Author Topic: Airconditioning in a camper trailer (Read 17923 times)

Milly11 · « **on:** February 16, 2018, 02:40:07 PM »

Hi,
Just a quick question in regards to Airconditioning In a camper trailer
is it even possible to put an aircon in a hard floor canvas camper trailer?
When the humidity is almost 100% where we live it’s brutal, even with fans blasting
And was hoping we could do something to make the kids more comfortable
during the summer months here in north Qld
An evaporative cooler won’t work with the high humidity
Portable aircon seems the best option
But just wondering if they make split systems for camper trailers these days?
As I saw an old soft floor camper for sale that had aircon and it looked like a split system
I know it kind of takes the camping out of camping haha
but for extended trips was thinking it would be great for the kiddies

gronk · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2018, 03:45:00 PM »

Kids are pretty "tough" when it comes to heat extremes......maybe it's the parents who are feeling the heat ??

Bigfish · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2018, 03:54:38 PM »

Quote from: gronk on February 16, 2018, 03:45:00 PM

Kids are pretty "tough" when it comes to heat extremes......maybe it's the parents who are feeling the heat ??

Camped at Lake Kinchant (just outside Mackay) over xmas and temps in the low 40,s with very high humidity. 12 volt fans are all that are needed. Leave the windows open and as long as the air is circulating you should be fine. We had 7 families (8 kids from 6months to 15years, and no complaints) camping in tents, campers and caravans..Caravans got a bit warm but as they were camped nearby the gennies got turned off at 8pm. They still got a good nights sleep. Air movement is the secret.

fluids · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2018, 04:24:52 PM »

Kimberley Kampers do an A/C for their hard floor rear fold Kampers. Have a look at their web site for ideas. A portable room type unit with window ducting would work but you'll need to futz about with the ducting.

HKB Electronics · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2018, 05:05:12 PM »

You can get units that are a self contained unit and suitable for campers such as the Kimberly unit which from memory is a Truma unit
but they are not cheap.

tryagain · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2018, 05:13:12 PM »

I have seen a pic of someone use one like this https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-12000-btu-portable-air-conditioner/ but you would obviously need a powered site, or a big generator.

callmejoe · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2018, 05:27:42 PM »

Similar problem up here in Darwin.
I have been eyeing of
Air Command Sandpiper Ducted Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner.
Its a box style that i want mounted in where my secondary water tank would have been... mines a CC frazer
Check out Pioneer hard floors they have a similar setup already in there's.. KK do have them also, not a fan though as it just more weight on the ball..

Joe

Alan Loy · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2018, 05:59:12 PM »

Quote from: tryagain on February 16, 2018, 05:13:12 PM

I have seen a pic of someone use one like this https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-12000-btu-portable-air-conditioner/ but you would obviously need a powered site, or a big generator.

This one id 1050 watts, which would need a big inverter + batteries or a generator

There are heaps of these portable air conditioners. Anyone used one (at home or camping)?

Alan Loy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2018, 06:03:47 PM »

I've become a big fan of misting fans

. Not as good where its humid but helps in other areas.

tryagain · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2018, 06:25:35 PM »

Quote from: Alan Loy on February 16, 2018, 05:59:12 PM

This one id 1050 watts, which would need a big inverter + batteries or a generator

There are heaps of these portable air conditioners. Anyone used one (at home or camping)?

My brother had a one (A Kogan one but not sure which model) at his apartment when I was there at Christmas time, it's only a small apartment but seemed to cool it down pretty well, I have read they aren't quiet but if you are having to run a generator at the same time to run it I don't think it will be much nosier than that. Running it from a battery isn't really viable as at 240v 1000w is an 80+Amp draw at 12v.

edz · « **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2018, 06:36:17 PM »

A mate did the top end over the range of Mid summer into Winter to experience the Wet / Dry, although he was in a small van .
He fitted one of these Small units from the Good Guys [ about a milk crate size ] paid $350 on special for it and it worked a treat keeping the place cool, Some times too cool .
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/kelvinator-c165kw-cool-only-box-air-con-kwh15cme?rrec=true
Just sit it up on a stand near a partial open window flap to let it draw in outside air and close all the other window / door flaps to help keep the cool air in should be cool enough at night / early morning till the sun gets up a bit .

BaseCamp · « **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2018, 07:52:48 PM »

We operate 2 x Kogan portable air cons for the bedrooms at home.... Can't recall the btus; ( had 'em for about 3 years now) - but they do work quite well...

Dreaming about kinda reconfiguring one of the Kogans - so I can use it in my AT-11 caravan...

