A/C - Dash

Dash environmental controls.

Our 1996 Safari Sahara motorhome, that we acquired in 2014, did not have a functioning dash air conditioning system upon delivery.  When I got the rig home I found that the system's 30 amp fuse was blown.  Subsequent replacement of the fuse and pushing the A/C button led to the same blown fuse outcome.  An inspection of the wiring diagrams for the A/C led me to look at the condenser fan.

On my motorhome, the condenser coils are mounted at the front of the vehicle.  When I placed a screwdriver through the fan's guard and tired to move the blades, I discovered the fan was frozen.

AC condenser coils with the fan mounted at the front of the motorhome.

The fan was held in place with four bolts.  After much Internet searching, I discovered I couldn't find a direct replacement that would reuse the system the motorhome used for attaching the fan to the condenser coils.

Frozen fan.

 I opted to purchase a nearly identical fan, and then to transfer the fan motor and blades to my old fan guard.  Fortunately, the bolt pattern for the motor hadn't changed, so only a little Dremel tool work was needed to get everything to fit.

The 16" fan I purchased.

The back of the box the fan came in.

The new fan motor and blades mounted in the old fan guard.

Since the old fan guard was reused, reinstalling the unit on the motorhome was a breeze.  Four bolts, a new 30 amp fuse, and one electrical connection later and I was ready for a test run.  I started the engine and press the button for the A/C.  A quick check outside found the fan running.  I checked the compressor on the Cat 3126 and it was engaged and spinning.  I turned the A/C off from the dashboard controls and everything shut down.

Recharge

My last step was to recharge the system.  I picked up a refrigerant recharge kit from Walmart and followed the simple instructions on the packaging.  Everything I needed to connect to for the process was located in the fuse compartment at the front of the motorhome.  And it had the added benefit of being a standup job.  With the recharge completed, the motorhome's dash A/C system had been restored to full operation.

Update:  Four years later and the system is still holding a charge.

While the dash A/C isn't going to cool the whole RV when traveling, it is definitely better than no A/C.  I've heard some Safari owners hang a sheet behind the front seats to trap the cool air in a smaller space.  I'll have to give that a try sometime.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much