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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:54 pm Post subject: Don’t laugh ~ 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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First off, this is just an experiment. Our Westfalia does not go off the beaten path very far. We do a lot of camping at state parks with have 120 volt power. Anyway, had this idea of puting a portable air conditioner in the van. It vents out the passanger wind wing (still working on how to seal it). Any thoughts? Oh yeah, this a/c had a timer, temperature settings and remote!
Ok let me have it..... thanks!
_________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22575 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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If you have to have AC, build a window unit hanger and put the heat and noise outside.
We don’t do camping with AC though so I’m a bad data point _________________ .ssS! |
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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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Abscate wrote: |
If you have to have AC, build a window unit hanger and put the heat and noise outside.
We don’t do camping with AC though so I’m a bad data point |
Its more for the wife.. its gets pretty uncomfortable in va, mid summer. Like i said, just messing around. _________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7733 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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Or, since you already have the machine you have, wrap the duct with some insulation, run with it & report back in the fall...
- Dave
PS: Any plans to drain the condensate...??? _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22575 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:13 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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MichaelCampingInVA wrote: |
Abscate wrote: |
If you have to have AC, build a window unit hanger and put the heat and noise outside.
We don’t do camping with AC though so I’m a bad data point |
Its more for the wife.. its gets pretty uncomfortable in va, mid summer. Like i said, just messing around. |
Gotcha. I think a window unit would be so much quieter and easier to seal
Condensate would just drop out
Driver side window since You can’t get out around the steering wheel , anyhow. _________________ .ssS! |
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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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Abscate wrote: |
MichaelCampingInVA wrote: |
Abscate wrote: |
If you have to have AC, build a window unit hanger and put the heat and noise outside.
We don’t do camping with AC though so I’m a bad data point |
Its more for the wife.. its gets pretty uncomfortable in va, mid summer. Like i said, just messing around. |
Gotcha. I think a window unit would be so much quieter and easier to seal
Condensate would just drop out
Driver side window since You can’t get out around the steering wheel , anyhow. |
I did try that. It looked like something off the Beverly Hill Billies. It was pretty loud..
_________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22575 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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It’s gotta be quieter than the inside unit ?
That inside unit will put out a lot of heat , too _________________ .ssS! |
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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:00 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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Abscate wrote: |
It’s gotta be quieter than the inside unit ?
That inside unit will put out a lot of heat , too |
All the heat is vented out the side wind wing... we will see. I could do a sound test from both units.. _________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17018 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:03 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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We have one of those for hurricane power outages. Took it camping once. It worked, but the design has a flaw. Because it is exhausting outside the van, outside air will enter where it can to balance the pressure. So you end up having to cool that air. The window unit recirculates the air, so you don't have the same problem. The window unit takes up less space than the portable ones, so it is easier to travel with. Another member built the portable unit into his rear cabinet. I recall it exhausted out the rear vent. His member name was something like south olive. _________________ ☮️ |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16477 Location: Brookeville, MD
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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:18 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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dobryan wrote: |
I have a window unit and it is ghetto but works great when I am at the beach along the Chesapeake in July at a friends house.... 95f and 80% humidity.... YMMV. |
Dave share a picture
Yeah the humidity can get pretty bad _________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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dhaavers Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 7733 Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:27 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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dobryan wrote: |
I have a window unit and it is ghetto but works great... |
x2
5000btu window unit, 2 tarps, July, South Dakota, same weather (90+ degrees/90% humidity)+full sun:
Kept us & the interior in the low 70degrees for 2 days...
Keep cool!
- Dave _________________ 86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>
Last edited by dhaavers on Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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WestfaliaMike Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2017 Posts: 257
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:30 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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dhaavers wrote: |
dobryan wrote: |
I have a window unit and it is ghetto but works great... |
x2
5000btu window unit, 2 tarps, July, South Dakota, same weather+full sun:
Kept us & the interior in the low 70degrees for 2 days...
Keep cool!
- Dave |
Rain fly... side fly... all around fly.. you have it going on.. _________________ 1981 Vanagon Westfalia
1983 Vanagon Passanger (Parts Vehicle)
2016 Passat TSI |
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bobbyblack Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015 Posts: 4333 Location: United States, Iowa
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:56 pm Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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So, I have one of those units in my house. I don't use it. Period. The last last last reason I don't is because it condensates inside a bucket like thing at the bottom. True, it does have a garden hose outlet, but I could never figure out where in the house to put it to have it be useful. At least it does turn itself off when the bucket is full. Window air units fit my needs, at least for my house. The van idea is still bumping around in my head too tho
Next on the list is that you got the right idea on the one pipe out the passenger wing, but the other hose ring actually is for the other hose you seem to have missed.. That kind of unit grabs outside air, pumps it through the inside unit, and exhausts it out the other hose. It IS an interesting idea. You gotta have another hose go from the other ring on the AC unit out the driver wing.
Good luck
-bobby _________________ '87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17018 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:06 am Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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As long as we are posting pictures of our ghetto AC setups. Here is ours.
Got a little carried away with the skirt. It is 2 layers of sunbrella and reflectix insulation. Attaches to the AC with Velcro and the window frame with magnets. _________________ ☮️ |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16477 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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MarkWard wrote: |
As long as we are posting pictures of our ghetto AC setups. Here is ours.
Got a little carried away with the skirt. It is 2 layers of sunbrella and reflectix insulation. Attaches to the AC with Velcro and the window frame with magnets. |
Mine is the same except I just cut a piece of reflectix as the shroud and use magnets packing taped to the shroud to attach it to the body.
Got no pics.
Get a unit that has a remote so you can make temp and fan adjustments from the bed without getting up....
The whole thing fits in a plastic bin for travel. _________________ 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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bokonon42 Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2016 Posts: 106 Location: Bay Area, CA
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:20 am Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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I drove across the country last summer with one of those. It worked decently for the most part, but in-and-about Atlanta it was useless. It was 110 + humidity and it did absolutely nothing to cool to the van. We were just taking too much heat through the roof to cool it down. I would just suggest not relying on it if you are going to super hot locations, but to take the edge off a little warmer place it did definitely help with that.
btw, I have that steel corvette "poster" as well in my garage . I used to have a '77 Corvette.
-terry
edit: btw, to seal the wing window I stuffed towels around the hose. _________________ Terry
88 Vanagon Wolfsburg Carat - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=671319 |
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ELO78 Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2015 Posts: 167 Location: Oak Park, IL
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:00 am Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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Ol' TK sells (sold?) a kit, including a 5000 BTU window a/c unit, for $469!
Scroll down a ways:
http://vanagonwestfaliaaccessories.com/ _________________ Eric
1990 Westy Multivan, 2.1 L WBX, 4-speed - SOLD
2003 EuroVan Westy Weekender |
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Nickel_Nackel Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2018 Posts: 187 Location: Bellingahm WA
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:11 am Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy |
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I know its not a/c but...
I saw a youtube video of a guy installing computer fans into the vents (door vents?) hooking them to the aux bat
they offer a small amount of air flow and are very very quiet compared to a a/c unit.
i'm going to try this and install maybe a set timer so they click off and don't run all night.
ill try and make a thread about installing them but currently I have other projects I need to take care of first. one day I swear!
I think its a great idea anyways.
_________________ 1985 1.9L Potato |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16477 Location: Brookeville, MD
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