I've been kicking around some ideas for air conditioning in a teardrop... I know two popular ways is to buy an AC unit and 1) either (temporarily or permanently) mount it to the side or in the toungebox, or 2) to have it detached from the trailer and run ductwork to the trailer. In my day-dreamy state, I'd like to think to think there are other ways and would like some thoughts/input. (I should probably state here that I don't *admire* the idea of having the AC detached from the trailer, but I have long-distance road trips in mind, where finding a campground to park and spread out at will not be possible. I would also prefer something that doesn't use a lot of electricity for the same reasons.)
First idea; create a swamp cooler that, instead of using water, uses dry-ice to cool the air. This would have to be a sealed box (like a really good ice chest) with perhaps metal pipes running through it that would be connected to the ductwork, and I was thinking it could be mounted in the galley. The trick is that it would have to cool the air without mingling with it (for obvious reasons), and not be accessed from the sleeping area. The last thing I want is to poison the sleeping area with CO2. As a fail-precaution, I would want a CO2 detector in the cabin area.
Second idea; going to an RV scrap yard and salvaging an AC unit. I don't know how this would (or wouldn't) work.... Any thoughts?
Third idea; obtain and modify and an AC unit from a vehicle and instal it in the teardrop. This would take some thought, but it might be doable. Hardest part would be running all the metal AC lines while achieving a seal that can be pressurized with the coolant. Also, the radiator would need a fan to keep it cool.
I would like to keep the electrical load to a minimum and am attempting to be creative to achieve that end. Ideally, I would like to have my primary electrical system a 12v system with the capability of shore power for long stays/at the house where it is available. Am I in dreamland and detached from reality, or are there some workable ideas here? Thoughts?
Thanks,
~ Firefifer