Is the EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable AC the Best Portable AC?

[@rileyclarkfineart]

What do you use for your AC system in your van?

[@functionalvanconversion4284]

I use a rigid 12v 1500 btu in parallel with a modified zerobreeze Mark 1 and it works ok for my sleeping area on a medium roof ford transit in 95 degree weather in partial shade.

[@zeak23]

I think really the misconception of this AC unit is people think it’s going to replace a larger system like a home AC or a vehicle AC. Our home AC is too small for our house with this Texas heat. Something that I fought with the builder and they insisted 3 tons was enough (but that’s a whole Nother story).I put this in my son’s room and It was able to bring his room down to a set temperature of 70° without any issue. Here in Texas this summer is already starting to get going and his room is generally the hottest room during the summer time. I’m pretty happy with this unit. It’s doing exactly what I wanted. After catching Covid 2 yrs ago I now struggle when it gets really hot especially doing outdoor projects or just being out in the heat with direct sun beating down for long periods of time. So now we just take this with us. With the battery it’s pretty easy to turn on and literally point the air right at me and I stay nice and cool. This is exactly what I was hoping for and it totally works for me. I think it’s gonna be a use by use cases. Looking at your situation being in Vegas. I would not expect this thing to be able to keep up with that type of heat, maybe two of them, but this alone comparing to a vehicle’s a/c which most are 20-30k+ btu, I think it’s a bit of skewed comparison, especially for that type of heat. Another thing like you mentioned, the exhaust hose emits a good amount of heat. Amazon has insulation kits ($25) for these hoses and I would highly recommend that. They do help out quite a bit and cuts down on the heat emitted from the exhaust hose.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

100% it has its use cases. I could even see it being a great option in the van along side a more powerful 12v or 24 unit. I also have used it in hot rooms in my house and it works great! I did use a similar insulation system as well.

[@CowsGoMonkey]

I'd also mention a shorter, straighter hose run would be beneficial, as would window shades/reflectors/tints. A less common fact about roof mounting stuff or solar panels is that it will also help keep the cab cooler. There are a few options to increase efficiency and insulation for both vehicle and a/c unit.

[@Florida_Adventure]

Great video. For anyone reading...the exhaust duct must be insulated and the shorter it is the better. Get this correct and your results will improve dramatically. Take a laser thermometer and shoot the duct and the machine and you will see there is a ton of heat coming off of the machine and the exhaust duct. I wouldn't be surprised if you're getting readings over 130-140 degrees.

[@ScalzoPhoto]

For any air conditioner to work best in a van- step 1: the windows need to covered with an outward reflective INSULATED window cover. Step 2 park in the shade……… Those two steps are necessary to give any air conditioner a chance to cool instead of just battling the heat. ** Otherwise run a more powerful air conditioner off of a gas generator for anything over 90 or 100 degrees

[@bcloetta]

My Promaster is white and insulated. I bought the Ecoflow wave 2 last year as a fail safe for a trip to Texas and for those times when maybe I need to sleep with the van closed and locked at night. I would NEVER trust it to cool my dog if I’m away. I have experimented with various setups and concur that the wave 2 is only capable of about a 10 degree cooling. However with that said, my results absolutely contradict the idea of “recirculating” the intake air. I set mine up in the swiveled driver seat (yes that prevents an emergency getaway), with both hoses connected to the Etsy window insert. The exhaust hose is short and insulated separately. All windows are covered with van essentials magnetic covers and when I go to bed, I curtain off the cab and use that extra long hose to duct the cold air to the back of the van. If temps are 80-90 at night, this system will allow me to sleep comfortably. The battery is likely not worth it, but again I wanted this setup for those times when maybe I don’t feel safe with my doors open. I hate the storage space and setup time, but didn’t have an appetite for upgrading my batteries, solar, and drilling holes. Would I buy it again…most likely.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@onewayofliving]

You should also add how how it would get if you DIDNT have the wave 2. It would probably be around 150 degrees in the car. (117 outside, lots of non shaded glass windows and a black van). Put insulated shades in the windows and try again.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I did have insulated window shades up. The clips showing the exhaust tubing didn't show it because I have to modify how it attaches to the window and it would have been in the way for that demonstration. The wave 2 could not cool the space faster than the space was heating up. It was making no difference at all.

[@Kharizmah]

People want this thing to work so bad. I own it and I would love if user error was the case

[@wildcatste]

Thank you for talking about its use in small indoor spaces! I've been looking at this for a small room in my apartment because the floor space in the room is at a premium and typical portable ACs just take a lot of floor space. Most reviews focus on van use-which I get is the main intended use- and I'm sure it's a bummer that it's not so effective for that purpose but good to know that it seemed to have a better result for you in a small indoor space. Options are slim in small rooms with no ac!

