Do you think you need a/c?

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

My advice: If you think you might need air conditioning -- then you need air conditioning

Or if your zip code starts with 7....

[bisonbill]

We didn't get a/c, although I made sure the 21 was a/c ready. We don't use a/c at home, very seldom use it in the truck, and most of the camping will be in the northern states (at least for the first few years). I also wanted the head room. So far I haven't wanted it or needed it. Between the max fan and some 12v fans it's stayed nice and cool. I can always add it when I retire

We did use the heater on trip home from Chilliwack.

[Rossue]

Didn't want AC for two reasons: don't travel in summer, and didn't like the intrusion on the headroom. But the really nice thing is you have a skylight with the regular vent. Buying for resale is a shame IMHO. Do it for you.

[Cypherian]

Originally Posted by bisonbill

We didn't get a/c, although I made sure the 21 was a/c ready. We don't use a/c at home, very seldom use it in the truck, and most of the camping will be in the northern states (at least for the first few years). I also wanted the head room. So far I haven't wanted it or needed it. Between the max fan and some 12v fans it's stayed nice and cool. I can always add it when I retire

We did use the heater on trip home from Chilliwack.

Bill,

Don't come down to my neck of the woods in the summer you will wish for AC. 90 plus degrees and 80 plus humidity yeah.

Cypher

[Jim Bennett]

Being used to a more moderate climate, if I am in a place that needs air conditioning for the trailer to make me comfortable in there, what the heck am I going to do during the day outside in that kinda heat? This is why I travel to warmer climates off-summer, when at least the nights cool down nice.

For those that live in those super hot climates, A/C does make good sense, and upon retirement, should I find myself heading to climates like that, I too will buy it. It is real easy to retrofit.

[LeonW]

We rarely use our Air conditioning. But when we do use it, I am very glad we have it. From hot humid nights in Gettysburg to hot nights on the Yellowstone River just north of Yellowstone park, I was more than willing to endure the noise of the AC to escape the heat. I wouldn't order a trailer with out it.

[bisonbill]

Originally Posted by Cypherian

Bill,

Don't come down to my neck of the woods in the summer you will wish for AC. 90 plus degrees and 80 plus humidity yeah.

Cypher

I noticed the difference camping without shade at the east coast rally. It made me think about a/c for a minute. We can always add it.

[DiamonDiver]

When I have my 5.0TA built it will have no rooftop openings and a 12 or 24 DC volt aircon with cooling coils forward in the bedroom and aft in the dining area. I will probably build a box that houses the batteries, compressor and condenser and mounts aft above the rear bumper.

A/C would be available, even while boon-docking. You would be able to run the aircon for a couple of hours before bedtime or until the dedicated aircon batteries ran down to a set low charge level, similar to the system truckers use in their sleeper cabs so they don't have to idle.

The hard part would be running the freon tubing unobtrusively and building evaporator registers with quiet enough fans, dual DC volt computer style fans would probably work well.

I live in Florida and camp in the SW USA, so aircon is essential. My background is marine engineering so this project, although pricey, is not ridiculous for me to fabricate and install.

Along with a decent solar package this system should be able to run untethered indefinitely, a small inverter generator or tug power could offset any solar shortfall. There should even be enough excess DC power available to run a microwave through an inverter or power a 3way fridge on DC if aircon is not needed full time.

The system might even fit where the LP Gas cylinders are, and the propane could be moved to the rear or off board.

I'm excited just thinking of the possibilities this FG 5th wheel provides.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by DiamonDiver

When I have my 5.0TA built it will have no rooftop openings

I do not believe ETI will agree to build a 5.0 without an escape hatch over the bed.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

I do not believe ETI will agree to build a 5.0 without an escape hatch over the bed.

Carl is right, it's probably a requirement. One of those pesky govt regulations.

The rest of what you're proposing to do sounds most interesting. Although hanging propane or battery banks off the rear... hummm, I'm visual and the 5.0TA is an attractive trailer. IMHO this would be a real detractor.

[cpaharley2008]

Has anyone looked into a propane a/c unit, could be an alternate to 12v?

