Once again, Bad luck in Texas

Doc Weaver · 08-08-2009, 08:09 PM

I don't know why Texas has something against me, but here we go again. If you have suggestions......I'm listening.

The temperature in Palestine Texas is 100+, and the air conditioner is low on refrigerant. It's cool, but not cold. Once the sun goes down, it catches up. I can't get anyone to charge it. As soon as I say RV conversion, they either say no or even just hang up. So much for southern hospitality. Where do I look for help? Remember its a small town.

Secondly, the generator won't run for more than a few seconds. I filled up the aux tank with fresh gas, no change. I replaced the electric fuel pump and filter, no change. what's next?

Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 08-08-2009, 09:24 PM

Immediate Suggestions: .....run additional A/C all the time and get 2 box fans[$10 each] to move the air around on HIGH... chop a hole in the wall between the living quarters and install another A/C unite on the floor-if you have the time..FANS will pull the perceived temp down by 6+ degrees and if you don't shut down the A/C it will build "coolith" so to speak...you have a lot to keep at a reasonable temp with the sun that hot....try to spray water on the truck box to keep the heat to a minimum-water adsorbs the heat and runs off -we are using a sprinkler on a flat roof of a restaurant just today because of the 95+ temps here....in Cincinshitty today! Also run a dehumidifier on all the time on MAX to take any remaining moisture out of the air as this will cause you skin to evaporate more moisture and you will feel cooler and that is good for another 4 degrees......all that is good for a total of 10 degrees and the water cooling will pull down the truck aluminum skin temp so the AC system will catch up....don't run the truck engine and A/C as it will only heat up the underside of the truck and radiate up heat into the living area....Now, for the problem of the low charge on your additional air....open the evaporator[inside unite] and see if you have any ice built up on the coils- If so, you need to increase your air flow and decrease your humidity-if no ice slow down the evaporator speed one notch as the air might be running through the coil too fast and not cooling.....tricky to get it just right and you just need some time to get it right.... No 'puter on in the RV till nite time and NO cooking at all....lites to a minimum .....turn your re-frig up/down just enough to keep things from spoiling and not a degree less....I run my freezer all nite and turn it off in the daytime- don't drink beer-drink water and avoid pop-Ice tea is good with a twist of lemon. Go to bed early and get up when it is cool....work at nite instead of day and sleep all day with fan on your body....if that doesn't work-COME HOME!......a swamp cooler will work if you can find a small one at Wally-Mart BTW..... geofkaye living at 75 degrees and very very very VERY comfortable...

geofkaye · 08-08-2009, 09:32 PM

....as to the generator....it is probably over temp and shutting off....drag it out of the storage box and run it with a box fan on it to increase air flow...check low oil cut off switch by shorting it out-they do stick open and won't let the dam things run very long......my contractor generators are crapping out all the time because of it being too hot....I have to use the Onan generator on the Volvo to make enough juice for the contractors and their power tools....Might have to go to the 500 Amp Caterpillar/Perkins Army Surplus generator if things get much hotter......geofkaye

Bob86ZZ4 · 08-09-2009, 02:10 PM

A few years ago I had a problem with my Onan 4k gas genset in my old Allegro. It would start up and run for a minute or so and then shut down. I took it to a generator repair guy. He figured out the rotor was shot. It wouldn't generate electricity. So, the motor would start up and then when it checked for generated voltage and didn't find any it would shut down. He put in a new rotor to the tune of about $500 bucks and it has worked great ever since. Just a thought for you to check out maybe.

Doc Weaver · 08-09-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob86ZZ4:
A few years ago I had a problem with my Onan 4k gas genset in my old Allegro. It would start up and run for a minute or so and then shut down. I took it to a generator repair guy. He figured out the rotor was shot. It wouldn't generate electricity. So, the motor would start up and then when it checked for generated voltage and didn't find any it would shut down. He put in a new rotor to the tune of about $500 bucks and it has worked great ever since. Just a thought for you to check out maybe.

