Can I fit a small split system home air con to campervan?

Denise · Senior Member

Can I fit a small split system home air con to campervan?

dave06 · Guru

in theory you could, but to have the external unit hanging off the back of a camper would seem a bit silly, what about the air commanders that are commonly seen on trucks, all the unit is in the roof, but then if it is a pop top it would be very cumbersome

Denise · Senior Member

Thanks Dave..I meant on a front rack like some bikes...no I don't have a poptop.

On the other hand if I had a tiny little slider like the motorhomes I could slide a box aircon in and out in a wall for travelling I guess, maybe that's easier..it would need a bracket arrangement ...maybe a fold back bracket on each side of the wall ...I wish I knew more about this stuffand had the skills to do it!

I don't know what they use on trucks..would that be easier and/or cheaper?
Cheers Denise

Wombat 280 · Guru

Spotted on at Stockton last week It was a domestic split system and the chap has had no problems . What about a small window rattler which can be made to fit on a slide in /out arrangement .

Try picking up a small unit at a trading center they always seem to have a range of redundant aircons form work site huts and small flats , get a fridgie to look at it to see if it's worth re -gassing .

I take it we are talking rag walls on a box trailer. Maybe a portable roll around unit is the go not all that hard to man handle in and out of the vehicle / trailer .

Cheap option a fan and a bucket of ice cubes. LOL

Denise · Senior Member

Hi Wombat, I have an ex tradie's merc vito van with no pop top. Would a slide in/out be too heavy for the thickness of the metal wall?. I think on the drivers side wall up high behind the drivers seat may be the best spot to put it ......what do you think?
Thanks Denise

dave06 · Guru

a slide in and out would be out of the question for a camper, simply making the stays would be astronomical neverlone keeping the thing in there,

the air con I was eluding too is maybe an "air top" or "air chief" basically all you see is a white pointy shaped fibreglass box on the roof with a low profile, to contemplate a "split system" on a camper I think is ridiculous, far better to get a air con as described above, I think electrolux make them as well

go to a c/van supplier or showroom and ask them what is suitable and within budget

Wombat 280 · Guru

If you do go roll in roll out then it will need to be self supporting, the hole in the wall would need to be reinforced . I can visualize how this could be done but to explain it here is somewhat difficult. The unit I'm thinking of is about 1/3 to 1/2 hp , if you can get a small enough unit it could be mounted on top of a wall cupboard behind the driver with the vent end ( Cooling Fin) the only bit flush with the van wall and you mount a couple of Tricky Dickies computer cooling fans to suck out the heated air from the unit enclosure .

To neaten the job up a swing up or down hatch cover to match the vehicle wall and to protect the cooling fins while on the roof and to secure the unit from the lowlifes out there could be installed at bugger all cost.

Post some pics of your rig and the possible location of you intended aircon installation, may be able to figure it out a little better.

Denise · Senior Member

Is it cheaper than the roof one Dave suggests? I want to put some vertical steel tube from floor to roof for a number of other reasons....it may be able to go off this as a support partly to the reinforced exit on the slider..

My main concerns are......money,

cutting a hole in the roof

Something inside says "DON"T cut a hole in your roof....it will rust and destroy the integrity of the roof....don't know if that's a valid fear but somehow the wall seems more acceptable.

I will go see whats available in those hp's and see if its feasible . Looks like I've gone into italics again and can't get rid of it....rats!!

Its raining at present so I'll take a photo later...i'm not sure if I can post the photo but can email it to you and if you 'd be kind enough perhaps you could post it for me....don't have a mouse ad some things don't work without! Cheers wombat..thanks for your help:)

DeBe · Guru

Hi Denise, This size AC should do the job on a slide through side of you van, it only needs to protude 9inches outside. Its a Kelvinator mod KWH15CMA, its half HP 780Watt max weghs 26Kg price was $300 it keeps our van 25Deg when 45deg outside. I would mount it on some sort of slide, ive seen a simmilar setup in a bus on one of the other caravaning forums some timeago but cant remember where. cheers Daryl ( roof mount A/C seem to be very expensive & if you look at other caravan forums dont generaly work all that well)

-- Edited by DeBe on Sunday 28th of February 2010 04:37:56 PM

DeBe · Guru

This is what i run it when free camping, also will run a fan heater. Daryl

Denise · Senior Member

Fantastic Daryl, I knew there'd be a way...do you know the dimensions of the aircon and what year you bought it? I'm wondering if it might fit into an adapted filing cabinet drawer to roll in and out? thanks...Denise:)

seonau · Senior Member

Daryl a question for you. Your just the man.Why must Denise as she is suggesting cut any hole? Is it possible to have a genny powered air conditioner sitting outside her vehicle and have ducting from the unit to say a window? Maybe the unit sitting on a trolley with wheels which is the same height as her van floor so it can be moved more easily out of the van and into position?

