Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Okay, so here's what I'm planning to do, install a window unit in the space between the headboard and the front of the teardrop with a cargo door behind the condenser. All hidden, nothing sticking out and cargo door open when using the AC. I have plenty of room, but I was wondering if anyone has done this and were they successful in getting the condensate to drain away without any issues. My plans are to build a waterproof compartment with a drain that will drip underneath the camper. I may make a fiberglass containment with a recessed trough to channel the water to the drain. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Duane

Several companies build trailers with the unit built on the side with only a grill covering.As long as you leave a couple of inches on the sides to draw air it will work.
These units have hole in the rear for excess condensate to drain.So long as the mount slopes down a bit it will drain fine.

GiveMeLiberty wrote:Okay, so here's what I'm planning to do, install a window unit in the space between the headboard and the front of the teardrop with a cargo door behind the condenser. All hidden, nothing sticking out and cargo door open when using the AC. I have plenty of room, but I was wondering if anyone has done this and were they successful in getting the condensate to drain away without any issues. My plans are to build a waterproof compartment with a drain that will drip underneath the camper. I may make a fiberglass containment with a recessed trough to channel the water to the drain. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Duane

We did something like that. We built a large utility compartment in the front of our teardrop, and have a front cargo door we open to ventilate the AC unit. Works great, but i'm not sure we ever solved the drain problem completely. We used towels as a makeshift to keep water from the other cargo.

The whole thing is somewhere in our build journal: https://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=70278

Tom

GiveMeLiberty wrote:Okay, so here's what I'm planning to do, install a window unit in the space between the headboard and the front of the teardrop with a cargo door behind the condenser. All hidden, nothing sticking out and cargo door open when using the AC. I have plenty of room, but I was wondering if anyone has done this and were they successful in getting the condensate to drain away without any issues. My plans are to build a waterproof compartment with a drain that will drip underneath the camper. I may make a fiberglass containment with a recessed trough to channel the water to the drain. Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Duane

* My window unit A/C is completely hidden (mounted in the rear bulkhead between the sleeping quarters and the galley/storage space), and doesn't need the rear hatch open to run (the hatch is closed & locked at night). Though I built a drain pan with hose leading below the floor, I've never detected any moisture in either, so my LG lw5012J unit must be producing little or no condensate).

* As stated above, my window A/C unit never drips, which sorta makes me mad because of the effort I put into fabricating (of waterproof material) a drain pan with attached outlet for overflow, but I didn't expect it to, anyway. It's an LG 5k unit, and since I already had experience using an 8k btu LG A/C in my wife's old home office, I knew that there would likely be little condensate drippage, if any. But, I did drill a 1/4" drain hole just to be safe, even though my LG lw5012J unit didn't require one (as opposed to a similar model lw5012).


* The way I enclosed the exhaust and routed it out to the right in an insulated duct may explain some of the reason for no excess moisture. The exhaust enclosure retains enough heat to evaporate excess (not being used to cool the coils via the inner fan), but having a high flow inline axial fan in the duct expels the retained heat fast enough to prevent moisture build-up and/or thermal shutdown.http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=54945&hilit=thermal

* In any case, the A/C system works fine, never drips, and was worth the time invested in it, though the right angle ducting could've been replaced with a box attached to the rear hatch, with exhausting louvers thru it (so it would still function at night with the hatch closed). Sure, I lost the "galley" function of my rear storage space, but I prefer to prepare and cook food on the side of my 4x8 trailer, which is partially covered (4' deep x 8' length area) by my canopy, anyway.

• installed in rear bulkhead
• right angle vent boot attached
• 8" diameter outlet, to be reduced to 6" ducting
• drain pan and overflow outlet tube
• as completed (at first)
• as it is now, years later

That's what I did only I put the A/C on drawer slides so I can pull the A/C out when in use. Solves the condensate dripping problem and the condenser end gets great air flow. Works like a charm:
Here's it is with the A/C extended outside and the hatch open:

Here's the inside with the A/C extended outside:

Here's it is with the A/C retracted inside:

I never got around to putting any seals around the A/C, the hatch is wide enough it keeps everything but a hard, driving rain out. Make sure you put a good latch on the A/C to keep it in place when driving. It will push right through the baggage door if you hit the brakes hard enough.

Easy peazy, lemon squeezy.
Bruce

Thanks for sharing. I too am looking to set my AC up to retract when not in use or traveling. Did you use drawer slides? If so, what size did you use? Thank you.

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kscmpr54 wrote:Thanks for sharing. I too am looking to set my AC up to retract when not in use or traveling. Did you use drawer slides? If so, what size did you use? Thank you.

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I used 10" heavy duty slides, the A/C is kind of heavy.
Bruce

Thank you. I didn't think the slides would have to be too big as the part going outside is about 10". Thanks for answering so quickly.

Karl