Venting window AC into cabin?

[highdesertranger]

can't believe we are talking ac's in January. highdesertranger

 

[Reducto]

can't believe we are talking ac's in January.  highdesertranger

I've been spending a lot of time in South Florida lately - it was in the 80's with max humidity earlier this month. This week people are walking around in parkas because it's in the 60's.

 

[Matt71]

It's going to be so weird walking around in shorts all winter while the locals are all bundled up. 60s is nothing up here in Michigan

 

[LeeRevell]

Up here in North Florida, it's common to see the FSU college kids wearing shorts, flipflops and a heavy hooded parka in the winter! Heck, it's only a few days or a couple weeks at most that the girls put away their bikinis.......

 

[compassrose]

My husband & I built a window A/C unit into the bus (6K BTU, both front and rear). It's hard to tell from the outside. We didn't want the unit just hanging out there so we built it in. It's not the first A/C unit that we have built in either. We built two into a popup. The key is to make sure the comprssor gets enough air to it. Otherwise the A/C overheats and dies an early death. For the rear, we used the hollow bulkhead as a plenum and removed the flasher lights. The holes they left were covered with a screened foundation vent cover to let the air into cool the compressor. The evaporator was covered with a screened roof vent. The screening prevents birds from nesting in the vent. The interior part of the A/C unit does protrude into the bus. Cabinetry had been biult around the rear one. I haven't gotten that far on the front one. The front AC was more involved since we had to build a plenum from the front flashers to the vented sides of the unit. Both A/Cs have a drain installed to move the accumulated condensation (virtually none in NM but that will change once we head back east)  out of the bus with no spillage. Both A/C's have the vent in the top of the box sealed closed. Works great.

This is the image of the front. The rear looks the same. The covers have since been painted to match the rest of the bus and it's hard to tell they are there.

 

[SternWake]

I'm not planning on powering it with a battery - I'd only use the AC when at a park with hookups or when I'm someplace I can use my generator.

If I mount the unit high enough I should be able to just remove the headrest from the passenger seat. That doesn't leave much room between it and the ceiling for ventilation, though. Maybe I could incorporate some sort of fan?

All of the portables I've seen are huge. I'm in a minivan and have very little room to spare.

I would have it set up so I can remove it and put it on the floor in front of my passenger seat when I won't be using it for a while.

I think, in this situation, I'd devise a mounting method to hold it tight in one of the  front windows, one which is easily removeable, and storable, and easy to set up.

The portables are pretty large.

One July, I was visiting my parents in Florida.  The Central Air went out.  It could not be fixed for a few days, and we borrowed an 8000 btu portable unit, for 2 bedrooms.  It barely put a dent in the temperature, and the condensation bucket filled up every 3.5 hours.  I did not sleep well, and the next day went to Home Despot and got a 99$ 5000 btu window shaker, and this did make a dent in the temperatures.  I moved the  portable 8000 btu unit to the other bedroom, and insulated the tubing that leads to the window, and the smaller rated window shaker was still able to cool better than the higher rated portable.

If/when I do need AC, I'll be doing a window shaker with some noise absorbing materials on the mating surfaces, and probably fabricate a weatherproof shroud for it when driving.  I can remove a back cargo door window in seconds, so perhaps I'd rig up a window shaker which I could take out or install easily.

I've no plans on running AC on battery.  Not even on an inverter powered by my alternator.  Even when LiFepo4 becomes affordable.

My van is not heavily insulated, I wonder if 5K btu would be enough.

 

[ahh_me2]

I did exactly as the thread title says.

Last summer I started on my van conversion and I made a separator between the front and back compartment.
Since I had no specific plans and wanted to take a modular approach, I framed in a larger window opening.
In the winter I would have a frame that sets in place with a small window, and in the summer I would have either a larger window set in a frame or for the hot sweltering days a standard house window AC unit.
I had been given an AC unit for free from the neighboring shop and actually mounted it with a frame around it, and it exhausts in to the drivers area. Cracking my sunroof and letting the driver and passengers window down an inch or two worked fine!
The back area was nice and cool(cold even!) and the front was quite warm.
I was connected to shore power, so wasn't concerned about the current draw.
Also, it made my my vehicle look like some kind of refrigerated delivery van.

