What kind of AC unit do I need???

[Seabrook9]

I'm well on my way with my first ever cargo trailer build.. My trailer is a 7x16x7, and I have just completed the process of insulating the entire trailer with R5 foam board insulation. As I'm finishing up my electrical work and beginning to move to some of the accessories - I need recommendations on some AC units! I originally planned to work a mini split unit in to the build because they're very efficient at both heating and cooling for the price. But I'm worried about how it would hold up long-term since they are not really made for something bumping and rolling down the road. Are there any roof units that could handle both heating and cooling on an almost daily basis? Thanks in advance!

[Karen Clancy]

Climate Right makes units that are both heat & cooling along with Dehumidify these are in 5000 , 7500 , or 10000 cooling BTU . The problem with them is the manufacture states NOT to mount them permanent on the trailer cause they will not cover in warranty if service is needed. When I bought mine they stated this & to just put it in the back of pickup truck when traveling . They connect with 3" vinyl hoses to the trailer .

[Seabrook9]

Thanks for the input.. I'm probably looking for a more permanent solution as I'll be using this trailer build on an almost daily basis for work space. Taking it on and off every time I pull it would get exhausting..

[Aguyfromohio]

You have a great point about long term reliability using equipment designed to be stationary in a vehicle bouncing down the road.
Two observations: First, I don't hear people complaining that their A/C unit keeps failing in their trailers even though most of them are homeowner grade window units. They seem good enough. Second, it may be a reasonable approach to buy a cheap unit and just change it every few years if your travel patterns are punishing enough to break them.

[working on it]

- I need recommendations on some AC units! I originally planned to work a mini split unit in to the build because they're very efficient at both heating and cooling for the price. But I'm worried about how it would hold up long-term since they are not really made for something bumping and rolling down the road.

* I've had no trouble using a 5k btu window A/C unit, but then I haven't traveled as much as most; but then, as a counterpoint, I drive hard & fast and have towed it over some hellacious bumps& potholes, that should've jarred the innards out'a my unit, by now, so I'm still a believer in the small, cheap window units. Even if something went bad inside, you can pick up a replacement anywhere on the road, unlike rooftops, and high-dollar ClimateRights. And, are you sure you really want a combo cool/heat unit? That's putting all the eggs in one basket, that will cost you more to purchase initially, and repair later, than individual units.

* Try using separate units while you're building and short-term camping; sizing (btu's), most efficient location, and ease of access/maintenance can be figured-out before you finalize for the long-term camping. Depending on your planned traveling locales, you can start with as many btu's you think you might need, and add supplementary units if that's not enough (or in the case of 5k window units and 110vac electric space heaters, just keep'em as spares or give away, they're cheap). If you started with a ClimateRight or a combo a/c with heat, then you might get more than you need, or too little (and for the higher prices you'd have spent, feel a bit foolish on guessing wrong).

* My little 4x8 uses 110vac power for my 5k A/C, and my little Lasko 200 watt ceramic space heater(s), but with your larger trailer, and long-term needs, you might want to split the power demanded by the A/C (110vac is good for up to 13500 btu's), from the power source for heating (if in colder climes than N.Texas), and consider using propane or diesel-powered heaters, that northerners on this forum seem to like...more btu's at less cost than electricity. Propex? Heating is definitely more critical for living in a cold climate, and combination units are limited in the heat they output, compared to gas. Down here in Texas, the opposite is more the case, but as I said, the A/C can be readily upgraded/supplemented if need be, using the same power supply.

* Going solar? That's not my thing, at this late date, but there are many who can advise you on what to get, to power your a/c & heat by solar/battery power, in future days, if you wish.

[Seabrook9]

Thanks for the very valuable insight, guys! I live in North Alabama and will be traveling primary in the southeastern region so I wont be dealing with EXTREME cold by any means. For me personally - I am accustom to camping in a tent in single digit temperatures so I am not nearly as concerned about heating the inside as I am cooling.

I've seen where some AC units come with something called a heat strip/heat coil?(I may have that terminology wrong) I don't think they add much cost and heat like 6kBTU or something - just enough to knock the chill out of the trailer perhaps. Does anyone have experience with something like this?

I also have seen some miniature wood burning stoves that can be fitted into campers. I would LOVE to have a wood burner as an option for heat but I worry about the carbon monoxide output as well as the obvious risk of fire. Can anyone provide some insight on your experience with wood burners inside?

[working on it]

...I've seen where some AC units come with something called a heat strip/heat coil?(I may have that terminology wrong) I don't think they add much cost and heat like 6kBTU or something - just enough to knock the chill out of the trailer perhaps. Does anyone have experience with something like this?....

* I have an in-law that had one for awhile, about ten years ago, and the heat strip's output could barely heat up even a corner of a 9 x 10 room in a small single-wide trailer, much less a larger space as in a cargo trailer (where it's configured as basically one room). Actually, you could hold your hand up to it, and it was really weak heat. I looked up the specs on a newer model just now, with the same A/C and heat BTU's as the older one (8000 A/C, and 3800 heat), and confirmed my memories of the older one: priced twice what the A/C version alone cost ($480 to $220), and with many negative reviews concerning lack of heat output.

* As some reviewers said they did, my in-law had to use space heaters to supplement the feeble heat strip in the unit. Heat strips are usually considered a high-energy consuming, emergency or supplemental-use add-on; my parents bought a house with those strips in the baseboards, and when the central heat pump failed one winter night, they said that it was hardly noticeable that the heat was on at all (but the electric bill probably noticed it was!).

* A simple ceramic space heater, the usual 1500-watt type, not my little Lasko units, that often has an auto-thermostat, tip-over and fuse protection, and usually comes with multiple fan/heat settings, will have a 5000+ btu output on max, far superior to a heat strip. If I was doing a CC, I'd get an 8-10000 btu A/C (I like it cold), have one or more air circulating fans in strategic positions, and one or more heaters that could be positioned wherever needed. All for less than the price of a single 8k btu combo A/C.

[Shadow Catcher]

There are a number of variations on this http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=44561 that folk have done. Used ours this week. It was hot and steamy.