Rooftop A/C non-electric
- Thread starter serialNSXer
- Start date
serialNSXer
New member
do you have any experience or can you recommend an electric a/c unit?
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Have a look at what the big trucks use to cool their sleeper cabs. DCAirco is one unit that comes to mind however the other options of diesel units are basically a small diesel engine driving an aircon compressor. Far too noisy (not too mention the vibrations) to be running on a small Landrover. The DCairco unit (and there are others) is an electric motor running the compressor and has a fairly low power draw. There is still no way you could carry enough batteries to run it for more than half an hour or more without needing a recharge so you really have no way out of it other than to run a small genset or engine driven battery charger like one from Christie Engineering here in Oz
or even the old baby 35Amp @ 12volt DC 2 stroke Honda. Awesome things. Why did they ever stop making them. OT sorry. 35 @ 12v would run a DCairco unit on the low setting from memory.
None of these are cheap and if a swamp cooler is acceptable then that's by far the most cost effective. Webasto are a company that do a range of high tech swamp coolers which are a vast improvement on some of the original ones.See this link: http://www.webasto.com.au/am/en/am_trucks_park_aircon.html
Hey, good talking to you. Hope this helps. Just that I've been through this discussion with just about every customer I talk to. Everyone wants air con on batteries but the math just doesn't work out. Sorry, Have to wait for the technology to catch up. Haha.
or even the old baby 35Amp @ 12volt DC 2 stroke Honda. Awesome things. Why did they ever stop making them. OT sorry. 35 @ 12v would run a DCairco unit on the low setting from memory.
None of these are cheap and if a swamp cooler is acceptable then that's by far the most cost effective. Webasto are a company that do a range of high tech swamp coolers which are a vast improvement on some of the original ones.See this link: http://www.webasto.com.au/am/en/am_trucks_park_aircon.html
Hey, good talking to you. Hope this helps. Just that I've been through this discussion with just about every customer I talk to. Everyone wants air con on batteries but the math just doesn't work out. Sorry, Have to wait for the technology to catch up. Haha.
Last edited:
chris_the_wrench
Fixer & Builder of Things
I thought the XP Camper had an a/c unit that ran off his AGM battery bank, but I don't see anything about it on his website. Maybe it was in the video interview from overland expo last year when he mentioned it....
Also when Carlyle built up his Alaskan camper he tried a couple AC units>>
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9502
-Chris
Also when Carlyle built up his Alaskan camper he tried a couple AC units>>
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9502
-Chris
mhiscox
Exp. Leader Emeritus
Camper Mog would reliably run its 8500 BTU Coleman Polar Cub rooftop AC into the triple digits from a Honda eu2000i. But an eu200i will not reliably run the standard RV rooftop air conditioners. Honda does, however, sell a circa $150 kit to allow two of them to connect in parallel, and that will work fine.
Home "window" air conditioners have higher energy efficiencies than rooftop units, so, for example, the Sharp 5500 BTU unit in my Sprinter only draws 6 amps and will, in fact, run for a couple of hours off my 615 amp-hour battery bank. And I believe the big EarthRoamers had something similar. However, installation is tricky and not suitable for most layouts, and there's $2K and 350 pounds of batteries involved in getting this $120 AC to run, so I'm not necessarily recommending this approach.
Home "window" air conditioners have higher energy efficiencies than rooftop units, so, for example, the Sharp 5500 BTU unit in my Sprinter only draws 6 amps and will, in fact, run for a couple of hours off my 615 amp-hour battery bank. And I believe the big EarthRoamers had something similar. However, installation is tricky and not suitable for most layouts, and there's $2K and 350 pounds of batteries involved in getting this $120 AC to run, so I'm not necessarily recommending this approach.
mhiscox
Exp. Leader Emeritus
As I said, the Coleman Polar Cub is close, and the only option I know. It did the trick for me most times, but whether 8300 BTUs will cool your cabin will depend on size, color, insulation, etc.
Note that the current draw running is 8 amps, so that theoretically should be no problem for a 2KW generator. My experience, though, is that the Polar Cub's current draw will increase as it gets "overmatched" by high temperatures and you will eventually get enough voltage drop to trip off the genset. In my case, the system work until some 104+ temperatures in Central Oregon.
Here are the Polar Cub specs from the Camping World website:
Dimensions:
•Exterior shroud: 45"L x 29"W x 11"H
•Ceiling Assembly: 20"L x 20"W x 2"D
Warranty: Mfr. 2 year limited warranty.
Mfg Part #: 22222COMBO
Tech Notes:
•Full load amps: 8.0 cooling, 14.2 heating (with optional heat strip, sold separately)
•Running watts: 900 cooling, 1800 heating
•Installed weight: 101 lbs.
•Volts AC: 115
•BTUs: 8300
serialNSXer
New member
all great replys, thanks folks:
here's what gordon has to say about it:
Anil:
This unit may be the one that you described:
http://www.rdac.com/Pages/product_pages/units_pages/6100_unit.html
However, it requires that the engine be running to operate because the compressor is engine driven. The truckers are now not allowed to idle their engines to run A/C or heat in most locations now so they are using something known as an APU(aux. power unit).
Like this: http://www.sleepingwell.net/Arctic_2000.htm
Look at "literature & manuals".
An RV unit is an option as you mentioned but I suspect that even the smaller ones @ 13,000BTU would be too large with the engine not running and generating the heat the OE vehicle unit must overcome.
Look these over & if they will not meet your needs we'll look at some other options.
Thank you,
Gordon Marks
Marks Air, Inc.
Tampa, FL
800-521-9854x0
Since 1971
here's what gordon has to say about it:
Anil:
This unit may be the one that you described:
http://www.rdac.com/Pages/product_pages/units_pages/6100_unit.html
However, it requires that the engine be running to operate because the compressor is engine driven. The truckers are now not allowed to idle their engines to run A/C or heat in most locations now so they are using something known as an APU(aux. power unit).
Like this: http://www.sleepingwell.net/Arctic_2000.htm
Look at "literature & manuals".
An RV unit is an option as you mentioned but I suspect that even the smaller ones @ 13,000BTU would be too large with the engine not running and generating the heat the OE vehicle unit must overcome.
Look these over & if they will not meet your needs we'll look at some other options.
Thank you,
Gordon Marks
Marks Air, Inc.
Tampa, FL
800-521-9854x0
Since 1971
serialNSXer
New member
Of late, my feeling, and that of a close colleague, is to install a diesel genset on the defender, and then mount an electric a/c unit, as many of you have suggested.
Diesel is required, as my Defender 110 is a diesel, so I already have the fuel with me. The genset could be mounted underneath or inside a fender, and vented easily.
The advantages of a genset are many: power backup, built-in inverter, a/c, heat, winch, battery backup, etc.
So the search shifts from an electric a/c...to a small diesel genset, plus an efficient electric a/c unit. Now, it looks like most of the smaller (Honda-style) gensets are...petrol!
Jeez. I can't catch a break.
Welcome your continued feedback.
Diesel is required, as my Defender 110 is a diesel, so I already have the fuel with me. The genset could be mounted underneath or inside a fender, and vented easily.
The advantages of a genset are many: power backup, built-in inverter, a/c, heat, winch, battery backup, etc.
So the search shifts from an electric a/c...to a small diesel genset, plus an efficient electric a/c unit. Now, it looks like most of the smaller (Honda-style) gensets are...petrol!
Jeez. I can't catch a break.
Welcome your continued feedback.
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