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  1. #1
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    Transcend 245Rl Feedback

    I am considering the purchase of the 245RL. The main concern I have is the RV being a 30 amp with only 1 A/C and having cooling issues in the bedroom (has only 1 small A/C duct in the bedroom) on one of those hot/humid days here in south Louisiana. Does anyone have the245RL and can comment from experience on the ability of the camper to maintain a decent cooling temperature in the extremely hot/humid days of summer? Secondly, are there any issues with the 30 amp being able to keep up with all of the appliances being ran at the same time, especially if the microwave is being used while the A/C compressor is on with the TV and lights, etc?

  2. #2
    Seasoned Camper
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    30 amp service you will not have any issues with ac, microwave, tv and lights at same time. You will most likely not be able to run ac, water heater on electric then a hair dryer or microwave. We just run the water heater in gas and run whatever else with no issue so far

    We have a 221RB which is shorter by 3 feet so can’t help with ac question

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by TXkmpr View Post
    30 amp service you will not have any issues with ac, microwave, tv and lights at same time. You will most likely not be able to run ac, water heater on electric then a hair dryer or microwave. We just run the water heater in gas and run whatever else with no issue so far

    We have a 221RB which is shorter by 3 feet so can’t help with ac question
    Thx for responding! I am now looking at the Transcend 28MKS to have a 50 amp with 2 A/C's because I just dont know about the 245RL ability to cool off on the hot humid summer days. If I knew the 245RL would cool easily without running 24/7, I would definitely buy that instead (4K cheaper) and I actually like the 245RL better because smaller is better when its time to pull it.

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper
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    We liked the 245RL but went the 221RB just to go smaller for towing and we did not really need the extra space. We are in 95 and humid conditions and we keep it at 72 at night and 75 during the day without any issues. We do insulate the skylights and a couple of windows with sunshield reflective door/window covering. At night we use a fan in the living room pushing air into the bedroom.

    There is a thread on the Imagine 2450 RL in the general section about cooling if you have not seen it. Your dealer should agree to hooking up a 245RL in the sun and heat and let you see how it cools. If you do this, take an accurate thermometer and time it to be objective.

    That said if you have the truck to pull it a 50 amp trailer with 2 ac's would be no risk as far as cooling.

  5. #5
    Setting Up Camp
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    261BH here - slightly longer than yours. 30 amp, 1 A/C.

    Took it out for the first time last week. Temps were 86+, high humidity. Camped with no shade in the open.

    Cooling - started the A/C on low, left it on low most days. Our bedroom also has one fan, although the door was open during our stay, the bedroom was just as cold or colder than the other rooms. Closing the pull down shades helps a lot during the day. The bathroom, which we normally kept the door slightly cracked when not in use, has the same one vent ... and it was 5-10 degrees cooler. No problems at all maintaining 70-73 degrees all day long.

    As for the power ... the A/C was on all day every day, as was the water heater ... TV, microwave was used 12+ times with no issues. I bring a shop vac with us for cleanup, that was used a number of times as well with no issues (I don't recall if the microwave was on during these times or not - but I doubt it would have been an issue).

    Campground power has a lot to do with it as well. Previous camper we managed to pop the breaker at the campground hook up when the microwave, A/C and water heater were on - but only did it once, my guess is the microwave was turned on at the same time the A/C started.

  6. #6
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    One week at Virginia Beach KOA (July 4-12), mid 90's all week. Our 265bh kept the trailer cool with a 15k a/c.

  7. #7
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    We have a Transcend 26RLS with 30 amps and a single AC unit and we've stayed cool. A few weeks ago we camped in Vermont and NY with temps in the 90s and humid during the day and the AC unit had no issues keeping up. During the day I opened the flaps on the AC unit so most of cool air went into the main part of the camper (kitchen/living areas) and I closed them at night which forced more cool air into the bedroom. We too have a single vent in the bathroom and bedroom, but this has not been an issue so far. This is our second summer camping with our 26RLS and so far we have not had any issues keeping cool, but we have not had any days above 100 degrees.

    One of the campgrounds was packed with trailers and we experienced issues with low voltage, which I'm sure was caused be everyone using their AC at the same time. Fortunately we have a Progressive Industries (EMS-HW30C) surge and electrical protector hard wired into our camper and it would shut our electrical service off to protect our camper. Needless to say this was very very annoying. On a walk around the campground I noticed that most of the RVs were using 30 amp connections so when I got back to our camp site I re-plugged our trailer into the 50 amp plug using our 50 amp to 30 amp converter plug and this solved our power shutting off issue.

  8. #8
    Setting Up Camp
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    I think your concern is valid. In "normal" temperature range camping areas, we have had no issue with cooling in our 245RL. However, on a recent trip to Paso Robles (temp over 100 degrees), the A/C struggled to keep the temp tolerable. With a high temp plus high humidity situation, it would probably be difficult to stay comfortable, particularly in the bedroom. To alleviate that, we usually use a small floor fan to blow the cooler air into the bedroom, which works for us. As far as the 30amp goes, over approx 45 days of camping in various areas, the breaker tripped only once, when my wife used her hair dryer with everything else running. Not a problem. Hope this helps.

  9. #9
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    Yes, living in SW Louisiana, the smart thing to do was go with a 50AMP and 2 A/C's. So I bought the Transcend 28MKS. It cools fine in the worst of temps and humidity. HOWEVER, I realize now that the Transcend line of travel trailers (TT) are Grand Design's (GD) entry level TTs and are made VERY CHEAP. Right out the gate, on the trip home, some of the paneling wall seams and ceiling seems were coming loose. What I learned before buying a TT is to test the quality of construction on the TT by doing this:>>> standing inside press on the ceiling and the wall panels in several places, if there is any movement (flex) you know that you have a cheapASS travel trailer. There is plenty of flex on the Transcend line. A wall and ceiling seam were coming loose on the trip home, only 50 miles of travel. Now that I know, I used this wall and ceiling flex test test ob other TTs like GD's Imagine line or different TT manufacturers like Mallard or Forest River, the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. You get what you pay for . In my opinion, the TRANSCEND line by GD is really a cheaply made TT and I regret buying it. My PVC roof had to be replaced 1 month after purchase because the glue failed and the membrane was coming loose. On the first trip out, it developed a water leak on the water heater connection in the wall which wet the undersink area and kitchen floor. You would think that GD would require the dealerships to pressure up the water connections and complete a more thorough inspection of the RV before customer pickup. Of course, if the TT is cheap like the Transcend line, it will start to come apart on the drag home like mine did. I should have demanded a full refund rather than allow them to repair it. Sad but TRUE.
    Last edited by Frit1981; 09-13-2020 at 12:33 PM.

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