Non-rooftop A/C?

[tlsmit1]

We have been thinking about installing a truck-type A/C unit under one of the bunks or under the oven in our (newly acquired) 62 Trade Wind. Has anyone considered or done this before? It would avoid having to deal with customizing the roof. Here is a link to one these units, as an example:

Dometic Truck Products

[Cathy&Pete]

I think the roof is the preferred location for the a/c because heat rises/cooled air falls. If the a/c unit is too low it will only cool the bottom of your trailer.

Just a thought!

Cathy

[65Safari65]

The truck-type ones sound neat, but if our rooftop AC dies, I'll probably go with one of those in-room ACs on wheels. I would make a window attachment for the vent. I don't do so much hot weather camping, and having a temperamental, expensive appliance out there where it gets wet and things try to build nests in it seems less than ideal. Also, I'm all for fewer appliances in my life, and this could live in the house. For when we're moving, I'd wrap a blanket around it, and bungee it to the dinette so it doesn't go flying. Just another idea.

Something like this one, maybe with higher BTUs:

Amazon.com: Haier Portable Air Conditioner, 8000 BTUs, CPRB08XCJ: Home & Garden: Reviews, Prices & more

Brad

[dwightdi]

Red neck version. You could put a window unit in the back window when you are parked and take it out and put it on the floor when you travel. It works and is low cost.

[Dave Park]

Originally Posted by 65Safari65

The truck-type ones sound neat, but if our rooftop AC dies, I'll probably go with one of those in-room ACs on wheels.

There are two types of those.

The good type has an air inlet hose and air outlet hose, and they're about the same efficiency as normal ACs.

The bad type just has an air outlet only, and uses room air as the inlet. Due to this, it constantly draws in outside air to the room - these units operate at about half the efficiency of the good units. THEY LIST THE SAME BTUs. But they are half as effective.

Also, these units are usually 50-100lbs heavier than a static AC.

[SilverRanger]

Here's an example of the red neck version. It works great, draws only 7 amps on AC power, only needs one Honda 2000 generator, and I swear I didn't use one piece of duct tape.


http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post821583

[SmokelessJoe]

Not wanting to spoil the iconic shape of the Argosy with a clunky, over bearing rooftop, I used a commercial/residential LG model called Art Cool. Blower head inside is 20”x20” and 5” deep. Compressor is out on the tongue. (No propane; the trailer is diesel powered)







Long thread but more information here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f227...tml#post628818

Sergei

[ALANSD]

Originally Posted by 65Safari65

The truck-type ones sound neat, but if our rooftop AC dies, I'll probably go with one of those in-room ACs on wheels. I would make a window attachment for the vent. I don't do so much hot weather camping, and having a temperamental, expensive appliance out there where it gets wet and things try to build nests in it seems less than ideal. Also, I'm all for fewer appliances in my life, and this could live in the house. For when we're moving, I'd wrap a blanket around it, and bungee it to the dinette so it doesn't go flying. Just another idea.
Brad

These seem to have never worked well for anyone who needs truly cool air.

[NJtoNC]

If the a/c unit is too low it will only cool the bottom of your trailer.

this is not true. a trailer with an appropriately sized a/c gets cooled fine. we built in a window a/c into our cabinetry in front of an access door. we open the access door for venting. it cools teh trailer very well.

These seem to have never worked well for anyone who needs truly cool air.

in regard to the portable a/c units, we looked into these also. the ones that work properly are a bit more expensive and start @ 12,000BTU's - they are called 'dual intake' i believe - A Dual-hose setup won't create negative pressure inside the room and therefore wont draw in air from outside to the area that is being cooled. we didnt go this route b/c 12k btu's was way overkill for our 19ft trailer. might work on a 30fter.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by tlsmit1

We have been thinking about installing a truck-type A/C unit under one of the bunks or under the oven in our (newly acquired) 62 Trade Wind. Has anyone considered or done this before? It would avoid having to deal with customizing the roof. Here is a link to one these units, as an example:

Dometic Truck Products

I believe SmokelessJoe is the only one who has actually gone ahead with a split system install and written about it on the forums. There are several people who have installed window-type units through the trailer wall.

The RV industry uses rooftop units not because hot air inside the trailer rises but because, across the industry, it is the most practical and inexpensive design for a packaged A/C with minimal impact on trailer design or production. The ducted "basement" units (designed to install more or less like a propane furnace) utilized in some of the larger bus-frame motorhomes are costly and prone to problems with condensation inside and outside the ducts. Management of airflow on the outdoor side of the unit is also a problem with these. They are either ducted through the floor or through a grill on the side of the coach.

The split systems like the one SmokelessJoe installed, and like one of the ones in the OP's link, have to be installed and maintained by a refrigeration tech with the equipment and certification to work on the refrigerant system.

