AC while boondocking

[eblau]

LOL and yes the dehumidifying is half the reason I will not stay overnight in the summer without it.

A modern inverter generator shouldn't bother anyone unless they are sleeping in a tent next to it with the exhaust pointed at them.

As a fat man who camps in the Midwest...waking up in a puddle of sweat is the grossest thing...

Nice to see a 1k generator will run the A.C.

Sometimes you also need to dehumidify the inside of your van to eliminate molds and smells..AC deep cold will get that done for ya...heck I run my AC on MAX with the temp set mid or warm when it's been raining just to dry out cloths n carpet..we haul 7 often with 2 dogs..lots of moisture there..

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

 

[vwhammer]

I have been eyeballin' one of these for sometime now.
https://rollibot.com/product/mini-split-ac-room-air-conditioner/

This unit would likely take a 2kw generator to run, at least for initial start up.

I have run a 5000btu window unit on one of those hundred dollar, 900 watt, 2 stroke generators that harbor freight sells.
It tripped the breaker on the generator a couple of times when trying to get it started for the first time but after a few resets the AC would start without tripping
I am sure there is a wicked current spike upon initial start up that is tripping the breaker.
Once you power it up a couple times some extra heat and maybe some extra juice from some onboard capacitors is enough to start it up without tripping.

It ran like this for 4 or 5 days with an auxiliary boat tank hooked up for less frequent fill ups.

I have been working on a set up for my 4x4 vanagon (if I ever get it done) that consists of 1200 watts of solar and 250 amp hours of Nissan leaf batteries in a 24 volt configuration.
By my math, in a properly insulated van, this should easily be able to keep you cool all night.
I suppose if it was really hot and really humid and the AC had to run full blast all night and you slept for 10 or 12 hours it would be pushing the batteries' limits but that's where the backup generator would jump in to save the day (or night in this case).
Well, that and I assume, if you slept for 12 hours, some portion of that time would be daylight at which point the solar panels could come back to life.

I do suppose if you used up all of your batteries overnight and needed to use the AC in the daytime then you would probably have to resort to the generator to get the battery charged back up for the next night.
You could just use the generator in the day when everyone is awake and the batteries (hopefully being charged by solar if the weather is nice) at night
It's all about having supplemental systems working in harmony that really would make all this work.
Then you could live off grid for a long time.

A slightly warmer setting and a fan can work wonders as well.

Surprisingly, a lot of people still believe that a solar charged battery powered AC will never work (well at least on some other forums that I frequent) but all it takes is some simple math to see that it is totally possible.
Even after posting that math some people are still not convinced.

It might not be as cheap as a generator and window unit but it is possible.

Heck just a decent fan may be all that is needed to take the edge off
I have used a 5 inch USB powered fan running on my cell phone charging battery pack thing while tent camping a few times.
I set it up to point at my upper body and generally sometime in the early morning hours I find myself covering up a little bit.
I never actually measured the temp but this was Ohio in peak summer temps so it was probably 80 ish with 80% humidity.
Definitely not as cozy as AC but it gets me by and about freezes my wife out if she happens to get any of the breezes from it.

As far as generators and noise, I rather prefer the dull hum of some of the new small inverter generators as I can not sleep in total silence.
You can also build simple boxes that will still quiet down even the most quiet generators.

To be honest a campground is not the first place I would stop and set up if I was looking for total piece and quiet.
Complaining about noise at a campground is like complaining about umbrellas at the beach

 

[luthj]

That portable split unit is known for leaking refrigerant over time. It can be recharged, but it uses 410a?, so recharging means finding a pro with a canister. It could be recharged with 134a, but that would reduce output by 25% or so.

I have been working on a plan to convert a 5,000btu window unit into a mini split. It would require brazing some fittings, adding a remote evap fan, etc. Then just recharge with 134a with an added service port. Should only be 400$ in materials.

 

[dwh]

I snore louder than an inverter generator.

