A/C installation question

[yogini]

Hi everyone!

After lurking off and on here for over two winters (the times I dream of escaping the cold and living minimally on the road) trying to decide between a van and a teardrop, I think I'm ready to place an order for a very barebones teardrop-like mini-camper that is light enough to be pulled by my trusty Subaru Impreza. It was a long decision and I'm not really sure it's over yet, but I want to place this order before the end of the week so it will be ready for me to bug out of the miserably dark and cold Pennsylvania winter a couple of weeks before Xmas.

My question is: If I don't order a roof rack (with the intention of having solar panels for boondocking) and an installed a/c unit NOW, how difficult is it for me to find someone to install these for me? I'm not mechanically inclined at all.

My intentions are to use the camper a bit in FL this winter, then in the Northeast summer, and hopefully in Arizona in the coming winters. I'll be traveling with my dog and need to keep him comfortable but I myself am not a huge a/c fan and would rather be outside in the shade than cold in a box!

So, what kind of places can I trust to do this on a mini-camper? How easy are they to find in, say, Pennsylvania?

Thanks, looking forward to any help!

Julie

 

[Canine]

Installing a roof rack wouldn't be too bad. I've seen people use VHB tape and report great success and they don't poke holes in the roof. If you have an extra hand who has a minimum of mechanical or construction knowledge, you could do this without hiring a contractor.

You are talking about A/C. Were you thinking of powering that with solar? If so, you wouldn't have enough square footage to mount enough pv panels to power it. A/C uses a ton of electricity. You could use a generator or plug into the grid, tho.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you are talking about an rv rooftop type air conditioner, I know on Cargo Trailers they reinforce the roof where the ac will go by doubling up the steel supports there. 

If you're going to order one built, see if that is an option, and have it done.

Regards
John

 

[johnny b]

Rooftop RV AC would be way too much for a teardrop...smallest one is 9200 btu.
The smallest window shaker (5000) is whats needed.
Still, would need a Generator or shore power.
And since a teardrop is so small, you basically just get in and lay down.
The pup should be plenty comfortable, though, and that's the important part!  

 

[yogini]

Installing a roof rack wouldn't be too bad. I've seen people use VHB tape and report great success and they don't poke holes in the roof. If you have an extra hand who has a minimum of mechanical or construction knowledge, you could do this without hiring a contractor.

You are talking about A/C. Were you thinking of powering that with solar? If so, you wouldn't have enough square footage to mount enough pv panels to power it. A/C uses a ton of electricity. You could use a generator or plug into the grid, tho.

Thanks Canine, I was thinking it would be for a/c but yeah, I just learned it wouldn't be big enough to power it. That's really ok because I'm not a huge a/c fan anyway, will just get more creative.

Is that a Border Collie in your profile pic? Mine a BC too, only he's a red guy. How does he do on the road?

Julie

 

[Canine]

Is that a Border Collie in your profile pic? Mine a BC too, only he's a red guy. How does he do on the road?

Julie

She's a Border Collie/pit bull. She is also a service dog, so she does fabulous on the road. She is 12 now and is semi-retired because she finally got old! lol

Here is a link to something that is new to me. The following A/C units are for cooling small industrial machines, computers, or similar applications. They use direct current! While I suspect they are expensive, they may work well for RV as they have a very small footprint and can be mounted on the side instead of on a roof. At 1000 to 1300 watts, that is easily doable during a bright, hot day for those of us with large solar capacity.

http://www.iceqube.com/air-conditioners/qube-series-mm/

 

[BradKW]

The following A/C units are for cooling small industrial machines, computers, or similar applications. They use direct current! While I suspect they are expensive, they may work well for RV as they have a very small footprint and can be mounted on the side instead of on a roof. At 1000 to 1300 watts, that is easily doable during a bright, hot day for those of us with large solar capacity.

http://www.iceqube.com/air-conditioners/qube-series-mm/

My friend was just talking about those...he said they are very expensive, but was unsure about prices.  I just was looking through the link you posted...did you see any pricing in there?

 

[highdesertranger]

I didn't see any pricing or any 12v models. saw a couple 24v models. highdesertranger

 

[idn88]

The smallest direct air units pull like 10 Amps of current at 24V for the smallest 1000 BTU units. I doubt 1000BTU would keep a teardrop cool. There not designed for efficiency - there designed to cool electrical control panels where there is no AC power in the panel for control. AC power is electrically "noisy" and you don't want it around certain stable industrial applications....

If your looking for a unit to use in your teardrop only part time - and when you have shore power - you could consider a portable floor standing unit - with the flex vent that vents the hot side outside, or a cheap window unit - then store it when not in use.

 

[Canine]

I doubt 1000BTU would keep a teardrop cool.

Definitely not. One would need to do some extra, high-quality insulation for that to come close to working with the trailer in full sun.

If running 12V, like most of us are, a step up, a dc to dc transformer would be needed. These are cheap, too. If I remember right, there would be less loss with a dc to dc transformer than a 120V AC inverter.

If one made the effort to be as efficient as possible at every step, I could see this working.

While I don't know the cost of the Qubes, I bet a million Internet Points that they are spendy.