AC Unit

[ocasioc25]

I need a little help or design here with the AC unit. I have seen some of them on the rear of the tear going towards the galley. I purchased a 5,00 BTU unit and was going to install it on the side. This would be removable but after seeing a few plans, I decided to place it at the foot of the cabin and at the top. It would be in the center and at the top of the wall that faces the other side of the galley. Now, where does it vent to and drain to? If anyone has any plans or ideas feel free to send them over. All ideas will be helpful and greatly appreciated.

PS
I've seen a few ideas but can't remember how to get back to them in the forum. Duh.... Ya'll can tell I'm new in here.

Thank you

Carlos

[asianflava]

Like this?


Venting and draining can be tricky, but the main thing you have to remember is to isolate the cool air going into the condenser from the hot air coming out of it.

[Shadow Catcher]

Or make it detachable

Parts not attached can be left home when not needed and they do not take up room you really need for other things.

[rowerwet]

mine sits on the galley counter, ugly but easy, my counter is water proof, any water just runs off the back edge. I don't like to loose the space though, I plan on moving it to the front so I don't have to take it out and put it on the floor for traveling.

[pchast]

In the front you will have gasketing issues. Around the outside of the case And
around the unit inside the case. Its doable but involved.

Easiest would be some kind of cover while traveling... IMHO

[bdosborn]

In the front you will have gasketing issues. Around the outside of the case And
around the unit inside the case. Its doable but involved.

Not necessarily, you just need an RV cargo door and some drawer sliders:







Bruce

[ElectronGuru]

Self contained window units expect everything behind the front panel to be outside. Adaptations that bring most or all of the cabinet inside, need ways to channel the heat and moisture to the outside. Heat that gets back in will have to be recaptured and reexpelled. Even a unit as small as 5K is more than enough to cover the loss but the unit will run longer and more often, to keep up (and burn more energy).

To my thinking, rather than channel heat out, it should be easier to channel cold in. The natural installation would be out the front, behind the tongue. Centered and low enough to keep down the center of gravity. The bulk of the cabinet could sit above a tray or below or inside a tongue box. Hidden outside and no internal space lost. Designed from scratch, you'd just need to support the box, hold it in place, and build the actual cabinets around it.

I would also measure several ACs and build for the largest, for future compatibility.

[ocasioc25]

Thanks for the replies. I've seen a few ideas and since it's a teardrop and I need the space inside. I was thinking about making it going through the galley but space is critical and I need it to drain and vent. As soon as I start the teardrop I will post pictures. I will be going with the unit on one of the side walls. I plan to rip 1x1 studs for the walls so the ac unit won't bend or put weight on the wall. Then make some removable brackets that will be installed on the outside for the ac support. The brackets will have teardrop holes and shoulder bolts on the side of the wall so I can slide on and off the brackets. Then a square hole with a door so I can slide the unit in from the inside on to the brackets. In case I don't need ac then make an insert with a small fan on a lexan smoke sheet that will fit inside the square hole. Got so many ideas and it's driving me crazy. I scribble stuff down and then 2 days later tear them up and start with a new idea.

I would like to thank you guys for all the ideas. I've seen that using part of this idea and part of another is very helpful.

I'll keep posting here as I go.

Carlos

[Mdrinnon]

I've seen a few ideas and since it's a teardrop and I need the space inside. I was thinking about making it going through the galley but space is critical and I need it to drain and vent. Carlos

What's on your tongue??? Trailer that is lol. I'm building Vardo (seriously different from teardrop lmao) so I plan batteries insided and vented. I'm planning a tongue box with removeable sides to house my window shaker. Covered during travel, no leak issues, just unlatch 3 pannels and turn it on.

[citylights]

Looks like we are doing the same thing at about the same time. I had installed my AC in the wall between the bed and galley. Then I realized how much space it robbed from the galley. I also read about all the heat rejection and ducting problems people face with that. Before I finished that installation I moved it up to through the front wall above the headboard cabinet.

Right now, I am debating mounting it permanently sticking through the wall, with a hinged outside cover, or putting it on slides with a hatch to the outside...

Anyway, here's pictures of it through the front.

[bdosborn]

How about a tongue box installation? Here's one using a pet cool. I'd modify an AC unit like Shadow Catcher did instead of using a Pet Cool as they're pretty spendy.



Here the cool air is ducted into the cabin and hidden in a cabinet at the front.



All though a galley mount may not take up as much room as you think:



Bruce

P.S. I used a pet Cool on the teardrop but that was in 2006 and I found a used one on eBay.

[Steve 70]

Self contained window units expect everything behind the front panel to be outside. Adaptations that bring most or all of the cabinet inside, need ways to channel the heat and moisture to the outside. Heat that gets back in will have to be recaptured and reexpelled. Even a unit as small as 5K is more than enough to cover the loss but the unit will run longer and more often, to keep up (and burn more energy).

To my thinking, rather than channel heat out, it should be easier to channel cold in. The natural installation would be out the front, behind the tongue. Centered and low enough to keep down the center of gravity. The bulk of the cabinet could sit above a tray or below or inside a tongue box. Hidden outside and no internal space lost. Designed from scratch, you'd just need to support the box, hold it in place, and build the actual cabinets around it.

I would also measure several ACs and build for the largest, for future compatibility.

I agree with ElectronGuru. That is almost verbatim as to how I installed my AC. It has worked very well. Hot air is expelled outside the cabin and the little condensation produced just runs off the floor of the tongue box that is sealed with a good paint. The AC takes up very little interior cabin space and the tongue box hides the outside case of the unit. The only thing that I would have liked to have done differently would be to mount the AC a little higher. Otherwise....works great!!



The Build Journal pic at the bottom shows the tongue box cover that is hinged at the top to allow easy access to the AC unit as well as storage. The panel below the screen area is rotated up to cover the screen during transport.

[Junkboy999]

You can even mount it on the side of the TD.

Here are some picture for ideas I saves.

























The last one sits on the headboard but the back is located in the tongue box.

[planovet]

Just to be different from the above, I placed mine at the back and vented it through the floor. Works great

[oakinteriors1]

I am putting mine under the galley..Slid in from the side to line up with ducts that lead up the bulkhead...the controls will be mounted inside with a disconnect plug to the AC unit....

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