small AC cooling without hookup.

[vanvanvanvan123]

how expensive a battery or series of to power a small AC unit for front seat of a car?

 

[bullfrog !]

So far way too much! Cheapest most reliable solution is to get a hybrid car like an older Prius.

 

[jonyjoe303]

one of the small "zerobreeze" AC's use around 200 watts. A 100ah lifepo4 might run it for about 4 hours, then you have to find a way to charge the battery back up to 100 percent. Also a drawback is if you have the AC inside, the 200 watts of heat have to go somewhere. If its hot outside the heat from the 200 watts will also heat up the interior.
Same thing happens with a 12 volt fridge, the heat from the compresser goes inside the van, and a fridge is only 60 watts.
I have over 500 ah of lithium and I wouldn't run a small AC due to too much power use, and also I know about the heat issues on a hot day, on very hot days I don't even use my laptop because the 35 watts it uses will heat up the inside of my van.
If you live in a dry area, you can probably get away with using a swampcooler. The one I been using uses less that 2 amps (about 20 watts).
Below is a picture of a small swampcooler I built several years back and used inside my van over a summer. Its small but it kept me cool. I wanted to see if a small swampcooler would be useful, it worked good. The only drawback it doesnt hold much water.

 

[vanvanvanvan123]

So far way too much! Cheapest most reliable solution is to get a hybrid car like an older Prius.

You specify “older “ - is this for the sake of cost only? Or do newer not provide cooling the way older did???
i’m told the prius can get very expensive with battery replacement.- really only a new one is advised by Scotty Kilmer. thoughts ?

 

[bullfrog !]

Newest one you can afford, I only mentioned older as you asked how expensive. Being able to have AC in hot climates requires a big battery or running a generator. Not only does a Prius have those but it is possible to automatically control its operation. A Prius can also be modified to run up to a 3,000 watt inverter which would allow all sorts of possible solutions such as a powering a portable AC in a tent or RV if towed behind on a dolly. A Prius is more efficient and quieter in my opinion than most generators that produce enough power to run an AC, plus you get transportation as well.

 

[maki2]

how expensive a battery or series of to power a small AC unit for front seat of a car?

Not a viable concept. Even small ones use too much power. You would need a 1,000 watt generator to make it work. That size generator can run a 500 watt window AC. But of course then you have to figure out how to mount the AC in a vehicle window. The AC unit needs to sit level. Obviously the generator needs to be outside.

Plus there is also figuring out how you will store the generator and a Window AC both of which are bulky in size.

Unfortunately there currently is no solution for what you desire to do.

 

[Malamute]

Not a viable concept. Even small ones use too much power. You would need a 1,000 watt generator to make it work. That size generator can run a 500 watt window AC. But of course then you have to figure out how to mount the AC in a vehicle window. The AC unit needs to sit level. Obviously the generator needs to be outside.

Plus there is also figuring out how you will store the generator and a Window AC both of which are bulky in size.

Unfortunately there currently is no solution for what you desire to do.

I agree theres no practical way to do exactly what he asked, but its not all that difficult to mount a small window AC unit in a vehicle window, nor have a generator to run it. Ive been doing it for 4 or so years, and just copied others that had done it before.

Actually, the AC unit needs to lean outward slightly, same as how they are mounted in a house window, so the condensate drains away from the door. First time I did mine it didnt lean out enough and it got damp inside sometimes.

A cargo box on a hitch mounted cargo rack works nicely for the generator and gives fair bit of usable storage space.

 

[Rhonda]

how expensive a battery or series of to power a small AC unit for front seat of a car?

I am looking at a solar window ac from modern depot.

 

[VanFan]

I’m told the prius can get very expensive with battery replacement.-

Yes, a new battery runs about $4K through dealers, and you may encounter a significant back order delay. (I was told four to six weeks.) I sourced a refurbished replacement with a two year warranty for $2K, which took about 45 minutes to install. The company is Green Tech, and they will come to you for about $150 more. So far, I have been very pleased.

My Prius is a 2012, with low mileage. The number of short cycle trips and extreme heat contributed to the battery's demise. Naturally, it was just out of warranty. I will say the total cost of ownership, including battery replacement, as been very low for this car so far.

There are some caveats with respect to using an inverter related to fuse limits. This has kept me from installing one for emergency power, but it is feasible in theory.

Personally, I find the slight jerk when the engine starts to be a nuisance for sleeping, but others say they get used to it.

 

[RonDean]

how expensive a battery or series of to power a small AC unit for front seat of a car?

Bob interviewed someone that had enough solar/batteries for an AC. You might want to check out the youtube video.

Added: It obviously wasn't too much for him. It isn't so much the small space you want to cool, it's the power it takes to start up the AC.

 

[jacqueg]

Bob interviewed someone that had enough solar/batteries for an AC. You might want to check out the youtube video.

