Those with no AC, please weigh in

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Mine worked well because the emergency escape window works well for putting a portable unit there. The window even becomes a rain cover.

I would think this should work fine. By code, there has to be an emergency egress window somewhere on the bumper pulls near the sleeping area.

[cpaharley2008]

unless you disconnect the frame from the opening mechanism, similarly to what you do with the escape window....

[Doug]

Originally Posted by canoecountry

We are currently looking at new and used Escape trailers and have been debating about air conditioning. Do we absolutely need it or are the powered vents sufficient?

For those that do not have Air Conditioning... where do you do most of your camping? Do you get by OK or do you wish you had AC? Does the fan do a good job keeping it comfortable?

We live in MN, which can be hot and humid during the summer months. Some of our camping we would have access to power other times we would be boondocking with a generator. We do at least one 2-3 week trip out West every summer with the kids and have always survived in tents.

I like the idea of keeping it simple but also like the idea of sleeping comfortably when it is hot/humid. I am not worried about during the day as we are typically out exploring whatever area we are in until much later in the day. We get back to camp, have something to eat, maybe have a campfire, go to bed and do it all over again the next day.

Thanks in advance for your replies!
CC

I am not worried about during the day as we are typically out exploring whatever area we are in until much later in the day. We get back to camp, have something to eat, maybe have a campfire, go to bed and do it all over again the next day.

That is the key. We picked up our trailer in June and have done 4 trips around BC. We spend all our time outside until bedtime and who wants an air conditioner whirring away. IMHO air conditioning is something I will never need.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Doug

[I]We spend all our time outside until bedtime and who wants an air conditioner whirring away. IMHO air conditioning is something I will never need.

How do I say this delicately? YOU don't need it, but you're in BC. It's not that we "want" an air conditioner whirring away while we are trying to sleep, but many times in the southern US, it's either that or try to sleep when it's still 90F outside. Good luck with that.

Whether you need an AC or not really has very little to do with preference, and everything to do with climate.



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[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

How do I say this delicately? YOU don't need it, but you're in BC.

Reminder that this is the title of the thread: Those with no AC, please weigh in

[SFDavis50]

Minnesota can get humid and if I lived in the upper midwest I would want A/C but in Colorado it is not only cool but very dry. At higher altitudes 30% relative humidity is still a lot dryer tan 30% at a lower elevation. Because of that swamp coolers work very efficiently and I have seen kluged together swamp cooler systems using a 12v water pump a 12v fan and a 6 gal. plastic bucket. There are also some 12v swamp cooler systems for sale which are probably much better designed. Also a bucket with a gal. jug of ice and a fan blowing on it can probably cool a small trailer if it isn't too hot to start with.

I intend to look into a small swamp cooler system because humid air in the mountains is nicer than the dry air. The very, very few times we need refrigerated A/C I would rather take along a small unit and stick in in a window.

Because of all that, for me, the roof mounted A/C is a 103 Lb. box on the roof I have to drag through the air (although the 5.0 TA is more aerodynamic because the roof slopes downward)

[MountainAir]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

We didn't get an A/C primarily because I don't like roof mounted units. And most of the time we're boondocking without power. We've traveled from Alaska to Baja and only a very few times we've wanted A/C.

Our $88 unit mounts in minutes in the window and for the few times we used it it did the job. And, if a future owner wanted an roof mount unit the trailers wired for it. So it's not an all or nothing situation.

Ron

Ron, you came up with an elegant and practical solution! Well done!

[MountainAir]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

How do I say this delicately? YOU don't need it, but you're in BC. It's not that we "want" an air conditioner whirring away while we are trying to sleep, but many times in the southern US, it's either that or try to sleep when it's still 90F outside. Good luck with that.

Whether you need an AC or not really has very little to do with preference, and everything to do with climate.



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Having lived all over the Okanagan for many years, I would have to say that there are times and places that an air conditioner might be desirable, Osoyoos in August comes to mind!

[LeonW]

For what it is worth, we live in MN, and have used the AC at MN state parks. It is partly the heat and partly the humidity. We were in Sibley state park in July, and had to have AC to sleep at night. Maybe a fan would have worked, but the AC cooled the trailer right down and made it very comfortable. We don't use it often, but when we do are so glad we have it.

There was an article in the Star Tribune this summer about how MN has become more humid over the years. I expect that trend to continue.

Whether you will need it depends on you. If you don't have ac in your home and you are comfortable, you can probably camp in the summer with out it.

[Charlie & Lucy]

I'm thinking that just because you "live" in a cooler climate, does it mean that you are not going to travel to warmer climates in your travel trailer? We live in the north east (NH)
We got our 2015 5.0 TA in September of 2015, and got home in November. We have the insulated windows and got the uninsulated windows for the loft area. Most of the time we can get by with closing all the windows at night except for the loft area and use the Maxx fan pushing out which pulls in the outside air by the bed area. However, when it is humid or not cool enough outside that doesn't work well.
This spring we were gone for 2 months and traveled up and down and across the USA and also went to the Osoyoos rally (where it was cool enough to not need A/C). However we also spent time in Houston, Oklahoma, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, and crossed back to the east on the I80 corridor, where we used the A/C daily the month of June. (We keep the black out cloth cover on the escape hatch in the loft and have never used it.)
As a lot of people have done, we purchased our 5.0 TA to travel wherever and whenever we can, since we are now retired. Who knows where we will travel? But it's sure nice to be prepared, But hey... that's just us... as Donna D has said YMMV!
It's all a matter of personal preference after all.
Happy trails whatever you choose.
Lucy

[azutco]

I'm chiming into the discussion late. I have a 17 and don't have an a/c unit nor can i get one installed. I would prefer having it. But I"m one of those people who hate the real hot days where you're sticky and can't sleep. I have a/c in the workplace and at home as well.

