Underfloor cooling

[bgeddes]

I've been a lurker on this site for a long time but I've never built a TD (it's a long story). Well we are at a time where we take our three dogs all over the place, obedience stuff and therapy work. In the event we need to house them while out, we just leave them in the car. This is OK as long as the weather is mild. On hot summer days the car is not a safe nor sane option.

In a search for a solution the idea of building a trailer for them came to mind. They would be transported in the vehicle and put into the dog TD upon arrival. Three large dogs (St.Bernards) would need little in the heating area, but fresh air and cooling would be paramount. Circulating water through a large ice filled cooler then underneath the floor of the trailer to provide a cool surface for the mutts to relax seems to be possible. A couple large screened windows to provide a breeze and fresh air would be added to the mix. Another concept was an opening in the back of the trailer to allow access to food and water bowls, without having to crawl into the main area.

So the real question is would cooling under the floor be better than a real A/C setup? The Air Cond would obviously cost more but would sacrifice the fresh air, unless a huge capacity device was used. The A/C is going to be a power hog as well and a small pump to circulate water and perhaps a small fan will not require near the electrical capacity of the alternative. Anyone tried radiant heat/cooling in a TD?

[citylights]

I think your best bet would be a swamp cooler. 100% outside make up air, fan for airflow, low energy requirement. Package commercial solutions available in any big box store.

[KennethW]

Condensation might be a problem.

[KennethW]

Condensation might be a problem.

[jstrubberg]

Depends on where you are. A swamp cooler is a viable option of you aren't camping in areas where ambient humidity gets over 35-40%. I can tell you from experience that at 50% ambient humidity, a swamp cooler is a waste of time and energy.

True AC is very cheap in a TD-sized trailer, assuming you can rely on a campground hookup all the time.

[Rainier70]

If I had a TD that needed AC, I would use one of the window units. Take a look at Shadow Catcher's solution. . viewtopic.php?f=30&t=44561&hilit=hacking

Another option since you don't have a bed in it taking up room, is to put a window ac on a slide out such as a number of the cargo trailer builds have done. All it consists of is a side door in your TD and the ac on a drawer slide behind it. Open the side, pull out the back of the ac, and plug it in.