11 Best RV Air Conditioners (Budget and Premium picks)

Air conditioners are an essential part of staying cool and safe if you’re traveling in an RV during the summer months. It’s as much a health issue as a comfort one, so choosing the right one is important. Here are our top choices for RV air conditioners, as well as some additional advice to help you make a purchasing decision.

  Source: crowsurvival.com

Buying Guide

Here are the most important things to consider when buying an RV air conditioner.

• Types of Air Conditioners: Common types include ducted, un-ducted, rooftop, under-bench, and portable units. We have recommendations for all of these below.
• What To Consider: The most important things to consider are the price, durability, and effectiveness of each unit, as well as whether or not your RV will fit them correctly.
• What Type Of Maintenance They Require: Some air conditioners require significantly more maintenance than others.
• What’s In The Box: Many companies sell RV air conditioners separately from control panels and other necessary devices. Make sure you know what you need before you order anything.

Buying Recommendations

Budget RV Air Conditioners

1. ASA Electronics ACM135B – Editor’s Pick

ASA Electronics’ ACM135B is among the most affordable RV air conditioners on the market, but it still manages to provide impressive quality.

The ACM135B offers an outstanding mix of affordability and cooling efficiency. 13,500 BTUs are enough for most RVs, while the added silicone coating helps improve overall cooling efficiency. It may require installing an additional drain line, but its low cost helps offset the price of that.

2. Dometic Brisk II

Dometic’s Brisk II is available in black and white colors. Dampening brackets help to reduce its overall noise, while the system itself is compatible with both ducted and non-ducted setups. This is one of the most popular systems currently on the market, so it’s worth a look if you prefer ordering from larger manufacturers.

Premium RV Air Conditioners

1. Dometic Penguin II – Editor’s Pick

Dometic’s Penguin II is expensive, but it serves as both an air conditioner and a heat pump to give you the perfect interior temperature regardless of the weather outside.

While it’s one of the most expensive RV air conditioners you’ll find, the added price of the Penguin II allows for some significant improvements to the design. This includes heat pump capabilities, which we always like seeing on RV air conditioners.

2. Coleman Mach 8

Coleman’s Mach 8 is a reliable, high-performance system with a reasonable amp draw of 15.9 at 115 volts. It’s also quiet enough to avoid being too distracting, which is key to sleeping with an RV air conditioner on. Like all good premium units, it comes with a built-in heat pump to keep things warm during winter.

Ducted RV Air Conditioners

1. Atwood 15027 – Editor’s Pick

The Atwood 15027 is a reasonably affordable ducted A/C unit that’s noticeably quieter than many of its competitors and includes modern features like a digital temperature readout.

This is one of the most efficient ducted RV air conditioners currently on the market. It’s also smaller than many of its competitors, which means it’s easier to fit it on top of different RVs and won’t impact the overall height quite as much as larger units tend to.

2. Airxcel Mach 15

The Airxcel Mach 15 is a popular, highly-rated ducted air conditioner for RVs and easily one of our top choices in this category. While it is a little on the expensive side, especially if you need to buy a control package to go with it, the Mach 15 is worth serious consideration.

Un-Ducted RV Air Conditioners

1. Atwood 15026 – Editor’s Pick

Like its ducted companion, the Atwood 15027 described above, the 15026 is a reliable and effective cooling unit for your RV.

With excellent cooling capacity and an efficient power draw, the Atwood 15026 is quiet and reliable enough to support longer trips in an RV.

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2. Furrion Chill

The Furrion Chill is a compact rooftop RV air conditioner with green-friendly R410A refrigerant and a UV-resistant cover system. While primarily a non-ducted system, it’s compatible with ducted RVs as well, making it more compatible than many of the other units on this list.

Under-Bench RV Air Conditioners

1. Dometic FreshWell 3000 – Editor’s Pick

Under-bench air conditioners are relatively rare, but Dometic’s FreshWell 3000 offers both power and efficiency in a compact package that fits in most RVs.

  Source: jacksonsleisure.com

While it’s not as powerful as some roof-mounted units, the FreshWell 3000 is also quieter and an ideal option for many smaller RVs. Three outlets make it easy to position vents throughout your vehicle and provide distributed cooling.

2. Dometic Cool Cat

  Source: dometic.com

Dometic’s Cool Cat is an alternative to their FreshWell 3000. While it doesn’t provide air conditioning in the traditional sense, this efficient heat pump system is fully capable of cooling smaller RVs and campers with energy to spare. Its small size makes it easy to fit in cabinets or other tight areas, not just under a bench.

Portable RV Air Conditioners

1. Tripp Lite Portable Air Conditioner – Editor’s Pick

While not technically an RV air conditioner, the same can be said about most portable units and certainly doesn’t disqualify this model from our list.

The Tripp Life Portable Air Conditioner is a self-contained unit that does not require a floor drain and remains portable enough to store in most RVs. Recent product improvements have helped raise its overall quality, too. 18,000 and 24,000 BTU variants exist, but these are usually far too much for RVs, so do not buy those versions.

Conclusion

RV air conditioners come in many shapes and styles, including units most people don’t associate with RVs. Whether you’re looking for a cooling-only system or a combination heating/cooling unit, order your air conditioner today, so you have time to install it, test it, and order any additional parts you forgot.

Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API