The Kogan portable aircons, like most others, come as one plastic boxed unit - with 1 flexible exhaust heat duct....

The unit has a recycled air intake on it's sides (×2) - and a refrigerated air output on the top.... Extracted heat is pumped out of the room through the flexible duct....

The units cost us about $340ea, and are about 23kgs... My Weekend Warrior idea would be to capture the recycled room air input and the refrigerated air output; as well as the vented hot air - creating 3 separate ducts...

That way all the noise and the bulk of the unit can sit outside the caravan in the annexe - where I would only need 2 new vents - (1 for recycled air, and 1 for the refrigerated air) coming into the van... I would hopefully pipe these flexible ducts in via the front boot of the van....

But I reckon the achilles heel to this idea would be creating tight fitting flange things that could be mounted over the top of the unit's refrigerated air output; and returned air inputs.... ie trying to connect flexible duct up to these...

If I ever get this idea up and running - my thoughts would be to use it free camping via my generator, or in non crowded campsites with 240.... (ie: not inside sardined caravan parks)...

Whenever I'm using the genny - (which is rarely), it usually sits about 40mtrs from the campsite chained to a tree - the juice piped in on 15 amp cable...

It is one of those gimmicky eBay jobs - that has a wireless remote control startup and shutdown....

I would be doing this Kogan aircon thing as a bit of a project -- and not as the quintessential ($2.5K) answer to caravan aircon...

My tug is a tray back ute canopy - so plenty of room for "projects" transportation inside of it....

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BBull · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2018, 07:56:25 PM »

I’ve been contimplating one of these

https://www.truma.com/au/en/products/truma-air-conditioning/truma-saphir-comfort-rc.html

A lot of coin but better than driving all day just to stay cool in the car.
We did a trip after Christmas from cairns to Brisbane and due to the heat we didn’t want to stop and swelter during the night.
Happy to pit up with heat during the day but hate sweating and not being able to sleep due to the heat. No way would it be run all night but just to until it cools off at night.
Big investment though. And another thing to take away and additional weight.

Rumpig · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2018, 08:07:51 PM »

Quote from: BaseCamp on February 16, 2018, 07:52:48 PM

We operate 2 x Kogan portable air cons for the bedrooms at home.... Can't recall the btus; ( had 'em for about 3 years now) - but they do work quite well...

Dreaming about kinda reconfiguring one of the Kogans - so I can use it in my AT-11 caravan...

The Kogan portable aircons, like most others, come as one plastic boxed unit - with 1 flexible exhaust heat duct....

The unit has a recycled air intake on it's sides (×2) - and a refrigerated air output on the top.... Extracted heat is pumped out of the room through the flexible duct....

The units cost us about $340ea, and are about 23kgs... My Weekend Warrior idea would be to capture the recycled room air input and the refrigerated air output; as well as the vented hot air - creating 3 separate ducts...

That way all the noise and the bulk of the unit can sit outside the caravan in the annexe - where I would only need 2 new vents - (1 for recycled air, and 1 for the refrigerated air) coming into the van... I would hopefully pipe these flexible ducts in via the front boot of the van....

But I reckon the achilles heel to this idea would be creating tight fitting flange things that could be mounted over the top of the unit's refrigerated air output; and returned air inputs.... ie trying to connect flexible duct up to these...

If I ever get this idea up and running - my thoughts would be to use it free camping via my generator, or in non crowded campsites with 240.... (ie: not inside sardined caravan parks)...

Whenever I'm using the genny - (which is rarely), it usually sits about 40mtrs from the campsite chained to a tree - the juice piped in on 15 amp cable...

It is one of those gimmicky eBay jobs - that has a wireless remote control startup and shutdown....

I would be doing this Kogan aircon thing as a bit of a project -- and not as the quintessential ($2.5K) answer to caravan aircon...

My tug is a tray back ute canopy - so plenty of room for "projects" transportation inside of it....

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

without knowing how your flexible ducting looks....could you fit a solid pvc fitting / piece of pipe to the end of it with some duct tape / gaffer tape or whatever and a hose clamp (it'd be low pressure i assume and i have seen home air con ducting done in a similar way with just tape holding the ducting to the vents), then run ducting pipe permanently in your van out of pic pipe, then when at camp just join them together with a flexible rubber coupling like this https://www.bunnings.com.au/deks-industries-65mm-pvc-rubber-jenco-joiner_p4730706

BaseCamp · « **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2018, 08:27:08 PM »

This is the Kogan unit in operation at home....

