|
|
08-24-2020, 08:49 AM
|
#501
|
Rivet Master
1958 26' Overlander
Battle Ground
, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 871
|
Nice work Bubba
|
|
|
08-24-2020, 03:52 PM
|
#502
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Thanks Jerry and Harold for the compliments. This idea is still a work in progress. We installed a mock-up transfer/transition duct connecting the air handler to the duct trunk line. I’m trying to make sure the size of my ducting is adequate for the volume of air entering into it. We’re testing and logging temperatures. A lot of testing and mock-ups. Take care
|
|
|
08-24-2020, 07:15 PM
|
#503
|
Rivet Master
1986 34' Limited
1975 27' Overlander
1969 21' Globetrotter
Conifer
, Colorado
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 8,313
|
The AC concealment cover looks great. That's a big project designing the cover, getting it bent, riveting it and making the Airstream nameplate. Class A craftsman.
David
__________________
WBCCI #8607 VAC Region 11
KnowledgeBase trailer renovation threads: 69 Globetrotter, 76 Sovereign, 75 Overlander, 66 Trade Wind Such fun !
|
|
|
08-24-2020, 07:42 PM
|
#504
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Thanks David. Without the guy making the breaks perfectly, the pieces wouldn’t have gone together so smoothly. Take care
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 05:15 AM
|
#505
|
4 Rivet Member
1956 22' Safari
1962 28' Ambassador
Williston
, Vermont
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 494
|
Looks great, like it should have come with the trailer.
Are you thinking of adding an additional blower to help move the cold air or is the internal blower strong enough? - Mark
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 06:31 AM
|
#506
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by steinVT
Looks great, like it should have come with the trailer.
Are you thinking of adding an additional blower to help move the cold air or is the internal blower strong enough? - Mark
|
We were just talking about an in-line fan to push air. We’re testing with different outside temperatures and how long it takes to get to set point. I’m thinking an in-line fan is going to be a must. I wish I could just sit down with someone with a lot of AC knowledge and bounce ideas. Thanks Mark
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 10:32 AM
|
#507
|
4 Rivet Member
2005 25' Safari
1968 17' Caravel
1967 22' Safari
Leawood
, Kansas
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 456
|
Bubba- your triumph isn't complete without a pic of the trailer from the side to show your clean rooftop that TouringDan would be proud of. You need a vintage "Air Conditioned" decal for one of your windows like the movie theatre had when you were a kid. Jerry
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 02:17 PM
|
#508
|
Rivet Master
1960 33' Custom
Athens
, Georgia
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,373
|
Looking sharp. My exterior unit arrived today, any tips on the taking apart and painting?
I’ve got to build a forward overhead cabinet to hold the interior unit so it’ll be a while before I can hear the sweet silence of mini split air.
__________________
1960 Sovereign 33' Pacific Railroad Custom
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 02:52 PM
|
#509
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by truckasaurus
Looking sharp. My exterior unit arrived today, any tips on the taking apart and painting?
I’ve got to build a forward overhead cabinet to hold the interior unit so it’ll be a while before I can hear the sweet silence of mini split air.
|
We used the Rustoleum paint noted in post #498. It’s an exterior/interior paint resistant to fading or chipping. My wife just pulled the decals off easily and removed the screws. She washed it well with Dawn and let it dry. Then paint. Keep in mind we did this after startup in the event something on the unit didn’t work properly, we didn’t void the warranty by painting. Took two cans for the front and curbside end. Good luck
|
|
|
08-25-2020, 10:00 PM
|
#510
|
Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg
, Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
|
Bubba L- Absolutely superb craftsmanship on your mini split install. I am looking forward to seeing the performance numbers in terms of cooling performance and noise level.
No progress here on my minisplit install as we have been camping in the Michigan UP and now in the Virginia mountains. No AC needed. Texas heat provides lots of motivation for air conditioning work- especially recently!
Dan
|
|
|
08-26-2020, 09:57 AM
|
#511
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by TouringDan
Bubba L- Absolutely superb craftsmanship on your mini split install. I am looking forward to seeing the performance numbers in terms of cooling performance and noise level.
No progress here on my minisplit install as we have been camping in the Michigan UP and now in the Virginia mountains. No AC needed. Texas heat provides lots of motivation for air conditioning work- especially recently!
Dan
|
Dan, we are continuing to test with the transition duct and an in-line duct fan. They have an LG 12000btu 220vac that is a ducted unit. We have the LG 12000btu 110vac that is not ducted. So the challenge is to duct it so we can utilize our existing duct and registers. We’re trying a different configuration each day at the same outdoor temperature and changing a couple of things. We’re logging the time of day and how long it takes to drop to set point. I want it to cool quickly so I may have to increase the size of the opening in the trunk line for more CFMs to enter from the air handler. I may even add one more duct/register. Keeps me busy and my brain functioning. Thanks
|
|
|
08-26-2020, 10:25 AM
|
#512
|
Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Pocatello
, Idaho
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 944
|
Bubba,
Masterful job! Both the cover and the nameplate are perfect. You do great work: wish you lived nearby!