YIKES!! It acts like its running out of gas. the motor starts to slow, then finally dies. I'm going to call the manufacture on Monday, see what they say.

The man who brought me down here to this job has a neighbor that does AC. I hope he will help me. does anyone know why they wont work on RVs, even when it's a home unit and not a roof unit?

Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 08-09-2009, 07:26 PM

...aim a .45 at his wife's head.....but then again-maybe he will take you up on it.....better try cash. Things are getting rough in this economy and some guys are looking to collect some insurance money....:&gt

geofkaye

Doc Weaver · 08-10-2009, 10:45 AM

UPDATE:
the AC man said he doesn't work on RVs, but he would look at it.

The generator manufacture said that he thinks an obstruction is lodging and dislodging in the fuel system somewhere. He suggested cleaning the float bowl in the carburetor, and if that doesn't work, reconnect the original tank (mounted on the unit) and see if we can narrow it down to either the fuel system or the generator.

Thanks for the help guys,

Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 08-10-2009, 08:54 PM

HEADS UP DOC:.....he'll- "look at it"....he is getting ready to break it off in ya!....like he is doing you a favor of some sort...IT IS AN OLD SOUTHERN TRICK THAT IS PLAYED ON YANKEES ALL OVER THE SOUTH.....remember to talk with a twang in your voice and when he asks where you are from originally just say Northern Ky.....{BINGO! YOUR IN LIKE FLYNN} they fall for that B/S trick every time!.....fuel pump might have a hole in the flexible membrane [diaphragm]or there is a clog in the tank-like a leaf or something....maybe the neighborhood kids? [marbles are good for this]....anyway show up at the local rental store and rent a generator for a while to get your cooling under control....maybe that is the issue with the A/C ie: low voltage....maybe the hose from the tank to the generator is not the correct fuel hose and is starting to break down inside....had a clog in the village's leaf suckers/vacuums....all three had a clog in the fuel tank...it was a Styrofoam cup dropped into the tank during fueling by the jail inmates that the village rents from the county to rake leaves during the fall leaf season....they just wanted to have a shorter work day....cost the village $300 per tank till they called me to identify the substance that was flushed out of the tanks....when you get home we will look at your insulation issue and make some changes....as that size of your MH should be cooled by a portable refrigerator with the door left open. It is not like you are trying to cool a house barn or something that size....13,500 btu's should leave you with a 1/4" of frost on your six in the AM....geofkaye...[it rained today and now it feels like we are in Florida....]

Doc Weaver · 08-10-2009, 11:01 PM

don't have to stretch the truth, I was born in southern KY. Lived in Dallas, Atlanta, and Ocala. When the AC is working, it will frost you in 15 minutes. The AC guy didn't have the right stuff. I guess small towns don't have to comply with Puron 410A.

I'm plugged up here at the job site, so power is not a problem at the moment. (thus the internet)
I gotta get done and back home. My wife has been put on bed rest (pregnant). This has been scheduled for the last out of town job till after the baby comes, but the baby didn't read the calender.

Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 08-12-2009, 02:36 PM

Doc: ...anything I can do let me know...[except babysit]....head on back here and do what you can do for momma....she might appreciate it- then again maybe not!.....this is your second one? IIRC?...geofkaye taking a day off from my employees and other idiots......PRI Racing Show in Florida is giving me headaches with parking the tractor/trailer at the show site.....called Kalifornia 4 times today with this issue....maybe they don't want me to spend any money there?????

Doc Weaver · 08-12-2009, 11:04 PM

Heading out of Texas in the morning. The living quarters AC doesn't work, but the Truck air does. We are going to get out of here before it gets too hot. This is going to be it for a while anyway. I gotta go be husband, dad, and new dad for a while.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. we will survive a couple more days.

Doc Weaver

blizzardND · 08-13-2009, 09:05 AM

Just think it could be worse, you could be your wife, 9 months pregnant, on bedrest and be in Texas with you w/o air conditioning. Now that would be a bad week.

