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Don’t laugh ~ 120 volt a/c in a Westy
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 1:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

we took and ran a portable unit on our solar eclipse trip august 2017 to Myrtle beach and Charleston, SC.
the portable unit couldn't keep up against the daytime sun. I had to put the portable EZ up over the front half of the van to get to where my northern raised Bernard mix was comfortable.
at night it was a sleep savior.

unless it has 2 hoses it works like a fireplace and all that air exiting the 'chimney' must be drawn inside.
it's actually best to have that be up in the front as well.

we managed
it sorta worked
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Nickel_Nackel
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

fair enough. i'm much further north then you and my summer nights are hot but not that hot.
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WestfaliaMike
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

danfromsyr wrote:
we took and ran a portable unit on our solar eclipse trip august 2017 to Myrtle beach and Charleston, SC.
the portable unit couldn't keep up against the daytime sun. I had to put the portable EZ up over the front half of the van to get to where my northern raised Bernard mix was comfortable.
at night it was a sleep savior.

unless it has 2 hoses it works like a fireplace and all that air exiting the 'chimney' must be drawn inside.
it's actually best to have that be up in the front as well.

we managed
it sorta worked


Great point. My portable unit is only one hose.
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WestfaliaMike
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

MarkWard wrote:
As long as we are posting pictures of our ghetto AC setups. Here is ours.


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



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.

Mark that skirt is really nice would love to be able to buy just that. Ive seen the kits that mount in the window that includes the skirt, but the cost is ridiculous
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

You really do not need a kit if you are at all handy. I cobbled together the mount pieces from the hardware store. I used a pool noodle over the door window bottom to cushion the A/C unit and I cut a piece of reflectix for the shroud (that stuff is so cheap you can try three or four times until you like the result.)

Just do not over think this.... Very Happy
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WestfaliaMike
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

dobryan wrote:
You really do not need a kit if you are at all handy. I cobbled together the mount pieces from the hardware store. I used a pool noodle over the door window bottom to cushion the A/C unit and I cut a piece of reflectix for the shroud (that stuff is so cheap you can try three or four times until you like the result.)

Just do not over think this.... Very Happy


I made mine out of an old jeep top. I have a sunshiled i could use as the skirt. Like the idea of the pool noodle. What did you use to support the weight?
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 3:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

Those hangars on the drip rail are perfect for the weight
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
Those hangars on the drip rail are perfect for the weight


Yep. Just take a look at your hardware store and they will have something you can use. There are plenty of 'brackets' that work. You can even stick something in a vice and bend it.

I used the smallest 'chain' link at the hardware store to make the 'cable' and screwed it directly to the body of the A/C unit using a existing screw that was there. No turnbuckle needed.
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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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Steve M.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

I was just in Home Depot the other day and just happened to see the AC units.

$129.00 for 5000btu LG unit...can it get any cheaper?
https://www.homedepot.com/s/air%2520conditioners?NCNI-5
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WestfaliaMike
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

$116.00 @ Walloeworld

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Arctic-King-5-000-BTU-W...mp;veh=sem
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

Lowe’s will match, and you don’t have to support the guys who destroyed more Main streets than the Cold War.

ACs will be half that price end of season
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:05 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

If you are short of cash look on craigslist or garage sales for a window unit. They are cheap. Not fancy but cheap.
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'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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dhaavers
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

x2

I paid $50, only used 5 days... Cool

- Dave
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:12 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

MichaelCampingInVA wrote:
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!


The problem with these isn't the vent sealing, it's the intake arrangement. Unless you get a 2 hose that has intake and exhaust hoses, the intake will just pull hot air in through the tent and defeat your AC. 2 hose units are usually big and spendy though.

Also, if you replace the drivers side westy slider window with a tintop one, you can fit a window unit just above the sink. Seems to perform better than the front window for me in hot summers.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:43 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

Why not use a rooftop AC like on the bigger RV's?

Here is one on a Sprinter:

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

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:51 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

For the skirt I made. With my skills there is about 40 man hours in it. I would starve trying to make and sell them. The turnbuckles were for if I couldn't camp on the level. I bent up a piece of aluminum that fits on top of the window frame. It's attached to the bottom of the unit. The tabs on the unit for the cables swivel down when not in use. The coil guard is a dog screen protector I cut down from HD. I have a piece of material I set on the window frame to protect it. I basically incorporated the ideas of a few members here to come up with this. I liked Terry's idea, but it needed to be hoisted up to hang from the luggage rack. I did copy his skirt.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:03 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

OddN wrote:
Why not use a rooftop AC like on the bigger RV's?

Here is one on a Sprinter:

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


Because...



Link

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:21 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

OddN wrote:
Why not use a rooftop AC like on the bigger RV's?

Here is one on a Sprinter:

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



I can think of 2 real problems. One is the top would be pretty heavy and I am not sure how well they would work on a 45 degree angle with the top popped. If I had a tin top I camped in, once I got past cutting the hole in the roof, These would be a good option. Must be spring is coming. We are talking about AC again.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:24 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

Drive up 81 North into beautiful PA country or even the Finger Lakes of NY - and leave the AC behind in the summer.

Return to your beautiful Mountains in Fall - I enjoyed them for the eclipse last year without AC btw.
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:45 am    Post subject: Re: Don’t laugh 120 volt a/c in a Westy Reply with quote

MichaelCampingInVA wrote:
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..


To move X amount of heat , you need to use about X/3 of energy. This energy comes from the watts of electricity going into the unit and is dissapated in the compressor motor and compressor. That heat will stay in the van unless it’s been collected and fed into into the elephant hose..I don’t think that is typically done on these. A window box AC has these hot components sitting outside into the breeze
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