How do you recharge RV air conditioner?

Answer 1

Typically, you don't. Most units come sealed from the factory. They usually last longer because of this. You can, however, have a professional cut one of the supply lines and install a shraeder valve (looks like a valve stem on a tire). Then, they could suck the system down and refill it with freon but..... most units take residential type freon (R22) which is expensive and if your system has lost it's original freon, your just going to lose it again. In this situation, your simply chasing a leak. It's worth mentioning that SOME units do have this shraeder valve already installed but until you find the leak, you're still wasting precious R22.

If your unit is not cooling, try removing the shroud, making sure the "fins" on both the evaporator coil and condenser coil are not bent over and crushed hampering airflow and that they are clean inside. This is paramount for a free flowing system! You can buy a fin comb at Home Depot or at some auto parts stores that you carefully drag across the fins to straighten them out and also get a can or two of coil cleaner to wash out any dust and dirt that's clogging up the coils. Try searching on YouTube for someone using a fin comb on their coils and you can see how to do it properly AND how important it is to do so. Good luck!