Is this the holy grail of RV/van Air Conditioners? DC Airco

[Gideon33w]

Yes, we put a man on the moon. At the cost of billions of dollars when a dollar was worth a lot less. If you want to spend like that ... Sure.

Presenting an option which wont actually work doesn't get you anywhere no matter how much you want it to. Just because you don't like being told it isn't going to work doesn't make it any more viable. If you don't want to be given answers don't ask questions. You want to power something that takes X amount of power and power storage. You can't produce/store X power in an acceptable way. Don't know what to tell ya. If you can't make X you can't make X.

I am REALLY not trying to be mean here but at this point you're asking people for their opinions and expertise and just getting upset at the responses. Continuing to scare away the unusually helpful people of this forum certainly won't get you closer to a solution. So, good luck to you.

 

[Scott7022]

A simple solution to the problem is take the dog to work. I know soldiers, no longer in active service in Canada, that have aid dogs for PTSD. You said your dog is the only thing that makes life remotely bearable. They say the same thing so perhaps a less technical more tactical approach to the dilemma. You could also make a friend or two that are van dwellers on the less employable end of the spectrum. I'd babysit a pooch for a fifth of jack every day. (No I don't have a drinking problem. I just prefer booze to PTSD meds and I love dogs, more than some people.) I just built a system using 600amps and lithium, using engineers and I will happily share, the engineering but the cost is prohibitive.
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[BradKW]

I don't see this as an unsolvable problem either...just an expensive one. My 1000 watt solar + 870 Ah FLA bank easily powers my 5000 btu AC (430 watt peak). Probably $4-$5k into system.

Swap to LiPO4 for ability to do rapid recharge via as-needed plug in, add another $5k.

Swap for a DC-mini-split unit, add about $2000

Add under-mounted Onan genny for backup... + $4,000. Not sure what environmental control systems would cost, but they can auto-start genny at both temp and SOC thresholds.

Remote monitoring systems - If include a wifi booster and available signals (as opposed to cellular data), I'd use a camera monitor link to cloud for remote viewing on the phone. Put a big thermometer in view and it's a win. Figure maybe + $1000.

And there you would have a power and energy solution that is reliable and on par with the newest $150k Sprinter conversions rolling out of high end upfitters... all yours for only around $16,000.

Lot's of rounding and ballparking in my numbers here, but it's probably not too far off. Assuming DIY of course...if paying qualified peeps to install, it would certainly add a good bit.

 

[tripper]

It can be done cheaper, I just installed 3 x LG house panels (930 watts) and 1 x 12v panel (180 watts) a total of 1,110 watts for $860, 2 x controllers (Victron 85 amp and 15 amp MPPT) for $700, 1000 watt true rms inverter for $250, plus misc 8 gage mc4 cables, fuses, etc and home build tilting frames for $300, and a 100 Ah LiFePo battery for $650.  Total cost ~$2760. I could have stacked 4 lead acid Trojan 6vs batts for the cost of that LiFePo too, but am happy with the lithium. I also have a 160 watt portable if needed.

So for $3000 you could have 6 x Trojan 6v batteries and a 1000 watt system if you do it yourself. A few hundred more for more batts and a bigger inverter, that DC air con is a reality if you have the space to mount 3 x house panels for 5 1/2' x 10' of panels. The newest house panels will get over 1000 watts for 3. Very comparable in price to buying a generator.

 

[jonsun]

Holy moly you all.  What a buzz kill you all are!  If we can put a man on the moon, why cannot my dog be comfortable in a locked van that is air conditioned without the engine running for at least four hours alone?  And as far as back up plans... yeah, I got that figured out.  There are temperature alarms and power alarms.  There is also video monitoring.  There is remote vital monitoring that can monitor the temperature, pulse, and respiration of my dog.  And last but not least, there are the physical checks I can do.  At minimum I can do it every four hours.  But if necessary I can do it every two.  

I may not know much about air conditioning and solar, but the one thing I am good at is risk mitigation and contingency planning.  It is what I do professionally.  Life is a risk period.  I mean... who knows... my dog and I could one day be sleeping in my van parked on a quiet street and a drunk driver could smash into us killing us. Lightening could also strike my van harming both me and my dog.  I bet the chance of us both dying in the van due to carbon monoxide poisoning is much higher than living in an apartment.  

So, I am not going to give up my dog to anther person, period.  She is the only thing that make my life even remotely bearable.  I am not going to spend $500 to $1000 on doggie day care. Moving to another state that is more "affordable" is not the solution either.  A more "affordable" place to live in my experience has ultimately mean less income.  I am not going to give up on the idea of living in a van.  I am willing to compromise on many things with this lifestyle change but safety for my dog and myself will not be one of them.  So I will spend the money that I have to and make the van as safe as possible for both of us.  

Now can we just all focus on finding a solution to the problem instead of focusing on how the problem is unsolvable? I cannot be the only person in the world that has faced this same exact issue.  If you all help me come up with an elegant solution for me, you have done the community a huge service!   My late father had an awesome saying and it is one among many that I try and follow... "If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.  So go make problems elsewhere or choose to be the solution."  Another good saying to live to... "If you don't have something nice to say, do not say anything at all".  