I'll see if I can find a few pics...

 

[akrvbob]

I'd love to see those pics!
Bob

 

[ahh_me2]

Well, It turns out I don't have pics of the AC unit as installed last summer.

But, and there is always one of those it seems, this has reminded me I have to remount the AC, because there are a few design changes I need to make, basically in the support system. Since I won't be moving into the van until the end of March, I might as well deal with the AC over the next day or two.

So I went out to take some pics of the van, it's snowing by the way, was raining earlier, and will go to -10 C overnight,will be slippery out there tomorrow!

Anyway the pics are without the AC in place, but you'll be able to see where it goes, tomorrow, if it's not too cold, I'll put the AC in and redo more or less the same photos, sort of as a comparison.


Andre

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

Andre,

Did you need the A/C unit in northern Alberta?  
It looks like you don't have access from the front of the van to the rear.  Is that true?

I'm thinking about doing something similar.  Window rattlers are cheap and work good.  

Thanks for braving the cold and snow to show us some pictures!  I'd have waited until spring.  

 

[ahh_me2]

HaHa, in spite of our northern latitude and cold weather, the heat in the summer can get quite intense!

We get our 30-30 Celsius here in the summer, and even @ 25 C, it'll bake the van in a few hours.
So I actually used the AC last summer while building inside the van, it made it not only bearable, but quite refreshing!

I don't have door access to the front from behind, but with the quick removal of the winter window frame, I can crawl out into the cab. I'm not concerned about people seeing me come and go as it is parked in a somewhat secluded commercial area.

It wasn't all that cold, and I am currently working on it anyway, in about 35 days I'll be living in it, so cold weather or not, I have to be out there doing work on it.

Tomorrow I'll have pics with the AC in.

 

[ahh_me2]

It's a bit colder out today, around -17 C, but the sun is shining and you can feel spring coming!

Anyway, here's a few pics with the AC in.

 

[Matt71]

Isn't that thing a bit overkill?Looks pretty big.

 

[VJG1977]

How do you handle the condensation drip from the AC? 

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

So did you install it just to show us pictures?  If so, thanks!

So do you drive around with it installed like it is?  As was mentioned, it looks bigger than I would have thought, did you just happen to have that A/C unit lying around or did you pick it out for the van?  

I see you have it up high.  I was thinking about putting one a few inches above the floor, that way I could step over it to get to the front (with a door made of polyiso or something).  

Very nice!

 

[ahh_me2]

Isn't that thing a bit overkill?Looks pretty big.

Maybe it's overkill, but the AC was given to me, so for free I can't really complain.

How do you handle the condensation drip from the AC? 

Well since it's a bit "overkill", the duty cycle is real low, and I have yet to see any condensation let alone drip.
It appears to be a non-issue.
Perhaps in more humid areas it might be problematic, but even then there is plenty of space to put a drip tray below.

Andre

 

[ahh_me2]

So did you install it just to show us pictures?  If so, thanks!

So do you drive around with it installed like it is?  As was mentioned, it looks bigger than I would have thought, did you just happen to have that A/C unit lying around or did you pick it out for the van?  

I see you have it up high.  I was thinking about putting one a few inches above the floor, that way I could step over it to get to the front (with a door made of polyiso or something).  

Yeah mainly to show, plus I needed to confirm a few dimensions, 2 birds 1 stone!

It is currently not anchored, so I wouldn't drive, but once installed in the heat of summer, it will be locked in place for safe driving.

I put it up high as I have the "mudroom" right below it.

Andre

 

[akrvbob]

Very cool! (pun intended!)

Mudroom?
Bob

 

[ahh_me2]

Yeah, a place to put dirty, muddy or wet boots or footwear!

 

[surfer]

Is that a floor vent to the right of it? What's the idea on that?