Las VegasRV Air Conditioner Repair
Rooftop and ducted A/C diagnosis and repair, from a unit that will not start to one that runs but will not cool.
Request a Quote
Tell us about your coach and we will get back to you. Prefer to talk now? Call 702-757-2471.
0
Service Checks
0%
Satisfaction
Complete A/C Service
Examine Shroud for Cracks or Damage
Check Compressor Voltage
Check Compressor Amperage
Remove & Clean A/C Filters
Clean & Unclog A/C Roof Drains
Check Evaporator Coil Temperature
Torque A/C Assembly Gasket
Rooftop and Ducted Systems Are Not the Same Job
Almost every coach cools with one or more rooftop air conditioners, but how that cold air is delivered changes the diagnosis completely. On a non-ducted coach the unit blows straight down through a ceiling assembly directly beneath it, with its own controls and its own filter. Fault-finding is relatively contained: if that unit is not cooling, the problem is at that unit.
On a ducted coach the same rooftop unit feeds a plenum that runs cold air through the ceiling to registers along the length of the coach. That extra distance is where a great many complaints actually originate. A duct joint that has separated behind the ceiling panel will dump cold air into the roof cavity, and the symptom a customer reports is that the bedroom never gets cold while the unit above the lounge works fine. Nothing is wrong with the air conditioner at all.
Coaches with two or three units add another layer, because they may run on separate thermostats, separate breakers, and in some cases separate legs of shore power. A single unit that is dead while the others run points at the supply side long before it points at the compressor. Establishing which unit is actually failing, and whether it is failing on shore power, on generator, or on both, is the first thing worth doing.
What Usually Goes Wrong
Six patterns cover most of the RV air conditioner repair work that comes through the shop. The symptom you can describe on the phone usually narrows it to one or two.
It runs but will not cool
The fan spins and the unit sounds normal, but the air coming out of the vents is barely cooler than the air going in. Measured at the register, a healthy unit should pull the supply air well below the return air temperature. When that split collapses, the usual suspects are a failing compressor, a refrigerant loss somewhere in a sealed system, or a condenser coil so packed with dust that it cannot reject heat.
It hums, then trips the breaker
A compressor that tries to start, grunts, and drops the breaker is the classic signature of a failed start capacitor. The capacitor provides the jolt the compressor needs to overcome head pressure at startup. They are consumable parts, they degrade faster in heat, and they are one of the few genuinely inexpensive fixes on a roof air unit. This is always worth checking before condemning a compressor.
Weak airflow from the vents
Poor airflow is not always a refrigeration problem. Blocked or collapsed ducting, a filter nobody has cleaned in three seasons, a squirrel-cage blower packed with dust, or leaking duct joints in the ceiling plenum will all starve the coach of air while the compressor works perfectly. On ducted coaches the loss is often at the joints rather than at the unit.
Freezing up on the coil
Ice on the evaporator coil looks like the unit is working too well. It is usually the opposite: restricted airflow or low refrigerant charge drops the coil below freezing, moisture condenses and freezes, and the ice then blocks what airflow was left. Running it harder makes it worse. The unit needs to be shut down, thawed, and the underlying restriction found.
Water inside the coach
Condensate is supposed to run out through the roof drain pans and off the side of the coach. When those drains clog with dust and grit, the pan overflows and the water finds its way through the ceiling opening instead. This shows up as a stain around the A/C shroud and is frequently mistaken for a roof leak.
Noise and vibration
A rooftop unit sits on a gasket that is compressed between the shroud and the roof. As that gasket ages and flattens, the assembly loosens, the whole unit resonates against the roof, and the seal that keeps water out starts to fail at the same time. Retorquing the assembly to spec addresses both the noise and the leak risk.
When Repair Stops Making Sense
Rooftop RV air conditioners are sealed systems. Unlike a residential split system, most of them are not designed to be opened, recharged and returned to service in the field. That single fact drives most of the economics. Capacitors, fan motors, thermostats, control boards, gaskets and shrouds are all serviceable parts. The compressor and the sealed refrigerant circuit generally are not.
So when the compressor has failed, or the system has lost its charge through a leak in a brazed joint, the realistic options narrow to replacing the complete unit. That sounds like the expensive answer, and it is more expensive than a capacitor, but a new unit arrives with a new compressor, a new fan motor, a clean coil and a fresh warranty, which repeatedly beats spending money chasing an ageing sealed system.
A straight replacement is mostly a roof job rather than a refrigeration job. The old unit comes out through the existing roof opening, the gasket surface is cleaned back, a new gasket is set, the replacement is lowered in and torqued down evenly, and the interior ceiling assembly and wiring are reconnected. Getting the gasket compression right matters as much as the unit itself, because that gasket is the only thing between a fourteen inch hole in your roof and the weather.
What we will tell you honestly is which side of that line your unit is on. If a forty dollar capacitor will bring it back, that is the repair. If it is a dead compressor in a twelve year old unit, spending several hundred dollars diagnosing it further is money you will not get back.
