nealday Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I have a 36' motorhome with two air units on the roof, works fairly well except in extremely hot weather, I am looking to buy a newer and bigger coach, The one I am looking at has the basement air. Does it work as well or better than the roof mounted air units. Thanks in advance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted May 31, 2017 neal, Basement airs are notoriously inefficient. Most people that have basement air either do not travel during the really hot time of the year or have some sort of supplemental type of A/C. That is with the exception of Prevost Coaches. In the past they were designed to keep up to 72 people comfortable in hot weather. I know of several people that removed their ventilation fans and installed a roof top unit. Sorry, Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I would keep looking. I would look at your current AC and see what BTU it is. Some coaches came with smaller BTU AC units. I think the biggest roof air is a 15,000 BTU unit. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nealday Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I know what btu my a/c are, i installed them one is a 15,000 and the other is 13,000. We are looking to get a new coach it has the Basement air, and I was wondering how it compared with the roof mounted a/c. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted May 31, 2017 Cold air falls, hot air rises, hence roof top AC is far ahead unless there is a lot more btu's with the basement ac. Like Herman said unless it is a bus conversion that was built to keep many passengers cool. My MCI bus air is 60,000 btu, 5 tons, it's much cheaper to run the roof air because of the extra fuel consumed running the bus air, but it sure is comfortable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted May 31, 2017 Neal, Might I suggest that you look for a coach that has 3 roof top A/Cs. I believe you would have much better cooling over a basement model. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I have cruise-air basement air (3 of them and 2 still work) and I absolutely do not recommend this in an RV. It is quieter but issues can be major and they are always costly. If a roof air goes bad you throw it off the roof and install another. I would be thousands of dollars ahead if I had roof airs. If the coach is going to be bigger you will either be able to install 2 15,000 BTU units or, even better, a 3rd unit. 1 for the bedroom and 2 out front. They will also likely be ducted allowing airflow throughout the coach no matter what's running. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I also have had basement air in a 2007 Winnebago Tour 40 KD. Newer again! If you don't live in the NE or Maritime Provinces...please forget it ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted May 31, 2017 I live in the Arizona desert and it seems that everyone that has basement air complains but also those with inadequate roof airs also complain. The coach must be well insulated and dual pane windows and large enough roof ac units. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 1, 2017 The biggest culprit to heating coach, when you don't want heat, is your windows. Especially the big front one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ianbullock Report post Posted June 1, 2017 We have basement air in our 2010 Itasca Suncruiser and absolutely love it! It works very well, keeps the coach cool in the warmest weather including southern states in the summer time, and is much quieter than roof top mounted. Cant speak to those who have had issues with, could be a coach by coach manufacturing issue,,,, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted June 1, 2017 I like the idea of a clean roof with less holes, my concern is serviceability and the space it takes up. Under storage is a premium for us, the more components down there the less space I have for stuff. How loud are they outside at ground level? That would be a huge deal breaker for us, I can just barely hear the roof tops while sitting outside. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ianbullock Report post Posted June 1, 2017 The AC unit is located at the rear passanger side of the motorhome. Minimal storage space is lost as right next to the engine in a DP. As far as noise, about the same as what you can hear from your roof top models when sitting outside, not much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted June 1, 2017 Opinions are almost unanimous. Close enough for government work😄 on roof top air. We run our rear a/c once our coach is cooled down and ducting the air into the front. We set the front thermostat at a slightly higher set point, in case the smaller roof top unit can't handle the load. At night we do the reverse. The bedroom a/c only occasionally comes on. Everything is ducted and it does work. Why would you limit your choices by only going with a basement a/c. If it is substantially cheaper than other used coaches maybe there is a reason. Few buyers?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
