Staying Cool Without an Air Conditioner

[ProfessorChaos]

When I order my pop up truck camper I will order one without an air conditioner. I live in a climate where you don't need one that much plus considering the cost and weight it just doesn't seem worth it. On saying that we do go through some stretches of hot weather in fact last summer was hotter than normal. I have heard of steam coolers, arctic air, and portable air conditioners that campers have used and would like to know what members opinions of them were. Are they worth it?

 

[Bosque Bill]

I made one of those 12volt swamp coolers in a 10 gallon plastic bucket. It seemed to work great on my back porch. Didn't seem to work well at all in the field. Hopefully, someone else will post with some workable ideas. I don't need one often, but a few times it would be nice.

 

[snwbdr94]

IMO, I would wait and camp first to see if it will be something you even need. Everyone has different tolerances but in my experience in Minnesota, having the camper up with the canvas windows unzipped, it's sufficient enough to keep it cool inside. That may or may not be the case! When you order your pop up, will it come with a vent fan? That also will help vent out the hot air. Good luck!

 

[JCatt]

I open the roof vent, fan out, and open the tie down trap doors. Seems to get a little air moving and cool things off a bit, but we haven’t camped in 100 degree weather.

 

[Bosque Bill]

I open the roof vent, fan out, and open the tie down trap doors. Seems to get a little air moving and cool things off a bit, but we haven’t camped in 100 degree weather.

Just don't forget little critters, e.g., mice, can climb into your truck bed and get into the camper through those tie-down doors. They are most active at night. You've been warned ;-)

Don't ask me how they do it. They can climb anything it seems. I was leaving the sliding rear window in my cab open to help keep it cool in summer and discovered a mouse had made a nest in a Kleenex box in the cab!

 

[Advmoto18]

Just don't forget little critters, e.g., mice, can climb into your truck bed and get into the camper through those tie-down doors. They are most active at night. You've been warned ;-)

Don't ask me how they do it. They can climb anything it seems. I was leaving the sliding rear window in my cab open to help keep it cool in summer and discovered a mouse had made a nest in a Kleenex box in the cab!

Toss a couple of rubber snakes under the truck...that will keep the little critters at bay.

Learned this at OX-West about 4 years ago. Noticed ground squirrels climbing on my front tire and disappearing. Next day, popped the hood and they had already hauled off half of the air conditioner/compressor insulation cover to use in their hidy holes! Someone gave me a rubber snake, they had several, I tossed it on the ground, under the engine, and that stopped the critters from coming near my truck.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yep, see how it feels first before investing in air conditions etc. I think allot depends on where you use your pop-up! From what I hear those on the Gulf Coast probably need one, but us out west ('cept maybe in Death Valley) really don't. Like allot of others, I leave my arctic liner in year round, try to park in the shade, use that neat little roof fan (really works), and have both a small battery fan and one of those larger plug in ones for those real hot nights and to keep the dog cool. Rubber snakes and little critters aside, I do keep those tie down openings open, but still sounds like good advise unless you have a resident field kitty on board.

Smoke

 

[ProfessorChaos]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Bill D]

You have 4 large screen windows a screened egress window and a roof vent, so 6 in total.
In addition to that some members have made screens for their turnbuckle doors.
Ventilation is not an issue in a FWC.

As others try things out first.

I have the arctic pack inside my FWC year round. That can also aid in keep things cooler during the summer.

 

[Advmoto18]

Thermal pack does work well...in both winter AND summer!

As long as their is little to no humidity (like the stifling variety we have in NC and SC) we found nights rather comfortable out west. Mainly due to the wide temperature variation between high noon and midnight...and little to no humidity. I guess it is a matter of what you're acclimated too.

Camping in the southeast is unbearable from May through August without an AC. We now have a Climate Right AC unit for beach camping in the summer down here. Must have either a generator or shore power.

I talked to the Climate Right owner and requested an AC unit without the heat pump, but, they were unable to make such a unit. As such I am going to have my local HVAC guru take a look at the unit and see if we can remove the heat pump without adversely affecting the AC portion in order to save some weight.

 

[buckland]

We haven’t had the need for air conditioning (yet) but saw this article and thought there might be someone out there that has tried one and could speak to its value.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/save-money-on-air-conditioning-this-summer-with-this-personal-air-cooler?source=cheats&via=rss

 

[Bosque Bill]

We haven’t had the need for air conditioning (yet) but saw this article and thought there might be someone out there that has tried one and could speak to its value.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/save-money-on-air-conditioning-this-summer-with-this-personal-air-cooler?source=cheats&via=rss

Just remember if you you this in a confined space, such as in your camper, as the unit runs the humidity in the camper will rise and the efficiency of the cooler will go down until you no longer have a cooler just a humidifier with a fan.

 

[ardvark]

All a heat pump option does in an air conditioner is add a reversing valve which is plumbed into the lines to reverse refrigerant flow. That is normally the only thing that is different and removing that small valve would save almost no weight, and would involve cutting the lines and then reconnecting them without the valve. You would normally also have to change the unit wiring.

 

[ProfessorChaos]

I was in a FWC Fleet today at the Go Pro Games in Colorado. It was hot outside but the camper was kind of in the shade with all the vents and windows opened up and it felt comfortable.

 

[smlobx]

Thermal pack does work well...in both winter AND summer!

As long as their is little to no humidity (like the stifling variety we have in NC and SC) we found nights rather comfortable out west. Mainly due to the wide temperature variation between high noon and midnight...and little to no humidity. I guess it is a matter of what you're acclimated too.

Camping in the southeast is unbearable from May through August without an AC. We now have a Climate Right AC unit for beach camping in the summer down here. Must have either a generator or shore power.

I talked to the Climate Right owner and requested an AC unit without the heat pump, but, they were unable to make such a unit. As such I am going to have my local HVAC guru take a look at the unit and see if we can remove the heat pump without adversely affecting the AC portion in order to save some weight.

Interesting option Bill. How heavy is it?
I agree that our summer humidity is almost unbearable, particularly if the camper is in the sun. We try to find campsites that have some natural shade and possibly a light breeze. Once we're set up we put out the awning and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Of course jumping into a nearby lake like we did last weekend (Lake Moomaw in the GWNF) certainly helped!

 

[larryqp]

Thought I'd revive this thread.

I have been researching A/C units for my eagle shell. FWC has told me there isn't enough room in the framing on the eagle to mount a window A/C thru the back wall. The kickstarter unit Zero Breeze, doesn't appear to be big enough, only 1000 BTU and comments on another thread stated in didn't cool the camper even after 6 hours.
I think that leaves two choices:

1- using the emergency window with a plywood insert as someone did to install a small window unit and removing the a/c for travel .

2- buying the Climate Right 5,000 BTU compact portable A/C & heater, Home Depot has it for $429, it would sit outside and then 2 hoses would have enter thru the window with some modifications. It seems they work well and are sold for tear drop trailers.

I'm wondering it anyone here has any experience with the Climate Right. It did get some bad reviews.

Both options require 110 - 120 volts AC power, so back country use wouldn't work, but it would work when camping at a state park.


any thoughts
Thanks

 

[DanoT]

I have a 12v MightyKool swamp cooler and it works well provided that you are camping where the air is dry, non humid.

Basically, a fan blows air over water (or ice water), and the dry, warm air picks up moisture which then cools the air slightly. A swamp cooler will not lower the temp of a room but it will blow cool(er) air at whoever is positioned in front of the unit. Camper venting for dry air intake is required.

So a fan blows warm dry air, while a swamp cooler blows relatively cool moist air.