[@rileyclarkfineart]

You're welcome! I'd definitely look for a way to vent the exhaust out of your room if you can. It will definitely help! The only other thing will be to make sure you keep an eye on the condensation. It tells you if and when it needs to drain so shouldn't be an issue.

[@wildcatste]

@@rileyclarkfineart thanks for the tips! The website does feature a setup without venting out which I hadn't seen before so helpful to know! fortunately my room has a little window that should work -

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Honestly, I don't always vent it when I use it in my 8x10 office. I get lazy sometimes lol but even then, as long as I don't have the hot air near me, the cold air does it's job! Still best to vent it and insulate the vent, but if you need to cool off quick and don't want the hassle, I have had success having it sit out like in the photos on the site.

[@hershey022390]

I'm glad I came across this review. I own a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170 with an 8000 BTU AC on the roof. However, the AC drains my battery quite fast. I'm considering running the AC on Eco mode and using the Eco Wave system simultaneously to aim for a temperature of 70°F inside the van when it's around 95°F outside. I recently bought the Eco Wave along with the add-on battery, so I'm optimistic that with both systems, I can maintain a temperature between 70°F. Am i reaching for the stars?

[@rileyclarkfineart]

The wave 2 will struggle with that big of a vehicle by itself. I could see it helping cool off a smaller segment or maintaining a smaller segment as long as you can section it off well. For example, your bed area. I definetly got better results in 90 degree weather, especially when you pair it with other solutions like fans, parking in shade, ect.

[@hholover1]

Thank you finally an honest review😊

[@MegaBpop]

This might be a dumb question. Could you add a "swamp cooler" to help you bring down the temp while using the Wave 2? Great video.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I'd be cautious with the amount of moisture a swamp cooler produces, especially in a tight space like a van. Plus that means carying another device to make the wave 2 work. In my scenario, just not worth it.

[@kf8048]

I bought the Wave 2 the day it came out (in May 2023) with high hopes of it heating and cooling my van (white extended high roof Transit). Long story short: I was disappointed. It could never stay ahead of the heat. The van has a 30,000 btu A/C, so I use the van to cool the van down, but when I shut the vehicle off; the Wave 2 could not keep it down. I built an insulated bulkhead (1" XPS foam sandwiched in plywood) to completely block off the cab. I have 2 to 3 layers of Thinsulate all around. As for the Wave 2 heating...I was not knowledgeable about heat pumps (which the Wave 2 uses) but I am now. It will not heat AT ALL if the air it is pulling in is colder than 40 degrees. So when I went to Montana and it was 30 degrees outside, the Wave 2 would blow 40 degree "heated" air. Joy. The Wave 2 is nothing more than a spot cooler. I had to place the inside duct so it was blowing right on me for me to feel any benefit. I am now trying an under-bench 8000 btu unit. My testing is not complete but first glance it seems much better. But I don't have enough time with it yet to know if it will do the trick for the Florida summers. As for heat...I need to purchase and install a diesel or gasoline heater similar to what you have. Thanks for the video!

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Diesel heaters are the way to go! I imagine the gas versions are just as good. I've had my van 70+ degrees inside when it's close to 0 outside before, and it barely consumes power or fuel. I am more than likely going with a roof mounted unit and swapping one of my fans for it. I looked an under bench mounted one that looks great, I am just worried with the amount of off road travel I do, I will destroy the unit sucking in all the dust n mud. When I talked to the company about these concerns, they just told me don't run it while driving. I drive my van a lot when I am using it, so this doesn't add up for me. I'd rather run it on high with my main ac up front while driving to cool it down, and then use solar and my batteries to maintain the temp when parked. I agree that the wave 2 is more of a spot cooler and not really an ac unit. I liked it for mountain tent camping and even time in my van in less hot environments. But like I said in the video, my needs have changed and this unit can't keep up.

