Anyone have a good idea for a replacement HVAC system? My dash air quit some time ago and I will renew it. BUT now I have couple of other issues with the heater (vacuum controls are now leaking and don't switch back and forth from heating or defrost) So I think it best to replace the entire unit with a new one.

Looking for good suggestions for RV applications.

Haven't done a lot of searching yet.

Look here at Vintage Air.

I know they have a ton of stuff for old car apps. I'll bet they can tailor a system for this one.

http://www.oldairproducts.com/...2y66wCFRFV7AodjR-DJw

I had a similiar problem with the in/out damper. The blue plastic line was completely shot; I replaced with rubber. I suspect the cause of the deterioration is that it runs through the genset compartment. The other lines are inside.

The dash A/C can handle an 8° drop headed into the sun, ~12° away. The heater isn't all that great, either. If you can get a larger pair (core and evaporator), that would help, but I suspect it would require major surgery. I think the condenser and compressor could handle more capacity.

I have trouble with the heater door, as soon as I select heat, the vacuum pump runs continuously. Other selected functions are OK. The dash AC has been out for 2 years, I miss that a lot and it seems somewhat inefficient to run the propane generator just for roof air. I have 1500 hours on that now and every trip add +/-100 hours. Propane is nearly as expensive as diesel fuel but more importantly the wear and tear.

Thanks Corey, will check them out.

yeah Rusty, I am preparing myself for a BIG JOB. If I do it, it will be a complete replacement--pump, hard line, dash unit--everything. Not sure about the condenser, but even that will be gone thru, flush and cleaning. After 18 years that has got to be crudded up, inside and out!

While on this topic, I am looking for a new in-dash control unit. I swear it looks like a 70's - 80's Chrysler push button unit. Can anyone confirm if Chrysler dash controls would have been used on the P30 Chevy chassis? Or did the Chevy unit have the push buttons like the Chrysler?

It is a Chrysler unit. See this thread.

I waited to see if others could make suggesions and seeing none I will say I have replaced the entire dash air/heater system in my Regency. I have the front door Gillig model. I will list the parts in a following post.
I started by tearing out the evaporator/heater unit by removing the dash and cutting through the aluminum panel on which the dash panel is mounted. By cutting the unit up I was able to get it out. Remove dash. Remover bolts and headlight bucket. Remove ac and heater hoses. Close the hose bib drain and bleed and remove all hoses. All will be replaced with new and you will need lots of hose. Borrowed a hydraulic crimper so no clamps are used. They will leak. Replaced the Chrysler heater switch on the dash and replaced the vacuum motors while the dash was open. Replaced the vacuum hose and installed a 12v vacuum pump. This allows you to leave the vents and plumbing intact and avoid fabrication of defroster vents. I then replaced the stock condenser below the engine with a much larger unit (45,000 BTU). You can use the same wiring. Installed a new larger Denso compressor. The new one is 13.4 cubic inches (original is 7.1) and is capable for supplying up to 60,000 BTU of ac. You can leave the rear unit as is but change the hoses. It is about 5,000 BTU and seems to work well when the big front unit is on. Then I mounted a floor unit that is about 5 inches thick on the floor in front of the step. This is a 15,000 BTU unit designed for airport parking busses and ambulances. It is mated to the stock plenum that was connected to the old blower by fabricating a transition aluminum housing. The new unit works with the original Chrysler switch unit, except it has its own blower speed switch. I just drilled a new hole and use it instead of the old lever switch. The doors for heat, cool,def work as stock. Labor was not measured but I spent about two weeks part time installing it.

So, how does the new system work compared to the old?
I could never get my 97 Barth AC to work worth a darn. It was good to about 80 degrees outdoors and then went to seed. Always needed to start generator and turn on roof airs.

My experience after one year in travels has been great. Inhave about 20,000 BTU's of cooling compared with 26,000 if Imran the two roof units. I can hold 70 degrees in 100 degrees through West Texas running onlynthe dash unit and bedroom smaller unit. The key is the large compressor (Denso T21) which is 13.1 cubic inches and the 45,000 BTU condenser ( a Thermo King unit) and the replacement of all hoses using crimp connections. Most tech's will pull a vacuum for about ten to twenty minutes and then fill the system. The last 10% of vacuum has a twenty five % improvement in the heat transfer from the Freon. I run vacuum for ten hours to get as close to 30 inches as possible. It makes a world of difference. I think I spent about $2,000 on all the parts including 8 lbs of Freon that was necessary to get the proper pressures. The sixty of more feet of hoses and two units require much more than what is thought. While it probably is not financially feasible I wanted to enjoy the ride and not have the noise and fuel consumption of the generator.

an impressive major undertaking, Tom. On my way to CA in July, my dash AC got weaker and weaker. At least the compressor is readily accessible at the engine. What looks more involved is getting to, and replacing, the very noisy dash HVAC blower motor. The bearings seem to be completely shot. sounds like the impeller hits the inside of the blower housing. In the desert, I had to do what you were determined to avoid -- burn up a lot of propane in order to run the front roof AC. Since I am considering selling the Breakaway, I have not attacked the problem of the buried dash blower.

I am not sure about your coach, but if the right side of your dash has a map pocket on the face you can remove the screws under the vinyl caps and find an opening to the blower motor. A few screws, disconnection of the wires and it will fall out, into the coach. An easy job. Hope it is
helpful.

Thanks, Tom. I hope you're right! That would be waaayy easier than I expected. coach is stored off-site, preventing from going out to see right now.

If it's front-entry, the grab rail plate comes out. I had to cut some of the opening to get the fan out. I bought a fan from NAPA and cannibalized it for parts.

Ed, maybe we can locate this tech to help you replace the AC system

sort of warmed up today and is sunny. So, I got in the coach to putter around.
Tom, you were certainly correct about the copilot front map pocket hiding access to the dash heat blower. Access is one thing. R&R is another.
I cannot get the mounting flange of the blower to clear the bottom of the rectangular opening in the dash. The impeller does not come out far enough to clear the top of the housing because the bottom of the rectangular dash hole (don't say that ten-times-fast ;^) is too high. I have turned it every which way because the flange does have some flat places and some round places.
I looks as though I have no choice but to enlarge the bottom of the plywood and fiberglass opening with a saw :^(
UPDATE: hacked the bottom of the access hole larger (as Rusty said) with a Stanley wallboard saw. That enabled me to remove the blower motor and impeller. Bearings are completely shot. The motor has a collar that is spot welded to an irregularly- shaped mounting flange. Motor is marked:
Canada PM 105 12V D9. Plan to take it to an electric motor shop tomorrow.
Seems to be available from Amazon and O'Reily for under $20. I'll be delighted if it is the right shaped flange with such a modest price!
http://www.oreillyauto.com/sit...7&pt=02723&ppt=C0331
VOILA! new fan motor from AutoZone @ $14.99 has been installed and sounds sweet.
Had I known back in June what Tom knew about access, I would have completed this project before I went to CA and back. The most difficult aspect was using the Stanley wallboard saw to cut plywood laminated to fiberglass along the bottom of the access hole.