Portable Air Conditioner

[larrysun]

I wanted to check with the group to see if anyone has used a portable air conditioner in their trailer? I have a 25ft AS and have the same problem that many people have cooling their trailers. When the temp is really high outside the AS AC unit just don't really keep up. I'm thinking about using a portable air conditioner and venting it outside to help cool down the trailer.

[Foiled Again]

Yes, you can use either a standard window unit or a roll around unit. The problems are electricity and storage.

A small window unit can be.mounted in either the front or back window once the screen is removed and you have built a platform to balance it on, and a waterproof surround to fill the rest of the window. Run the cord outside and use a heavy duty extension cord to go to the 20 amp plug on the pedestal. This rig needs to be removable and stored somewhere whenever the coach is moved. A removable awning over the opened window is a good idea for rainy days.

A roll around unit could be used in the shower, vented out through the fan. Water would go down the shower drain. Powering it will blow the 30 amp breaker if the main a/c is running, so you will need to snake the heavy duty extension cord through a window or modify the exhaust fan opening and use it.

Of course with either solution you could add a separate 20 or 30 amp circuit to the trailer.

Alternatively, upgrade to a full awning package, park in the shade AND add fans to circulate the a/c air better. My bedroom tends to be hotter than the rest.of the trailer. A Vornado fan on the floor in the main space helps a lot.

Also if you come home tothe trailer at noon it will be super hot; 20° to 30°F above outside temps. Crank up the fantastic fans with at least one window open and only the screen door closed. 5 minutes will exhaust the super hot air. Close up and then turn on the a/c. It is easier to get from 90°F to 75° than to start at 125°.

"Artificial trees" saw a camper who had a bunch of vertical flags (like every car lot uses) running down the east, west, and south sides of his trailer. I assumed they were there for the bright colors until the owner explained they were "artificial shade trees"

[OTRA15]

In your 25FB unit, can you close off the bedroom, and get the main room to cool down better? We used to do that with our old 25' and it helped.

Good suggestions in last post.

Or upgrade to a trailer with 2 A/C?



Peter

PS -- You might want to check out the A/C etc. forum for similar threads/issues:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f427/

[lsbrodsky]

This comes up a lot and I feel your pain since I have the same trailer. One thing I have found that helps a lot is Reflectix in the living area windows, even with the full awning package. That is not useful if you are in the trailer during the day because you cannot see out, but if you are away, it is a great help. In the end, I have decided that camping where it is too hot to sit outside or my single A/C won't cool enough is just something I do not want to do. I do not camp in July and August unless I am going to the mountains.
Yeah, one could spend money to buy a new trailer with 2 units but I still would not want to camp if it is too hot to sit outside.
Larry

[OTRA15]

Well said, Larry.

Peter

[Betterboat]

Nice to see this discussion and the experience you are all sharing with us southeast campers
We need to be cool !

[pteck]

I'm in agreement with a lot of the proposed strategies.

A direct path to better cooling can be to replace the existing A/C unit. There are higher output 15k units out there than the standard 13.5k unit fitted from the factory. Also, not all 15k units are created equal. An upgraded A/C should easily keep a 25' Airstream cool without a lot of other creative strategies.

I upgrade my very marginal 13.5k Penguin to a new generation 15k Blizzard NXT. Much higher output that it keeps my 27FB comfortably cool in the hottest weather.

Here's some data that may show differences among the Dometic 15k models. Sorry for the chicken scratch annotations as it's hard to write with a mouse

[Wayne&Sam]

I find the hottest parts of the trailer are the ends. And that is where I usually hang out- on the twin bed or the dinette. A fan makes a huge difference.

I've used 12 volt computer fans ( the one I took out of the refrigerator when I upgraded the fan to a quiet one) that have worked well. I'll be installing a couple of Sirocco II Fans next week as a permanent installation.

[Julie-Bob]

Originally Posted by larrysun

I wanted to check with the group to see if anyone has used a portable air conditioner in their trailer? I have a 25ft AS and have the same problem that many people have cooling their trailers. When the temp is really high outside the AS AC unit just don't really keep up. I'm thinking about using a portable air conditioner and venting it outside to help cool down the trailer.

In 2011 August we were transferred to Phoenix. We full timed in our 25FB Classic. Temps were in the 117 degrees area. We purchased a portable room AC from Lowe’s and installed in the bedroom, exhaust the hot air out the fan in the roof. I had a heavy duty cord to it from the park electric post. Both AC ran 24/7 we lived that way for 8 months until we could purchase the house. I can be done

[frone]

Has anyone considered the 2022 portable AC units that are being advertised? such as a zero breeze or others? many thanks in advance

[Dennis C]

I saw those for sale at Home Depot the other day. They look to have rechargeable batteries via USB port. Aren’t they essentially just small evaporative coolers (swamp coolers)? Or are they new technology?