The cooler indeed forms a picturesque silhouette thanks to the attractive modern design. Window ac units aren’t the easiest to install in a van, so here is a video which does a good job at explaining the install process. Honeywell 10000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner. Below, I now want to discuss each option in a bit more detail and with a few more examples/videos. As you can see from the video above, both portable and built-in air conditioning options are quite large/bulky and will impact on your leisure vehicles payload. Weighing only 12.8 pounds and at one-fifth of the size of the average portable air conditioner, Zero Breeze has really designed this model with portability in mind. 12V Adapter Plug Socket with Eyelet Terminal. Also, the fan noise from the unit outside hanging from the window may annoy your pitch neighbours. Guchen is an independent manufacturer fully devoted to design, produce, install and service of complete air conditioning system and components for 24V/12V DC air conditioner at the top quality, bring to the market customized services & project planning for automotive manufacturers, truck manufacturers, … If you’re traveling to incredibly hot places regularly, a portable ac unit for your van is an absolute lifesaver. Any air conditioner added to a Pop-Top roof or a Camper Trailer roof will add additional weight that will effect the lifting of the roof, irrespective of the roof strength. Don’t worry… we don’t like spam either! A window ac unit in your van isn’t the most attractive looking option or the most stealthy option either, but if you’re on a budget it’s a good solution. And of course, our biggest piece of advice: if the weather gets chilly, be a snowbird and fly(drive) south! Truma Air Conditioning and Accessories . Furthermore, they run on 12V power therefore you can run turbo vents just from the leisure battery. Other Types of Air Conditioners for Camper Vans. This means feeling the highs and the lows of the temperature, which can be difficult to get accustomed to at first. Graham provides some really good feedback on the performance of the portable air conditioner. A Fan-Tastic Fan is the key to keeping your van cool. Mr. Heater Indoor-Safe Portable Propane Radiant Heater – A radiant heater is well worth the money if you will be traveling to really cold destinations. Therefore, this is an option Dan didn’t decide to take. Posted on December 4, 2011 by Rach. Luckily, it’s pretty simple to install RV air conditioner units, and can be done with basic hand tools. They’re affordable, stealthy, they’re not clunky and won’t take up space, and they’re not difficult to install. Horton Common features five hard standing fully serviced pitches for caravans and motorhomes. This article by Collyn Rivers shows how. Watts: runs between 1,000 and 1,500. The above video does a good job of providing a brief overview of the different cooling options for a caravan/motorhome. Having air conditioning in your caravan or motorhome is possible via a number of different solutions. In Grahams set up, the interior box sat on the kitchen worktop. Begin by turning off the air conditioner and unplugging your RV from all power sources. In terms of pure cooling capacity/performance and efficiency, the most expensive built-in air conditioners from Truma and Dometic come out on top, as you would and should expect. Dometic Brisk II Polar White Air Conditioner, Cost: $$$$ So the last thing I want to discuss in this post is about the topic of power consumption with regards to portable and built-in air conditioning units for caravans and motorhomes. For instance, there is a portable air conditioner set up to consider which is a cheaper solution. First, the portable air conditioner is not able to produce the equivalent cooling power to the built-in units from Truma and Dometic. Join our community to stay up to date with everything going on in the world of van life. But it is important to recognise the limitations of this portable air conditioner and any air conditioner for that matter. Furthermore, both the boxes of the portable air conditioner have condensation (condensate) traps. Now, up until the point when I started to do my additional research for this post, I also believed that was the trade-off, natural light or an air conditioner. Similar to the window ac unit, this unit isn’t traditionally used in a camper van. The bottom line on those 120 volt AC-powered rooftop air conditioners is that you really need shore power or a generator to run them consistently for any length of time. Therefore, in the winter, spring or autumn you won’t be carrying around that weight (20kg). However, they are also portable air conditioning setups which you may feel best suits your budget. For instance, even running at full ‘cooling power’ the unit will not able to get the interior temperature to any figure you choose. Therefore, until climate change takes more of hold on the UK climate and our summers are commonly above 30 degrees Celcius you may want to carefully consider if you actually want/need air conditioning. You will also want to put a thin layer of insulation over the hose because it will get very warm, therefore making your van warm. Don’t be afraid to drive to where the weather