Hi All! First post here and boy I love this network. The dude and I are remodeling a 95 Chevy Shuttle Bus with a rear Carrier A/C unit and we are freaking out! We want to pull all the plastic lining from the walls to frame and insulate but this big bad boy is standing in our way. My ideal would be to remove the unit temporarily during the remodel then reinstall it after we get the walls up. Is it safe to cut the wires and clamp the hoses, move the unit someplace safe and then remount and reconnect everything? I worry most about the electrical. I have an install manual for the unit, but knowing that the wiring and hoses travel the full length of the bus I wonder if there might be an issue? We don't plan on driving anywhere soon... any input or suggestions greatly appreciated!
first off - if that A/C has refrigerant in it.. you cant clamp the hoses and take things loose.. the freon is in there at close to 100 PSI.. and it can and will burn you if you just take things apart...
secondly.. in 1995 R134A wasnt yet required.. so your system may be STILL BE R-12.. Likely its 134A factory or has been converted but if not, then that freon is like gold... there should be a tag stating what type of freon is in it..
either way you will want someone to suck the freon out.. then you can disconnect the hoses and put tape over the ends of them and the pipes on the evaporator..
the wires can be cut.. but once you take the cover off of that hanging unit you;ll likely find that the wires are plugged in, or connectorized.. mark them all and unplug them.. if you cut them be aware that some of the wires are Hot all the time.. from the battery so disconnect your battery or find the circuit-breaker / main fuse block for that A/C unit... tape off the wires so that they dont short against anything if you drive the bus..
chances are you will lose your dashboard A/C when you disconnect that unit.. so dont be alarmed if you go to drive the bus and the dash air is dead until you put that rear unit back up...
when you put it back together you'll need to have it evacuated and re-charged properly.
too bad you arent close to ohio.. as i own all the equipment and tanks to recover / vac, and recharge these units..
Hey Christopher, Man could we use your help over here in scorching hot California! I attached pictures from the manual, which I think is how my unit is laid out. I feel like the only other alternative is to disconnect the unit from the ceiling (but not the hoses and wires) and just place it on a very very very high stand/ladder until the chaos around it is finished. Thoughts? I would really love to keep it but need to get around it! Feeling like I'm at a little bit of a road block right now..... -Katie
they can definitely get in the way... the hoses are usually pretty flexible.. there have been other members who have pulled them down and found that the hoses went up a channel on the inside of the bus.. my unit has the hoses in a plastic channel that goes up one of the window channels.. removing that plastic channel you can often get the unit down closer to the floor rather than having to support it on a ladder..
Just wanted to throw out a follow-up! Took down the plastic panels in the back and ta-da! flexible hose and wires. So now, no intention of trying to dive into the disconnect and will just work around it Phew. Big thanks to you Cadillackid for the support, would probably still be huddled in a corner of the bus staring at that A/C with no clue...
Phew. Big thanks to you Cadillackid for the support, would probably still be huddled in a corner of the bus staring at that A/C with no clue...
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