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Old 09-10-2012, 08:24 AM   #1
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Hello Everyone,



I am looking at purchasing a Sunset Trail 28BH fifth wheel in the near future. I was speaking with a friend of mine, and knowing the color scheme of the ST28BH, he asked me if the air conditioner cover was black or white. I replied saying that it was black. He immediately said that I should stay away from those, because thedark coloredcovers do a poor job of reflecting the heat of the sun. He said that one of his co-workers had an air conditioning unit with a black cover, and they had to replace it 3 times before the dealer figured out that the AC unit was overheating due in large part to the cover attracting too much heat from the sun.



Is this a legitimate issue that I need to worry about? Would anyone from the factory possibly want to reply to this as well?



The last thing I want to worry about is my AC unit overheating on a brand new trailer just because of the cover.



Thanks in advance.



Jeremy
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Old 09-10-2012, 10:55 AM   #2
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I would not have any type of black cover on something that is going to set out in the sun. As your friend said, black absorbs the heat and white reflects it.
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Old 09-11-2012, 12:39 AM   #3
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Do you know if there is someone from the Crossroads factory that monitors these posts? This little details is starting to concern me and I would like to ask them a few questions.
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Old 09-11-2012, 12:58 AM   #4
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Your best bet is to call their customer service departmentr and ask them.
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Old 09-11-2012, 02:35 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeremyN
Do you know if there is someone from the Crossroads factory that monitors these posts? This little details is starting to concern me and I would like to ask them a few questions.




I don't think anyone from CR is going to answer your question unless you direct it to them via email or phone....I too have to black A/C cover and have not lost any sleep over it. I can't say for sure that it is worse or the same as a light colored cover...one would have to have the exact same TT's, side by side, on the same dayand measure the output for comparison.



Here's my take on it. I drive a black truck, after sitting on hot days the external temperature reads quite high, as I drive 1/2 a block the ext temp lowers to ambient air temp. Similarly, the condenser fan on top of the RVpulls a lot of air from outside the cover over the coils,IF the black cover heats any of this incoming air in the split second it passes it can't be that much. Upon start up all the components are probably above ambient temp but once all the air is moved out from under the cover everything is back to ambient. I'm sure others may think otherwise but our A/C cools our TT just fine.
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Old 09-11-2012, 07:52 AM   #6
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Thanks 8iron. I just sent the CR guys an email asking the question. Hopefully they will get back to me in the next day or two.


I am also glad to hear that you had your trailer for a few years now and have not had a problem.



Thanks again.
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Old 09-11-2012, 08:49 AM   #7
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In WI it probably doesn't matter. In TX it is a different story. I don't know if there is a measurable difference in A/C performance depending on the color of the cover, but there is a significant impact with regard to overall color of the RV. Several yrs ago I compared two nearly identical Cougars sitting side by side, white vs. light grey. The grey unit did have a black A/C and black awning, but a grey roof. Using an IR gun, the white unit measured 90 degrees and the grey measured 125 degrees. This was at 10am and temperature on the inside wall that was exposed to the morning sunlight was already about 6 degrees higher for the grey unit. Since both units have the same insulation, the darker unit will put a bigger load on the A/C.

Again, a black A/C cover may not be a big issue, after all, most residential A/C units are dark in color. But on the other hand a dark roof will cause greater heat gain into the A/C duct work and impact overall system performance. This is true for a house and even more so for an RV with limited attic insulation. I'd also ask CR if there is an option for 50 amp service and 2nd A/C prep if this is such a big concern for you.



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Old 09-11-2012, 01:01 PM   #8
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We have a 2013 29ss with the black cover. We had many days here in NH above 90 with no issues. While I agree that the black color does absorb heat I do not think it is a factor in this case at least based on the performance of my unit so far.

Hope this helps
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Old 09-11-2012, 03:17 PM   #9
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I live in Texas and camped there and in Florida this summer with my black A/C cover. Granted I am usually in the shade, but my air-conditioner worked just fine.
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Old 09-12-2012, 12:35 AM   #10
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Dayle1, I can understand completely what you mean by having a dark roof on the unit. I guess that is one thing I never looked at.Doyou know whatcolor roof does the ST28BH have on it?
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Old 09-12-2012, 01:10 AM   #11
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You should do a CR inventory search to see who has one of these rigs close to you so you can go over and see it first hand. I think you would really benefit from that.



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