Window A/C units require venting from the sides and therefore must extend out from the wall, so in practice you can only install them in the rear wall unless they are on a slide (which some have done). There are wall-mount A/C units sold for apartments, which vent from the back only, which would work but would use up a good deal of interior or compartment space.

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by tlsmit1

We have been thinking about installing a truck-type A/C unit under one of the bunks or under the oven in our (newly acquired) 62 Trade Wind. Has anyone considered or done this before? It would avoid having to deal with customizing the roof. Here is a link to one these units, as an example:

Dometic Truck Products

This is a great idea/solution . . . I was very excited when I found that source as well . . . then I found out how much, and the ac unit sticking out of a window didn't look nearly as bad.
MarkR

[ALANSD]

I am on the same page. Saw an LG installed on a vintage trailer, it looked great, cost over 1000.

[VIKING]

Originally Posted by tlsmit1

We have been thinking about installing a truck-type A/C unit under one of the bunks or under the oven in our (newly acquired) 62 Trade Wind. Has anyone considered or done this before? It would avoid having to deal with customizing the roof. Here is a link to one these units, as an example:

Dometic Truck Products

I removed my old furnace and installed a 8kbtu window AC on a simple sliding shelf with a lock. The old furnace shroud was attached to the slider after these pics were taken so when it's closed you can't tell there is not a furnace there. It will operate on a 2k Honda genset with power to spare, and it will cool the Safari down to the mid sixties on a 90 degree day with no shade.
I use a oil-filled radiator for heat when I have shore power and I expect to install a marine woodstove or propane radiant heater in the future.

Regards,
Rich the Viking

[SteSpot]

Uwe Salwender installed an under the bed Dometic AC in our 68 rebuild. I thought they had stopped making them but maybe it is the same thing as the truck one.....it looks similar.....to ours....you would have to check with Uwe for the particulars.....we also have 2 fantastik fans and I prefer to use those when we can.......they do a pretty good job of cooling the trailer in the evening.....the AC makes it okay in the daytime if we have power. And it looks great not having it stuck up on the roof.....we have two solar panels up there so the real estate is dear. paula

[toastie]

This is how I did my install, work perfectly, quiet, and cools down very fast. I used a Frigidaire Window-Mounted Slider / Casement Air Conditioner Model: FAK085R7V 14-3/16" W x 20-1/4" H x 24-1/2" D, 8,000 btu, Amps (Cool): 7.2.

toastie

[Cantrell]

We did a split system similar to SmokelessJoe's set up on our 88 34'. The trailer was built with a small cavity at the tongue which the condenser fit into perfectly and is hardly seen. The inside unit is in a closet at the center of the trailer and four vents feed air to all parts of the trailer through small ductwork. It has worked well. My dad and brother are lifetime HVAC guys so they helped me pull it off a couple years ago. The real reason for all the effort is that our storage place for the trailer has limited headroom and to get the unit off the roof made all the difference in getting it into its space without trouble. I also like the look of an Airstream without a rooftop AC.
Prior to that, I tried one of those roll around portable jobs. It was terrible. It was noisy and always in the way and didn't do that great a job of cooling the trailer. For a smaller trailer, might work better.
Good luck with your project.

[tlsmit1]

Where do you haul the diesel?

[tlsmit1]

Originally Posted by tlsmit1

Where do you haul the diesel?

Sorry, that was meant to be directed to Sergai...

[SmokelessJoe]

Tismit, Jammer, others interested:

This is from my iPad so I don't know how to send a link or mark a quote yet.Can't send photos either but I can send photos of the diesel set up when I have a connection for the MacBook. Search for my thread DIESEL POWERED TRAILER. You can see it all explained there. the tank is a marine
Model mounted under the trailer.The filler spout is recessed into the body, like on a truck.

Jammer, Phil, a guy who help me a lot on the project and me installed everything by ourselves.At the end I called in Dave, a local food service ref ridge guy who took about half an hour to charge the lines. It's run perfectly for 3 summers now.

Sergei

[NJtoNC]

...then I found out how much, and the ac unit sticking out of a window didn't look nearly as bad.

mark, how much was it?

This is what we did in our 62 GT.
this is with cabinet door open 180 degrees; it vents through a compartment door.





its worked like a charm and was less than $100. In such a small trailer, the 5k BTU unit is more than enough to cool it down, even with it on the floor.

im just afraid it's not going to be enough for a 26 ft trailer, even if we upgrade to a 10k BTU unit and build it into a high cabinet...and it's a bit ghetto when investing so much into a new trailer.

Don't do anything rash until we hear from him. Give me 48 hours.

OH dont you worry! we're still in design phase. after design phase, we go to fund raising. THEN we'll start our frame-off. im thinking of starting a new thread on that, with design by consensus, where everyone votes via polls on decision making...