260 Cabrio AC Question

[djoubert]

First hot weekend on the boat and ready for A/C. Boat is a 2008 Larson Cabrio 260. AC was a option and in hind site I wish I had the dealer install when I bought the boat. I am having the boat pulled in a couple of weeks to have the drive serviced and while she is out of the water going to have the marina install a thru hull fitting for future AC unit.

Question I have is how hard is it to install a AC system? Thought I would save some $ if I can do it myself. The boat was prewired into the Dist panel so some of the hard work is already done. Talked with a friend who has a similar model boat and he showed me where his is and how it was installed, looks relatively simple (right?). Any thoughts or suggestions? Anybody have a Cabrio 260 with the AC already in and can supply some detailed info on installation?
Thanks for comments.

 

[PEX]

Re: 260 Cabrio AC Question

Hi

The units come with the instructions (My Cabrio has the A/C from factory and the install instructions were included in the boat paperwork), and it's not really that hard if you break the job down to it's basic components.
I have installed an A/C to a previous boat.
The A/C units are self contained, so they basically need power and water.
You'll need to locate a place for the water pump and strainer, a shelf behind the fridge in the cupboard unit (if not already there) for the air-con unit to reside, some ducting 2 outlets (one for v-berth and one for aft bed).
You also need water hoses for the intake and discharge, and a stop **** valve on the water intake.
There is also a condensate water discharge drain required.
The actual A/C unit will come with a lot of what you need.
Get an electrician to do your electrical work, or certify anything you do if you are knowledgeable in that area.
The most nervous part for me is always the drilling of a huge hole in the bottom of the boat LOL.

A couple of weekends should see you right, maybe longer depending on your spare time and skills

 

[djoubert]

Re: 260 Cabrio AC Question

Thanks for the reply, yesterday I drilled 3 holes in the boat, stomach was in knots but all went well. Drilling a 1" hole in the middle of a perfectly good boat is nerve racking.
Used plenty of 5200 quick cure and will be putting the boat in the water hopefully tomorrow to check for any leaks.
On your Cabrio where is your seacock/strainer/pump located. The instructions that came from Larson said to locate them in the engine area but I put them in the cabin under the step where a mid bilge and shower sump were already located. A friend has a 29' and told me his was located in that area and it seems to make sense as it is closer and has a duct/chase running over to the cabinet area.