I am still in my Kia Sportage and I have No AC. The price to pay to get it fixed is way more than it is worth, so I am looking for other options. I tried to make one of those home made cooler ACs with a fan last year and it did not work at all. I am in SC with high temps and high humidity. I read about the 12 v AC , but did not know where to find them or if they would work for me. I am hoping to move to a van soon and would like something that would work for my car now and also later for my van. Most importantly, it has to get real cool. Thoughts please.
12 volt AC
- Thread starter Gypsysoul
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I'm not sure you're going to find any simple 12v plug-in solution for this. I've seen companies offering high bids to install 12v AC systems in sleeper cabs for trucks, but that's going to be a permanently installed vented system and it's going to assume that you have a battery bank behind it. Any other variant of 12v AC systems seem to be these cooler-with-van things (you can make one yourself for a few bucks, or you can pay someone in China $250 to make one and buy it on eBay).
Do you know what's wrong with your vehicle's AC? Not just an issue of recharging I take it...
Do you know what's wrong with your vehicle's AC? Not just an issue of recharging I take it...
WriterMs
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I just happened to read Off Grid's post in the Brutal Heat Wave conversation thread (click "View Today's Posts" and scan down for that thread). I've seen other posts about a makeshift air conditioner with the heat exchange thing (he says he's tested and it works in high humidity), but not sure which other threads explain it in more detail. My thought is to go to where Off Grid left the following post and then send him a private message to ask for more details
Here's the post mentioned by WriterMs:
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13657&pid=141666#pid141666
Sounds very promising. I assume this is the same sort of cooler build as outlined elsewhere but Off Grid gives it a great testimonial. I'm curious about building one now.
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=13657&pid=141666#pid141666
Sounds very promising. I assume this is the same sort of cooler build as outlined elsewhere but Off Grid gives it a great testimonial. I'm curious about building one now.
ZoNiE
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Nothing 12V (with a compressor) is going to be cheap, and you will have to run the engine to power it.
Anything else is just a cooler full of ice and a fan, which will give some temporary relief but won't last, or an evaporative (Swamp) cooler and will be worse in high humidity than a fan by itself.
You may consider a 5000 BTU window unit from Lowes and a 900 watt generator from Horror Fright. Those gennys are 2 stroke, noisy and stinky but I have read that they will usually power the smallest of window AC units. Together, those two should be able to be had for about $200-225.
If you are talking about running AC while driving, fixing the dash unit will be the best and overall cheapest solution. After all you won't get jack squat for a car with a broken AC. The investment may be worth it if you get half of the repair back in increased resale value when you sell the car.
It shouldn't cost more than $400-500 to fix it and get it working. If the estimates are higher, keep looking, or look for someone on Craigslist. Yeah, that is a lot to some, but wasting $50 on a cooler and a fan contraption is money just wasted, IMO.
Anything else is just a cooler full of ice and a fan, which will give some temporary relief but won't last, or an evaporative (Swamp) cooler and will be worse in high humidity than a fan by itself.
You may consider a 5000 BTU window unit from Lowes and a 900 watt generator from Horror Fright. Those gennys are 2 stroke, noisy and stinky but I have read that they will usually power the smallest of window AC units. Together, those two should be able to be had for about $200-225.
If you are talking about running AC while driving, fixing the dash unit will be the best and overall cheapest solution. After all you won't get jack squat for a car with a broken AC. The investment may be worth it if you get half of the repair back in increased resale value when you sell the car.
It shouldn't cost more than $400-500 to fix it and get it working. If the estimates are higher, keep looking, or look for someone on Craigslist. Yeah, that is a lot to some, but wasting $50 on a cooler and a fan contraption is money just wasted, IMO.
My AC itself is not broken. The blower Moyer does not work because the piece that held everything together melted and they no longer make the piece. We have been to junk yards and cannot find it. I was quoted 1000 plus if I had the piece because it's electrical. There really is no way to fix it w/o that. This seems to be a common problem in Kia sportages. Just trying to find a cool way around the problem.
tothemoonandback said:
You should be able to hook up an inline marine style blower and bypass that whole unit.
http://www.amazon.com/s/179-1577608...ed&keywords=inline marine blower&link_code=qs
ZoNiE said:
These types of 12v A/C units have been in use successfully by truck drivers and pet owners for many many years. I have also heard that they use them in private planes.
The only drawback to these is that if ice is used, it must be replenished as needed, other than that, as near as I can tell they work just as well as compressor based units.
Keeping your ice chest sealed up well, and your ice isolated from the circulating water, can greatly prolong the longevity of your ice.
Great, thanks for the info Off Grid.
Those in-line blowers are interesting. I've been messing with computer fans for ventilation in my sleeping area. I wonder about piping up one of those in-line blowers.... or if that would be too much.
Those in-line blowers are interesting. I've been messing with computer fans for ventilation in my sleeping area. I wonder about piping up one of those in-line blowers.... or if that would be too much.
compassrose
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Off Grid 24/7 said:Here's a diagram of the version I use for anybody that's interested.
