Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

So we picked up our new 5x8 yesterday. Had windows on both sides installed as well as a RV style door on passengers side. They also insulated the unit. Pretty good work and price was very good. Can't wait to get started. Just pulled it in the garage !

congrats!! my first build was a 5x8 v-nose.

moved stuff around in the garage last night so we could actually get inside it. Going to start laying out some stuff today. Biggest question is still the AC unit. Definitely need one for AZ in July but we can't decide on the best design to use for a window style. Bed will be fold down on each side to a full. Had thought about a futon style so we can use during day if needed but they are over the budget now. So most likely plywood style base with fold down legs. Front V will have small cabinet with small sink.

Need to order brake kits for the Dexter axles as I think it just makes sense.

Every person on here will have a different idea on installing their A/C in a cargo trailer. I kept mine simple for me, and I'll post a picture so soon as I can.

theicomguy, Howdy;

Something I do mental gymnastics about each year ... how to stay cool in the sw desert
during June through Sept.. Here's one thing I'm considering;
https://www.turbokool.net/Default.asp

hank

Had hoped to put in the sidewall but I have 4 window units and all are 16" wide. My trailer has 16" OC studs so sliding thru the wall wont work. Been digging thru posts on here. Right now the plan is going to be trying to put it in the front cabinet goign to the V but see what I can do. Need to carry it along with other stuff to the barn tomorrow and set in the trailer.

i vented my window shaker through the floor, under the bed. i could barely bring myself to cut holes in the walls for the windows…….

So I think this is my design. I plan to pull cold air from under the trailer via vents, and push hot air thru the front. Hoping it will have enough flow. Here are some quick drawings. Sorry I'm not a CAD guy so all mine is on paper with a pencil. Grabbed some lumber yesterday so going to try building the face frame today.

Top View

Front View


biggest issue is Im not sure we will have room for a sink and water jugs under cabinet with the AC but cooling is more critical than a sink for us. Being its better than a tent we can wash a pan outside.

So realized its been some time. WX and wind has sucked so not as much done as I had hoped. We did get one bench built, along with a drop down for half the bed. Also AC is starting to progress but got one 6" hole drilled before my drill died. Need to finish hole #2.

A couple of things regarding your AC unit before you get it all built tight.

First, if possible, you should attempt to set that thing on some sort of metallic Pan with sides and a drain so that when it does run over, you don't get a wet floor. I sunk an aluminum pan down into the floor, so it is lower than the floor surface. I'll never get flooded.

Too, leave space to make your holes larger than 6" so that if you find that performance is poor, you can open things up. I am currently running one 8" and one 4" feeding just the fresh air inlet from under the trailer (one from each side), and currently venting the heated exhaust air also out down thru the floor. The exhaust was a temporary fix because I did not want anything visible.

I am finding that I only get increased cooling if I have a fan pushing the fresh air into the condenser area because I do not have enough free air exhaust (yet.... will be easily solved this season).

I guess what I am saying is that from reading many posts and now also first hand experience, it becomes very obvious that window shakers really need to BREATH for them to cool as designed... that is why they are supposed to hang out a window.

A lot of builders did not take this into account and end up with less than stellar performance. The best is of course those who can hang them out, but I like you have been determined to keep mine rather invisible from view. In finished form, mine will continue to pull cool air from under the trailer via the same 8" and 4" inlets, but will exhaust into a much larger duct work out the front of the trailer and thru my custom made tongue box.
A Single Stainless Marine Bilge Vent will be the only visible clue on the drivers side of the box.

Good Luck !

My next big project will be to install a 9000 btu mini split in my trailer.

I hope your mini split is for something bigger than a 5 x 8 ! That would be the definition of a mobile meat locker !

For the OP, here is the top view of my AC Pan:


The Whole AC unit sits down in the pan, and a duckbill drain has been added to the AC unit pan that can be plugged if in the end, the concept of the water in the pan does help with cooling as some indicate. Also note that the Pan has NO upwards front lip, meaning any possible water collection will immediately run out the front of the pan if I do plug the duckbill drain. I should never have a wet floor.

The forward exhaust area where the pan ends has had the diamond plate trimmed flush with the forward wall, so it is larger than the photo indicates... and a tapered divider has been added to split the output air over the main tongue frame. It is still not enough opening for output air, not to mention that it can recirculate back into the cooling inlets because they are close to each other.

The left side intake hole has been opened to 8", and is fully ducted via 8" elbo and sealed into the left side of the AC unit. The right side 4" floor inlet CAN BE opened to pull some inside air, but I have not seen any improvement doing so.

So, soon, the front wall of the trailer will get cut open into the tongue box I built. I'd be concerned with water being blown into any forward facing door when driving in the rain without doing it through the tongue box, and this has always been my plan. I only cut the floor, because I did not have the box built when I put the Shaker in.



And, the hot air will be panned out the drivers side of it. I am still kicking around whether I will install an additional fan to pull the hot air out which will require closing the hole through the bottom. I wish I could find out what the free flow CFM of a typical window shakers cooling fan is. That would be helpful.

Again, I am only advising that most people have had issues with water on their floors, and also obtaining enough cool air with a 5000BTU unit UNLESS they really get the amount of air flow they were designed to get. If they get enough, an insulated trailer will have no problems staying cool with 5000BTU.

Grummy... My trailer is a 6x12, but what many don't know is a 9000 btu mini split will throttle up and down from 3,785 to 11,941 btu as needed. It uses very little watts at the 3000 btu range.

I have a 8k btu window shaker AC unit in my well insulated 16 x 7 x 7 trailer that works fine. I used 8” diameter ducting for both ambient intake air and hot air exhaust.

At first, I used 4” ducting but it was too small. Then I used 6” ducting but it also was too small.

So, I counted and measured the cumulative area of the openings in the OEM slotted vents in terms of square inches. I determined that the area of the 8” ducting came pretty close to the OEM opening areas.

You might want to measure the openings on your unit and see what diameter ducting and/or hole sizes you would need to achieve equivalent air flow.

To provide a little more air flow, I cut some of the metal vent slots out of the OEM openings to increase the overall area of the openings.

My AC unit is mounted high in the trailer. I am happy with the end result as far as cooling performance goes.

Good luck with your build and especially keep us posted concerning how your AC install goes.

Well I went with 6" vents in the front of the trailer for exaust and a 12x24" opening in the floor for fresh air. I'll see how it does. My AC is a 5K unit and pretests seemed ok. But noted what you said. Also got the first layer of Raptor done. Hope to spray the final coat today as soon as the temp goes up. Also got our new set of tires.

New tires. Went with General Grabber AT.

First spray of Raptor

12x 24" fresh air intake. Also dual 6" vents out front for exaust. They are marine style ports with screen. Planning assist fans out the front.