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Did the air blow to the left side 😂 on yours well what little air that comes out jajaja 🤣

[@johntate5284]

Not really sure what model of the Sprinter van you have and what's on the roof, so i will be a little conservative. If you have the 144" wheel base version, the roof alone will absorb about 88,500 BTU's of thermal energy from the sun per hour between probably 11AM to about 4 PM not even looking at the sides. That's almost 1/3 of a ton of AC. It's not really surprising that the wave 2 doesn't have much of an impact. For times when you aren't driving, perhaps the easiest and cheapest thing you can do is to throw a white tarp over the top of the van which should at least reflect a fair portion of the incoming direct heat of the sun away from the black van. That should make what ever AC solution you chose to have a better chance of cooling the inside somewhat better. Thanks for all of your observations and the long term report:)

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Thanks for stopping by again John! Yes, the black vehicle in an area that sees a lot of sunshine is not ideal for keeping things cool. I plan to get my van wrapped in a lighter color in the future which should help I would think. My roof is also covered in solar panels and storage so not a ton of it is directly hit by the sun. I have a high roof 2022 144 sprinter and I have 3 types of insulation all over. I have havlock whool, thinsulate and reflectix, plus my roof panels have 1/8th inch closed cell foam....again, can't beat the heat alone but definitely think a more powerful ac solution will be my friend.

[@johntate5284]

@@rileyclarkfineart Hey, glad to see that you have a lot more subscribers! Too bad they don't make swamp coolers for vans as the southwest is an area that swamp coolers are as effective as conventional HVAC and a lot cheaper to run.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

@johntate5284 thanks! The channel has seen steady growth since really focusing on it. Still crazy to me we were sub-1000 this time last year! I have my eye on a mini-split system that is designed for hot climates. Not the same as swamp cooler, but the fact components are seperats helps fight the heat better they say. Swamp coolers might produce a lot of moisture which could be a problem I would think.

[@macmcleod1188]

And insulation is king. Improving your insulation will make a huge difference.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

@macmcleod1188 thankfully my van is very well insulated on the inside. Looking into adding some heat shield ceramic coating or wrap to the exterior when I add my new ac system in!

[@GriffinConway]

Nice video. I’m doing the 48v nomadic x2 on my 144 sprinter. It’s the Tenorite gray so it gets super hot in the sun as well. Hoping if I use a cab partition it will cool the back half of the van for sleeping and occasionally getting out of the heat during the day. Did you figure out what you’re going with in the future?

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I currently have two Maxxair fans, so I have room to swap one of them out for a roof mounted system. If i go roof mounted, I will probably put it in the back over my bed. I am very interested in the S1 mini-split system nomadic has now. I like the idea of the mini-split since you can keep a portion of the equipment inside the climate controlled area so it's not working as hard to cool the area. I also like it for the fact I can keep my roof in tact with solar and my fans which honestly help quite a bit.

[@OriginalJetForMe]

What bummed me out about this when I first saw it was that they had fittings to connect two separate hoses for ejecting waste heat when placing the unit inside the conditioned space, but not fittings for both intake and output air if placing the unit outside the conditioned space. I wanted to put it outside my yurt for noise reasons, and circulate return air directly to it.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

There are ways you could work around this and build it in to circulate the air, but yes not the intended design with how the intake and exhaust are.

[@samsin102]

If you don't want it can I buy it from you?

[@macmcleod1188]

Useful video! Thanks.

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Extended tubing, made your life a lot easier says it all So life without it life was difficult 😂

[@glatisant74]

Car ac will be 3kw run by the car engine when engine is on. Wave 2 is 0.5 kw in cool mode. Not equivalent. You need complete outside shading of roof and windows to make it work. Totally sun exposed van, wave 2 will not cope, but that is not the purpose. In off the grid mode wave 2 will also need to be power saving, so shading is key

[@Florida_Adventure]

One major oversight in the use of the Wave 2 in this video...the duct that is expelling hot air must be insulated. #1 mistake made by users of the wave.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Yep, I typically insulated the ducting and would even use a thermal curtain to separate the unit from the living space and use the cold ducting to bring the cold air in. I did mention needing the insulate the ducting. Tons of kits now available for it.

[@Florida_Adventure]

@@rileyclarkfineart I was able to achieve a true Delta of 18 degrees with good insulation. 86 outside and 68 inside running on ECO mode to reduce any excessive heat from machine.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I find the same results in the range of 85 till about 95. The 20 degree advertised delta is definitely achievable in those environments....however, in 110 degree weather with non stop sunshine and a black vehicle, this unit couldn't keep up at all. Definitely wish EcoFlow would provide a better ducting solution though because this with out a doubt hinders the performance. Glad it's working for you!

