A/C

[EricBranson]

Hey, all. I am just embarking on a build that I plan to live in full time for a few years. I am a (soon to be) traveling respiratory therapist so I will have to work 3 twelve hour shifts a week. The problem is I have a dog who is my ride or die. Does anyone have a clear list of parts needed to ensure I can run the A/C for the entire shift? I am only taking contracts at hospitals with parking lots that will allow me to park there (so I can also let him out a couple times a shift) and I have seen apps that monitor temp in the rig so I am there if there was a failure. I just really don't want to have a to wait for him to pass before I can leave. It will be a brand new build so I can do whatever is necessary. Or am I dreaming? Any help would be so appreciated.

 

[86scotty]

You need to learn a lot about vehicle electrical systems. Start reading here but more importantly all the vanlife/solar/DIY/off grid nomad type sites info on the web. There is no shortage on any social media platform.

There is no way to really answer your question though without a lot more info. It is entirely dependent up on lots of things. Humidity, day or night, location, size of cabin, insulation, etc.

All that said you are proposing a very expensive build that you won't be able to monitor in person more than maybe once per 12 hours away from the vehicle. I wouldn't suggest leaving a living thing in there that long trusting that it's going to always be charged, always work perfectly, etc. even with today's technology.

Climate controlling mobile dwellings is nowhere near as trouble free as leaving the AC on in your house while you're at work.

Oh, unless you just run an extension cord to it, which is what I would suggest if you're leaving an animal that you like in there for days at a time.

Best of luck.

 

[workerdrone]

It's doable but also maybe consider doggie daycare 3 days a week?

 

[sancap]

Not knowing what type of rv/camper van/or motorhome you plan to build does not help us help you. Monitoring your dog and temperature of the inside is relatively simple. All you need is a solid wifi signal from the hospital or create your own with a Starlink mini and an off the shelf ring camera or an Arlo security camera mounted inside what ever rig you choose. Using something like that you can monitor your dog and a small thermometer in view of the camera. Knowing your budget would be helpful also. A small motorhome will have a generator you can run to maintain the temps you require.

 

[EricBranson]

It's doable but also maybe consider doggie daycare 3 days a week?

This has been the main idea up until now and the probable solution. I see people on classified ads talking about their 24/7 battery life on their off grid super-whatever it is they're trying to sell. That's why I asked here. This is the place for answers that are practical and doable.

 

[EricBranson]

Not knowing what type of rv/camper van/or motorhome you plan to build does not help us help you. Monitoring your dog and temperature of the inside is relatively simple. All you need is a solid wifi signal from the hospital or create your own with a Starlink mini and an off the shelf ring camera or an Arlo security camera mounted inside what ever rig you choose. Using something like that you can monitor your dog and a small thermometer in view of the camera. Knowing your budget would be helpful also. A small motorhome will have a generator you can run to maintain the temps you require.

It is a mobile command center on a TopKick 5500. The box is like 12 feet long if I read their email right. Cost isn't a huge factor as I'm selling my house to finance it. I'd love to save money but if I gotta spend it should be on the most important items and comfort is one of them. I will always have a pooch in tow with me so that's why it is so important. Thanks for the reply.

 

[EricBranson]

You need to learn a lot about vehicle electrical systems. Start reading here but more importantly all the vanlife/solar/DIY/off grid nomad type sites info on the web. There is no shortage on any social media platform.

There is no way to really answer your question though without a lot more info. It is entirely dependent up on lots of things. Humidity, day or night, location, size of cabin, insulation, etc.

All that said you are proposing a very expensive build that you won't be able to monitor in person more than maybe once per 12 hours away from the vehicle. I wouldn't suggest leaving a living thing in there that long trusting that it's going to always be charged, always work perfectly, etc. even with today's technology.

Climate controlling mobile dwellings is nowhere near as trouble free as leaving the AC on in your house while you're at work.

Oh, unless you just run an extension cord to it, which is what I would suggest if you're leaving an animal that you like in there for days at a time.

Best of luck.

Yep. I am in my infancy when it comes to this power/battery/solar etc... business. Plugging in at the hospital never even occurred to me, which is a great idea. My job recruiter knows I only want to work in smaller cities with ample parking for my rig. Other travelers do it so there is probably an option for that. Thank you for the input.

 

[andy_b]

I think some important questions are:
- what is your budget?
- what kind of camper?
- where are these contracts going to be?
- what time of year?

All problems can be solved with enough money and you can get the most of your money by assessing your needs accurately and planning ahead carefully. Because you’re selling your house, it sounds like this isn’t a problem.

Our camper is a well insulated composite camper which makes a big impact on the duty cycle of the AC. Is the command box aluminum skinned, composite, wood? Spending time on making it as efficient as possible will really help.

High latitude places in the US in the winter will have less solar irradiance available but will also be less hot. Humidity is also a consideration because AC will also have to work to dehumidfy the camper even if it isn’t super “hot.” I think the worst case scenario would be summer in the SE with high humidity and summer storms/clouds which would make solar less efficient.

In the summer in the southwest US, we can run our AC all day with minimal impact on our battery capacity (800 watts of solar on the roof, 7200kwh of storage capacity). Overnight, we can run the AC to keep the cabin comfortable and use approximately 30% of our capacity (this includes all of the other things consuming electricity overnight as well). I have no concerns about leaving our two dogs in there all day in the summer.

I’ve seen many hospitals with shore power available for travelers to plug into so if that is the case, problem solved.

To answer the specific question you asked:
- 24 - 48 volt minisplit/roof AC (more efficient than 12 volt, easier to install than 120 volt)
- as much solar as you can fit on your roof (800+ watts)
- as large of a battery bank as you can afford

 

[Roam.Wild]

^andy b hit it on the head.

How long will you need the AC to run? One of the the newer 12v AC units use around 50a or so, with a 1200ah lithium battery bank you'll be able to run it for about 22 hours without recharging battery.

FFIW, we have 1000ah and run our AC a lot during the summer, with incoming solar (1500watts) we can usually run our AC during the hottest parts of the day for about 4-6 hours no issue. If you don't have room for solar you'll need a generator or a good dc-dc charging setup.

It's not a hard setup to build, 12v AC, large battery bank & charging of some kind.

Batteries are getting cheaper and cheaper. Honestly I would strive for a 48v system since you need a large battery bank. I think you could build a budget system for around $7,000-$8,000.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

When I was at a Chrysler dealership we had the contract for the PD vehicle maintenance. We had a K9 Tahoe in for an oil change, as it was sitting in the line for its service it had a complete fit, sirens were going, lights were flashing with a loudspeaker saying it was an emergency and to contact law enforcement immediately. IIRC it also turned on the internal fans and maybe rolled some windows down, I don't remember what all it did but it was pretty impressive.

It had a temp monitoring system for the dog they forgot to disengage.

After confirming the car was in fact empty we called them to see what we are supposed to do with this thing having a meltdown in our parking lot, the police dept said they got the message as well and someone was on the way to turn it off.

Food for thought for a backup but doggy daycare would be the route I would go.