Which is similar to a low tech hydronic heater
The heat exchanger and fan is not the problem. It's coming up with the cooling (or heating) that is the more expensive part. Preferably a method that does not add more humidity to the already humid air. I've been told that dry air does not feel as hot. I'm not sure I believe that since I used to live in the extremely humid SC Upstate (Oconee County) and currently live in the extremely hot NM desert (Chaves County). Once it gets to 90F and above, it's just freakin' hot.
The only improvement in the method that I can see using the heat exchangers is to run two heat exchangers. One is backed with the fan to blow cooled air. The second could be submerged in a substance that either stays cool or is cooled with ice blocks. This would allow you to run a sealed system with minimal (safe) anti freeze between the two heat exchangers. The submerged heat exchanger would cool much more quickly than a bulk storage container (yes, I know the above pic does not use a bulk storage but some do). The problem is keeping the submerged heat exchanger cooled. This would need to be built as a permanent setup.
In a small mobile set up such as a van or RV, I do not see anything really working well except an air conditioner. Using all the tricks they have used for over a century in the South to combat the heat (with limited success) will not work as well as it does in in a house. With the exception of heading to higher elevations (go visit Table Rock). Insulation and reflective roof coatings is your only recourse if you are not going the A/C route. And even if you do go with an A/C then insulation and reflective roof coating would increase the success. Even stringing a shade cloth on a luggage rack or frame (safari roof) over the roof of your vehicle will help in keeping the temps down a little.
(Note: Roof coatings will not stick to an automotive clear coat... don't ask how I know this).
highdesertranger
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here we go again. highdesertranger
TMG51 said:
All of the computer fans I've seen people using were a joke in my book. If I want a fan, I want a FAN. I want to be able to feel the breeze throughout the van.
I have a little 12v maybe 6" clip on fan that I use for aiming at myself if that's what I'm wanting, or a bigger 10" O2 Cool fan that I stick in a window if I'm trying to cool the van quickly. I also have a Fantastic Endless Breeze fan, but it's usually overkill for inside the van. Sure nice for sitting outside though.
I think the inline blowers put out quite a bit, but you might be able to make it into a variable speed blower. If you could do that you might have the best of all options.
I added a valve between the pump and the heater core/fan unit. If I was using ice, which is actually rare in my case, if I slowed down the flow of water, it would get cooler. Perhaps because that gave the water longer to cool.
Mine will cool my whole van, and can actually get too cold to have it aimed at me. A friend who is parked beside me in a 25+ foot class A, says his similar unit will not cool his whole rig, but if he aims it at himself, it will keep him perfectly comfortable. He takes his into his bedroom at night and closes the door, and says it will cool his whole bedroom.
Mine will cool my whole van, and can actually get too cold to have it aimed at me. A friend who is parked beside me in a 25+ foot class A, says his similar unit will not cool his whole rig, but if he aims it at himself, it will keep him perfectly comfortable. He takes his into his bedroom at night and closes the door, and says it will cool his whole bedroom.
highdesertranger
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ok, I have pointed this out before. no one who keeps posting this wants to addressed it and they just keep showing the same picture.
so here's the problem with this pic from a engineering point of view. in the pic they show the heat exchanger(black circle) almost level with the ice chest. if you where to run it this way the venturi(the item in the yellow circle) has to be perfect, not close but perfect. or else the water will not return to the ice chest but simply flow out into the heat exchanger and make a big mess. I have pointed this out before but the same pic just keeps getting posted. so if any body wants to build one of these there is an easy fix. you would want to run the drain tube separately to the top of the ice chest, forget the venturi. then make sure the heat exchanger is above the ice chest so gravity returns any condensation water. highdesertranger
so here's the problem with this pic from a engineering point of view. in the pic they show the heat exchanger(black circle) almost level with the ice chest. if you where to run it this way the venturi(the item in the yellow circle) has to be perfect, not close but perfect. or else the water will not return to the ice chest but simply flow out into the heat exchanger and make a big mess. I have pointed this out before but the same pic just keeps getting posted. so if any body wants to build one of these there is an easy fix. you would want to run the drain tube separately to the top of the ice chest, forget the venturi. then make sure the heat exchanger is above the ice chest so gravity returns any condensation water. highdesertranger
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Indel B makes 12 volt air conditioners. I have no idea where in the USA they are sold. You may have to leave town. http://www.indelb.com/products/truck_air_conditioning/sleeping_well/sw_cube
highdesertranger
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36a/hrs at 12v. going to need a lot of batteries and solar. highdesertranger
WriterMs
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Maybe many have seen this, but it is the computer fan and ice chest taken to a new level. Rechargeable battery powered. For "only" $375 you can get it with a 12v plug-in as well as the regular. No idea how well this one might work but figured it would give y'all something new to pick apart. 
http://www.icybreeze.com/portable-air-conditioner/
http://www.icybreeze.com/portable-air-conditioner/
highdesertranger said:
I think the picture was done that way to make it fit easily. I place the heat exchanger/fan assembly on top of the ice chest. On mine all of the tubes come out the side, so the bottom is flat and rests nicely. I also added a bail style handle so it can be hung, or the handle also acts as rear legs so that I can tilt it backwards if I want to.
