Dear Dave,
I give the interior mounting bolts on my RV’s roof A/C one complete turn each year. When there are no threads left or it is tightened completely, does it mean I need to replace the gasket and start over? Mine haven’t done this yet. I was just curious what happens next. Thanks. —Jerry, 2021 Forest River r-pod RP-192
Dear Jerry,
From what I can see on the walk-around videos, your r-pod has a Coleman-Mach air conditioner that is most likely a 13,500 BTU in a smaller trailer. There are several different models and much discussion regarding the proper tightening or torque for the mounting bolts.
I have always taken off the vent cover and just did a hand-tightening and never ran into an issue. However, tightening them a full turn every year might cause the gasket to get crushed prematurely or put too much tension on the threads or coil springs and cause them to strip or break.
Some models have a spring tension coil. According to the Coleman-Mach installation manual, the bolts should be tightened enough to compress the spring.
From the Coleman-Mach 8 Owner’s Manual
Using an alternative pattern, use a ratchet or a cordless driver and run the bolts into the base pan until the coils of the springs are compressed and just touching. Do not over-tighten.
I believe once the springs are compressed, you theoretically can’t tighten it any more without stripping the threads or collapsing the housing. Then you need to visually inspect the gasket to make sure it is 1/2 compressed and no gaps. If it starts to look like it is loose, then it is time to replace the gasket and start over.
Some models have a mounting bolt that does require a torque setting. This unit on the 2016 Thor Challenger stated in the Owner’s Manual to tighten to 40-50 inch-pounds of torque. Note, that is not the typical foot-pounds, but rather a much lighter torque!
Here you can see the corner mounting bolt going through the inside flange and connecting to the threaded female connection of the upper assembly.
Still other models that I have come across actually have a spacer or tab between the upper assembly and lower flange. For those, they just recommend tightening the bolts to sandwich the spacer. This would also require visually inspecting the gasket, which I believe is a good idea for all models.
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What is your opinion of the WackO RV A/C Silencer for the Coleman-Mach Air? I have watched installation videos and it appears it directs most of the airflow through the duct system, which makes me wonder if this would create backup pressure on the unit. It appears the reduction in decibels is not that significant quantitatively, but folks report the A/C noise is reduced to their satisfaction. Thanks in advance for your feedback. —Gary, 2021 Jayco Melbourne 24L
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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Thank you, Dave! 🙂 Have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
I would think that arbitrarily doing a full turn tightening every year is too much. Let an inspection of the gasket be your guide.