Slide out AC unit???

[cracker39]

Work on my Compact swing-up top camper design is coming along pretty good, but I haven't yet really decided how to design the side-mounted, slide-out window air conditioner mount. I don't want to mount it in front for several reasons, and there's not enough space left on either side of the rear door to mount it unless I made the trailer wider, which I don't. So that leaves one side or the other.

George Teague put one in his pop-top camper, but says he doesn't remember the details on it's construction. Has anyone else constructed one? Or, does anyone have any good ideas on how the slide-out mount should be constructed and kept water-tight while it's in use?

I'd appreciate any ideas, photos, drawings, etc. that would shed some light on this. I'll probably think up a way to do it eventually, when I get around to it, but don't want to have to invent something if it's already been invented.

Thanks.

[GPW]

Cracker , from what we can gather , an open ended drawer on slides and outer frame seems to be the practical way. The "drawer"/ AC unit slides into a close fitting "window" opening , with some manner of sealing on the edges ... Rubber door sweep might work there...??? Also , a drip pan below to catch any water seems to be a good idea... Outside waterproof flap/door to cover the retracted unit ... Doesn't have to be complicated ... But I think the wall opening measurements would be critical ...
I'm working on the same problem ...

[b.bodemer]

Dale,
Check out my set-up with a slide out a/c for my Serro Scotty:
http://barbsserroscottymakeover.shutter ... mpergetsac

Barb

[len19070]

I don't have many photos of the one I did.



I remember I made the door a lot wider than had to be, used rubber sweeps made out of EPDM rubber all around and made the AC's drawer glides out of level pointing down.

Happy Trails

Len

[cracker39]

Thanks, both of you. One thing I hadn't thought of was usins cabinet roller slides. My one problem is that I am limited on where it can be mounted. So far, I can only see mounting on a wall at least 3 feet above the floor, and that would put some stress on the wall unless I built in some angle iron or aluminum to reinforce the wall mount. I'll have to give it more though.

[GPW]

How about a nice storage cabinet under the unit ??? Support and storage ...

[cracker39]

I think I've got a plan. I can't put the unit beneath the couch as thre isn't enough height, and besides, once the bed is extended, I cannot get to the controls. As my bed extends all the way to the ends of the two side mounted galley cabinets, ditto on both arguments above. So, that leaves a wall mounted unit about 2 1/2' to 3' above the floor.

I have one 3/4" x 3" vertical framing piece and one 3/4" x 2" framing piece corssing at the top corner of one cabinet.

I can add another 3" vertical framing piece out far enough to provide a space for te AC to mount, and fill in the wall above with another 3/4" piece. To stiffen the wall to take the weight without bowing, I thought about buying some 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum angle stock. I can rabbit a 1/8" x 1 1/2" groove in the face of the vertical framing pieces and attach the angle. This is how I envision it.

[cracker39]

I have my wall AC mount designed as best I can without actually constructing it. The box that supports the slides extends further into the cabin that I'd like it to, but I had to make it 10" front to back as that was the shortest slide I found on Rockler's site. I could push it further outside, but that makes more air resistance. As it is, the cover is only 1 3/4" thick. That's all that sticks out when traveling.

The box would be made of 3/4" plywood as it's very strong. I decided that I'd turn the framing members in the pic above so the aluminum would be inside. The screws holding the box to the framing would go through the aluminum into the wood framing, so the screws couldn't rip out from the weight of the AC. Though most if it's weight is in the rear of the unit, close to the wall.

I think this drawing is clear enough without explanation. The slide isn't shown, just the box, base that slides out, the Haier AC unit and the cover.

[rladams39]

looks like a good design, where is it going to be in your camper? sidewall, front, rear?

We made our A/C opening with a window to cover it, hinged at the top, we just set our A/C out of it into the floor for transport, This way we can use the opening as an extra window/ventilation when the weather does not call for the A/C to be used.
I use a couple of carriage bolts one on the top to hold the A/C in place when in use. and one that is mounted to the window that we use to hold the window closed, We simply unscrew a wingnut from the bottom, slide the A/C in and put the wing nut on the top bolt to hold it..



You can see the position of the carriage bolt center of lower window.

[cracker39]

RL, you apparently haven't seen the trailer design that I am designng this AC mount for. It will be in the left side, just foward of the galley cabinet on that side, and about 3 to 4 feet from the floor. The link below is a slie show of my design, using preliminary drawings. I'm currently working on detailed plans to sell as an alternate to my Squidget plans. The PPS file is large and may take a while to download.

http://www.thesquidget.com/compacttttoverview.pps

[cracker39]

RL,

Transporting the AC on the floor is a good alternative as it puts no stress on the wall whtn the trailer hits bumps and bounces. I could leave the front off my tray that slides in and out, or not have a sliding tray for it. Do you have any problems with the water that collects in the unit spilling inside the trailer when you take it out? Or do you remove it from outside?

How to you seal around it to prevent air los and bugs gettig in?

[rladams39]

I have not had any problems with water from the A/C i have it so it mounts pointing down towards the rear of the A/C.

It installs from the Inside, and when i pull it into the camper i normally tilt it back to drain any large amount of water that might be in it, we also set it on a folded towel so any small amount that is left is soaked up by the towel.

The A/C unit we have also has a BIG drain hole in it on the rear so it drains water pretty well..

As far as sealing it for air loss and bugs, the opening it slides into only has about 1/16th of an inch clearance on the sides, top, bottom, so we do not have any seal on it. Have not noticed any major air loss or gain from the small gap.

If we wanted to seal it it would be easy just some self stick foam weatherstripping stuck to the A/C mounting flanges would make it air/bug tight.