is more suitable! This Enerdrive 12v Lithium Battery Setup will allow you to run your air conditioner and other heavy amp drawing 240v appliances without the need for a generator or mains power - making caravanning a lot more comfortable. Say you burnt some toast and the fire detector is going off. Therefore the Truma representative discuses with Dan the option of the Saphir air conditioning unit which can installed under the seating area, with ventilation pipes running along/within the caravan cupboards/lockers. However, there is now another option from Dometic. Horton Common Caravan Site - Lask Edge Road, Lask Edge, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 8QS, link to How To Fit AL-KO Wheel Locks To Single & Twin Axle Caravans, link to How To Go Off-Grid In A Caravan/Motorhome - You Need To Plan Ahead, Introduction to Air Conditioning for Caravans and Motorhomes, Portable Air Conditioning Setups for Caravans and Motorhomes, Portable Air Conditioner Advantages/Disadvantages, Replacing a Roof Light with an Air Conditioner, Truma Built-in/Roof-Mounted Air Conditioners, Truma Roof-Mounted Air Conditioner Installation, Roof-Mounted Air Conditioner Advantages/Disadvantages, Conclusions on The Best Air Conditioners for Caravans and Motorhomes. If there is no room on your roof for an AC unit, or your roof is the wrong shape, an under bench air conditioner can be installed inside your vehicle. Campervan Air Conditioners: Staying Cool for Vanlife | Van life air conditioning: The challenge of cooling your... Read More. However, this is a true ‘cooling’ solution that can reduce the interior temperature below that of the outdoor environment. An affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and other sites. Just quickly turn the turbo vent to max speed. For a true air conditioner with a condenser/heat exchanger, the heat from inside the caravan/motorhome has to be exchanged to the outside environment. This is quite a bit more than their Fresh Jet 1700 above which is typically found for around £1,700. While here at Horton Common I provide 16A per pitch, that’s not the case on all sites and its especially not true on the continent. It will typically be able to reduce the interior temperature to 6-7 degrees Celcius below the outdoor temperature. For instance, on a small single axle caravan, the impact could be significant. Larger RVs (over 8 m) may need more than one air conditioning unit to cool the entire vehicle. Features & Inspection Tips, How To Clean A Caravan Roof In 2021 – Best Advice & Tips, How To Clean An Awning in 2021 on Caravans/Motorhomes + Reproofing, LamiNox Mistralvan 2240 air conditioner, for caravans, mobile homes, camper vans, buses, boats, (identical to Eurom AC 2400). Otherwise, you may just want to try increasing the ventilation in your caravan or motorhome with a Turbo Vent and see how you get on. As of yet, I’ve not actually seen any of our guests arrive and set up a portable air conditioning unit. However, its less practical and takes up living space. If you believe that adding one or more turbo vents to your caravan or motorhome is just not going to provide you with the cooling performance your after, the next step up is a portable air conditioning unit. The obvious benefit of opting for a built-in air conditioner for your caravan or motorhome is the minimal impact if any on the use/function of the living space. First, the window when the air conditioner is fitted will always be slightly open. 12 Sep 2020. Wool Socks – Merino wool socks will do wonders for your feet. There is an issue with a seal that runs across the caravan roof, but also a potential issue with the air conditioner and Dan existing solar panel. Put a thick curtain or blanket behind the front seats in your van. And while yes it can get pretty warm here at Horton Common in the middle of summer, that’s not why they had air conditioning installed. There are however some obvious downsides to this portable air conditioner. Inflatable Caravan Air Awnings in 2021, are they any Good? Even less so for some large motorhomes and motorhomes with high payloads such as van conversions. It can also stay open while driving, while the fantastic fan cannot. How To Jack Up A Caravan Safely & Securely – Jacks, Hints & Tips, Caravan Corner Steady Servicing and Replacement – Tips on Grease Etc, Best Caravan Towing Mirrors in 2021? Now, many new caravans and motorhomes come with a ‘water ingress warranty’. A big downside to this ac unit is it takes up a ton of space in your van. If you don’t want to lose the existing roof lights/vents on your caravan or motorhome the Truma Saphir or Dometic Freshwell maybe your best option. Truma also produces water pumps and other accessories. Shortly after, presuming the toast isn’t still burning the smoke detector alarm should turn off. If you only currently use your caravan within the UK. Heated Throw Electric Blanket – A heated blanket is a life saver in the cold winter months. Now, its likely the FreshLight is more expensive due to more expensive components. Here comes below are the pros and cons of the portable air conditioner for camper trailer. The only portable air conditioning unit specifically for caravans and motorhomes that I’m currently aware of is produced by a