AC on Chalet/Aliner

[TLWMSW]

We live in S. Texas where having an air conditioner is not an option. We are
thinking about a Chalet or Aliner and know we can get an AC. Anyone with
experience on these? Do they and the wall where they mount up stand up to the
continual banging they get on the road? Any other AC advice on these trailers?
Thanks, Tom

[AJKsoar]

We have an Alite (the tiny version of the Aliner) and we are very pleased with
the air conditioner. It seems to be sturdy and, if anythning, overcools our
small shelter. It should be about right for the Aliner.

The mount is sturdy but we have not gone great distances with the Alite.
<AJK...@aol.com> Arthur J. Kover

[Gerald Pearson & Sue Sarlette]

TLWMSW wrote:
>
> We live in S. Texas where having an air conditioner is not an option.

> ... We are thinking about a Chalet or Aliner and know we can get an AC.

> Anyone with experience on these? Do they and the wall where they mount
> up stand up to the continual banging they get on the road? Any other AC
> advice on these trailers?

The standard optional (is that an oxymoron?) 6000 BTU air conditioner in
our Aliner has always worked just fine. On one occasion in Summer 1999,
the inside was very comfortable and in the 70's while the outside
temperature was 95 F and the humidity was unbelievably high. The
compressor was not running all the time, so the air conditioner
certainly ought to be adequate when the outside temperature is
significantly above 95 F. I just don't know whether "significantly" is
as small as 5 degrees or as large as 20 degrees.

We've dry camped in 90-95 F weather with low humidity on 2 occasions for
5+ days each time. No 110 vac means no air conditioning. We open the
large skylight (bubble window) over the sofa, open the roof vents, turn
on a 12 volt oscillating fan (1.6 amps), and occasionally sip iced
Gatorade from stainless steel vacuum insulated mugs. We were quite OK,
even though we were _not_ in the shade -- the closest tree was several
hundred yards away.

-- Gerry
'99 Aliner, sofabed model
'98 Grand Caravan, 3.3L w. tow pkg. + automatic load levelers

[Therese]

Tom,

We live in Australia and recently purchased an ALiner and asked for
AirConditioning to be fitted prior to delivery. The AC was fitted to the
front wall under the table. The compressor is hidden in one of the front
cupboards.

The AC Brand is AIRCOMMAND....Heron 2.2 Split System....Web Site
www.aircommand.com.au will give you the specifications of the Unit.

We have used it in temperatures to 36deg Celcius and have found it
excellent. It is a reverse cycle too, which will enable heating as well.

Hope this information is of some assistance to you.

Regards
Ian & Therese Goodwin

"TLWMSW" <tlw...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20001227100531...@ng-fv1.aol.com...

[TLWMSW]

I guess I'm speaking to Dorothy, right? Well, all I have to go by are the
websites right now. The nearest Chalet dealers to Texas are either in Kansas
or Arizona. We're planning a trip this summer that will bring us thru AZ, so I
definitely want to stop at a dealer and hopefully be able to compare all of
their models. There are some Aliner dealers in East TX, and hopefully we'll
see some at the Houston RV Show in March. We did spy a used Aliner at a dealer
the other day and stopped for a look-see. We thought the appointments were
pretty spartan. The pix on the Chalet website make them look a little nicer.
Anyway, we're at the very beginning of this process and will continue to do our
homework. Thanks for your response.

Tom Wiley
Austin, TX

[Brad Blackburn]

Tom,
I'm in the same boat. Chalet has a sales rep. who has a "loaded" model
about 3 hours from here.
(S.E. Missouri) The closest dealer (Chalet) is a days drive. Aliner isn't
much better as far as dealer network. Nearest one (Aliner) is about a 6
hour drive. The Starcraft Stardust I own now is much more camper than I
really need. I too am toying with the idea of visiting a dealer out West
on vacation next year.

Brad Blackburn

[Monte & Barb]

In article <20001227100531...@ng-fv1.aol.com>,

Hi Tom
We bought our Chalet this past summer and LOVE it. We didn't get the air
condition as the dealer told us it was easily added after the fact.
Well, our second trip out was extremely HOT and I immediately started
checking on adding AC. The dealer we bought from hadn't been selling
Chalets long and I had a nightmare getting them to even tell me where it
would go. I emailed Chalet directly and got a response.

Lets just say "get it as a factory installed option or forget it". After
market install isn't much less than adding central air to your house.

Anyone know where I can find a portable room size swamp cooler?

thanks
-Monte
--
2000 Chalet Arrowhead

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

[Edward Wilkie]

Dorothy wrote:

> In article <20001227100531...@ng-fv1.aol.com>, tlw...@aol.com (TLWMSW) wrote:
>

> Hi, Tom,
>
> I'm considering one of the two trailers, too. I want one with an off road package.
> I posted several weeks ago, but haven't gotten much feed back. I think I would
> opt for the AC just because it's an option.
>
> I want to rough it, but I don't want to get carried away! Since they are so small,
> most likely time is spent outside (which is what camping is all about) so, if it
> were _not_ an option, I wouldn't decide against one of the two brands. Which
> are you leaning toward?

Hi Tom, Dorothy,

We also live in S Texas and own a 1998 Chalet. The air is a standard 6000 BTU window unit
set in the front of the trailer at floor level. It does a fairly good job most of the year.
In August and September of 2000 when afternoon temps reached 110F it could not keep up.

Beware. The Chalet floor is lined with plastic sheathing on the bottom to protect it from
the elements. This would seem to be a plus since the floor like that of most camper trailers
is a composition wood floor. While camping during high humidity, the air conditioner did not
drain properly, the water ended up between the composite floor and the plastic. We didn't
know this until mold began to grow out from the floor. We have since cut out the plastic
sheathing, but now have several spots where the floor rotted and had to be reinforced.

I do like the Chalet. It's great for two people who like the outdoors but want more than a
tent. (If you want the comforts of home, get a Hi-Lo.) It's biggest advantage over a pop-up
tent is that it is much easier to heat in cold weather.

I had looked at Aliner for a couple of years but was held off by the price - there was a
dealer in Donna - near Edinburg, Texas. We found our Chalet (a trade-in for a Hi-Lo) near
New Braunfels - 1 year old and 1/2 price. I think the Chalet has slightly better amenities,
and I prefer the actual glass windows as opposed to the Aliner's Plexiglas.

If you get one of these, you can't pull into a campsite without someone coming over and
wanting a look at it. They just breed curiosity!

Ed