Long hot summer has me thinking...

C

cdbrow1

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Dec 22, 2014
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The one creature comfort I am missing in my camper is A/C - this summer in California has been particularly brutal - with high temps even at high elevations.

I have a small swamp cooler (Swampy) - it can hold the temp steady if the camper is cooled down - but after a long day in the sun it is not up to the job of cooling the camper down.

Looking at A/C units I see Dometic has a smaller unit that seems interesting -

https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/products/climate/air-conditioners/air-conditioners-for-rvs/dometic-brisk-ii-air:sleep:20674#features

Weight is under 80 lbs and it mounts on a standard 14x14 opening. It's much taller then I would like - but what can you do.


Anyone have any thoughts?
 
Agreed on SoCal temps this year. Much more humid than usual, even here close to the coast. Another option I've seen is a small "window" a/c mounted through the rear wall, passenger side. Maybe not as clean a look but I would be concerned about 1) adding another opening in the roof, and 2) the additional weight/height on a pop-up. I believe ATC has done those mods before, perhaps FWC as well. The small window units can be had for a couple hundred bucks. Didn't see a price on the Dometic but suspect it's pricey. Just offering up an alternative, not making a qualitative judgement.

Looking forward to seeing your solution.

Edit: check out this thread under FWC Discussions, "New FWC Hawk in Minnesota", post #14. You'll see what I referenced in several of the pics.
 
Hey cd....what about the marine A/C units on the Dometic site? They may be just the right size for a Four Wheel, though I noticed in your OP that your swamp cooler wasn't doing the job...the marine units are probably too small, but the literature says they're good for small sailboats or cabins. Check 'em out. Now you've got me thinking..... :p
 
I'm in Texas and my rear window unit does an adequate job at 5000 BTUs, It will only get down to 70 when the outside temp hits mid 90s though. So don't cheat yourself on capacity. Nice thing about a window unit is cost, especially now with fall coming on, find a discounted unit at Home Depot maybe. I bought a spare for mine last year, cost me $110.
 
I use a stand up portable a/c unit. I vent it through the sliding glass window using insulated flex-duct. I found that the supplied plastic vent hose created too much heat for my liking. It does take up a little space but the southern east coast humidity instantly becomes much more manageable.
I considered installing one in the rear window in my 89 Grandby but I am still on the fence. Just my 2 cents.
 
vanagon ac unit.jpg

I won't pick up my Fleet for a couple of weeks to examine the sliding window, but will be curious to see if this might be a solution. This kit is put together by someone on the Samba forum for the VW van crowd. I know that others have copied the idea. He uses an inexpensive portable unit that you might find at Home Depot and supports it from the top. He made a gortex cover that fills out the rest of the window space. I posted the link to his site below and there are a couple more photos if you scroll down a bit.

Also curious to see if you might be able to build something to support a portable using the front jack bracket.


http://vanagonwestfaliaaccessories.com
 
Totally agree with the rear window unit. The unit in our 2013 Grandby works like a champ and requires less than 500 watts of power. As mentioned already, you can find these units for a bargain. We had a Dometic roof unit in a pop-up trailer camper (which required a 3kw generator to fire up)...when you need to replace it you'll be looking at big bucks compared to the little window units that seem to be available everywhere these days.
 
SignalMtn, What A/C unit do you have? I looked at most of the 5000- 6000 btu units a couple of years ago and couldn't find one that was less than about 6-8 amps. I think there is a market for a lightweight 2500-3000 BTU unit if one of the companies decided to build one.

cwd
 
hoyden said:
Read the reviews on the kickstarter. No good.
Click to expand...
"No good" seems to be an understatement. Too bad, seems like it had some promise. I'm still researching a good portable unit
 
There are a couple camper companies that have a heater/A/C unit that sits outside the camper and has 2 hoses that connect to 2 round connectors in the side wall of the camper. However, generator or shore power is required. Some of these are pull type campers with the unit mounted on the tung of the camper. Could be promising if FWC or ATC would sell the unit and mount the connectors. Set the unit on a table or fabricate a case that can be locked. There would be more storage space inside. jd
 
I was starting to research Ductless a/c units because the part that's inside has a small footprint, good for small spaces. The main venting part goes outside, and - while I haven't yet done the maths or measurings - I think it could mount like the gas can or perhaps under the bed hangover in front (tho my feeling is that it won't fit there)

Haven't found one smaller than 9000 btu and they also most likely need generator/shore power...but I'm still researching.
 
I know less than zero about these as I live in a place where heat is what one usually wants but thinking of times in the future travels... so I eavesdrop on threads to learn up. I saw someone mention marine AC and found (as I do not like generators) a DC model that can be used with a battery charger on 115 if need be. I would think the small space of a FWC wouldn't need a huge amount of cooling (?) but just enough to keep temps in the 70's while sleeping. I have 250 Watts solar and two batteries.
Here is a little unit that looks 'cool' ....size is doable under a seat?

https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/products/climate/air-conditioners/air-conditioners-for-marine/dometic-cuddy-ii:sleep:21015
 
nice!

Dimensions product depth 18.62 "
Dimensions product height 10.7 "
Dimensions product width 9.7 "
Net weight 35 lbs
 
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