Why Las Vegas Is Hard on Roof Air
An RV air conditioner is rated to pull the inside temperature down by a fixed number of degrees against the outside air, not to hold an absolute figure. On a 115 degree afternoon a healthy unit doing everything right may still only bring the coach into the mid eighties. Customers often report that as a fault when the unit is performing exactly to specification. Understanding that difference saves a needless repair bill.
What the desert genuinely does damage is everything around the refrigeration circuit. Fine dust blankets the condenser coil and insulates it, so the unit cannot dump heat and runs hotter and longer for less cooling. UV hardens the shroud until it cracks and eventually shatters, which exposes the coil and the wiring directly to the sun. The roof gasket flattens and goes brittle. The capacitors, already the most heat-sensitive component in the box, live in an environment that shortens their life considerably.
Coaches that sit parked for long stretches between trips fare worst of all, because nothing clears the dust and nothing exercises the system. If your coach has been standing since spring, it is worth having the roof air looked at before the first hot weekend rather than during it.
Related Work Worth Combining
Because the A/C sits on the roof and its condensate drains run through the roof, this job overlaps with several others. If we are already up there and the sealant around the shroud has gone hard, it makes sense to have the RV roof reseal done in the same visit rather than opening the same seams twice. Where the membrane itself is chalking, an RV roof coating addresses the surface the unit is bolted through.
Cooling problems that only appear when you are off shore power are usually supply problems, not refrigeration problems. Roof air is one of the heaviest loads on the coach, so if the units cycle or stall when you are running off the coach's own power, the RV generator repair page covers what causes a generator to shed load, and the electrical and charging system check covers what to test when voltage sags under load.
High ambient heat strains the whole coach, not just the air conditioning. Absorption refrigerators in particular lose efficiency sharply as cabin temperatures climb, so if the fridge has also been marginal on hot days it is worth booking RV refrigerator repair at the same time.
The same UV that hardens and cracks an A/C shroud is doing the same thing to the rubber gasket around the windshield, so a coach overdue for roof air work is often also due a look at the glass. If there is a chip that has started to run or a gasket that has gone stiff, the RV windshield repair page covers it. A full 45 point RV inspection is the broader option if you would rather find everything at once before a trip.
RV Air Conditioner Questions
Why is my RV air conditioner running but not cooling?
If the fan is spinning and the unit sounds normal but the air from the vents is barely cooler than the air going in, the healthy split between supply and return air temperature has collapsed. That usually points to a failing compressor, a refrigerant leak somewhere in the sealed system, or a condenser coil so packed with dust it can no longer reject heat.
My RV AC hums, then trips the breaker. What does that mean?
A compressor that tries to start, hums, and then trips the breaker is the classic sign of a failed start capacitor. The capacitor gives the compressor the jolt it needs to overcome head pressure at startup. Capacitors are consumable parts that degrade faster in heat, and checking one is always worth doing before assuming the compressor itself has failed.
Do you repair air conditioners on travel trailers and campers, or only motorhomes?
The rooftop and ducted air conditioning units used on travel trailers, campers, and motorhomes work the same way and fail for the same reasons, so the diagnosis and repair process described on this page applies across all three. If your unit is a rooftop or ducted system, the compressor, capacitor, and airflow issues covered here are the same regardless of what kind of coach it is mounted on.
Why is there water leaking inside my RV near the air conditioner?
Condensate is designed to run out through the roof drain pans and off the side of the coach. When those drains clog with dust and grit, the pan overflows and water finds its way through the ceiling opening instead. This shows up as a stain around the A/C shroud and is frequently mistaken for a roof leak.
Is it normal for my RV air conditioner to only cool a little on hot Las Vegas days?
Yes, to a point. An RV air conditioner is rated to pull the inside temperature down by a fixed number of degrees against the outside air, not to hold one absolute number. On a 115 degree afternoon, a healthy unit doing everything right may still only bring the coach into the mid eighties. That is normal performance, not a fault.
Where can I find RV air conditioner repair near me in Las Vegas?
This shop provides RV air conditioner repair in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Pahrump. Rooftop and ducted units are diagnosed and repaired on site, from a unit that will not start to one that runs but will not cool.
What is the difference between a rooftop and a ducted RV air conditioner?
On a non-ducted coach, the unit blows cold air straight down through a ceiling assembly directly beneath it, with its own controls and its own filter, so if that unit is not cooling the problem is almost always at that unit. On a ducted coach, the same rooftop unit feeds a plenum that carries cold air through the ceiling to registers along the length of the coach, and a separated duct joint behind a ceiling panel can leave one area of the coach warm while the air conditioner itself is working fine.
When does it make more sense to replace a trailer or motorhome AC unit instead of repairing it?
Rooftop RV air conditioners are sealed systems that most manufacturers do not design to be opened, recharged, and returned to service in the field. Capacitors, fan motors, thermostats, control boards, gaskets, and shrouds are all serviceable parts, but the compressor and the sealed refrigerant circuit generally are not. When the compressor has failed or the system has lost its charge through a leak in a brazed joint, replacing the complete unit is usually the realistic option, regardless of whether it is mounted on a trailer or a motorhome.
Stay Cool on Your Travels
Don't let a faulty A/C ruin your trip. Our expert technicians will ensure your air conditioning system is running at peak efficiency.
Schedule Service: 702-757-2471