Hello again. My van is converted and getting homey touches before I go full time end of July. Has anyone used this mini evap cooler in a Van? I need to keep my dog cool and safe when gone a few hours. Would humidity be an issue? I have a HOT transit Van, one roof fan and 3 windows, 200w solar, lithium batteries and a 2000w converter. Comments, suggestions for this newbie from more seasoned Van dwellers?
Blaux Portable AC?
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B and C
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Evaporative coolers do not work well in humid areas. The higher the humidity, the less effective they are.
Your 2000 watt inverter will run a 5000 BTU window air conditioner. How long it will run it is dependant on how big of a battery bank you have. 200 watts of solar is definitely not enough to run an air conditioner.
Take your dog with you or board it would be my suggestion.
Your 2000 watt inverter will run a 5000 BTU window air conditioner. How long it will run it is dependant on how big of a battery bank you have. 200 watts of solar is definitely not enough to run an air conditioner.
Take your dog with you or board it would be my suggestion.
B and C
Well-known member
If you really need A/C, a generator would be the better option. You don't have enough real estate on your roof. IIRC, jimindenver has over 900 watts of solar and a big (don't remember) battery bank to run a 5000 BTU A/C.
AZ in the winter is mild daytime temps usually with cold nights. During the summer, temps get into triple digits. Water to run an evaporative cooler then becomes a problem.
AZ in the winter is mild daytime temps usually with cold nights. During the summer, temps get into triple digits. Water to run an evaporative cooler then becomes a problem.
Deb, you didn't give a link to the cooler that I can see. Evap coolers work well in low humidity conditions like Brian noted. I had one in a house in Front Range CO and it worked great. Should also work ok in states in the southwest. But not east of the Mississippi.
highdesertranger
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you don't need a cooler or AC in Arizona in the winter. you might need a heater though. highdesertranger
I wondered about these new small portable AC's but I can tell you that the large one's with the hose vented out the window are a total waste of money I bought the largest they made and in the middle of the day I would have to sit right in front of it to get any cooling,
after dark it would get down to 62 but by 10 in the morning it would be 90 degrees inside I live in the north FL and you can't live without AC.
I have a motorhome with a roof AC and generator but I was thinking about one of the newer one's thinking I could use my jackery 500 to run it in the bedroom at night so I wouldn't have to run the generator but what videos I watched most said they don't work but at the price they are selling them at I thought i would be worth trying ?
after dark it would get down to 62 but by 10 in the morning it would be 90 degrees inside I live in the north FL and you can't live without AC.
I have a motorhome with a roof AC and generator but I was thinking about one of the newer one's thinking I could use my jackery 500 to run it in the bedroom at night so I wouldn't have to run the generator but what videos I watched most said they don't work but at the price they are selling them at I thought i would be worth trying ?
I doubt that a swamp cooler this small would be of much help. And yes, humidity will be an issue if you don't open the windows.
I took my elderly cat on a few trips (she was great company and I miss her dreadfully). I have a small rechargeable USB fan (OPOLAR brand, there are others) that will run forever on very little energy. In the heat of the summer in California (noon temps over 100), I kept the van parked in dense shade, kept the windows open (but not open enough to allow her to get out) and ran the fan, positioned so that she had lots of choices as to how close she could position herself. I checked on her every hour or so, and she did fine.
Keep in mind this was on private property where I was visiting.
I would STRONGLY advise you to NOT do something like this in a public parking lot or public street. Many states now authorize passers-by to break into a vehicle to rescue animals or children that have been left alone. You can be cited for leaving your dog alone for extended periods, and your insurance company may not pay for the damage caused by the rescuer. Be sure you know the laws regarding this for any state you plan to travel through.
I took my elderly cat on a few trips (she was great company and I miss her dreadfully). I have a small rechargeable USB fan (OPOLAR brand, there are others) that will run forever on very little energy. In the heat of the summer in California (noon temps over 100), I kept the van parked in dense shade, kept the windows open (but not open enough to allow her to get out) and ran the fan, positioned so that she had lots of choices as to how close she could position herself. I checked on her every hour or so, and she did fine.
Keep in mind this was on private property where I was visiting.
I would STRONGLY advise you to NOT do something like this in a public parking lot or public street. Many states now authorize passers-by to break into a vehicle to rescue animals or children that have been left alone. You can be cited for leaving your dog alone for extended periods, and your insurance company may not pay for the damage caused by the rescuer. Be sure you know the laws regarding this for any state you plan to travel through.
