air conditioner?

b team

b team

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
252
so what do you guys think? I have a 2000w gen. I was thinking about a portable a/c or one of the window units. take it with me for summer desert camping. leave it home when not needed. sleeping under the fantastic fan and a wet towel isn't cutting it.

has anyone done something like this? portable a/c units are selling for $300 and window a/c for $100. Less on craigslist.
 
If you have the room...go for it.:D

I have friends that go to Burnning Man and have just bought a Hawk. They sold a travel trailer that had air. I suggested that since they have the generator, pick up a window mount AC and put it in the window for that trip.

Try it and let us know how it works out for you.
 
Its going to be a pull for a 2000 watt generator. I have a 3000 watt generator and it has fun pulling my 5'rs ac unit. I am looking at doing the same thing with my keystone but was thinking about a roof heat pump. If you can find a "soft start" ac unit.
 
If you have a Honda get another 2000 and a parallell kit and that'll run it. Of course that's $1100 before you buy the AC and quite alot to store.
 
hello b team


sounds like a good idea if you can find something that you like

most small window unit air conditioners are only 500 - 600 watts

we can run the small window unit air conditioner off of a Honda 1000 (no problem at all)

good luck on the project


.
 
I have used a Sharp 8,900 btu portable AC in my Grandby with a Honda Eu2000, no problem for the Honda to run this though the AC is a very efficient unit.

No way you will cool the camper with the top up. If you have the Arctic Pack or some other insulation for the soft sides it may work? I only used the AC in my camper once, 100f day top down, had to sit right in front of the vent to get any cooling effect. Overall I would say it did not work. The portable units take up a lot of room in the campers though the vent hose is nice I would probably try a small window unit if I were you.
 
hey sam


I think you are right.

I have had a few customers tell me that with the camper top up, sitting in the hot desert sun, the air conditioner was working its heart out just trying to cool the camper down inside.

I think the arctic pack might help a little to keep the heat out ?

But really, the air conditioner might be more for comfort on those hot / muggy nights (so you can sleep at night). It would help to take some of the humidity out of the air. Maybe not so efficient during the day in the sun.

Most customers that order the air conditioner units seem to live in texas / Mississippi / Florida (hot and humid areas).


Hope this helps


.
 
People on the small fiberglass trailer groups, trailers slightly larger than TCs, are buying 5-6KBTU a/c's at Wally, mounting them in window when stopped and running them with various small generators (Honda, Yamaha, Kipor). With a 2KW Honda, it should start a 5KBTU a/c while running in econo-mode.

Also, what I have found while full-timing in my fg trailer is that the rig will stay MUCH cooler if I can rig a tarp in the air over it to keep it in shadow. This is especially needed if the camper has insulation because if it gets heat-soaked during the day, the insulation keeps it that way for a long time at night.
 
You might want to check out "Turbokool". They mount in a standard vent opening and are 12V swamp coolers. Sorry I didn't post a link as I'm PC challenged.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Removable window a/c unit?

This is a good topic. I live in TN and plan to buy a Grandby sometime in the near future. I think there will be times when using the Grandby in the humid south when I and my traveling bimbo will need a/c, mainly for sleeping. We would probably stop at campgrounds and use shore power to run it. But we wouldn't want to carry the a/c unit with us all the time. I don't want to haul around 100 lbs of permanently mounted a/c unit when I go camping up north or in the cool mountain west, for example. So it would be nice to be able to put the a/c unit in when traveling to hot/humid regions and take it out when traveling to cool regions and leave it at home. Sean Dempsey told me of a FWC owner who modified the FWC window frame to except a small household a/c unit. The a/c unit could apparently be removed and the window re-installed when the a/c unit wasn't needed.

Has anyone here ever done this with a FWC or ATC camper? I wonder if the FWC factory will custom build a re-inforced side window frame or rear window frame that would allow the window to be easily removed and a window a/c unit temporarily installed?

I know that the residential a/c units probably won't hold up to the road vibrations and off road jurking around very long, but for less than $100 for a small unit it's not much of a loss.

Has anyone tried this? Is it a really crazy idea? Let me know if this is just a wacko idea, you won't hurt my feelings.

Any comments from Stan on what FWC might do for a custom mod on a new unit?

Thanks,
Buzz
 
Hey Buzz


We can install rear wall air conditioner, but it is kind of an "all or nothing" thing. The option is $ 700.00 if we do it here at the factory (ac unit / modified rear wall framing / separate circut breaker / additional 110v wiring / etc.).

Unfortunatly they won't pre-frame or pre-wire for the AC unit.

I think they used to do that, but it was nothing but problems for both the factory and customers..


So, an aftermarket might be your easiest and cheapest approach.

Check out this thread.

This looks like a great approach - very clean and easy installation of a small aftermarket air conditioner !


http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291&page=3&highlight=conditioner





.
 
Thanks Stan

Stan,

Sounds like FWC is very accomodating to customer wishes and I'll keep that in mind. There sure are numerous ideas out there about how to air condition these campers. Maybe I should just move back to WI so I won't have to be so concerned about a/c.

Thanks,
Buzz
 
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