company called Eurom. Hence, if you visit Amazon through one of our links and decide to purchase a product we receive a small commission with no additional cost to you. There are now internal air conditioning units which can fit under the seating area or fixed bed. However, both portable and built-in air conditioning setups produce fan noise. It will bring down the temperature a few degrees, which is worth the money for most. A light-colored van won’t absorb as much heat. Dometic has managed to achieve better cooling performance in a smaller unit and accommodated a roof light. Also don’t be afraid to bundle up. Well, there is obviously no large boxes hanging on the outside of your van or your kitchen worktop in the case of a portable air conditioner. No matter how well you insulate your van, it will never have the same insulation properties of a house. We really do stress to new van lifers how important a fan is to your comfort, plus, it also aids when cooking inside to get rid of any smells. Best battery for campervan electrical systems & power storage | What does a campervan leisure battery, aka house battery,... Read More. We talk about this in our insulation chapter. This fan is a bit more expensive, but a great alternative to the Fantastic Fan. Hopefully you have some mountains close by! By the way… any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. There are a ton of options for heating and air conditioning your camper van when encountering inclement weather. While in the UK summer months we may have short periods over 30 degrees Celcius (currently), in central/southern Europe that’s far more common. However, there are potential issues with the roof-mount units as well which I’ll discuss below. hOmeLabs Window Air Conditioner. It is primarily dependent on how much you are willing to spend and where you’re traveling to. As I stated at the top of this post when it comes to this category of air conditioner for caravans and motorhomes, your best options are really from Dometic and Truma. On more than a few occasions when I've gone to meet our guests after arriving here at Horton Common I've come across them trying to fit an AL-KO wheel lock to their caravan and I've heard various... How To Go Off-Grid In A Caravan/Motorhome - You Need To Plan Ahead. Yes, the noise from the fans is a consideration. However, as you would expect there are conditions. Now in some instances, as discussed in the video below, a new hole can be made into the roof to accommodate the air conditioner. Secondly, Graham brings up the point about condensation. Make sure to install a motorhome air conditioner that's highly compatible with your specific motorhome model, for example, a rooftop air conditioner will to fit the shape of your motorhome's roof. On the coldest of nights, you can get away with a mummy sleeping bag and a blanket over the top. BTU: 5,000 To start off the discussion on what might be the best air conditioning setup for your caravan or motorhome is a video from Practical Motorhome. However, you may even grow to like waking up in the cool crisp air and letting the sun slowly warm you as it rises. Roof mounted air conditioning units can be used but many feel reluctant to spend £2,500 to have a 45kg a/c unit affixed to the top of their van and rightly worry about recouping their investment when selling or trading-in. The Dometic roof-mounted air conditioner FreshLight range features an integrated roof-light: Image – Amazon.co.uk. Furthermore, as Dan shows in the video above its iNet compatible. Disclaimer: Hey! 5 Best Portable Air Conditioner for Pop Up Camper. So the last option you could consider which maybe your best option depending on your budget and circumstances is a built-in/roof-mounted air conditioner. So while this solution appears to be the best option for Graham, it may not be the best option for you depending on your individual circumstances/needs. Overall, it’s a great unit for van lifers who aren’t staying in areas that get really hot. Definitely interested in hearing other ideas on how to cool camper van — please add a comment below. This Dometic AC unit is the most ideal way to keep your conversion van cool. You do also have to consider the impacts on payload and other issues such as weight distribution and caravan noseweights. It is possible to run your air conditioner for extended periods of time while you free camp - purely from your 12v Battery. The point remains though, the impact on the vehicles total weight and weight distribution does need to be considered. . Rooftop – Roof air-conditioners are the most common type of AC used by people with RV’s. This isn’t an ideal way to cool a camper van, and it’s not quite as powerful as some other options, but it gets the job done, and certainly brings out the spirit of a DIY van conversion. This top-tier, low-profile (9.5” high) camper van air conditioner has a smooth and glossy style that offers advanced aerodynamics and high-end comfort control. Small Portable – Portable air-conditioners are self-contained units that are used to cool a single room, with the advantage of being movable. On how much you are willing to spend and where you ’ re traveling to incredibly hot regularly! 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