Cheers,
Keightley

baby monitor, remote camera

now that you're in a van do you really need to work full-time anyway?

 

[lenny flank]

Sorry, but the laws of physics are what they are.

There's just no good way to get AC with solar in a vehicle, unless you're willing to cover your entire roof with panels and haul around a few hundred pounds of batteries.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

The battery modules from wrecked teslas are on ebay for around $1300. 24v/250ah or approx 5.3kw and 55lbs because it's lithium ion. Should easily run a 450w load for a workday without solar helping.

For safety, use multiple temperature alarms and a camera showing both the interior and a large thermometer.

 

[IGBT]

Just make a temperature controlled doggy door in the van with a solenoid and thermister/microcontroller.   If the A/C fails and the interior temperature climbs above 95 degrees (or whatever dogs can safely endure), the microcontroller flips the solenoid and pops open the door, letting the dog escape.

Sure, you then have the issue of having to find your dog but at least he/she didn't die in the vehicle in horrible conditions.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Don't you guys realize it's a woman you're arguing with?

 

[CautionToTheWind]

^^^ Off to YARC

 

[jimindenver]

Keightley

Those of us that really can run a A/C off of solar are not trying to be buzz kills. We are telling exactly what you need in order to do it. Unfortunately the first thing you need is room for the solar panels and battery plus the budget to handle it. I did see a van with 1000 watts on its roof at the RTR. He could easily run the same A/C's I can.

As far as cost go, everything I bought for my system cam from craigslist, ebay and Amazon. Right now in Denver there are 260w used panels for $60. There are telco AGM batteries for very affordable prices. There are controllers that many use day in and out that don't cost a fortune yet the users find perfectly acceptable. Even my wiring came from CL because a spool of 1/0 was cheaper than buying a lessor gauge new. So this can be done on the cheap and work very well.

 

[Cammalu]

Don't you guys realize it's a woman you're arguing with?

You can't go two hours without screwing up.... go stand in the corner.

 

[keightley]

Like I said, the majority of you are absolutely brutal in your responses and opinions. @tx2sturgis... I know you are trying to be funny but I do not appreciate your humor one bit. @bardo... I will spare the dramatic reasoning behind my financial situation but I can assure you that I am not the only one in the world that has to work a full time job even if she or he figured out how to live rent or mortgage free and utility free. @Scott7022... there is a big difference between a service dog and an emotional support (ESA) dog. An ESA dog is not a service dog and thus is not protected by the ADA. A service dog as been individually trained to work or perform one or more tasks for a person with a disability. Emotional support is not a task. People who claim their ESA dog is a service dog gives true service dogs to people who really are disabled a bad name. She may keep me sane. She may turn on the lights and wake me up out of night terrors. She may search my apartment when I irrationally believe someone is in my apartment after waking from a night terror. But I do not need any of these services as work. I am not going to add to the problem by claiming my dog is a service dog just because I want to take her to work.

Now for those of you that are helpful and supportive, here is an update. I just contacted a researcher at the University of Utah in solar power with the problem. He says it is completely doable to run air conditioning off solar in an economical, cost effective way. And then he told me there is a possibility of research funds that could be used to pay for the system as long as I am willing to have his students help design the system and share the data that is collected. So if you want to know how to keep your precious pet safely cool in a van while you are away in extremely hot temperatures, contact me here in a few months. I will most likely have a cost effective, elegant solution to share with you.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I know this is a serious issue.

I apologize.

 

[Queen]

Be really curious to see what the university folks come up with!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Keightley, are you willing and/or able to buy and drive something a little bit bigger than your van?

I dont know if you have a van, or just looking at buying one.

Vans only have a limited amount of roof area, and not that much interior volume.

 

[itsmeagain]

There are temperature alarms and power alarms.  There is also video monitoring.  

So your willing to gamble with your pets life that neither of those systems will ever fail? Because they do,  all the time.  Just happened 10 days ago here. Another K9, and I'm assuming the police dept has a much bigger budget to work with than you do.

How about if you lose cellphone signal for some unknown reason and when you glance at your phone you have no bars?
What if you get swamped at work and caught up in all the professional risk mitigation for 16 straight hours?  That could never happen?
Ever put your phone on silent when walking into a meeting and forget to turn the ringer on when you walk out?

There is remote vital monitoring that can monitor the temperature, pulse, and respiration of my dog.  And last but not least, there are the physical checks I can do.  At minimum I can do it every four hours.  But if necessary I can do it every two.

Those are also systems that can never fail?  You're really trying to conince us that your hooking the dog up to a pulse and respiration monitor every morning, and the dog is just going to wear that device all day? Don't worry too much about the visits, if the system ever does fail, he won't have to suffer for the full four hours. It takes much less time than that to die in a hot car..  more like 15-20 minutes or so.

