Eco-Cool comes in two versions: the Free Blow (non-ducted) and the Ducted V2. On the roof they are the same 15,000 BTU air conditioner with a 12,000 BTU heat pump. What changes is the part inside your RV, how the air gets to you, and how you control it. This guide walks through that choice using Premier Products' own specs and manuals. Premier sells Eco-Cool in North America and builds it on Gree's RV air-conditioner platform.
The short answer
- Your RV has ceiling ducts and a ducted rooftop unit now: the Eco-Cool Ducted V2.
- Your RV, van or camper has no ceiling ducts, and the old AC blew straight out of the ceiling box: the Eco-Cool Free Blow.
Both come with a black or white rooftop shroud, so color is a separate choice from ducted vs non-ducted.
What is the same on both
Premier publishes the same rooftop-unit figures for both versions (product pages, FAQ and spec sheets):
| Spec | Free Blow and Ducted V2 |
|---|---|
| Cooling | 15,000 BTU |
| Heating (heat pump) | 12,000 BTU |
| Average draw | 8–11 A on 115V (low to turbo) |
| Sound (Premier rating) | 43 / 52 / 56 dB (low / medium / high fan) |
| Airflow | 287 / 315 / 350 CFM, three fan speeds |
| Refrigerant | R32 |
| Rooftop unit | 42.4 x 28.4 x 12.2 in, 100.3 lb |
| Warranty | Premier 2-Year System Replacement Guarantee |
The roof prep is the same too. Premier's manuals call for a 14-1/4 x 14-1/4 in roof opening and a roof 1.2 to 3.1 in thick with the standard ceiling bolts. Heat-pump heating works from 23 to 75°F outside, and cooling from 64 to 115°F.
The difference: how the air reaches you
Free Blow (non-ducted)
The Free Blow's interior unit sits on the ceiling under the rooftop unit. It blows conditioned air straight into the room through a swinging louvre and pulls return air back through a filter. Premier lists the Free Blow ceiling assembly at 26.26 x 19.57 x 3.77 in and 12.1 lb.
That suits RVs where one rooftop unit serves one open space: vans, truck campers, smaller travel trailers, and rigs whose current AC already blows from a ceiling box. Premier's FAQ is clear that the Free Blow is not a multi-zone setup.
Ducted V2
The Ducted V2 mounts a ceiling plate and plenum under the roof opening and feeds the RV's existing ceiling ducts. Foam dividers, cut to your roof thickness, keep the supply air apart from the return air. Premier's service guide for its ducted plenum installation has you seal any gaps at the duct openings with aluminum foil duct tape so the cold air goes down the ducts and does not loop back into the return.
Ducted rigs get air to vents along the ceiling instead of from one spot, which is why many larger trailers and fifth wheels are built that way. Premier's FAQ says the ducted units can be used in multi-zone configurations. Ask us before you plan one, because the details depend on your rig.
The other difference: controls
Neither Eco-Cool works with your RV's original wall thermostat. Premier says plainly that an existing remote or wall thermostat will not control an Eco-Cool, so plan on the Eco-Cool's own controls:
- Free Blow: the included wireless remote, plus WiFi control from your phone through the GREE+ app.
- Ducted V2: a wireless remote, buttons on the plenum, and WiFi through the app. Premier says this means you no longer have to run a wired wall thermostat.
Older pages on Premier's site still say the ducted model has no remote or WiFi. That described the original ducted plenum. The current V2 that we sell has all three controls.
If you need the AC to take a signal from another system, Premier offers a communication model that accepts a 12V analog input. Eco-Cool also has no furnace trigger, so if your old thermostat ran the furnace too, keep a way to control the furnace. Our Eco-Cool replacement checklist covers that.
Side by side
| Free Blow | Ducted V2 | |
|---|---|---|
| RV layout | No ceiling ducts | Existing ceiling ducts |
| Where air comes out | Ceiling unit, swinging louvre | Your RV's ceiling vents |
| Multi-zone (Premier FAQ) | No | Yes, ducted units can be |
| Controls | Remote + WiFi | Remote + plenum buttons + WiFi |
| Original wall thermostat | Will not control it | Will not control it |
| Premier part numbers | 1-KIT-GREE-023 (black), 1-KIT-GREE-024 (white) | 1-KIT-GREE-027 (black), 1-KIT-GREE-028 (white) |
How to tell which one your RV has now
- Look at the ceiling around the current AC. A large box with its own controls and louvres usually means non-ducted. A flat return grille, with separate vents elsewhere on the ceiling, usually means ducted.
- Check for ceiling vents away from the AC. If air comes out of vents along the ceiling when the AC runs, the RV is ducted.
- Read the label on the old unit, or the RV builder's spec sheet, which usually says ducted or non-ducted.
Going from non-ducted to ducted means adding ducts in the ceiling, which is a bigger job than swapping the air conditioner. For most owners the answer is to match what the RV already has.
Shroud color
Black and white use the same internals. Black suits dark roofs and the look of many off-road trailers. White matches most standard RV roofs. Premier does not publish a performance difference between the two.
Installation
Premier recommends professional installation, and its warranty excludes problems from improper installation. Its manual also says to let the unit sit upright for 3–4 hours before powering it on after shipping. The Free Blow and Ducted V2 use different ceiling hardware, so choose before the installer arrives. For general sizing help, see our RV air conditioner BTU sizing guide.
FAQ
Is the cooling the same on the Free Blow and the Ducted V2?
Yes. Premier lists 15,000 BTU cooling, 12,000 BTU heating and 8–11 A average draw for both.
Can I use the Free Blow in a ducted RV?
It would cool only the area under the unit and would leave your ducts unused. If the RV is ducted, choose the Ducted V2.
Does either one need a wall thermostat?
No. The Free Blow runs from its remote and the app. The Ducted V2 adds plenum buttons. Your old wall thermostat will not control either.
Where does each ship from?
All four Eco-Cool versions ship from our warehouse in Upland, California.
Shop the full range in our Eco-Cool collection, or compare all RV air conditioners. Found it cheaper? We'll beat it.