Correction from my last post - the return air imput is only on one side - (the whole side).

But as you can see from the pics, the challenge would be mounting up something that will fit neatly and tightly to these (plastic moulded) vents - where flexible duct can be connected on to it...

That tuma unit would definitely be the way to go - just sad about the coin...

The Kogan type units cost around 300 bucks, and weigh about 20 something kgs

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edz · « **Reply #15 on:** February 16, 2018, 08:45:28 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagaHP_ep88

tryagain · « **Reply #16 on:** February 16, 2018, 09:04:33 PM »

It would be interesting to get a cheap used portable ac and pull it apart and mod the vents/ducting to make it work for a camper, I already have to many projects though.

Milly11 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 16, 2018, 09:50:01 PM »

Thanks everyone, 😊 I know it might seem a bit OTT to even want aircon when camping
And no we don’t take tvs, coffee machines etc haha
have just done 3 days & the humidity in Townsville is ridiculous
day time is fine, you can always cool off, it’s the sticky nights, when there’s zero breeze and the midge proof mesh blocks any breeze you do happen to get, can’t open it or the sandflies eat you alive!
Camping out west has been fine in 44 degree heat with a fan because there’s no humidity, much more tolerable, and 12 volt fans usually do the trick, I’ve been paid out on heaps for even mentioning it to mates haha, but as resilient as kids are, they still feel the heat, when it’s so so humid, they can’t sleep, Realistically it would only be required a few times a year
And I don’t plan on annoying people with a big noisy aircon unit
We only free camp, so running a generator on a very rare occasion would be ok

Moxley · « **Reply #18 on:** February 16, 2018, 10:41:27 PM »

Quote from: BBull on February 16, 2018, 07:56:25 PM

I’ve been contimplating one of these

https://www.truma.com/au/en/products/truma-air-conditioning/truma-saphir-comfort-rc.html

A lot of coin but better than driving all day just to stay cool in the car.
We did a trip after Christmas from cairns to Brisbane and due to the heat we didn’t want to stop and swelter during the night.
Happy to pit up with heat during the day but hate sweating and not being able to sleep due to the heat. No way would it be run all night but just to until it cools off at night.
Big investment though. And another thing to take away and additional weight.

How much is the truma?

Gunsrunner · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2018, 08:18:05 AM »

last year on our 6 week GRR trip we took one similer to this, cost me $340 from memory.
https://www.dimplex.com.au/product/3kw-reverse-cycle-portable-air-conditioner-with-dehumidifier
It does run off our Honda E20i, but I can't get it to run off our cheap 1500w pure inverter, start up current is to high.
The unit I have looks slightly different in that I can remove the vent/ fin section and replace it with the ducting section from the other output giving me cold ducted air.
So we carried it around in the back of the Paj, 23kg, for 6 weeks and only used it in Broome for 5 nights 38°c and 95% humidity. the rest of the trip 12v fans were good enough.

I found the best way to use them is outside with the cold outlet plumbed into the camper, we had it pushed up into the window under canvas as you can see in this photo. This way it blows cold air into the camper and pressurises the camper to keep the hot air out. I also use it this way at home if needed.
If you have the unit inside with the hot air blowing out it creates a vacuum in the room, because it draws the air in through the side and blows it outside. This pulls hot air from outside into the camper defeating the purpose, bad design flaw.The only problem with this is that the aircon runs 100% all the time because it is in 40° heat.
Hope this helps with your decision, oh and yes they are noisy.

BaseCamp · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2018, 12:15:19 PM »

Interesting setup you have there.

Having a look at the owner's manual for your unit, (in the link), I can see where by taking off the front refrigerated air output grill - there's a nice round outlet behind it that could easily be ducted from...

I'm thinking that my Kogan unit might have one of these sitting behind its grill as well...

But the Kogan unit in my photos above has oscillating motorised vents, so maybe not? Did the front vents in your unit mechanically oscillate?

A question for you - in the owner's manual it describes vents on the side of your unit as:
#7 "cool air Inlet" #9 "hot air Inlet" ??

What's all that about? I know you were describing something about this in your post as well, but I would have thought the vents on the side of your unit iwould be for all of the RETURN refrigerated air - that's circulating around inside the room?

So what's the hot air, cold air idea about with your unit?

Also, please post up any other pics of your setup if available?

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KeithB · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2018, 01:27:45 PM »

I saw Dimplex ones at Bunnings this morning at $399.

gordo350 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2018, 03:59:57 PM »

Ahh. The serenity

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Author Topic: Airconditioning in a camper trailer (Read 17923 times)