Running Air Conditioner without electricity?

[Bluesky]

Just trying to get educated. How are you guys running your air when you are not hooked up to power? Like running it all night in a Walmart parking lot in July in Florida? Thanks

[cpaharley2008]

We are not using the a/c because we can not use it without hooking up to 30 amp electricity. No hookups mean only battery and propane use and everything operates off those 2 sources except for the air.

[rbryan4]

There is one person on the Escape Owners Facebook page (not sure if he's posted here but I think so) who is apparently able to run the Air Conditioner using solar - but he has 5 or 6 panels I think, and alot of battery capacity. If you plan to run the Air Conditioner when boondocking, the only inexpensive, practical and easy solution currently is a generator. A 2000 to 2200 watt generator, like the Honda eu2200i or similar, will run it.

For when you do have power, just so you know, you don't need a 30 amp circuit. 20 amps with a dogbone works fine.

[Bluesky]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

There is one person on the Escape Owners Facebook page (not sure if he's posted here but I think so) who is apparently able to run the Air Conditioner using solar - but he has 5 or 6 panels I think, and alot of battery capacity. If you plan to run the Air Conditioner when boondocking, the only inexpensive, practical and easy solution currently is a generator. A 2000 to 2200 watt generator, like the Honda eu2200i or similar, will run it.

For when you do have power, just so you know, you don't need a 30 amp circuit. 20 amps with a dogbone works fine.

ok, thanks for that info. That's what i was thinking would work is a generator with a slow start a/c but was curious. Coming from the Class A with a generator and trying to figure out how everyone is handling the a/c. Seems to be an obsession with Solar but that just charges batteries and unless you have a huge bank you can only run the ac for a few hours and we like to sleep COOOLLLDDD

[gbaglo]

WWDCD?
What would Davey Crockett do?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

There is one person on the Escape Owners Facebook page (not sure if he's posted here but I think so) who is apparently able to run the Air Conditioner using solar - but he has 5 or 6 panels I think, and alot of battery capacity.

Johnny Hung, 1040 watts roof solar, with 2 spare 100w ground deployed solar panels. He has 1240w of solar power. Lots of batteries too: "... 5120 watts (5.1kw) bank of prismatic lithium iron Phosphate battery bank."

[Greg A]

We use Walmart’s n Cracker Barrels a good bit when traveling, not sure they’d let you run a gen at either. Never heard one being used at them.

[Bluesky]

Originally Posted by Greg A

We use Walmart’s n Cracker Barrels a good bit when traveling, not sure they’d let you run a gen at either. Never heard one being used at them.

We used to stop over at Walmarts from time to time and ran our big generator at night with never a problem. I would think that the smaller generators that are fairly quiet shouldn't cause too much concern. But I guess we will find out.

[MyronL]

I think there's no better way to get a generator stolen than running it all night at a WalMart. Shoot, been told that's the number one target at a lonely Quartzsite BLM.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

WWDCD?
What would Davey Crockett do?

He would sweat, no doubt. But we ain't Crockett.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Johnny Hung, 1040 watts roof solar, with 2 spare 100w ground deployed solar panels. He has 1240w of solar power. Lots of batteries too: "... 5120 watts (5.1kw) bank of prismatic lithium iron Phosphate battery bank."

Yeah, that'll do it. Crazy expensive, but possible.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Greg A

We use Walmart’s n Cracker Barrels a good bit when traveling, not sure they’d let you run a gen at either. Never heard one being used at them.

I don't know about Cracker Barrel (we don't have them in Canada), but generators are often used at Walmarts and I've never heard of anyone being stopped from using one, although usually (but not always) they are built-in units rather than portables. People run them for air conditioning, or to run electronics if they don't have inverters or enough battery capacity. They can be really annoying to others, because there is nothing between RVs in a parking lot, and because many generators are quite loud. Even a "quiet" Honda is pretty loud in parking lot at night.

[Greg A]

I agree Brian, I have heard the Class A’s running the internal gens at Walmart, but haven’t come across someone putting a stand alone gen in the parking lot but I’m sure it happens. Security is usually patrolling those lots and not sure if they address that late at night.
Hopefully, you’ll get some Cracker Barrel’s up there someday, missing a heck of a breakfast.

[Bluesky]

I was thinking of where we would store the generator and thought of the bike hitch on the rear of the RV and we could have a storage bin made for that hitch and store the generator in there. Thoughts?

[cpaharley2008]

I sold my generator with my first Escape 8 years ago and have never needed one since. We camp year round and the Maxxfan works wonders at night and is quiet. If we can not go higher to get cooler, we pay for hookups, some as low as $15 for electric only and use the air conditioning. I'm sure we have not approached the cost of a good generator since then,

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I sold my generator with my first Escape 8 years ago and have never needed one since. We camp year round and the Maxxfan works wonders at night and is quiet. If we can not go higher to get cooler, we pay for hookups, some as low as $15 for electric only and use the air conditioning. I'm sure we have not approached the cost of a good generator since then,

Have you ever noticed that the farther north someone lives, the less they say they need a generator to run an A/C.

In the deep south, a generator is one of the first things you buy if plans are to camp during the summer here. It's hard to sleep when temps are in the 90's in the shade.

On the subject of theft, I mounted my generator in one of these.
LowPro LockDown. Keep what’s yours.

[Bluesky]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

Have you ever noticed that the farther north someone lives, the less they say they need a generator to run an A/C.

In the deep south, a generator is one of the first things you buy if plans are to camp during the summer here. It's hard to sleep when temps are in the 90's in the shade.

On the subject of theft, I mounted my generator in one of these.
LowPro LockDown. Keep what’s yours.

My thoughts exactly. 28 years in Florida and now in TN. I dont know how these guys sleep with all the humidity even with a fan. Do you have your generator mounted in front of your storage unit? What about the propane tanks? I wonder if ETI has a trailer that this accommodate all 3 items... the storage, tanks and generator hhmmm

[cpaharley2008]

We do not need the a/c for cooling, but for dehumidification which you guys in the south know about. Just reducing relative humidity to 60% makes it feel cooler while at 90% humidity. You could get along with a swamp cooler or dehumidifier.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by Bluesky

My thoughts exactly. 28 years in Florida and now in TN. I dont know how these guys sleep with all the humidity even with a fan. Do you have your generator mounted in front of your storage unit? What about the propane tanks? I wonder if ETI has a trailer that this accommodate all 3 items... the storage, tanks and generator hhmmm

I welded 2" square steel bar stock to the bottom of my LoPro mount and, with a hole drilled in the bar for the receiver hitch, I can mount the generator in the trailer rear receiver hitch. I mount the whole thing when I think I would need a generator using a locking receiver hitch pin or leave it at home when I won't.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by tdf-texas

In the deep south, a generator is one of the first things you buy if plans are to camp during the summer here. It's hard to sleep when temps are in the 90's in the shade.

Originally Posted by Bluesky

My thoughts exactly. 28 years in Florida and now in TN. I dont know how these guys sleep with all the humidity even with a fan.

I'm part way there with a small, quiet mini-split A/C that actually let's you sleep when running without ear plugs. I know I can run off of lithium batteries but waiting for the price to come down. Could recharge on generator and/or solar during the day. Another member Joel (jphil23462) has recently said in my Custom Air Conditioning Retrofit thread that he is doing a mini-split / lithium / solar set up and will post details. An expensive set up no doubt but technology is always advancing and there are pioneers out there proving stuff like this can be done. Even a few years ago this would have been crazy talk.