Piperflyer
Well-known member
Would I be able to add a 3rd air conditioner to my Big Horn. Could it be tied into the existing? I would like to add another to the living area if possible.
Add 3rd Air Conditioner
- Thread starter Piperflyer
- Start date
RoadJunkie
Well-known member
Available Power in an RV is like most pay checks, it's not unlimited. And, like money management, you have to manage the available assets...or power allocation, 50 amps is most typical for power. Adding a third air conditioning unit represents a problem in the overall management of power allocation that requires professional intervention, a power management unit. These units oversee the efficient redistribution of power among the demands within your coach such that the available power budget is not exceeded. In short, the addition of a third air conditioner would also require the addition of a power management unit to selectively maintain the power within the limits and confines of the 50 amp service.
avvidclif
Well-known member
Huh???? When connected to 50A service I can run everything in mine at the same time. 3 AC's, WH, microwave etc. 50A service is 50A on each leg for a total of 100A available to the coach. That's 12,000 watts of service as opposed to the 3600 available on a 30A circuit.
I don't have a power management system nor do I need one when connected to 50A power. On the generator (5500w) or 30A service (3600w) is a different story.
danemayer
Well-known member
I agree with Clif on the power. Heartland's been putting 3 A/C units into toy haulers for a while. They are currently shipping with a Power Control System, but used to just have a switch that allowed you to run only 2 at a time. That was a limitation when running on generator power where you have around 5500 watts of power. On 50 amp shore power, you'll have 12,000 watts.
Apart from whether there's enough power, there would be some challenges.
- You may have to rearrange the loads in your circuit breaker panel to balance things out. If you have too much on one power leg, you'll trip breakers.
- Roof mounting may be problematic unless your coach's roof already has the cutouts and bracing for an A/C unit. And if the 3rd A/C unit wasn't offered as a factory option, the roof is likely not prepped.
- If you have a laminated roof structure, running power may be difficult.
- Tying into the existing ducts could get good results - or not. There's some engineering work that goes into duct size and placement. Unless your rig had an option for a 3rd factory installed unit, dropping a 3rd A/C unit into the mix probably wasn't part of the engineering work that was done.
Apart from whether there's enough power, there would be some challenges.
- You may have to rearrange the loads in your circuit breaker panel to balance things out. If you have too much on one power leg, you'll trip breakers.
- Roof mounting may be problematic unless your coach's roof already has the cutouts and bracing for an A/C unit. And if the 3rd A/C unit wasn't offered as a factory option, the roof is likely not prepped.
- If you have a laminated roof structure, running power may be difficult.
- Tying into the existing ducts could get good results - or not. There's some engineering work that goes into duct size and placement. Unless your rig had an option for a 3rd factory installed unit, dropping a 3rd A/C unit into the mix probably wasn't part of the engineering work that was done.
