12 volt ac??

[Dan sloan]

after hearing about the original ac not available, was wondering if anyone has purchased or researched 12 acs? seems like a good option especially with li batteries , possibly using only battery power when boondocking

 

[Sweeney]

after hearing about the original ac not available, was wondering if anyone has purchased or researched 12 acs? seems like a good option especially with li batteries , possibly using only battery power when boondocking

The 12-volt AC units available on the market have received good reviews.

However, they do consume a significant amount of power - 20 amps at 12 volts in thier lower power consumption mode. Which may be good for 'our' intended use. Getting power to the AC would likely mean wiring, and additional capcity. Perhaps a good use of space where the old AC once was?

In terms of size, these units are 11,000 BTU and may be more efficient at removing heat than smaller window-mounted ACs. However, their larger size means they will likely sit above the roof rack rails (the units stand approximately 7 inches tall).

It's also worth noting that a single lithium battery with a capacity of 100Ah would quickly drain to zero with a continuous draw of 20 amps - in
just 4 hours, assuming no cycling or duty cycle. In reality, the compressor will likely cycle at a lower rate than 100%, which would extend the battery life.

Dometic RTX 2000 is what I was looking for when figuring above...

Looking closely at the AC, it may have a bulbous airbox -- which would intrude into the living space...not sure how that really would work....For the fun of it, I looked at my wholesaler -- and they have precisely 1 available in their warehouses, and at over $2200 -- its not a cheap option either.

@Cary Winch, what gauge wire do you pre-wire for solar? I assume 100-watt solar is what you pre-wrie for would be WAY too small for 20amp...

 

[dustinp]

after hearing about the original ac not available, was wondering if anyone has purchased or researched 12 acs? seems like a good option especially with li batteries , possibly using only battery power when boondocking

I don't have any experience with it, but Ecoflow makes a stand alone AC unit made for camping off grid. https://us.ecoflow.com/products/eco...onditioner-with-heater?variant=42093673021513

 

[TheSongDogHouse]

No OEM A/C available, or something similar to fit in the window shaker after market?

I was told by Cary that Craig could rebuild the original, with some time. If thats still an option I guess you'd have to ship it...or drive to the Nest.
Not confident in my DIY ability RN to pull it out and reinstall, so a good excuse to visit some pretty country up north.

The OEM AC takes 110ac to power as even the Precision 110ah Lion DC batt option would quickly be drained, if it could even power it up on start? 1500 watts on she AC correct?

I'd Bring a genny if you cant find a campground with power and must have AC.

The rooftop fan and side door screens work for me 90% of the time but nothing beats a cool dry cave to sleep in very hot muggy conditions, or if caught in desert in a very extreme heat wave...without shade...bring a tarp for the CI too.

 

[Dan sloan]

Yeah I have 200ah of li now could easily add more. Most of what I see available is 12000 to 15000 btu. Way overkill for the tiny camper. I did see 2000btu on Amazon but leary of the quality. Another option is propane versions but again. Too much. Somebody must make a 2000 to 3000 btu ac. Im thinking it wouldn't draw that much power either at that size. That's the one downside to these small campers even the propex furnaces are overkill.

 

[JohnC]

Trying to get acceptable A/C without shore power is kinda like trying to turn lead into gold.

 

[Cary Winch]

The 12-volt AC units available on the market have received good reviews.

However, they do consume a significant amount of power - 20 amps at 12 volts in thier lower power consumption mode. Which may be good for 'our' intended use. Getting power to the AC would likely mean wiring, and additional capcity. Perhaps a good use of space where the old AC once was?

In terms of size, these units are 11,000 BTU and may be more efficient at removing heat than smaller window-mounted ACs. However, their larger size means they will likely sit above the roof rack rails (the units stand approximately 7 inches tall).

It's also worth noting that a single lithium battery with a capacity of 100Ah would quickly drain to zero with a continuous draw of 20 amps - in
just 4 hours, assuming no cycling or duty cycle. In reality, the compressor will likely cycle at a lower rate than 100%, which would extend the battery life.

Dometic RTX 2000 is what I was looking for when figuring above...

Looking closely at the AC, it may have a bulbous airbox -- which would intrude into the living space...not sure how that really would work....For the fun of it, I looked at my wholesaler -- and they have precisely 1 available in their warehouses, and at over $2200 -- its not a cheap option either.

@Cary Winch, what gauge wire do you pre-wire for solar? I assume 100-watt solar is what you pre-wrie for would be WAY too small for 20amp...

The roof top solar is 154watts and yes, the wires are fairly small for this, 16ga. Far from being useful for a roof top 12v AC unit. We have been getting asked a lot lately about these units. To run that distance for the AC unit would necessitate a 6ga wire pair. Perhaps 8ga if the route is done as short as possible. Retrofitting something like this is doable but would require a fairly large raceway for the cabling to be run along the ceiling to the cabinetry to get these cables to where they can be routed down to the battery compartment.

For sure the current draw would be pretty unreasonable for the size of the camper and the battery capacity available. 11K to 14.5K BTU is far too many BTU for such a small camper. Hopefully in the future there will be smaller variants that come on the market. Right now, just is not practical at these sizes.

Cary