 

[vwhammer]

That portable split unit is known for leaking refrigerant over time. It can be recharged, but it uses 410a?, so recharging means finding a pro with a canister. It could be recharged with 134a, but that would reduce output by 25% or so.

I have been working on a plan to convert a 5,000btu window unit into a mini split. It would require brazing some fittings, adding a remote evap fan, etc. Then just recharge with 134a with an added service port. Should only be 400$ in materials.

Yeah there is not a whole lot of info on that mini split set up.
The main complaint that I have seen is that they have a dry break system so you can separate the two parts and run the hoses through smaller holes and such.
Apparently those dry breaks can be a pain to open or close back up and people end up losing refrigerant that way.

I do know that the Everlanders have different mini split similar to that one but it is only sold in Canada.
I have not heard that they have had any issues with it yet but they also have not been using it that long.

I have also contemplated going the reworked window AC route.
Primarily I could buy a couple of used window units and reconfigure them as I needed for a lot less money.

Of course I also plan to use an electric AC system as the primary AC for my vehicle while driving as well.

Naturally for this I will need a much bigger system.
More or less it will get a serious alternator upgrade and two 10000 BTU AC units.
Upon vehicle start up, both units will run to cool the van down quickly.
Then it is likely that one will keep the van cool enough so the other one will shut down.

Once again a lot of people think that a system like that would be terribly complicated but I will already have an inverter on board because I will have solar.
All I would need to do at that point is wire up the AC units and make sure I have a way, whether driving or camping, to supply adequate power to the inverter.

The advantage to an electric AC system is that I would already have AC installed that I can use for camping as well

 

[Mwilliamshs]

If you want to build a split system cheaply look into dehumidifiers. All the parts, way less universally desirable than a window unit.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

I’m strongly considering a window unit in the rear door on the drivers side down low. Would be out of the way with minimal interior space usage and if I layout my rear storage correctly it shouldn’t pose any problems...

I just set mine in a front window with a blanket draped around it for now but I plan to make a replacement for my driver's-side rear window out steel to function as an AC bracket and cage.

I don't think the low mount option would work for me because cold air won't rise I'd rather make or have made something easily removable than modify my rather permanent door. I have a spare tire mounted on that door already so the rear stick-out of an AC should make little difference to overall length, door usability, etc.

 

[plh]

I have been working on a set up for my 4x4 vanagon (if I ever get it done) that consists of 1200 watts of solar and 250 amp hours of Nissan leaf batteries in a 24 volt configuration.

bigger roof space than the average vanagon? I'm looking at some 255 watt panels at 64.5" x 34.8". Maybe fit 2 (doubtful) on a roof? 1 on roof, 3 or 4 on side array?

 

[eblau]

I went to a portable AC unit in my truck camper after building a window panel that held a window AC unit and then wondered why I hadn't just bought a portable unit in the first place. It didn't take up a ton of room, was easy to vent and I could simply remove it when I didn't need it. I see a lot of people propping up a window unit in the front window of their van or cutting a huge hold in their cargo doors and so on, it just doesn't make sense when these portable units get the job done really well. If my roof unit ever craps out in my class B will replace it with a roof vent or add another fantastic fan and use a portable AC unit inside. It will take some of the weight off the high roof also which is a huge plus!

 

[5spd97]

I have been eyeballin' one of these for sometime now.
https://rollibot.com/product/mini-split-ac-room-air-conditioner/

This unit would likely take a 2kw generator to run, at least for initial start up.

I looked at those Rollibot split units for the same reason as you. It seemed like a perfect solution for my needs but the reviews on those units are terrible and customer support seems to be non existent.

 

[Mwilliamshs]

I went to a portable AC unit in my truck camper after building a window panel that held a window AC unit and then wondered why I hadn't just bought a portable unit in the first place. It didn't take up a ton of room, was easy to vent and I could simply remove it when I didn't need it. I see a lot of people propping up a window unit in the front window of their van or cutting a huge hold in their cargo doors and so on, it just doesn't make sense when these portable units get the job done really well. If my roof unit ever craps out in my class B will replace it with a roof vent or add another fantastic fan and use a portable AC unit inside. It will take some of the weight off the high roof also which is a huge plus!

