HVAC Questions/Advice?

[SkyNerd]

My trailer frame has been ordered and I’ve been “knee deep” in build techniques and little extras to add to the trailer and it got me thinking.... I’ve missed too many beautiful days camping due to either too cold of temperatures at night or (here in Texas) evening temperatures not dropping low enough to sleep comfortable. Sooo.....

I’ve been looking at HVAC options. One heater that I really like is the HS2000, 12v propane heater - I’m going to install this for sure. This will extend my Spring and Fall season camping for sure, and I can enojoy those 60-70 degree day temps for hiking etc and still stay warm at night... and camp fires are better when it’s cold out right?

But for AC - it seems this will no doubt require a 110 hookup, which is no problem. I suppose if I commit to camping in the dead of summer where it’s hot I’ll plan for it. I’ve seen many $100 window units installed as a budget option this seems the way to go though I hear they can be quite noisy.

I came across this unit on amazon.com the other day - here’s the Manufacture Link:

https://www.pioneerminisplit.com/products/pioneer-9000-btu-17-seer-230v-ductless-mini-split-air-conditioner-heat-pump-system-full-set?variant=32420285008

It’s a split unit, similar to what your house would use except they have a very small version. The internal unit can be wall mounted and is apparently super quiet (24db I think). Seems like this would be a great option for a teardrop. I would likely mount the external unit in the front of the camper over the storage box and use a canvas cover while traveling and Pipe it through the roof to cabin on the opposite side of the galley. This is a HVAC unit so both heater (heat pump) and AC (not sure if the window units do that or not). Of course it comes with a price tag, best I’ve seen so far is about $700 on amazon.com.

I’m not opposed to splurging a little since I feel like I’m already saving tons of $$$ building myself vs. purchasing a manufactured one.

What do ya’ll think? Worth it? Over kill? Better options? I’m pretty sold on the Propane heater, it will open up many more opportunities for destinations and times of year to camp. Honestly the AC is a luxury item, we plan to be in Colorado this summer and likely will need the heater at night before we need the AC. It would mostly be for those summers when we want to stay more local to the Texas area and the night time temps just don’t drop, some times stay in the 90’s till after midnight. Ugh...

- Jes

[GuitarPhotog]

9K BTUs is way overkill for a teardrop, you have enough cooling capacity for a 15 X 15 ft room! And it requires 230 VAC which is not available in most campgrounds. Only in RV campgrounds that cater to "big rig" campers will have anything more than a 120VAC 50A receptacle.

My $0.02 worth

<Chas>

[SkyNerd]

9K BTUs is way overkill for a teardrop, you have enough cooling capacity for a 15 X 15 ft room! And it requires 230 VAC which is not available in most campgrounds. Only in RV campgrounds that cater to "big rig" campers will have anything more than a 120VAC 50A receptacle.

My $0.02 worth

<Chas>

Totally over looked the voltage, I just assumed it was 110v. I guess it’s back to the window unit and the HS2000

Thanks

- Jes

[Nodrog]

Hi- yeah, we have a 12000 btu that cools an upstairs loft, @ 320 ft sq. A few come in 120 v, but all too big for anything other than a large cargo trailer, prob. But, bobhenry just posted somewhere a pic of his ducted outside setup for a window shaker, there are other similar designs here on the forum, looks like a good idea to me to get them somewhere outside the teardrop.....Good Luck....Nodrog

[Chasein70]

From FIRST HAND experience. I had a 12,000BTU unit in a small room. It went from 90 to 67 in no time but I was sweating. I put a humidity gauge in and it was always near 90%. I talked to an HVAC person one day and he said the unit was too big. It was not running enough to pull the moisture out of the room. Made sense. Never thought of that.

[SkyNerd]

From FIRST HAND experience. I had a 12,000BTU unit in a small room. It went from 90 to 67 in no time but I was sweating. I put a humidity gauge in and it was always near 90%. I talked to an HVAC person one day and he said the unit was too big. It was not running enough to pull the moisture out of the room. Made sense. Never thought of that.

Do you think the small window units would have the same issue? I’m sure they are designed to cool at least 800-1000 cubic feet. The tear drop is only 250 at best (10x5x5). Summers in Texas are high humidity.

On a side note. I had considered filling an ice chest full of just ice and a few inches of water and running the water through a copper coil that would then have a fan blowing through it. Maybe about the size of a medium coffee can. The warm trailer air would blow through it and in theory the air would come out cold. Condensation would build up and have to be drained/piped out of the trailer. But it would be better than a fan by its self. I already have a 1A water pump and i could use a 0.25A or less even computer case fan. So it would be plenty efficient to run off grid. A decent ice chest ought to hold ice for a few days even with the water cycling in and out of it.

I have a copper coil that goes on a wood burning stove to heat water. Maybe I’ll have to set up a cold water experiment and see how it goes.

- Jes

[Chasein70]

Sorry buddy, I don't know. Just speaking from my one experience.

I found this interesting afterwards. In Jamaica the shops leave their doors open. Big sliding doors like 10' wide. You go inside and it is soooooo comfortable. I found out they do this for the same reason to keep their ginormouse AC units running to keep the humidity down.

It was so freaking hot there I went from one store to another trying to get back to the cruise ship. I was dying!

Went to Dunns falls one day. Never made it to the top. Just stayed in a small pool with a waterfall on top of me

[bobhenry]

6k is more than enough and a trick we have learned to keep them from freezing up is to just take off the cold air and not letting the cooled air return to the unit. My snorkel duct only delivers the cold air the room return air get the ambient outside air. Here you see the dividing baffle that allows only the cold air to be delivered.....



Here it is in action.....

P.S. I graduated from a shopping bad gasket to some pipe insulation at a later date.