Are all A/C units Rooftop units?

[NJtoNC]

title says it all. are there any in-coach , heat pump type units made? Along the lines of ducted furnaces?

I hate the thought of ruining the lines of the rooftop on the vintage trailers..

[AWCHIEF]

Not sure about heat pumps, but you will see regular home type window units in vintage trailers. Mine at one time had a window unit installed in the back window. It was removed by the PO and replaced with a top mounted Coleman unit. Darn thing is noisy as all get out and leaks to the inside in high humidity.

[tlsmit1]

I totally agree: we're having our '62 Tradewind worked on, and I couldn't bring myself to mess with its lines with a rooftop unit.

We've just bit the bullet and gone with an alternative that has been mentioned on the forums occasionally before. Dometic makes A/C units that are intended to cool truck sleeping compartments. They mount under the sleeping bunk and are intended for trucks with auxiliary power units or big battery banks. The idea is to let truckers avoid running their diesels all night.

They make self-contained units as well as units with separate evaporators and condensers. We went for a self-contained one, which is designed to vent downward out of the bottom of the cab (...or trailer). Various posters have suggested that one could use a split unit and mount the external portion on the tongue. This would be quieter inside but arguably less attractive.

The only downside that I can see is cost--they're really, annoyingly expensive. Your mileage may vary on whether this is worth it.

They do not function as heat pumps, but they do have plain-jane electric heat strips built in.

Information on the units is on Dometic's website here:

Dometic Truck Products

We have a "bunkhouse" unit with 4 twin beds in the mid cabin. Our plan is to place it under the streetside bunk, with ducting exiting laterally between the bunks and also forward, under the kitchen sink and into the living area.

I'll let you know how this works out once it's finished. Good luck!

[NJtoNC]

the reason i ask is b/c i built in an window type a/c unit into a cabinet in my 62 GT. i installed it so the back is vented out of a side compartment door. It sits on top of metal drip pan that routes condensation to the outside of the trailer. it works well, and is less ghetto than putting it in the window. I was hoping to do something more elegant in the 57 overlander, as i will NOT be mounting a a/c on the roof. I'll take the same approach if i have to, but i thought i recall seeing a European unit that was built into the bench... I am sure i saw it on the forums but searches revealed nothing.

Edit: YES! thats it! didnt your post til i posted. that must be it...

[Becky B.]

Toastie, from the forum here, made this ingenius use of a casement window a/c in his small trailer. I copied his method for install in my Bambi II. It works fantastic! Here is the link of how he did it:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...-38289-38.html

[Alumaholic]

We have a forum member who did a similar, ingenious installation on the total renovation of his vintage. The results were elegant. all openings were through the floor. Skin was untouched. He rarely checks in, but I will try to PM him for description and pictures. Don't do anything rash until we hear from him. Give me 48 hours.