highdesertranger said:
yeah and all that transmission heat is going to go right up that vent unless that AC is on. highdesertranger
A little bit.
ascii_man said:
I've hoped to find a way to do this with a window unit (Frigidaire makes a really small one with a slow-start capacitor). I think my decision was to pull air from under the van and exhaust it out the front windows.
I am sure it could be accomplished. I am thinking a box built around the hot side with two ducts into the box. The first duct is an intake duct with a forced duct fan for intake, pushing in outside air and the second duct exhausing the hot air. Has anybody configured a window A/C to be housed like this?
There is also hide-it-behind-a-spare-tire on the back door trick that other vandwellers use, which requires modifying the tire mount, cutting a hole in the rear door and installing a housing. A/Cs are best installed up high because cold falls. If the A/C can only be installed on the floor, get a unit that louvers the air upwards or build/buy an louver to bounce the air upwards from the cold side.
New Comer said:
Does the system work well for you? I intend to have a generator and portable AC in my van also. But I was told that portable AC doesn't work very well. I don't mind venting the hot air through the window, also it is trouble sometime to take it off and put it on each time. I don't have much choice, I guess.
Haven't really used it since I installed the floor port. The only downside of porting through the floor is on still air days, the hot air pooling under the van and conducting back inside, making the A/C less efficient. One could install PVC pipe under a van to port the exhaust to the side, preventing pooling. Still reccommend it because it saves one lots of effort mounting the exhaust hose in and out of the passenger-side window and is stealthy. The exhaust hose is semi-rigid and a space hog, so porting the exhaust hose as close to the portable A/C unit as possible is going to save a lot of space.
ascii_man said:
My thought was to install a bulkhead between the cockpit and cargo area (like a cargo van)) and use the cockpit as the outside air. Make some ductwork so that the intake air comes from the ventilation system and let the hot air bubble out the windows (screened and under rain guards). I don't actually have a van, so I don't know how practical it is.
A more popular solution is to put a window unit in the rear window. That would be cheap and efficient, just not very stealthy. Many people find the portable units with hoses to be weak, expensive, and inefficient. Especially the single-hose versions.
If efficiency is most important get the window unit and have a means to camoflauge it outside or have a means to port it from the inside, preferrably with two ducts (one intake, one exhaust). If one goes the ducting route, put a duct fan in the intake duct to maximize heat transfer.
I like the portables because of the air exchange they provide, which helps freshen up a space without a roof vent. They make a great substitute for vans with a busted built-in mechanical A/C system. The smallest affordable portable A/C unit i've seen is the HAIER 8000 BTU portable A/C in big box stores. They can be had for $240 near the end of summer, and lower on Craigslist in late fall and winter.
