What Variable Speed Air Conditioner Can I Replace My Rooftop Unit With?  

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Expert Reply:

Hi Tim,

It looks like your 2019 Forest River Salem Villa Estate model 394FKDS originally came with a Coleman 15K BTU unit for a ducted system. Since you're wanting an air conditioner with variable speeds, the only option on the market currently is the Furrion Chill Cube 18K BTU AC part # FR49TD with a built-in start capacitor. Because of a law passed in 2024 that required a new refrigerant, any AC unit manufactured before 2024 is incompatible with units made in and after 2024. This means that you'll need a whole new system and not just a new rooftop unit. The FR49TD is a complete system with a remote, thermostat, and rooftop unit and on top of having a higher BTU than your current unit, it also has a lower power draw of only 15.5 amps when cooling which works great for your 30 amp set up. This is one of the quietest, most energy efficient, and high BTU units on the market and would be a definite step up from your current AC. However, if you have a furnace, you won't be able to wire in your furnace to the Furrion Chill Cube thermostat. You will need to run the furnace wires to a different thermostat to control the furnace.

If you want the AC and furnace wired into one thermostat, you'll need to use a different unit that allows that, like the Furrion Chill HE 15K BTU Single Zone AC part # FR65T. The Furrion Chill HE, however, is not a variable speed unit (the Furrion Chill Cube is the only variable speed AC on the market currently) but still has a built-in start capacitor and takes 29 amps to start and when running uses 15amps.

What kind of temperature are you usually taking your Salem Villa Estate camping in?

expert reply by: Claire H

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