Fresair evaporative cooler install?

[Dipodomys]

I'm currently shopping for a used FWC Fleet (front dinette, in case you have one for sale), and with the onslaught of summer I'm thinking about how to sleep a little cooler. I've gotten really interested in Fresair's evaporative coolers, which look like they should work great in a space the size of a FWC and in the low humidity of the west. So it seems a little odd that I haven't seen one installed on a FWC yet. Does anyone here have any experience with that? Is there anything about Four Wheel Campers that would make the install difficult?

 

[Serat]

I don't have experience with this cooler but my concerns from reading their product description are maintenance and water routing.
They say it is recommended to replace both pumps and filter every year. Estimated at $50/yr. It's not so much the money but the time and bother. Maybe you like maintenance more than I do.
Also, there's an 18 liter reservoir that needs to have tubing routed up to the unit. 2 lines, supply and return. Not likely that you'll be able to hide those easily, but maybe you could just leave them out in the open or route them outside. Interesting problem, for sure.
At least it fits between the roof struts!
Post pics and story if you decide to do this.

 

[heinphoto]

I don't have experience with this cooler but my concerns from reading their product description are maintenance and water routing.

Water line routing would also be my biggest concern. It looks like they are designed for a van with a fixed height roof where you could fairly easily route and secure the water lines up the wall to the roof. With the FWC, they would have to be installed so that they can accomodate the additional height when popped up and also not be subject to failure with repeated flexing when the roof is popped up and down.

Locating the water reservoir might also be a little tricky - there really isn't a great spot inside the camper for it, except for maybe on the floor below the cabinet overhang. It would be cool if it could somehow fit in the empty space outside the turnbuckle doors between the camper tub and the truck bed walls (I never have figured out a good use for that space, other than awkward storage).

Regardless, it seems like an interesting concept.

-Scott

 

[CreekRob]

I've used evaporative coolers, although not that brand.

They can work well, but ONLY in quite dry conditions. In Tucson we used them in late spring early summer; as soon as the monsoon came everyone switched to AC since the swamp coolers no longer worked. You'll note much of the southwest is now influenced by the monsoon, and the humidity seemst to reach further NW every year. So not so hot for travel in much of the SW after maybe mid June, but it's maybe too hot anyway (heh) even with the cooler.

The evaporated water also has to go somewhere, so take that into account. And check the weight; seems to be roof mounted. Not sure how you'd get water to it. Maybe start with a home brew one or portable. There are 12v ones where you manually add water, and they basically just need to push a fan. And you could leave it home when you don't use it or it's ineffective.