Good luck to you, your wife and your new growing family
God bless,
-blizz

geofkaye · 08-13-2009, 04:52 PM

....DOC: when you get home and are waiting around with nothin' to do....give me a call.....geofkaye

Doc Weaver · 08-14-2009, 12:14 PM

Made it. Once I got to West Memphis, the outside temperature cooled off enough for the truck air to keep the cab and living space comfortable (but not cold). The other good thing was an empty truck runs fast. I gave it the old Geofkaye all the way home.

GK, I'll call you.
blizz. good point. just FYI, her blood pressure went down and she is doing better by working just half days. God is good!

Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 08-14-2009, 07:16 PM

GOD SPEED! [AND THE COPS ARE HAVING COFFEE SOMEWHERE OFF THE ROAD]...Hammer down dude!......geofkaye

Doc Weaver · 08-31-2009, 10:36 AM

Finally got a chance to work in the generator. It was the fuel pressure regulator. Apparently it was stopped up or something like that. At least a cheap fix.

Doc Weaver

Burt Chapman · 09-04-2009, 07:46 PM

Doc,
I got all excited, thought I could "help", my nephew is a HVAC guy in Lawton, Oklahoma. Was getting ready to call him and get there to fix your ac... then I checke dthe date of your listing !!! He would have killed me !!!!
Burt

Doc Weaver · 09-05-2009, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Burt Chapman:
Doc,
I got all excited, thought I could "help", my nephew is a HVAC guy in Lawton, Oklahoma. Was getting ready to call him and get there to fix your ac... then I checke dthe date of your listing !!! He would have killed me !!!!
Burt

I appreciate the thought Burt. Thanks anyway
Doc Weaver

woodboatwayne · 07-02-2012, 08:39 PM

As a Texas A/C contractor I can tell you that RV systems are not profitable to work on because all of the parts are proprietary, and the distributers only give about a 10% discount to repair companies. Doesn't make sense to cary around a bunch of specialized
parts that MIGHT make you 10% when you can cary generic parts that you can turn on a regular basis and double your money. Units are actually quite simple. Distributer wants to sell you another one.

Oscarvan · 07-05-2012, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geofkaye

Immediate Suggestions: .....run additional A/C all the time and get 2 box fans[$10 each] to move the air around on HIGH... chop a hole in the wall between the living quarters and install another A/C unite on the floor-if you have the time..FANS will pull the perceived temp down by 6+ degrees and if you don't shut down the A/C it will build "coolith" so to speak...you have a lot to keep at a reasonable temp with the sun that hot....try to spray water on the truck box to keep the heat to a minimum-water adsorbs the heat and runs off -we are using a sprinkler on a flat roof of a restaurant just today because of the 95+ temps here....in Cincinshitty today! Also run a dehumidifier on all the time on MAX to take any remaining moisture out of the air as this will cause you skin to evaporate more moisture and you will feel cooler and that is good for another 4 degrees......all that is good for a total of 10 degrees and the water cooling will pull down the truck aluminum skin temp so the AC system will catch up....don't run the truck engine and A/C as it will only heat up the underside of the truck and radiate up heat into the living area....Now, for the problem of the low charge on your additional air....open the evaporator[inside unite] and see if you have any ice built up on the coils- If so, you need to increase your air flow and decrease your humidity-if no ice slow down the evaporator speed one notch as the air might be running through the coil too fast and not cooling.....tricky to get it just right and you just need some time to get it right.... No 'puter on in the RV till nite time and NO cooking at all....lites to a minimum .....turn your re-frig up/down just enough to keep things from spoiling and not a degree less....I run my freezer all nite and turn it off in the daytime- don't drink beer-drink water and avoid pop-Ice tea is good with a twist of lemon. Go to bed early and get up when it is cool....work at nite instead of day and sleep all day with fan on your body....if that doesn't work-COME HOME!......a swamp cooler will work if you can find a small one at Wally-Mart BTW..... geofkaye living at 75 degrees and very very very VERY comfortable...

You know I was reading that with interest until I got to the highlighted part. That's when you lost me.... no way José.....not giving up my suds. Rather die from heat stroke.

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