
PS: If you use a bright fabric, expect it to make your world inside the coach look that same color... neutral gray or black works best. White will turn yellow or dingy gray over time.
Yahoo Message Number: 99558 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/99558)
We had always wondered if they worth the expense, several years ago now we got notice of a sale at MCD and got a really good price on the screen set.
First time I put them up my wife and the dog were in the front cab area while I was putting them up. My wife said she could feel the temp drop as I raised them up and snapped in place.
We will always have a set as long as we have a coach as we like being able to see out the big picture window windshield. The screens also help because they keep the sun from heating the glass as much vs. interior system of any kind.
Ray
They say wine improves with age! As I enter my golden years, I say age improves with wine! The Born Loser