Well, I still keep hoping/dreaming of a mini split heat pump that can provide both cooling and heating for mobile applications. Haven't found it yet. The ones for big truck rigs aren't quite right - not efficient enough and most provide electric heat rather than heat pump heat. When I query the manufacturers of the residential units, they are quite explicit that the warranty would be voided with an install in a camper van. So we are coming back to consideration of installing a small window unit, such as this Energy Star rated Frigidaire 8000 BTU one. http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FFRE0833Q1.html
I want low watts - this is 704 watts - low amps - this is 6.2 amps - low voltage start - and decent dehumidification. I have been looking at installs using similar venting and air supply setups to what you did in your first Sprinter. A lot of people with small fiberglass travel trailers are doing this and there are some fairly good installs shown in various places. The hope is that if the draw is low enough and the batteries are being topped up by the solar panels and the alternator when we are driving, that we could maybe run it for a few minutes at the end of the day, off the batteries, just to get the inside of the van cooled down after being away from it all day hiking or whatever. We'd need an inverter, which so far we have done without - nothing we really wanted to run on shore power. Almost all the time, of course, the AC would have to be on shore power, so the inverter/battery option might not be a high priority.
https://plus.google.com/photos/116459007686903112464/albums/5504329226263402513?banner=pwa
I do know a mini split installer here in town that used to install AC on fishing boats in Gloucester, who might be able to put in a fairly cheap one for us - the outside unit riding in a small cargo carrier on the hitch and the inside unit high on one of the side walls. I figure if anyone could help us do it he could. We would mount it on rubber motor mounts or something similar to reduce vibration and have him do anything else he recommends to protect it. Probably cover it when driving as some units don't like high winds - especially the cheaper ones I've looked at - but we don't need it anyway when driving. This option only would work if the unit was cheap enough that we didn't care about the warranty.
We have a larger version (older model) of a portable rolling AC like yours, but it is too big and too loud for our van. Wish we could use it since it just sits in the shed since we installed the Mitsubishi mini-splits in the house in 2012.
All this waits on selling some sculpture for the wherewithall, so meanwhile we are using the time to continue researching options, and avoiding camping in very hot places. The Fantastic fan, an additional 12 volt portable fan made by Fantastic, and the opening awning windows do a pretty good job in most situations.
I want low watts - this is 704 watts - low amps - this is 6.2 amps - low voltage start - and decent dehumidification. I have been looking at installs using similar venting and air supply setups to what you did in your first Sprinter. A lot of people with small fiberglass travel trailers are doing this and there are some fairly good installs shown in various places. The hope is that if the draw is low enough and the batteries are being topped up by the solar panels and the alternator when we are driving, that we could maybe run it for a few minutes at the end of the day, off the batteries, just to get the inside of the van cooled down after being away from it all day hiking or whatever. We'd need an inverter, which so far we have done without - nothing we really wanted to run on shore power. Almost all the time, of course, the AC would have to be on shore power, so the inverter/battery option might not be a high priority.
https://plus.google.com/photos/116459007686903112464/albums/5504329226263402513?banner=pwa
I do know a mini split installer here in town that used to install AC on fishing boats in Gloucester, who might be able to put in a fairly cheap one for us - the outside unit riding in a small cargo carrier on the hitch and the inside unit high on one of the side walls. I figure if anyone could help us do it he could. We would mount it on rubber motor mounts or something similar to reduce vibration and have him do anything else he recommends to protect it. Probably cover it when driving as some units don't like high winds - especially the cheaper ones I've looked at - but we don't need it anyway when driving. This option only would work if the unit was cheap enough that we didn't care about the warranty.
We have a larger version (older model) of a portable rolling AC like yours, but it is too big and too loud for our van. Wish we could use it since it just sits in the shed since we installed the Mitsubishi mini-splits in the house in 2012.
All this waits on selling some sculpture for the wherewithall, so meanwhile we are using the time to continue researching options, and avoiding camping in very hot places. The Fantastic fan, an additional 12 volt portable fan made by Fantastic, and the opening awning windows do a pretty good job in most situations.