[@parodoxis]

Insulating the exhaust tubing is a must, and is recommended by the manufacturer. You're spilling heat back into your van... Also, having the intake inside creates a negative pressure in the van, meaning the hot air will get sucked in from outside via... every little gap and leak. That's not better than pulling it in via a controlled intake tube from outside, keeping the outdoor air separate with a neutral pressure. All this is to say, due to the way you tested it, I'm not sure I can learn much from your conclusions. That said, if your van isn't insulated, spending the money on a professional spray foam job will completely change the outcome here, so much less waste.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

This was a sum of over a year using the product. The tests were designed to simulate scenarios I found myself in to talk about the products abilities in more detail. I did talk about insulating the tube and have done that in the past and do that anytime I'm using it. My van is very well insulated already as well. And yes, the negative pressure does happen. That's why I run it with the window vents. My video last year had tons of comments talking about having the intake inside, so that test was just to appease those questions. I do find in maximum 90 degree weather this unit does provide some comfort. This unit has its purpose and place.

[@parodoxis]

@@rileyclarkfineart fair enough!

[@sages101]

The thing I really hate about the wave 2 is that the battery can't be charged as a stand alone. Like, wtf is the point than? Biggest waste of money ever.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I agree this is one of its biggest flaws.

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Spot on 👍

[@BradAdams-q8s]

Can you just run it off a little gas generator?

[@BradAdams-q8s]

I run a trucking hotshot and I’m going to buy one for night so I can sleep with out idling the truck but I need to know if I can run it with no batteries just off a gas generator?

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Yeah you shouldn't have an issue. As long as the generator is sized large enough which more than likely won't be an issue

[@eu3d1]

I will not speak about the fact that is way underpowered for what is marketed for, but in 4 hours it stopped with the error number x( i cannot recall the number). short circuit battery something. i did not have the battery pack. returned it. it is nothing else but a spotchiller over marketed

[@jacobsmithjr]

If you live in Vegas you need mini-split or CruzeNComfort

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Yep! Mini split is the way I'm going. I'll have content coming out about it here soon.

[@functionalvanconversion4284]

Its too bad they don't make these units so you can mount it outside of the vehicle and let you run it on 12v like the Autoclima UGO AC.

[@thaiden03]

van needs to be insulated to keep the cool air in. If its not insulated the cool air cancels out into the atmosphere.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

My van is very well insulated actually.

[@ALSOUL-k2m]

I live in Arizona 😢

[@Capt.sierra]

Black van in Vegas ? Not the best place to start

[@chuckclark9464]

Well, listen to what you have to say about it for the money that they charge for it. It doesn’t sound like it’s worth it. You convince me not to buy it. Thank you very much.

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Hey, glad I was able to help you come to a decision. Thanks for supporting the channel!

[@RUreddynow]

You're wrong about that intake hose You should watch hobo tech he explains that. Its on a different loop

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I tested it both the way the manufacturer recommended and I tested moving the intake inside of the van only because I received a lot of comments on my initial review of this unit to try it that way.

[@fvRodRunner]

yeah, thats not really an "intake". bro was confusing tf out of me keep saying intake. This is essentially a mini split system, built in one box. There's only one intake, and its not the condenser loops airflow he keeps describing so I pretty much had to mute him and visually watch to see what tf he's talking about. All I know is that hopefully the Wave 3 is a better design

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Tell the truth mate That the air coming out blows to the left so you have to turn the unit to the right of you van to get it to blow air down the middle of your van 🚐 Also if you turn the unit off when it’s plugged into AC it still consumes 70w electric ⚡️ Also the hot air coming out leak’s out and mixes with the cold air And makes the air outlet temperature rise up and the the unit then eats power I’m on my 3rd replacement within 3 months of owner Anyone with this unit at home should be advanced to unplug there unit before the get a very expensive bill 💸 at the end on the month If you don’t believe me try it for your self

[@rileyclarkfineart]

I used the tubing to direct air mostly so never really ran into the air blowing to the left issue you talked about. Yes, exhaust tubing leaking hot air is am issue and the tube heating it up is an issue.

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

@@rileyclarkfineart I’m sure you will have noticed and that’s why you use the extra tubing it’s the 1st thing you test with your hand when you turn it on 🤦

[@doylehuddleston6084]

Obviously a 5 or 10 degree drop is not worth it at all.

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Your dogs won’t be safe with it in your van But definitely safe if you fit it in a dog kennel 👍

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Cover it with a blanket 😂

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Anyone buying one use your credit card so you can get you money back good luck 🤞

[@cheekys.o.b804]

This product sucks! Its a boat anchor

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Probably not very good at that either 😂

[@sailingmsmalachite1503]

Pls don’t comment on how it would run on a solar panel if you not try it with one as that don’t work The panel will only charge the battery When not near AC Trust me 👍 The wave2 add on battery and 220w solar panel set up is a embarrassment to the name, Eco And no 👎 subscriber from me

[@rileyclarkfineart]

Thanks for the engagement spike 😂