www.iFourWinns.com

Hey Guys, *Finally* getting to the installation of A/C and reverse heat on my 97 Vista 278 this week. I bought the 6000BTU Marinaire on eBay like many others have. Im pretty excited about this!!

I will be placing it under the rearmost dinette seat, as the 120v panel is right next to it, and I can easily run ducting there. Could someone with a 278 with A/C on the same vintage answer a few questions, or post a few pics for me please?

Where are the a/c vents located on your 278? I am pretty smirt and searched classifed ads for 278's of the same vintage with A/C, and found that most have a vent under the steps that come down into the cabin. But where are the other vents? Are there more than one? Just one vent only would result in icing up the unit as there isnt enough output.... there HAS to be more.

Also, has anyone ever run the A/C raw water line off the head thru-hull? I dont use raw water to flush the head, I flush it with freshwater from the shower wand, so I want to repurpose that thru-hull. Some say it will lose prime, some say thats BS and it holds prime fine. Anybody with experience there?

Also if you cannot answer any of those, can you tell me the best place to buy the insulated duct and diverter pieces for the ducts?? Thank you!!

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Don’t know the 278 layout, but I would Think you want one in the aft cabin

Here is a link to the duct
https://www.dwincorp.com/product/4-x-25-insulated-flex/

Here is a link to a y junction
https://www.dwincorp.com/product/4-3-wa ... ction-box/

Here is the vent/damper
https://www.dwincorp.com/product/rotair ... t-wdamper/


Good luck!

_________________
Current:
2000 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer "still Livin the Dream"

Past
2002 268 Vista 5.7 GXI "Livin' the Dream"
1996 Rinker 192 Captiva. "The Simple Life"
1999 Yamaha XLL 1200 Waverunner.
1976 Mercury Marquis tri hull 120 hp

Chris268- THANK YOU for those links!! I bought those vents, and ducting from them. I ended up buying a different Y-connector due to space constraints. I appreciate those links, you saved me considerable money!

The A/C is installed
After ALL these years of having a factory installed generator, but no a/c, and complaining about it non-stop as I tripped and struggled lugging around that STUPID over the hatch A/C, I bought that Marinaire 6K btu "micra" unit, along with the install kit from Marinaire, and circulating pump, and it took 2 days after work to install everything. Im going to guess it took us 8-10 hours to install.

Four Winns had pre-installed a water outlet thru-hull out the side of the boat from the factory, and ran a hose to the bilge (with a plug on the end) so that saved us some time. We reused the toilet seacock, as we use freshwater to flush the toilet anyways. Wired it to the panel, bam. The 6K BTU Marinaire is a BEAST. That thing cools and dehumidifies (the thermostat has the humidity % and temp) very nicely. It has a remote control that you can use, with digital readout on the remote. The unit seems very well built.

The A/C installed under the rearmost dinette seat. We lost the storage under it, but trust me, it was WELL worth it. Ran one vent facing rearward into the mid-cabin, and one directable louvered vent out the side, that faces the fridge. That vent cools the front of the boat.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

That’s great news, congrats, I have Factory air, but a portable genny

Enjoy it, here in Illinois, it is mid 90’s already

_________________
Current:
2000 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer "still Livin the Dream"

Past
2002 268 Vista 5.7 GXI "Livin' the Dream"
1996 Rinker 192 Captiva. "The Simple Life"
1999 Yamaha XLL 1200 Waverunner.
1976 Mercury Marquis tri hull 120 hp