ok some info on the LG portable air conditioner.<br><br>it is model # LP0711WNRY2...<br><br>the label plate says 115v 7.6A 820 watts and rated for 7000 BTU...(curiously, 115v x 7.6A = 874 watts). when the compressor kicks on...i do not see a big surge..my killawatt remained less than the 7.6A..even during a heatwave...so im guessing it has a hard start capacitor.<br><br>it has a remote control and adjustable vent fins to move air up or down and left and right. its wheeled.<br><br>it has three modes...cool, fan and dehumidify. as well as two fans speeds and a shut off timer. temp adjustment goes from 60 to 95 and you can select F or C.<br><br>it also has a drain plug to which you can attach a hose but the unit is also self-drying in that any water collected in the cool cycle is occasionally contacted by a fan which atomizes it (you can hear it) allowing it to evaporate. ive never had to do anything with emptying water, regardless of humidity. i have never used the de-humidify feature either. i would expect to need to empty water or use a hose during this mode, like any de-humidifier.<br><br>as for performance....well...it works..its not a effective as one would think, placing a 7000 btu air conditioner in such a small space... youd think it would be a meat locker...nope...but anything below 90 it works fine...at 95, it will work but the compressor kicks off frequently as that is its thermal overload (im guessing 95 ambient equates to something higher internally)...in doing this, it struggles to get the temps down. it should be noted that the side doors and rear doors are not insulated yet and the van is not hermetically sealed...so there is some air exchange.<br><br>it is a single hose unit...ive read that double hose units are better but i dont think that is an issue here. it easily moves the air in the van and exhausts it out the hose quite efficiently...<br><br>the issue is the hose itself... it is 6" in diameter, connects to the back of the unit with a simple collar and is constructed of the same cheap vinyl dryer hose everyone is familiar with...<br><br>this is its efficiency downfall...the hose itself gets to be over 120 degrees...i measured it...this actually radiates alot of the heat back into the space..<br><br>i have the hose connected to the fantastic fans screen ring...using a round piece of 1/2" Pactiv insulation from Lowes...looks like a big donut...i usually leave the fantastic fan off as it will rotate itself when the ac is exhausting...occasionally ill turn the fan on to setting 1 to help pull the air out..<br><br>so...a 5000 window ac would work much better...however, you gotta either be a ducting guru or cut a huge hole in van...<br><br>this is the second summer with this set up and i have devised a way to eliminate the problem of the hose radiating heat back into the van...i havent done it yet but will eventually get to it...<br><br>in the passenger side bulkhead i am going to cut a hole to house a 6" pvc coupler (kind of fitting that puts two pipes together inline). should be easy as the bulkhead has a removable panel as ive not yet carpeted it...<br><br>to this coupler, i will insert the collar that connects the hose to the ac unit. the collar is removable from the provided hose so no issue there. the clearance given with the coupler and collar will keep the back of the ac far enough away from the bulkhead to allow proper airflow (the air intakes are in the back and left side and their are 4 removable filters).<br><br>what this now does is removes the hose equation from the living space...<br><br>on the other side of the bulkhead, i will use a 6" to 4" reducer..it will pop out close enough to the floor (the exhaust is toward the bottom middle of the ac unit) to allow an immediate elbow or even a 45 to help airflow...and i will run the 4" exhaust up the back of the passenger seat, across the headliner and exiting near the top of the passenger window...i already have autoventshades installed so i can leave the windows cracked...i can even add the included window nozzle....if some heat accumulates in the cab its ok..bulkhead is well insulated and i can always help it with positive air pressure with a 12v fan to ensure the air finds its way out the window...<br><br>the exhaust fans of the ac are powerful enough to move the air even though ive reduced it form 6" to 4" and will have two bends...<br><br>i wont need to glue any of this so when i put the ac unit into storage, the pipes go with it and the hole in the bulkhead is covered with a boat hatch <img src="/images/boards/smilies/cool.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>ok so in summary...the unit works well given my arrangement and its well made. its not too loud. for a small space like a van, the hose is its biggest inefficiency. in a trailer or rv or an apartment (they provide a window kit) the hose becomes irrelevant and it should work really nice...at 7.6 amps its not much more than a small 5000 btu window unit. it is however, rather large...it takes up a good chunk of space, especially considering the monster hose sticking out the back...since you need to account for the back of the unit and the left side, placement and position are key.<br><br>would i recommend it? reservedly, yes. you need to be able to make it work in your van install...other vehicles it would be less cumbersome. if you can modify how it exhausts in a manner similar to what i described for my install, you will be comfy.<br><br>it was expensive at $350 at depot.<br><br>a roof air unit would have been a much better option for me but i did not want to spend the money on that plus lose the 14x14 hole to it...i love my fantastic fan too much... a second 14x14 hole was out of the question...and i was not sticking a window ac unit out the windows or cutting a hole for it.<br><br>so thanks for reading my long post...hope it helps.