Oh, you'll re-visit the van every two hours *if necessary*?   Now you're just spoiling the dog!   :dodgy:

I may not know much about air conditioning and solar,

you can say that again

...but the one thing I am good at is risk mitigation and contingency planning.  It is what I do professionally.

Then, in your professional assessment, would you consider a person who does not know much about air conditioning and solar to be even remotely experienced enough to gauge exactly what is at risk here? Right now, we're trying to drive home the fact that there are a thousand avenues for failure and it'll only take one or two to result in a dead pet. That's just the tip of the iceberg.  The details of those possible failures, and everything you didn't expect, will be humbling knowledge, and as a professional, I'm sure you're aware of this.

I owned an insurance agency.  I have some experience with risk mitigation.  You're not heeding the advice of people with much more knowledge and experience than you.   You know what you want, and you're reaching for it no matter how many warnings are flashing.

Life is a risk period.

Life is full of risk, correct, but you do have input into the equation.  You're oversimplifying here and you know it.   Why have a fire extinguisher then?   Why wear a seatbelt?    Why look both ways before crossing the street if I can get mowed over by a drunk regardless?     

Because it helps mitigate the risk..  something you could teach us all about... ...right?

So, I am not going to give up my dog to anther person, period.  She is the only thing that make my life even remotely bearable.  I am not going to spend...

This statement is at the heart of why my reply has a nasty tone.

Want to know whats really going on here?  You're being selfish.    

You're asking too much of a pet to be alone in a van, climate controlled or not, for 16 hours straight so you can peek in every 2 to 4 hours, then get off work completely drained from mitigating risk all day, and the dog wants nothing more than some healthy exercise and fresh air.  By the way, at that point, you have just 8 hours before you need to get to work again.

You're handing your dog a prison sentence, and it's selfishly for your own emotional benefit.
Might I suggest putting that energy toward finding a human companion?

Just make a temperature controlled doggy door in the van with a solenoid and thermister/microcontroller.   If the A/C fails and the interior temperature climbs above 95 degrees (or whatever dogs can safely endure), the microcontroller flips the solenoid and pops open the door, letting the dog escape.

Sure, you then have the issue of having to find your dog but at least he/she didn't die in the vehicle in horrible conditions.

Unless it fails, of course.

baby monitor, remote camera

now that you're in a van do you really need to work full-time anyway?

Unless her cellphone dies, looses signal, or she gets tied up at work, mitigating risk for others.

--


The ugly truth is, I know this is all going in one ear and out the other.

I can tell, you've made your mind up, and are now just in search of supporting arguments, because, as was so perfectly stated by tx2sturgis:

Don't you guys realize it's a woman you're arguing with?

Couldn't have said it better myself.   He might apologize for it, but I won't.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Couldn't have said it better myself.   He might apologize for it, but I won't.

I was apologizing for her not seeing the humor, and to further the discussion of solar powered AC, and because she is a woman.

The sentiment is STILL valid, however.

This all reminds me of the old joke:

"If a man states an opinion, and there are no women around to hear it...is he STILL wrong?"

 

[jonsun]

Like I said, the majority of you are absolutely brutal in your responses and opinions. @tx2sturgis... I know you are trying to be funny but I do not appreciate your humor one bit.  @bardo... I will spare the dramatic reasoning behind my financial situation but I can assure you that I am not the only one in the world that has to work a full time job even if she or he figured out how to live rent or mortgage free and utility free.  @Scott7022... there is a big difference between a service dog and an emotional support (ESA) dog.  An ESA dog is not a service dog and thus is not protected by the ADA.   A service dog as been individually trained to work or perform one or more tasks for a person with a disability.  Emotional support is not a task.  People who claim their ESA dog is a service dog gives true service dogs to people who really are disabled a bad name.   She may keep me sane. She may turn on the lights and wake me up out of night terrors.  She may search my apartment when I irrationally believe someone is in my apartment after waking from a night terror.  But I do not need any of these services as work.    I am not going to add to the problem by claiming my dog is a service dog just because I want to take her to work.

Now for those of you that are helpful and supportive, here is an update.  I just contacted a researcher at the University of Utah in solar power with the problem.  He says it is completely doable to run air conditioning off solar in an economical, cost effective way.  And then he told me there is a possibility of research funds that could be used to pay for the system as long as I am willing to have his students help design the system and share the data that is collected.  So if you want to know how to keep your precious pet safely cool in a van while you are away in extremely hot temperatures, contact me here in a few months.  I will most likely have a cost effective, elegant solution to share with you.

wait you're in Utah? 

that's solves a bunch of problems....get a evap AC and do the dog house thing with it.

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Unless her cellphone dies, looses signal, or she gets tied up at work, mitigating risk for others.[/font]

are you under the impression that in the highly unlikely event AC goes down intermittently the dog will die immediately? for crying out loud she's stated multiple times she plans to go out every few hours on top of having a monitor system. Walk the dog at lunch and go to the bathroom on breaks. A dog sleeps most of the day anyway. Mine insists on being outside laying in the sun or hanging out in the van....I have to physically take her in.

Let's get a grip here.

 

[tx2sturgis]

TALK TO THE HAND!!!