DeBe · Guru

Hi Denise, Purchased 2Yrs ago. Dimensions W445mm X H320mm X D400mm. I dont see why a filing cabinet type draw system shouldnt work sounds good to me. The bus pictures I saw the track system was on top of a bench & the A/C slid out through an opening in the side of the bus with a small door on it. This A/C only needs to stick out about 9 inches. I like your Idea mounting behind the drivers seat. cheers Daryl

DeBe · Guru

Seonau Hi I personaly think mounting it on slides through the side mutch easier to mannage. Years ago well back in the 70s i had an a/c mounted outsid my caravan & it was a pain every time we shifted. Cheers Daryl

DeBe · Guru

Hi Denise, After giving this a bit more thaught, A neat way of puting a hole in the side of your van would be to fit a wind out caravan window in, it would look neat & be weather proof. Just wind it out slide the A/C out & fillin any gaps with a piece of thin plywood whick could be just cliped in for easy removal. Cheers Daryl

Denise · Senior Member

Hi again, would the window be big enough for those dimensions to fit through? and do they open high enough ...at 90* or more.?... may be a good solution! who are the tradies I should see to do it cheapest... i suspect conversion people charge lots more? Thanks :)

DeBe · Guru

Hi again Denise, The wind out windows that were on my old Millard van were big enough, just check the measurements. The window didnt need to wind out 90deg as the A/C only needs to protude 9inches through window. What you need is find a suitable size window & get a reliable Handy Person to fit it It. Cheers Daryl (unfortunatly you dont live down the road)

Denise · Senior Member

Thanks for the implied offer Daryl...its very kind. I'll see what I can rustle up around wreckers etc. Thanks for the ideas!! Denise

Wombat 280 · Guru

Avoid a roof mount , cutting a hole in a roof is far more difficult to water proof than a wall hole

Wombat 280 · Guru

DeBe wrote:

Hi Denise, This size AC should do the job on a slide through side of you van, it only needs to protude 9inches outside. Its a Kelvinator mod KWH15CMA, its half HP 780Watt max weghs 26Kg price was $300 it keeps our van 25Deg when 45deg outside. I would mount it on some sort of slide, ive seen a simmilar setup in a bus on one of the other caravaning forums some timeago but cant remember where. cheers Daryl ( roof mount A/C seem to be very expensive & if you look at other caravan forums dont generaly work all that well)

-- Edited by DeBe on Sunday 28th of February 2010 04:37:56 PM

This is it , a small 1/2 hp unit mounted in or on a cupboard and with computer extractor fans to remove the hot exhaust to outside the need for external protrusions can be eliminated . If you have a roll out awning just make sure you exhaust to the other side other wise you will get the hot air blast while sitting under you awning . To give the unit a bit of shade I would install a sail track mounted privacy screen mounted on the side with the aircon

Denise · Senior Member

Roll out will give me more space in the van, roll in to travel. Good point about the exhaust and annex ...it will go on the other side. Also shade tip...more efficiency the better ....Thanks again guys :)

Denise · Senior Member

Do you get sail track at bunnings type h/w or at a chandlers?

DeBe · Guru

Have purchased sail track from Bunnings I used it to secure the sides of clear vynil blinds to the verandah post on the house. About 3Meter lengths. Daryl

Denise · Senior Member

another good idea!! thanks Daryl :)

seonau · Senior Member

I sell sail track at work and i have my doubts about it being suitable for supporting the weight of an air conditioner. The gap in the aluminium channel is quit small and the unit would be hard to slide anyway.
Perhaps an alternative would be a heavy duty extending drawer runner. They can be attached both to the base of the unit if you have the conditioner sitting on a bench top when travelling or from above, This type of extendable runner would mean when the conditioner when extended outside of the vehicle would be supported along its entire length.
Imagine a pot drawer in a kitchen that extends right out.
Heres a link Denise.

http://www.hafele.com.au/isapi/online/tchff/tchff.asp

My two bobs worth .
seonau

DeBe · Guru

Hi Seonau, I think you will find she wants the sail track for a shade, Daryl

Wonker · Veteran Member

Regarding Trucks, aren't most of the ones they use evaporative type of units?

Most of the ones I've seen are Viesa brand

http://www.ctyre.com.au/Viesa/viesa.htm

-- Edited by Wonker on Wednesday 3rd of March 2010 05:48:37 PM

dave06 · Guru

yeah! some are and some aren't, the one's I am familiar with are the "air commander" series,.......... http://www.aircommand.com.au/..........

we ran these on a few of our earlier trucks, the air is now integrated of course but the air commander went across to the "R.V" market and is now one of many "leaders" in the field

Cruising Granny · Guru

I have a split system to cool, and warm my 20ft van.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Way to go .

Another feature when traveling would be a bag over the unit to stop the road grim been sucked up into the cooling fins, Be surprised just how many rocks and crap get sucked up the back of the van when underway. Just a thought