Van A/C install for under $250.00

arctictraveller · 06-22-2021, 12:07 PM

I’m headed to the Nevada desert in July for a race and decided I wouldn’t survive without a stand alone A/C system. I have a small Honda gen to run it, but shore power would be better if your in a campground, The current draw is under 4.5A so most any gen will run it. It could also be run off an inverter, but with my 220Ah battery set it would only run for a very short time before totally exhausting the battery's. This is the third unit I have installed in the last five years. The first two were inexpensive ($139) 5000BTU units from Home Depot. Both of them worked for a short period of time until I hit some seriously rough roads, after which they failed, likely due to loss of refrigerant from a cracked or broken copper refrigerant line. This time around, I upgraded to a (hopefully) better built and bigger one (6000BTU’s) made by GE for $229.00. Interestingly, even with the additional cooling capacity, the unit is smaller than the first two, and a bit heavier. When I installed the first one years ago, I made the window replacement mount by carefully removing the glass, and using it as a pattern to cut out the plywood. Since the door is curved, I cut a series of slots on the inside portion of the wood to allow it to bend. Starting at the bottom, I drilled and installed bolts through the existing holes for the window. Working my way to the top allowed the wood to form to the curve of the door. Once everything was mocked up, I took it apart and lined the pinch weld with a couple layers of Butyl tape before reinstalling everything. It worked great until it quit, no doubt due to the pounding I gave it on washboard roads. So, yesterday I reinstalled the plywood mount and fit the new unit that required a few trim pieces to fill the gaps in the side and top of the wood, due to the reduced size of the new unit. After instillation, it was over 90 deg’s in the van, but within fifteen minutes it was in the mid 70’s with the unit running, so I call that a success. Hopefully, the exterior cover I ordered will keep all the dust out of the unit since air can pretty well flow right through the vents on the sides……………..(sorry about the sideways photos, I even resized them this time, but I give up)

86Scotty · 06-22-2021, 01:42 PM

I plan on doing this as well. I'm going to use factory pop out window hardware to hold the window panel in place and I plan to make it out of ACM.

How did you seal around the unit itself? I read the above but not sure I get it. I've been thinking some sort of bulb seal. I do see your outer trim pieces. Do they put pressure on the seal around it?

As for the vibration killing AC units, I have always wondered. I carried one for awhile but on the floor and put it in a window only while using. Either way, as cheap as they are I won't be too upset if I kill one now and then.

I'll be curious to know how long the better unit lasts.

arctictraveller · 06-22-2021, 02:42 PM

[QUOTE=86Scotty;297835]
How did you seal around the unit itself? I read the above but not sure I get it. I've been thinking some sort of bulb seal. I do see your outer trim pieces. Do they put pressure on the seal around it?QUOTE]

I installed trim around the edges with some construction adhesive and screws. From the inside, I stuffed some left over closed cell foam in all the cracks and covered it with more trim. I doubt it will be dust tight, but hell I can't even make the doors dust tight despite trying for years. Hopefully, the outside cover will help, and if I find dust getting in anyway, I can seal where ever it gets in with aluminum duct work tape.

No telling how long it will last, but my next trip to the Nevada desert will be all on road, so it should be ok. If it does die later, it's warranted for one year, and even if not, it's cheap enough to replace..........

86Scotty · 06-22-2021, 07:26 PM

Cool, let us know about water intrusion too. That's more my worry, especially where I live.

arctictraveller · 06-22-2021, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Cool, let us know about water intrusion too. That's more my worry, especially where I live.

Thats what the exterior cover is for. If you think about it, the outside portion is full of louver like vent holes, so rain runs right inside the compressor enclosure and into the condensate pan on the bottom. If your parked with the front of the unit down hill, that water will drip out the front. A well fitting cover should prevent most of the water from getting in that route. As for the outside edges, I've sealed it somewhat with trim and construction adheasive, but its far from perfect. If I were to leave it in all winter, I'd take a tube of calking and pump it into all the cracks. I did that with the first one and it worked great until I had to get it back out,.... so I haven't done that since. If it leaks too badly its likely winter anyway so I'll just take it out.