I am considering ac.ing the van but are uncercain about a lot of info. I would appreciate first hand experience if possible.
We have an older van 2002 windsor and I love it but I dont know if the timber framed roof is strong enough to support the weight of a roof mount ac, thoughts please.
next option an under bed ac. , never seen one been told they are useless. has anybody had experience with these?
I am considering ac.ing the van but are uncercain about a lot of info. I would appreciate first hand experience if possible.
We have an older van 2002 windsor and I love it but I dont know if the timber framed roof is strong enough to support the weight of a roof mount ac, thoughts please.
next option an under bed ac. , never seen one been told they are useless. has anybody had experience with these?
Thanks
Peter
My 2.5kw Mitsubishi Heavy Industries system has the outside unit mounted on the drawbar of the van, with the cassette unit mounted on an interior wall. Works brilliantly, and has not given any trouble despite many thousands of kilometres on bush roads, including Dawson Development Road and Suttor Development Road. Also did the road from Dundas to Lake King, with holes in the road literally 600mm deep and no other traffic for over 200kms. Mitsubishi are very energy efficient, mine running 24/7 off batteries. Cheers
I think you are correct regarding roof mounted units on older vans. Depending on the size of the van and unit, which can weigh up to 30 kgs, roofs can become concave even with extra bracing fitted and with water not draining off the roof leakage can occur. My son has his unit mounted in a cabinet on a bench top in his van. It runs reasonably quiet but does take up space. Yobaar's setup is good but requires space on the drawbar and a professional insallation in running wiring and pipework. It would also be prone to dust ingress on the external unit so regular maintenance would be required. A unit under the bed could vibrate causing discomfort to the occupant and be noisy. Whatever you do will be a compromise.
thanks for replying. has anybody got an under bed unit?
The big issue with under bed units is they are not very efficient because hot air rises and cold air drops.
The cost to buy and install any made for caravan air-conditioning is expensive when compared to good quality house hold split system air-conditioning installation would similarly priced however, it's performance is far superior.
G'day Peter, we had a Truma a/c which was mounted under the bed in a previous van. Vibration and noise were fairly high which caused difficulty in sleeping not to mention the comments from those camped next to us!!!!!
Apart from all that it did do the job very well.
-- Edited by Magnarc on Saturday 5th of November 2022 12:14:52 PM
Is there a reason you cannot follow Yobarr's route?
I think such ACs retail for less than $1000 and are probably more efficient than caravan units.
I suspect an under bed unit will be awful; ACs need airflow to duct the heat away.
The 2.5kW split system are about the most efficient air conditioner. The are also very quiet. The Daikin (& probably the same for Mitsubishi) kW of cooling range from 0.9 to 3.7kW. If you have plenty of battery resources. Stick it on maximum for 10 minutes then wind in back.
The other thing they are really good at is dehumidifying run on of a low speed setting. You may find this is enough for most situations saving even more energy if you are a touch light on batteries.
While on the road you could put a cover over it to protect it from dust & stones. It is a good idea to hose the condenser out occasionally. They are built for out doors!
Disclaimer, I have a 2.5 & 5.0kW Daikin
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Is there a reason you cannot follow Yobarr's route?
I think such ACs retail for less than $1000 and are probably more efficient than caravan units.
I suspect an under bed unit will be awful; ACs need airflow to duct the heat away.
The 2.5kW split system are about the most efficient air conditioner. The are also very quiet. The Daikin (& probably the same for Mitsubishi) kW of cooling range from 0.9 to 3.7kW. If you have plenty of battery resources. Stick it on maximum for 10 minutes then wind in back.
The other thing they are really good at is dehumidifying run on of a low speed setting. You may find this is enough for most situations saving even more energy if you are a touch light on batteries.
While on the road you could put a cover over it to protect it from dust and stones. It is a good idea to hose the condensor out occasionally. They are built for out doors!
Disclaimer, I have a 2.5 & 5.0kW Daikin
Great advice Jonathan. After making enquiries with "experts" I was told not to worry about dust, but to hose the condensor occasionally. The stone guard that is in front of the AC unit was actually an afterthought, and is mounted on top of the bar that I fitted to hang mudflaps from, in an effort to stop stones going under the van and smashing all the plumbing for the 6 water tanks I have. Works well, after a few teething problems with my design. Cheers
It took me months designing & arranging the layout of my roof rack. I had to get things down to mm to fit, also with the option of putting a few things in the car while on the road due to weight, but stick them on the roof overnight as well sleep in the car.
As long as you have the payload for the air conditioning, it boils down to priorities.
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
G'day Peter,
I have an under-bed Heron air conditioner & haven't had any issues with it. It was in the van when we bought it. And living in North Qld, a good cooling device is essential!
The hot air is forced down through the floor through several large holes & there has been no indication that any dust, stones have tried to come in off the road.
Even lifting up my bed (we have singles) to give the main unit a clean wasn't that difficult to gain access into the compressor unit. I am aware that it is a bit noisy outside, but I've had many a night being kept awake by caravans running air conditioners all night when we had the campers.
Installing one might be a nightmare in an existing built van.
I'm certain there was a posting on this forum a few years ago with a portable, movable household unit with the hot air being ducted out of a van but cannot find it. Searches gave a lot that is re-mentioned above.
__________________
Warren
----------------
If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
