Danhard AC quitting - Page 2

**daveb** · 03-10-2014, 06:02 PM

Can't believe they mounted the condenser there. I'm surprised that a rock didn't punch a hole in it. At least my starcool condenser is set in away from the tire and tucked up higher. I have had issues with the rocks stopping the fan so I check it on a regular basis.

scottman · 03-10-2014, 07:21 PM

Haha, yeah it's banshee loud. I idly wondered over the summer what could be done to quiet the fans down. Where we stay it's pretty isolated, so not a big deal.

photographix · 03-10-2014, 10:38 PM

As for the location, the interior part of the A/C is in a cabinet about 24" behind the driver's seat. I guess that forced the location of the condenser to under the driver's door. Which means I can't mount a hoop step there.

I don't particularly like the way it was mounted, either. Just 3 machine screws into the body frame rails on the outer side of the condenser box. While I was doing all this, I also added a SS threaded rod to support the inboard side of the box. It's much more solidly mounted now.

The fan box has a grate on the bottom with 1/2" openings. I suppose I could add a finer 1/4" screen over it, but I think a finer screen would clog up when going through muddy areas.

Good to know that I'm not the only one that thinks it's obnoxiously loud. I thought about ways to come up with some kind of way to quiet it down:

From my attempts with trying to quiet down PCs, maybe different fans that turn slower but with more blades? They would have to move the same amount of air as the current fans, CFM-wise.

Reversing the polarity of the fan wires to make them blow into the condenser instead of sucking air through it? I'm thinking that the sound would be directed up into the bottom of the van a little bit. It might even blow the dust and pebbles off of the top of the condenser.

A cloth bag with baffles and padding that could be attached to the condenser box when camped?

I'm open to ideas.

**daveb** · 03-10-2014, 10:59 PM

OK its got a grate over it. Yeah, you don't want to cover it too much but that is a nice mod and should do the trick. I complained that mine has no cover at all but it's mounted vertically and the fins are on the inside. The rocks can get caught fairly easy in the fan if they can get through the fans Grate.
Even the Starcool is kinda noisy.
Glad you got it working.

photographix · 03-10-2014, 11:03 PM

Interesting that yours is mounted vertically. Could you take a couple pics? I wonder if I could do that to mine.

**daveb** · 03-11-2014, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photographix

Interesting that yours is mounted vertically. Could you take a couple pics? I wonder if I could do that to mine.

Looking at yours, it doesn't seem that mine is any higher than yours but it isn't directly behind my front tire. I thought the Danhards are mounted at the rear and also thought they were tucked up much higher than the Starcool models.
You can see how rocks are a problem

photographix · 03-11-2014, 04:32 PM

Thanks for posting a photo.

I looked at mine today in light of mounting it vertically. There just isn't room between the frame rail and body and still have adequate airflow through the condenser.

The bottom of the fan box hangs down to the same level as the bottom of the transmission pan. The T-case housing is even lower.

I'm guessing you have the Starcool? I see that you have one fan mounted in the center, while mine has 2 fans with 5 blades each.

Maybe you could make a deflector on the leading side of the fan to keep the rocks out?

**daveb** · 03-11-2014, 06:07 PM

Yep, one of those I'll do that someday things. SMB did install a deflection plate like your's behind the tire. I also added mud flaps last year which helps a bit more. It's scarry that the fins are exposed. It gets back to what you stated... I'd hate the grill to fill with mud. I might install another deflector plate and move it away from the fins. So far I've been lucky.

dave

gerrym51 · 04-24-2014, 01:54 PM

Pretty sure 08 danhard is a starcool

photographix · 04-25-2014, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerrym51

Pretty sure 08 danhard is a starcool

Maybe...didn't Starcool buy or take over the RV stuff from Danhard?

The fan speed control inside, the controller box under the dinette seat, and the instruction sheet have Danhard logos on them, so I logically assumed it was a Danhard. I'm not the original owner, and my papers show SMB did the conversion in winter '08.