Portables are as not efficient since the hot side is inside the van. That's why they have 2 btu ratings per unit. 1 hose portables turn your van into a low-pressure area and pull hot, humid outside air into your van. 2 hose portables have 2 hoses to bother with and radiate heat into the van. Portables take up more space than a window unit. Portables are louder than window units, inside and out. Portables that run on less than 500 watts like my window unit either don't exist or aren't common because I can't find one. I suspect that's because of their inefficiencies; a unit that small with all the hindrances of a portable, just wouldn't be effective.

 

[eblau]

I've used both inside my Four Wheel Camper, in the south, in the summer, on pavement in a race car paddock. I can tell you with certainty that the portable unit cooled just as effectively as the window unit. It was no more noisy than the window unit. Sure portables take up more interior space than a window unit (thats blatantly obvious) but taking down and setting up a window unit then finding a place to put said window unit inside my camper or truck cab was a pain. We are talking about compromises here at the end of the day anyways and I was offering my opinions based on personal experience with all three types (roof, portable, redneck window unit).

Portables are as not efficient since the hot side is inside the van. That's why they have 2 btu ratings per unit. 1 hose portables turn your van into a low-pressure area and pull hot, humid outside air into your van. 2 hose portables have 2 hoses to bother with and radiate heat into the van. Portables take up more space than a window unit. Portables are louder than window units, inside and out. Portables that run on less than 500 watts like my window unit either don't exist or aren't common because I can't find one. I suspect that's because of their inefficiencies; a unit that small with all the hindrances of a portable, just wouldn't be effective.

 

[burleyman]

5000 BTU manual controls. 3/4" plywood inside, shower surround outside. Tilted enough for water to run off when parked somewhat down in front. Bolts through original window holes. Four metal brackets. Lots of bouncing on rough roads. Generator usually resides under bed, placed outside when camping.

On cross country just traveling, generator sometimes on cargo hauler for a quick fire up. For two winters I removed the AC, but it is for now a permanent fixture.

 

[vwhammer]

bigger roof space than the average vanagon? I'm looking at some 255 watt panels at 64.5" x 34.8". Maybe fit 2 (doubtful) on a roof? 1 on roof, 3 or 4 on side array?

They will fit traditionally but there will be a bit of overhang everywhere.
If power is your priority then you will deal with the strange set up but, in practice, it probably would not look as bad as you might think.
I have yet to toss them up there and see what it looks like.
A lot of people run racks and roof boxes on Vanagons that stick out way more than 4 of these panels would if set up exposed all the time.

If I am feeling ambitious I might run two panels lengthwise along the roof with two more panels below them that will be deployed when in camp.

I hate to keep bringing it up, but if you are bored, you can check out the Everlanders peeps on youtube or on here and check out their expanding solar set up to add more panels.

It does help that my panels are 295 watt monocrystalline panels so 4 of them will do the trick.
I even have a 5th one that I may drag along if it's late camp season and I might need the extra power.

 

[plh]

They will fit traditionally but there will be a bit of overhang everywhere.
If power is your priority then you will deal with the strange set up but, in practice, it probably would not look as bad as you might think.
I have yet to toss them up there and see what it looks like.
A lot of people run racks and roof boxes on Vanagons that stick out way more than 4 of these panels would if set up exposed all the time.

If I am feeling ambitious I might run two panels lengthwise along the roof with two more panels below them that will be deployed when in camp.

I hate to keep bringing it up, but if you are bored, you can check out the Everlanders peeps on youtube or on here and check out their expanding solar set up to add more panels.

It does help that my panels are 295 watt monocrystalline panels so 4 of them will do the trick.
I even have a 5th one that I may drag along if it's late camp season and I might need the extra power.

I bought the 255 watt panel I referenced above, just wondering how big your 295 watt panels measure.