[steve dunham]

I live in the Northern section of a Northern State so the temps in Summer are normally moderate . That being said , we recently had temps of 102 Deg F over the long 4th of July weekend. .Our old trailer did not have A/C ,our new one does . ! Our camping in winter is limited enough by snow & cold so I don't want my summer camping limited by heat and humidity

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Has anyone looked into a propane a/c unit, could be an alternate to 12v?

Yes, at least tangentially. As observed by the 300+ posts on the other propane cooling appliance that we all own, or will own soon - the frig.

--
Alan

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

One of those pesky government regulations

I'll take any government regulation as long as it is common sense.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Has anyone looked into a propane a/c unit, could be an alternate to 12v?

A useful air conditioner would need about ten times the cooling capacity of an RV refrigerator, so if it used the same design it woukd be very bulky and likely problematic. It would still need significant power for fans - perhaps twice as much as a furnace. If it used a design more like a typical industrial absorption cooling unit it would work better, but would need power for at least one pump.

I notice that refrigerated trucks and shiping containers - which need a lot of cooling and have no electricity available so they run on diesel - don't use absorption cooling units. They run an engine to drive a compressor.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by DiamonDiver

When I have my 5.0TA built it will have no rooftop openings...

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

I do not believe ETI will agree to build a 5.0 without an escape hatch over the bed.

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Carl is right, it's probably a requirement. One of those pesky govt regulations.

I can believe an escape hatch is required, but I'm sure it is not required to be in the roof. Could an adequately large escape window be fit in one side of the sleeping loft area?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by DiamonDiver

When I have my 5.0TA built it will have no rooftop openings and a 12 or 24 DC volt aircon...

This might be expensive to build. The similar systems used in trucks are 120V AC, and use an inverter (specifically chosen for this purpose, to handle the motor load) to run from the batteries.

Originally Posted by DiamonDiver

... with cooling coils forward in the bedroom and aft in the dining area. I will probably build a box that houses the batteries, compressor and condenser and mounts aft above the rear bumper.

A/C would be available, even while boon-docking. You would be able to run the aircon for a couple of hours before bedtime or until the dedicated aircon batteries ran down to a set low charge level, similar to the system truckers use in their sleeper cabs so they don't have to idle.

The hard part would be running the freon tubing unobtrusively and building evaporator registers with quiet enough fans, dual DC volt computer style fans would probably work well.

The general approach makes sense, but looks like much more custom fabrication than required. The common truck cab systems (such as systems from Dometic's truck division) would work. They are often split systems (separate inside and outside units) - even if you don't get a truck system, small split air conditioners intended for home use are available.

We're talking about a lot of battery. I wouldn't put that - plus the air conditioning equipment - at the very back of the trailer.

[Brian B-P]

I think anyone considering battery-powered air conditioning should look at one document from Dometic, whether or not they are interested in a system sold by Dometic:
Battery-Powered HVAC - Guide

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I can believe an escape hatch is required, but I'm sure it is not required to be in the roof. Could an adequately large escape window be fit in one side of the sleeping loft area?

I think standards require a roof escape hatch. A side emergency exit wouldn't help if the trailer fell over on that side, so I think 2 are required on different surfaces.

[DiamonDiver]

I was thinking of something like this for the A/C

MasterFlux - Products - Condensing Units

Or this

Cool-It 12 Volt Air Conditioning System - Tiger Tool Inc.

For the aircon system.

I'm sure that an escape window, if necessary, could be installed on the side of the hull. A roof without penetrations is better suited for a solar installation and less likely to leak.

It would be expensive to install, but as I would be providing the engineering and labor of installing the system, cost would be greatly reduced. It would still be expensive, but I enjoy designing and building these types of systems.

I would like to at some point build my own custom fiberglass 5th wheel, but ETI does such a beautiful job with the hull, frame and furniture that sourcing from them and modifying to my needs makes more sense.

I feel comfortable building a FG enclosure to attach to the rear of the trailer over an extended bumper. I'm not concerned about GVWR, I have a 3/4 ton 4wd tug that recently towed a 14K 5th wheel through the Rockies from Arizona to Montana.

I'm looking for a boondocker to camp on BLM land and to dry camp in National Parks. I also want a more compact rig to take advantage of smaller older trailer sites, especially in the National Parks.

Coming from the marine side I'm familiar with DC systems with a minimum amount of AC electrical running off an inverter.

Another thing is that no matter what this rig eventually cost it will be cheaper than a boat.

Take Care