Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

After two long years I'm almost finished. I'm installing a 5,000 BTU A/C in the bulkhead and after turning it on and letting it run for two hours have found out that the hot air it produces is just being drawn back in to the unit's coils. The opening in the bottom of the trailer is 10X17 and the overall opening that the A/c is sitting in is 15X24. I could cut a hole in the front over the tongue and mount it there but don't want to cut another hole in the trailer. So basically, the A/C has poor air exchange. Should I cut the hole in the trailer floor larger or mount it in frt? I'd rather have it in the bulkhead since all the woodwork and work is done. Anyt suggestions? [/b]

I'm having a hard time visulizing it. Can you post some pictures? I'm sure we can help.

I think that is exactly what is happening... If you look at the second pic on my site, you will see the inlets on the side... the front door is closed, but it opens when camped, so air is drawn in the side and blown out the front..

If you do not segregate the airflow, you will get exactly what you have, a recirculation of hot air....

As mentioned the air is drawn in the side vents and exits out the front (the front is hinged and opens when I camp)... if I can find a better pic, will post it.

http://www.freewebs.com/teardrop-stuff

Thanks to both of you, I got to thinking that I have a "box" the A/C sits in and the box end is in the galley. So, I could cut a large hole and cover it with a vent in the galley side and maybe, just maybe that would help. Also, I could cut a vent in one side of the box in the galley. I gotta get this thing finished, we have reservations in Seward next July to do some fishing. What do you think on the vents?

here is a pic with the door open.. I'm only posting it because it took me 4 tries to get it right.....

John, is there a chance that the hot air from the compressor is being mixed with the return air into the AC unit? I have mounted my AC unit in my tongue box, with a waterproof hole cut through the tear front wall. The supply goes into a scoop that routes the cool air up and along the ceiling, while the return air is pulled out above my pillow. The key to this arrangement, I think, is the fact that all of the hot, comrpressor air is exhausted through a grille in the front of the tongue box. This set up works for me, might even freeze ice on the windows if left on for an extended time. :-)

Roly, staying inside today, it's 105 degrees outside.......

John I just finished mine and it works fine. You need to separate the side vents from the back with something. I used plywood and it works in a small space. You might need some kind of power vent to assist the air out the bottom. Here is mine. The holes are 3" each so I can use threaded drain pipe thingys with screw in caps to keep the critters out when not in use.





The unit sits back in the ply frame and has a small piece of sticky insulating strip on the air conditioner to keep the heat out.

Some extra hints. I put a thick layer of marine epoxy on the floor and up the walls. You need a drain tupe and some screen or the wasps will invade.

I just installed in in the front, got tired of messing with it and now we have more storage in the cabin! Thanks all!

John6012 wrote:I'm installing a 5,000 BTU A/C in the bulkhead and after turning it on and letting it run for two hours have found out that the hot air it produces is just being drawn back in to the unit's coils

So basically, the A/C has poor air exchange.

Any suggestions? [/b]

Does it cool the tear as is?

Basically, the 'recycling hot air' just reduces the efficiency of the air conditioner . . . . maybe from 5,000 BTU's down to 3,000 BU's or so, but even 3,000 BTU's is more than most small trailers really need, so if if gets cool enough inside for you, I wouldn't worry about a thing

There are dozens of really unique mounting systems for A/C's around here and you would SWEAR that half of them wouldn't work worth a darn . . . . but few if any members report they don't get enough cooling . . . . and if the 'abuse' of the window unit shortens it's life from 5 years to 3 years . . . . so what? Fork over another $75 and buy another new one

Don

Miriam C. wrote:

Is this the finished setup? It looks like it will suck the cold air back in thru the condenser coils and exhaust it out the back.

asianflava said:

Is this the finished setup? It looks like it will suck the cold air back in thru the condenser coils and exhaust it out the back.

I wonder if this is maybe a good thing.

Bringing air in from out side would go some way toward solving the problem of our over sized A/C units.

It would bring in O2 in the cabin and lastly, the "outside" intake vents would not be recirculating hot exhaust air across the condenser.

This may be a trifecta.

john wrote:asianflava said:

Bringing air in from out side would go some way toward solving the problem of our over sized A/C units.

An A/C unit is basiclly a big dehumidifier. They pull the moisture from the air and it drains out your condinsate tube. If you put to big a unit in it will cool down quick but not pull the humidity from the air making it damp, wet and sticky feeling inside (It will actually sweat inside the TD). Most of the new building these days seem to over do it and I wind up having to go in and install electric duct heaters so it gives the unit a false load and runs longer. Actually the way Aunti M installed hers will work better in a small area because it WILL pull alot of the cold air out and make the unit run longer so it can pull more moisture out. (we wont get into wet bulb and dry bulb temps)