I've recently bought a second hand Jergens Wallaroo which is a smaller pop top van with a Heron 2.2 split system air con.
As I mainly go traveling in the winter and rarely need the cooling aspect of the air con then I wonder if it's not better to save the space and weight of the split system and just take a small electric fan heater for about $15. It seems to take up a fair bit of space under the bed and is quite noisy.
I wonder if any other travelers feel the same or am I deluding myself. Any comments welcomed.
We have a reverse cycle a/c and have rarely used either cycle in nearly 3 years. Very noisy for self & neighbours. We do a lot of free camping. Have a brilliant little, cheap, quiet, rechargeable USB fan for those hot nights and wife has a hot water bottle if cold. Also have a small oil filled heater when really needed and power available. My a/c is in the roof and I'm just leaving it there. Do have a 2Kw generator as a backup that we really only use for an air-fryer and top up batteries if sun didn't.
Our van is a Jurgens J1900 Sungazer (full height).
-- Edited by RustyD on Sunday 15th of April 2018 04:49:30 PM
Thanks for your input RustyD. What you say seems to match my previous vanning experience which has been mainly in the winter.
Our Heron 2.2 split system takes up a fair bit of space under one bed plus the fascia panel has broken away from the 4 support bolts. The van is less than 3 years old. I wonder if it's a ridiculous idea to remove it completely and use fans, hot water bottles and a small electric heater when near electricity like you suggest.
I'm a believer in simplicity and a small electric heater is almost silent. I suppose I'd decrease the value of the van by removing the air con units. But on the other hand it's one less thing to play up in the van and the space under the bed would be welcome. A reduction in overall weight is always beneficial.
We've seldom used the roof mounted rev. cycle unit in our full height van. The heat cycle is effective, but less so at floor level. Cooling is effective but noisy inside (although not outside). We carry the $15 portable heater and the USB fans which cover 95% of our needs. I know ours is a different set up to yours, but either way the simple alternatives seem better.
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Cheers,
Tony
"Opinion is the medium between ignorance and knowledge" - Plato
Our Heron 2.2 split system takes up a fair bit of space under one bed plus the fascia panel has broken away from the 4 support bolts. The van is less than 3 years old. I wonder if it's a ridiculous idea to remove it completely and use fans, hot water bottles and a small electric heater when near electricity like you suggest.
If you consider that you can make better use of the space then remove it. However I would suggest that you have it carefully removed and safely store it so that it can be restored when you come to sell the van (may get much better resale value.) When altering the van after removal do not alter the size of the holes and cutouts, just work around them with the infill to make things neater.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
We have a reverse cycle air conditioner but as a heater its fairly useless. We carry a small electric fan heater that we bought cheaply in Kmart many years ago, it heats the van up very quickly. While personally I wouldn't want to be without our air conditioner for cooling as we travel in the hotter months a lot, we do also have a couple of Sirocco 12v fans that we use when not connected to power and they do work fairly well in helping the van stay cooler, though not as well as air conditioning of course.
Thanks for your input Meredith. It seems a lot depends on how much traveling one does in the hot months. Also the resale consideration. Plenty to consider. Regards, David.
I would think that the effort into removing it & reinstalling when you sell the van would be not worth while. But I think from memory we have an extra two feet in length over your van.
Yes, they are noisy outside - we as "Troppos" need the heat when travelling south (grand parent duties) & living in the tropics, it is certainly more comfortable in humid conditions. Using a fan heater could mean a power cord on the floor (safety issue?).
Our main unit is under my bed & I hardly know it is there.
When we go to our daughter's place in SW Vic, I may throw in a small fan/fan heater as I don't want to load her power wiring down.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
More to consider as we will probably only keep this van for about 3 years.
The question is then that, as we live in an imperfect world, is it better to put up with something rarely used and takes up quite a lot of space in a such a small van or pull it out and store it?
We live on the New England Tablelands of NSW and while it does get hot here in summer we rarely travel in those months. In the winter months it's never required. I may be short in the top paddock but when camping and caravaning I have a fetish for simplicity and efficiency. :) Seems the climate you live in (or travel to) has a large bearing on the value of air conditioning.
I think of those American western movies when the cowboys ride off into the sunset with no more than a thin blanket tied behind their saddle, and wonder if in this modern age we have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction. I'm becoming philosophical now..... it's the journey and not the destination.
Thanks to you also Peter D. In fact everyone who has taken the time to post their thoughts. This is the first time I've used this forum and it reeks of good will and experience.
Davey, this forum is excellent for newcomers & others with more experience.
The dealers may give you a quick run down & refer you to the manual &/or DVD which are basic to say the least. They mostly don't cover the nitty-gritty when things go wrong out on the road.
The "Search" button is a most useful tool.
Good luck in your adventures - we might see you out & about one day. I had a close encounter with Tony-Bev one morning a few months ago but while they did a right hand turn, we did a U-turn as we were looking for a cool shopping centre after driving several hundred kms without air conditioning. Seeing their name on the back of their m/home twigged my memory.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
Thanks Warren.
I've also spoken to the Jergens agents in Coffs and they recommend I fix and leave it intact in the van if only for resale value. So that is what I intend to do. Thanks everyone for your input. :) Perhaps uncommon sense have prevailed in this instance. :)
