Do I Need a Plenum Box In RV To Use Furrion Chill Air Conditioner

Updated 04/24/2026 | Published 09/06/2019

Question:

I have a 1994 Newmar Country Star 38foot Motorhome. The rear AC needs to be replaced. I have a ducted system, 1 supply and 1 return duct. Below the AC in the coach there are NO ceiling plenum boxes that stick below the finished ceiling. I only have wall stats to control the units. Will your Furrion AC work with out a ceiling plenum box. The AC dumps directly into and from the ducts in the ceiling? Also, any idea when or if the heat coil for this unit will be available. I use it in the early fall to take the chill off. Will my Dometic Penguin heat strip work in this unit.

asked by: Bob M

Expert Reply:

The Furrion Chill HE RV Air Conditioner System part # FR55PV will work without a plenum box because it comes with an air distribution box. The air will dump from the air distribution box from the slotted registers in the front and back of the box. This air conditioner system works with ducted or ductless systems.

Furrion is working on a heat strip for their units, but it is not avalable at this time. The Dometic penguin heat strip will not work with the Furrion unit. If you need the heating feature, I recommend Advent Air RV Air Conditioner w/ Air Distribution Box, Start Capacitor, and Heat Strip part # ACM135CH which comes with an air distribution box as well, heat strip and start capacitor. The start capacitor will allow the air conditioner to use less power when starting so you can use a smaller generator.

expert reply by: Heather A

Mark M.

6/15/2024

How do I bolt the a/c down on a ducted only system.. I don’t have the inside distribution box.. there is not cut out in the ceiling inside the rv.. I don’t see bolt holes in the tray of the a/c unit to be able to bolt the unit down securely. I don’t want to void the warranty by making my own if there is already holes to mount it! Thank you for your time!

Heather A.

6/17/2024

@MarkM There should be holes in the mounting frame of the Furrion Chill HE RV Air Conditioner System part # FR55PV if that is the unit you are referring to. There are 4 long bolts that drop down from the unit into the mounting frame through the roof. You will need to cut our own hole if you don't have one already. That is going to be a bit nerve wracking if you haven't done something like that before. We have a installers in your area if you want to have them install the AC. I attached a link of the installers in Marion that install these.

Helpful Links

installer/near-me/marion-oh/rv-air-conditioners

Steve L.

4/15/2026

@HeatherA 2015 Dutchmen Voltage 3990. I have the same application that does not have the distribution box visible from inside. I do not want to cut a hole in my ceiling either. Does Furrion offer something that will work in my application? Mine bolts to the roof from up top and all wiring is done up top as well. This would be added to a triple ac system and both other units are still dometics. I would like to use the existing 3 zone dometic thermostat as well if possible and control the new furrion unit with iit. Is this possible? Thanks for your help!!

Heather A.

4/15/2026

@SteveL Steve, I’m really glad you asked before jumping into this, because your setup is a bit different than what most of these newer systems are designed around and it’s smart to protect that clean ceiling and existing controls. The Furrion Chill systems are built to mount through a standard roof opening and secure from inside with a mounting frame and air distribution box. Even when used with ducted setups, they still rely on that interior connection point to bolt everything down and route air properly into the ducts. Since your current system is a true ducted-only design with everything handled from above and no interior opening, the Furrion isn’t going to be a direct swap without modifying the ceiling, and I wouldn’t recommend cutting into it if you’re trying to keep everything as-is. On top of that, Furrion systems are not compatible with Dometic’s multi-zone thermostats, so you wouldn’t be able to tie it into your existing 3-zone control. It would require its own controls, which takes away from the integrated setup you already have. For your situation, the better route is sticking with a Dometic replacement that’s designed to work with your existing ducted system and thermostat. That way you can keep the same mounting style, avoid cutting into the ceiling, and maintain full control through your current setup. If you want, I can help you track down the closest direct replacement for your current unit, I would just need the model number off one of your existing Dometic ACs to make sure everything lines up correctly.

Heather A.

4/24/2026

@Paul Short answer, no, the Chill Cube won’t work properly without an interior plenum or air distribution box, and that’s also what the remote communicates with. The unit you had before was a non-ducted setup, which is why you had that visible ceiling plenum and had to point the remote directly at it. On your Riverstone, since there’s no interior plenum, that tells me your front AC is part of a ducted system, and in that case you’d need a ducted-compatible version of the Chill Cube that ties into your existing ceiling ducts and uses the correct control setup. The rooftop unit by itself isn’t a complete system, so without that interior component you’d be missing both airflow control and the receiver for the remote. If you’re trying to avoid the line-of-sight remote issue you had before, a ducted system with a wall thermostat or integrated controls is usually a much better experience. If you can let me know what model AC is currently in your front position, I can help you match up the right replacement so everything works the way you expect.

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