Another reason I would have it installed is due to my dogs. I worry about them when I'm out and about and in the hot weather. I may be able to tolerate it a bit more without it, but I don't want to put my dogs lives in jeopardy because it's too hot. Granted Escapes are a lot cooler than a vehicle. Most times I would not have to turn the a/c on being from BC and camping in PNW.

Finally I would also have it installed so that my options aren't limited. I didn't go to the Escape Rally because I knew it was going to be incredibly hot this last year. It was a hot year for us in the Fraser Valley. Lots of times I didn't go camping due to the weather.

And not camping, is not good!

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by azutco

I'm chiming into the discussion late. I have a 17 and don't have an a/c unit nor can i get one installed. I would prefer having it. But I"m one of those people who hate the real hot days where you're sticky and can't sleep. I have a/c in the workplace and at home as well.

Another reason I would have it installed is due to my dogs. I worry about them when I'm out and about and in the hot weather. I may be able to tolerate it a bit more without it, but I don't want to put my dogs lives in jeopardy because it's too hot. Granted Escapes are a lot cooler than a vehicle. Most times I would not have to turn the a/c on being from BC and camping in PNW.

Finally I would also have it installed so that my options aren't limited. I didn't go to the Escape Rally because I knew it was going to be incredibly hot this last year. It was a hot year for us in the Fraser Valley. Lots of times I didn't go camping due to the weather.

And not camping, is not good!

The rally weather was cool to us, but I guess it's all about what you're used to. We didn't have to use the AC at all while at Osoyoos, and we slept fine.

As for not being able to have AC installed, why not?

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[Buddy]

If you have access to ice, and you only need one occasionally, maybe your solution is a "Redneck air conditioner".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg

[gbaglo]

I have a 2008 and the roof was not reinforced and wired for A/C. That was an option that I declined. Some time later, all Escapes were "A/C ready".
I'm sure you could add A/C, but it would be cost prohibitive.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I'm sure you could add A/C, but it would be cost prohibitive.

Or, he could add a window mount unit as I have for those very rare times when I want A/C and power to run it is available. 88 bucks

Ron

[SFDavis50]

Another benefit to the smaller window unit is that you can power it with a smaller generator without worrying about ruining your A/C compressor. This assumes you aren't camping in the South during summer.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Or, he could add a window mount unit as I have for those very rare times when I want A/C and power to run it is available. 88 bucks

Ron

Yep, I'd go with the window unit if the roof can't support AC. Way cheaper, very effective cooling, and probably much quieter. Of course there's the setup whenever you want to use it, and you have to haul it around taking up cargo space, but those things are minor.

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[Greg A]

On the early 17's the AC was a window unit put in over the fridge. I don't know what year they started roof mount but he over fridge could be addded fairly easily to the 17 without the reinforced roof.

[paulk]

Originally Posted by SFDavis50

I'll probably ask sometime but if it is possible to not have the cut out I would go for that. Maybe then have Escape install dual solar panels where the A/C would have been.

Dual solar is indeed possible. Escape is installing dual solar panels AND a passive vent on my 17b! They said there was only 1/4" of space left over though, so things like MaxxFans, roof mounted Swamp Coolers, Air conditioners, etc are not possible with that configuration. I haven't asked them, but a Fantastic Vent might work.

I toyed with the idea of eliminating the 14" hole, but this picture convinced me that I wanted it. Lots of natural light at the ceiling (the exterior window light comes in lower), and the passive vent opens up much bigger than any fan since it's square, opens higher and doesn't have fan blades in the way. Heat rises, so the passive vent should help allow hot air to escape better than the windows when for whatever reason I don't want to use the fan.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by paulk

Dual solar is indeed possible. Escape is installing dual solar panels AND a passive vent on my 17b! They said there was only 1/4" of space left over though, so things like MaxxFans, roof mounted Swamp Coolers, Air conditioners, etc are not possible with that configuration. I haven't asked them, but a Fantastic Vent might work.

I toyed with the idea of eliminating the 14" hole, but this picture convinced me that I wanted it. Lots of natural light at the ceiling (the exterior window light comes in lower), and the passive vent opens up much bigger than any fan since it's square, opens higher and doesn't have fan blades in the way. Heat rises, so the passive vent should help allow hot air to escape better than the windows when for whatever reason I don't want to use the fan.

If you stick with 100 watt panels, you can fit 2 panels, the AC & Maxxfan on a 17B. The rear panel is the Escape installed 95 Watt GoPower panel & the front a 100 Watt Renogy Poly panel (the closest voltage match to the GoPower panel).