[shortdesertguy]

We were seriously considering a new Entegra, and now are thinking a used Newell might be the better way to go.

We are looking at a 2001 with Basement Air.  I've read various threads about the plusses and minuses of Basement Air.  We do not have an engineering background.  We like the unit, but am wondering if we should consider a newer unit with roof a/c

I've read Newell had sourced a potential replacement unit that would work for those who need to replace their old basement air.  Did that ever happen?

It sounds like we would need to rely heavily on the good folks of Newellguru.com! 

Thank you for your input.

[bikestuff]

No, Newell has not sourced a replacement basement air unit. They are very good about repairing these units, and unlike a home AC, or even a roof AC, they are not throw-away items. They have tried several non-SCS units but have not been happy with any of them.

The motors and compressors are readily available for repair, but the electronic control board is in short supply.

It is possible to add roof AC units to a coach built with basement airs. I had Newell install an additional roof air to my two basement air units to keep the coach cool in really hot summers. It is not particularly cheap to do that though.

At the end of the day, I would probably now vote for a coach with roof airs, but they have downsides as well...1) Adding weight to top of coach does not help with stability when driving, 2) They are much noisier than basement units, 3) Depending on the year coach (pre-2006) they are not as pretty as the clean lines on a non-roof air coach.

For what its worth.
Cheers,
bill

[qcj]

I had a problem with one of my units and my regular AC repairman repaired it.  We took the unit out and loaded on his truck and he took it to his shop.  Brought it back the next day repaired.  Each unit has two compressor which amounts to 4 roof ACs.  Only one compressor comes on as long as the inside coach temp. is within 2 degrees of what you have the thermostat set at.  When it gets above the 2 degrees both compressor of that unit will come on until its back down to within the 2 degree mark.  I have had no problem with not being able to cool my coach in the hottest of weather.  But I don't have two big hot Boxer dogs, as Bill has, to heat up my coach.

[bikestuff]

Thats funny Chappell! I think the root of my problem was getting all the cool air generated up into the living space. The cool air goes into a plenum and then up into little 3-4" flexible tubes that fit into the wall and let the air out near the ceiling and dash. Even though the air was the correct drop in temperature, I just was not getting enough of it.

With the roof air, I can make it VERY comfortable for the hot dogs!

I also agree on using a regular AC guy. Once you can convince them that the units are the same as household units, they can use their regular tools / expertise to repair them. (Unless one of the aforementioned control boards go out).

[Richard]

The roof airs are a little noisier than basement air. The roof airs are not repairable, any RV tech can simply replace one for around 1500 bucks. They do fail.


The basement airs require an AC tech to repair, not an RV tech. Compressors and fan motors are readily available. The control boards have a couple of known weaknesses for which there are some reliable and inexpensive fixes. The basement units fail too.

If there were two Newells that were close to what I wanted, and one had roof air, I would choose the roof air ONLY because you have more space in the basement. On the other hand, I wouldn't let AC be the deciding factor in buying a Newell if it were the Newell I wanted.

Steve Bare has previously offered some good advice on buying a used Newell. Take your time. First there aren't as many of them. Second they are all a little different. Take the time to understand the differences so you get what you want. Enjoy the hunt. I agree with Steve that a used Newell offers a tremendous value in today's market.

[MrE]

I stumbled upon this site some time ago, http://www.eberspaecher-na.com/products/...oning.html

They make energy efficient air conditioning systems for buses. My old roof top units still work, but consume a lot of electricity. I was wondering if anyone else had been looking at them as basement/rv rooftop replacement.

[Richard]

Jon,

Some units are more efficient than others due to the compressor design improvements over the years. However, the refrigerants used today are not nearly as efficient as the ozone depleting ones of yesteryear. The two changes just about negate one another.

The physics of using electricity for air conditioning is NOT an energy efficient process, so AC units are going to be power hogs. I am not saying that improvements aren't out there, but don't expect a 50% reduction in power use.

[Junior Guru]

I've had Newells with both basement air and roof air units. I wouldn't base a purchasing decision on it myself but I do prefer roof air. Our ac in the basement was loud when sitting on the patio. Plus I get a little more storage with roof. I've had issues with both and both cooled about the same for me.

[Yachts]

I too have had both. My experience is basement airs would cool 422,507,512 sufficiently. 512 was the only one of those that had slides. Depending on how many slides you are getting affects cooling needs. Bill is the best one I know who can tell you about basement airs in a quad. I agree roof airs are noisier. But as Richard says it opens a storage bay. I would be careful about a quad if it has less then than Four roof units..I had one go out and three was having a hard time keeping up..there are a few out there that only have three..