Effective campsite A/C for under $300

[FXRQ]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

55 amps @ 12v!!!

Would never use/need the 12v source, only generator. It's the svelt installation possibilities that intrigue me.

[illking]

this could be another small option for our vans when it comes to market
http://www.noriahome.com/

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

Just thought of something. Since an AC unit is designed to flow air through it, do you now have the possibility of having exhaust fumes enter your van through the AC unit while you drive?
Give it some thought so you stay safe.Herb

That's a good thought Herb, thanks. I had alreaqdy planned to make a cover for the unit, to be installed while driving, due to the huge amount of dust we encounter. It's been my experience that for what ever reason, dust seems to get sucked into the back of the van while driving, as evidenced by the dust trail I found around the door hinges, and leading inside. I sealed the area around the hinges with silicone and solved the issue there, but the A/C would be a much more open path. Besides the cover, I plan to cut down a furnace filter to fit my Fantastic fan, and then run it while driving to hopefully produce a positive pressure inside, hopefully keeping out dust and exhaust.

[arctictraveller]

For several months, we have been looking forward to going to the Abbotsford air show, but as the date got closer, it became obvous it was going to be very hot (mid to high 80's) with heavy smoke from all the fires in B.C. We have been breathing smoke for weeks and I couldn't stand the thought of heading into the thick of it. On Thursday, I decided to abort and instead made ferry reservations to go to our favorite beach at Neah bay in hopes of escaping the smoke and heat, but on Friday the Wx was calling for rain on Sat. Mrs A/T dislikes camping in the rain, so that plan was aborted too. The next plan was to explore Hwy 20 in the Cascade mountains. We departed Friday afternoon, and by early evening we were camped at a secluded riverside campsite. It was still hot though, so after setting up camp it was time to cool off for a bit. I set up the little 1000W 2 stroke generator as far from the van as my extension cord would allow and fired it up. It took about 15 minutes to cool off the van and myself, and within half an hour I was feeling much better. After a bit, it was time to head to the water and as soon as I exited the van, I thought, "what the hell is that noise"? Oh yea, it's my generator, damn. So, the A/C install is a total success, but the little 2 stroke gen won't do for long. It now looks like I'll be spending another $1K to get a quiet Honda unit. So much for my under $300 A/C project. As a side note, we ran into a low rider run with some fun vehicles, including this Ford riding on 40's and a slammed semi.

[BrianW]

That turned out really nice! I think if you build a flip up cover for it it will blend in nicely. You could paint the cover black and it might almost look like another Aluminess box back there.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by BrianW

That turned out really nice! I think if you build a flip up cover for it it will blend in nicely. You could paint the cover black and it might almost look like another Aluminess box back there.

That's always been my thought on a window unit. The outer shell is removable, and easy to paint black. I think it would hide the old 'window unit in a van' look rather well. Not that I care if I have AC, but she sure does for some reason.

All you need for your generator is a 50' extension cord. Drag it off in the woods 50 feet and you won't hear it.

I think it's awesome that Agile is getting into the air conditioner business. Smart move with global warming and all. Those dudes are gonna do well!

[arctictraveller]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

All you need for your generator is a 50' extension cord. Drag it off in the woods 50 feet and you won't hear it.

The little Harbor freight 2-smoke generator I now have would need to be at least 1/4 mile from my camp before I wouldn't hear it. I swear, it must have an expansion chamber for an exhaust (remember those?) Mrs A/T is normally pretty concervative in approving my spending habits, but as soon as I ran it, she immediately said I need to buy a Honda, and it was behind a tree at least 50ft away. Still, they are a heck of a value for under $100 new, just buy some ear plugs at the same time, and pass em out to anyone camped near by.

[86Scotty]

Ah, I haven't heard one. I can see the appeal at such a cheap price though.

[rallypanam]

And hence why I sold it for you for cheap!

It works, but it's a bit noisy.

I'll give you $25 for it!

[BrianW]

There are now several inverter-generator competitors to the Honda gold-standard eu2000 and eu3000. Any reports on how they compare? Of course, Harbor Freight has their knockoff for around $450 on sale, but Yamaha makes one, as does Generac, and a few others (Champion at Cabela's for $400).