RV Rooftop AC Replacement

How much does rooftop AC replacement cost for a 2015 Jayco travel trailer?

A 2015 Jayco travel trailer typically takes a 13,500 BTU rooftop unit - expect $3,100-$3,400 installed. That price covers the new Dometic or Coleman-Mach unit, the roof gasket, all sealant work, labor to pull the old shroud and disconnect the wiring, set the new unit, torque the mounting bolts to spec, and a full function test before we leave.

The variance comes down to whether your existing roof opening is standard size or needs a trim ring adapter, and whether the disconnect and capacitor are due for replacement while we have the ceiling assembly down. If we find soft decking around the old unit's footprint - common when a gasket has been leaking for a season or two - we call you before continuing, as that adds scope. We quote flat-rate by phone after you tell us the trailer length and current unit brand.

Can you replace my rooftop AC in an emergency if I'm stuck in the heat?

Yes, rooftop AC failure in midsummer heat is one of the calls we treat as a genuine emergency. In our core service areas in our covered metros, we aim for 2-4 hour response for situations like this - we come to you at your campsite, driveway, or storage lot.

Most rooftop AC replacements finish same-day once we arrive: we pull the old shroud and unit, inspect the ceiling assembly and gasket surface, set the new unit, torque the mounting bolts, reconnect the wiring, and run a full cooling test before we leave. Outside our covered metros, we dispatch through our nationwide certified-tech partner network, so you're not on your own wherever you're parked. If you're in a pinch, have your rig's make, model, and AC tonnage ready when you reach us - that lets us confirm parts availability and give you an accurate arrival window.

Will a rooftop AC replacement work on my older Forest River RV?

Most post-2000 Forest River units use a standard 14x14-inch roof opening, so a replacement rooftop AC drops in without cutting or custom work. When you call, we ask for the year, model, and current unit specs to confirm the bolt pattern and plenum compatibility before we schedule anything.

If the opening is non-standard or the ceiling assembly uses an older plenum design, we note that upfront and factor any adapter hardware into your quote. The less common issue is electrical - older rigs sometimes run undersized wire or a 15-amp circuit where a newer unit wants 20 amps, so we check that too. Genuine custom work is rare, but when it's needed you know the full scope before we turn a wrench.

What's your warranty on a new rooftop AC unit?

Our installation workmanship carries a 90-day guarantee covering the fit, seal, and wiring connections we touched during the job. The unit itself - whether Dometic or Coleman-Mach - comes with a manufacturer defect warranty that typically runs 3-5 years depending on the model and how it's registered.

If a refrigerant leak or compressor failure shows up in year two, that's a manufacturer claim, and we walk you through the process. If the unit is cooling unevenly or the roof gasket is weeping after the install, that's on us. The one thing that voids both is improper use - running the unit on a generator that can't sustain the startup surge repeatedly will shorten compressor life in ways no warranty covers, so we flag the amperage requirements for your rig before we leave the job.

Do I need to stay in my RV during rooftop AC replacement?

No, you don't need to be present for the job itself. We work from the roof and the exterior side of the ceiling assembly - removing the old shroud, disconnecting the refrigerant lines and wiring, dropping the interior ceiling unit, and setting the new unit before sealing the roof penetration and reconnecting everything.

What we do need is access to shore power for the duration and clear space around the rig so we can move the ladder and handle the old unit safely. If you want to step out for the day, that's fine.

If you'd rather stay inside, just plan to avoid the area directly under the ceiling assembly while we're pulling and setting the unit. The full job runs 4-6 hours from first cut to final function test, and we won't button it up until we've confirmed the new unit is cycling and cooling correctly.

Is rooftop AC replacement cheaper at a dealer or with A1?

Mobile service cuts out several layers of cost that dealers build into every job - shop overhead, service bay allocation, and the markup on parts that sit in a warehouse. We quote flat-rate before we schedule, so the number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice.

There's no towing fee because we come to your rig wherever it sits - driveway, campground, or storage lot. Dealers sometimes have faster parts access for certain OEM units, which is worth knowing, but on most standard rooftop replacements we carry common units and mounting hardware on the truck and can complete the swap in a single visit without a drop-off appointment.

Can you install a different brand AC unit if I want something other than Dometic?

Dometic and Coleman-Mach are what we carry on the truck day to day - both fit the standard 14x14-inch roof opening found on the vast majority of RVs, and parts support for both is strong. If you want a different brand, ask us before booking and we can look into a special order, though that adds lead time to the job since we'd be waiting on the unit rather than pulling from stock.

One thing worth knowing: some non-standard units use a slightly different footprint or a different BTU rating than what your ceiling assembly and thermostat wiring expect, so we'll confirm compatibility with your rig before ordering anything. If the roof opening needs modification or the control board requires a different wiring harness, we'll tell you upfront what that adds to the scope.

What if my rooftop AC dies while I'm traveling in a state far from our covered metros?

If your rooftop AC fails while you're on the road outside our covered metros, we dispatch through our nationwide certified-tech partner network to get a qualified tech to your location. Call us, give us your location and a quick description of what the unit is doing - or not doing - and we'll identify the right partner shop in your area.

We stay involved through diagnosis and repair so the work meets our standards, and the warranty coverage carries through the same way it would if we ran the job ourselves. Most rooftop AC failures in the field come down to a few common culprits: capacitor failure, a seized fan motor, refrigerant loss, or a failed control board - all of which a partner tech can handle with the same process we use on our own trucks.