Added: It obviously wasn't too much for him. It isn't so much the small space you want to cool, it's the power it takes to start up the AC.

Yes, but Jim has lots of roof top real estate for solar panels - quite a bit more than a car has.

 

[RonDean]

I think many of us paid more attention to different parts of the question.

Using an AC to cool the front seat of a car at a reasonable price makes me think vanvanvanvan123 may not have the bucks to go out and buy another car, Prius or otherwise. Nor do you need a Prius if you are willing to run a gas engine (be it the car's engine or a generator) to run an AC. Lots of cheap cars out there with workable ACs. Personally, when I hear someone nearby power up a generator to run their AC, that's when I pack up and move on down the road. But, I know not everyone feels like I do, and that's OK.

Back to the original question. Even without the roof space, one can lay out sufficient solar panels on the ground to run an AC if need be - and you are in a space that would allow it. Obviously, not workable in an urban environment. Price of that much solar and battery vs the cost of buying another car would also have to be balanced. I know that Jim's solution would not work for everyone, but it is at least as workable as telling someone to go out and buy a Prius. Just curious, why didn't anyone knock that idea? I am of the opinion that we should all toss out workable solutions and let vanvanvanvan123 pick any that might work for him.

 

[Malamute]

Bob interviewed someone that had enough solar/batteries for an AC. You might want to check out the youtube video.

Added: It obviously wasn't too much for him. It isn't so much the small space you want to cool, it's the power it takes to start up the AC.

This had been improving recently. The unit I first used required a hard start capacitor for my generator to kick it over in eco mode, but the one I bought in the fall of 2021 didnt need one. The one in Bobs video was mentioned to be low energy and low startup power equipped. Its still a factor, but not as much as older units.

Edit: The gen noise was mentioned above, on eco mode they run a bit quieter. Its not silent, but quieter than non-eco. When I leave mine run and come out of a store its not apparent its running until Im a few cars away. The cargo box may have some bearing on that, Im not sure.

 

[maki2]

I know the guy in the Bob Wells Video. I camped near him for two Quartzsite LTVA fall through spring seasons. REALITY CHECK….in 90 degree hot weather he turned on a generator to help power that AC in the afternoon when solar input starts lagging.

 

[Happy Camper]

I know the guy in the Bob Wells Video. I camped near him for two Quartzsite LTVA fall through spring seasons. REALITY CHECK….in 90 degree hot weather he turned on a generator to help power that AC in the afternoon when solar input starts lagging.

That must require a decent solar setup. Do you know how much he had installed? My thought was that afternoons still seem to have plenty of usable light for solar. But this makes me rethink that idea.

 

[abnorm]

He's recently redone his setup........Now about 1600 watts..........3 x (approx) 400 watt panels on the trailer roof with tilting mounts

And One on the truck roof also tilting and "tracking" by moving the truck

 

[Happy Camper]

I would imagine that kind of power should be able to power his AC in the afternoon now. If you have the room and the funds for them, solar is such a game changer for those that prefer to use electricity in their vehicles.

 

[jacqueg]

That must require a decent solar setup. Do you know how much he had installed? My thought was that afternoons still seem to have plenty of usable light for solar. But this makes me rethink that idea.

Depends on the time and season. The later in the day it gets, the less solar energy your panels will produce - if, like most of us, your panels are flat on the roof. Same is true in the mornings of course. The sun needs to be nearly or directly overhead for flat panels to produce what they are capable of producing.

I am considering getting one or two portable panels that I could set up on the ground and tilt to feed my Jackery. Don't know that I NEED them, but...

 

[maki2]

In my experience the solar power coming in starts dropping off at around 3 in the afternoon. Generally on average 9:00 am to 3:00 pm is peak solar time. Of course there are more hours of the sun being directly overhead in the summer than in the winter. I do not have a large solar system or big battery bank. I certainly can’t run an AC with it. As I am at high altitude of 6,000 to 7,00o feet in the summer months I doubt my 1,000 peak watt, 900 useable generator could even run a 500 watt AC unit. Generators lose a lot of power at altitude as well as burn more gas.

Of course as I am currently in Flagstaff in early May keeping cool is not an issue. Keeping warm after Sunset and in the early morning is the task for this month.

 

[bullfrog !]

It really is simple, the technology is not developed enough to allow enough solar panels and batteries to be efficiently transported to run an air conditioner throughout the entire day or week with even some clouds, in an area the size of most vehicles for solar panels. If you need to run an air conditioner a Prius (hybrid) is a very efficient car and generator that can do that. Even with solar panels covering the roof of both camper and tow vehicle and one of them being somewhat adjustable you will still experience times when you need additional power in my opinion. You might run the AC a few hours a day during the sunny hottest times of day to make it bearable but not when ever you might be just uncomfortable.