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Campsite Air Conditioning Setup
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 8:49 am    Post subject: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

I started working on a camp site solution for air conditioning last week. Moved it to driver's side since most camp site's have shore power on that side. Corrugated plastic board painted brown, wooden board with brackets where the front feet of the a/c unit will be bolted to. plastic board held on to the exterior with magnets. Still have to make the weather shield (top white piece in the pic) fit, and work on the interior side, but making progress!


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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 10:20 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

I have that same unit, post your plans!
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dhaavers
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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 1:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Love it...very clean install! Cool

- Dave

FWIW...my current setup (South Dakota @ 95° & 90% humidity):

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MayorMcCheese
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PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2019 6:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Much cleaner than the way I did it. But what keeps it from tipping back?
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2019 6:43 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

I can share with you what materials I've used so far, and what I'd do different.

Materials
5"X.5"X36" poplar board
36"X24"X4MM corrugated plastic board
neodymium disc magnets

I cut the wooden board to 28" to fit the window. Using the scrap pieces I cut three more pieces, two long, one narrow that are screwed into the 28" board. The whole assembly fits the windows sill as a saddle.

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The A/C unit's front feet will be drilled as will the wooden board so the two can be attached/detached as needed.

The size corrugated plastic board I used is too short for the one piece to fit from rear door edge to tip of vent window. Instead I cut the piece to fit from vertical vent window post to rear door edge, and then trimmed to fit from top of wooden board to top door edge. A notch is cut in one top corner to match the angle of the front door edge.

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I measured the height and width of the A/C unit and cut a section out of the corrugated plastic board so it fits around the unit. I messed up the cuts and didn't get them as snug as I'd like. I'll probably have to use some kind of foam gaskets to make it seal. I used the cut out piece as a lean-to to cover the top of the exposed A/C unit. This can be held on with smaller disc magnets.

With the corrugated plastic board cut I superglued the magnets around the perimeter so it attaches to the exterior door and vertical vent window support.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion in-progress
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:18 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

I wanted to share a follow up for this setup. I took it camping off-grid. The a/c unit and generator combo worked great! It was 89 degrees at the camp site and this cooled off the interior of the Westy as I had hoped it would, even after being heat soaked.

The problem was with rain. A 2 hour downpour happened a couple of hours after setting up camp. The a/c unit and generator were fine in the rain, but the corrugated plastic surround around the a/c unit allowed way too much water intrusion, and there was nothing that was going to stop it.

I've got some waterproof nylon cloth that I'm going to use from now on, and attach it to the vehicle with magnets. That was the other failure, the magnets that were glued to the plastic board started coming off. That was with using Gorillia's version of super glue.

Still some work to be done to make it a better system, but it'll get there.
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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion in-progress
3-Speed Automatic

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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:28 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

maybe make the board/nylon as a slip over the door sleeve.
then the door would retain it and water wouldn't have a top edge to get in thru.
it doesn't have to go all the way down in the inside.. just a few inches to hold on with.

looking good and an inspiration I plan to copy.
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:44 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

danfromsyr wrote:
maybe make the board/nylon as a slip over the door sleeve.
then the door would retain it and water wouldn't have a top edge to get in thru.
it doesn't have to go all the way down in the inside.. just a few inches to hold on with.

looking good and an inspiration I plan to copy.


This^^^^!
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

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campism
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:40 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

What are the dimensions of the "box" of the LG unit you used, length and width (height) where it shows outside? I have a plan for a different van that needs an air conditioner smaller than I've found locally. Thanks!
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:56 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

The box outside is about 17 5/8" wide, and 11 5/8" tall.

I also wanted to add that the window sill board needs to allow the back of the unit to tilt down an overflow of condensation or in the field test issue rainwater can flow away from the van instead of toward the inside.

@danyfromsyr I like that idea of having a fabric sleeve that goes inside and outside the door frame. I'll see what I can come up with for that configuration.
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1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion in-progress
3-Speed Automatic

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dhaavers
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:22 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Remind us your generator model...???

- Dave
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:30 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Add a generator and you save all that money on AC repairs..
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:33 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
Add a generator and you save all that money on AC repairs..


Silverghost500 wrote:
The a/c unit and generator combo worked great!

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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:38 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Google redneck AC for some more mobile versions.
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:59 am    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
Google redneck AC for some more mobile versions.


Haha!! Yep....

The generator would fit well into the luggage bin.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 12:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

The generator is a Champion 2,000 Watt Inverter Generator, model #100478. It'll run nearly 12 hours on a tank of gas. It's 38 pounds so you won't throw your back out loading it into the van. 53 dB. I had it hooked up to the Westy with a 25 foot extension cable. I couldn't hear it over the a/c unit.
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Honda K24A converversion in-progress
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MarkWard
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 12:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

I used Sunbrella with rare earth magnets and Velcro for our skirt. It’s double layer with insulation between the 2 layers. Guy wires from the gutter droop the unit to aide in getting the condensation to the out and adjust for uneven spots.
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campism
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Silverghost500 wrote:
The box outside is about 17 5/8" wide, and 11 5/8" tall.

That is more compact than anything I've found and might fit my plan. Can you tell me which model LG you're using? Thanks!
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Silverghost500
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 5:42 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

LG Model LW5016 5,000 BTU.
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Campsite Air Conditioning Setup Reply with quote

Its amazing how at rest, the smallest AC will make your Vanagon an icebox, but add highway air intrusion, and your auto AC has to be about 4-5x more powerful
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