Vivian
|
|
|
08-26-2020, 05:00 PM
|
#513
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Landshark
Bubba,
Masterful job! Both the cover and the nameplate are perfect. You do great work: wish you lived nearby!
Vivian
|
Thanks Vivian. By the way, when in the heck are you getting your Caravel? Take care
|
|
|
09-04-2020, 11:27 AM
|
#514
|
Rivet Master
1967 17' Caravel
Pocatello
, Idaho
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 944
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubba L
By the way, when in the heck are you getting your Caravel? Take care
|
I wish I knew! The guy doing it owns an RV place, so he is slammed with everyone wanting to camp as the safest alternative for a vacation during this plague. I have been carrying the suicide door locks you sent to me in the TV, ready to use, along with a few other things, as a kind of wishful thinking, I guess. Maybe I can get it in the spring; have to work around snow and icy roads as I tow it north, so can't start too early in the year. **sigh**
Thanks for asking!
Vivian
|
|
|
09-05-2020, 05:00 PM
|
#515
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
AC Progress!
We're making a great deal of progress on the mini split installation. First thing I did was to make a cardboard prototype transition duct from the air handler to the duct trunk line opening. I didn't want to tear out the old trunk line, so am reusing it.
We were not happy with the results of testing and discovered the prototype had too many air leaks. Since sealing the cardboard better gave promising results, I made a transition duct out of sheet metal and sealed it well with aluminum tape.
At this point testing with thermometers showed that the trailer cooled, but not evenly and not fast. The outside temperature was in the upper 90's, but the trailer cooled only to the mid 70's at best after several hours. We added a 250 CFM inline 6" duct fan which helped air distribution, but the front and back of the trailer were still not as cool as we had hoped. To test whether additional airflow via ducting to the fore and aft would solve the problem, we cut in a 4" wye in the trunk line above the inline duct fan and connected 4" temporary dryer vents to the wye to direct the airflow fore and aft.
We tested again. The outside temperature was in the mid 90's and the inside cooled to 68 degrees within 30 minute.
Though our testing, we realized that
1) it is important to seal the ducts very well.
2) The inline fan helped
3) Increasing from 2 to 4 ducts and distributing the air more evenly was paramount.
Our two original registers had dampers and I added damper flaps to each of the 4" ducts at the wye. This will allow us to balance the airflow. We will also add a switch to the duct fan so it can be manually operated. Since we're now happy with the test results, we sealed all connections with duct sealant and insulated everything with Prodex.
Next step is to run the new 4" ducts permanently. We've ordered round birch slotted registers for the front and back bulkheads. I'm glad we got the testing done when we did because temperatures for the next 10 days are not supposed to exceed 90.
|
|
|
09-05-2020, 10:30 PM
|
#516
|
Rivet Master
1966 24' Tradewind
1995 34' Excella
Lynchburg
, Virginia
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,225
|
Bubba L- Nice job of designing ductwork to distribute the cool air from your minisplit! You really now do have “ducted A/C” in your 55 FC!
How is the noise level?
Dan
|
|
|
09-06-2020, 04:29 AM
|
#517
|
4 Rivet Member
1956 22' Safari
1962 28' Ambassador
Williston
, Vermont
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 494
|
Very nice. And thanks for the insights. You've got me rethinking my designs for the Ambassador. I am surprised the two additional 4" vents made such a difference, but it's hard to argue with results. - Mark
|
|
|
09-06-2020, 06:20 AM
|
#518
|
4 Rivet Member
2005 25' Safari
1968 17' Caravel
1967 22' Safari
Leawood
, Kansas
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 456
|
Bubba- Nice craftsmanship. Looks like you're doing this at the right time of your build. Keep us posted. Jerry
|
|
|
09-06-2020, 10:47 AM
|
#519
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by TouringDan
Bubba L- Nice job of designing ductwork to distribute the cool air from your minisplit! You really now do have “ducted A/C” in your 55 FC!
How is the noise level?
Dan
|
Dan, the decibel level inside never got above 41.5 in the jet mode even with the inline fan blowing. So far so good. Thanks
|
|
|
09-06-2020, 05:29 PM
|
#520
|
Rivet Master
1966 22' Safari
1955 22' Flying Cloud
Fredericksburg
, Texas
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,953
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by steinVT
Very nice. And thanks for the insights. You've got me rethinking my designs for the Ambassador. I am surprised the two additional 4" vents made such a difference, but it's hard to argue with results. - Mark
|
Mark, the stage you’re in with the Ambassador, you may consider a mini split. I don’t know how many BTUs you would need to condition that much space. The ducting would take some thought. We gave up a small amount of storage, but I don’t mind the trade off to get low decibels and good cooling. Especially in the Texas heat.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|