Portable Aircon for a Motorhome, Caravan or Campervan

[@StezzSquad]

We replaced an old Dometic in our 36 foot camper (vented). kzbin.infoUgkxDDbPbIlwLRcX_ntp51ui5UMtAUGpHYxE The install was a simple swap, all holes lined up, the electric plug back in with no trouble. Getting it on the camper was the most "difficult" part of it, and my friend made it look easy. I've seen people "sled" them up ladders as well though. I watched a KZbin video for instructions, very easily done. Some say it doesn't come with instructions, but I found the instructions under the ac in the box. I didn't need them, but they were there.It works well to keep a 36 footer comfortable, all by itself. It doesn't seem to be any quieter than the original, but it isn't any louder either. We're very pleased with it. Esp with the ease of swapping them out.

[@2.4inaVan]

A good time of year to have it available if you're traveling in Europe at least!

[@aceairstream]

I bought one of these last summer and took it to Europe for a road trip. One the first day I needed it, it was a hassle to set up, as you experienced, and then it didn’t seem to run properly.. A call to ‘Cool my Camper’ and over the phone troubleshooting revealed that I had a faulty unit, and so it was a heavy and bulky -and non-functioning- touring accessory for the rest of the trip, but even in Croatia in August, I didn’t miss it! When I eventually managed to get the unit back to them, ‘Cool my Camper’ confirmed the fault and I opted for a refund. I’m now trying a TotalCool unit, an evaporative cooler which is different ‘tech (and much more compact) ’, but I don’t miss the bigger unit and have easily used the space/weight for other things!

[@2.4inaVan]

Great tip, thanks for the advice!

[@robnicable]

Thanks you made my mind up. Will buy one now, thanks again.

[@2.4inaVan]

Glad it was useful Robin! All we need is some sunshine now - perhaps you're venturing out of the UK though?

[@firstmotorhome8024]

Great review . Your particular window makes it look extremely difficult but the video was enough to convince me to get one . 👍🏻👍🏻

[@2.4inaVan]

Glad it was useful

[@LTD123CO]

I have a mobile airco , and I transport it in the bathroom, when driving, and when not driving i move it to car, it is fantastic

[@2.4inaVan]

Same model or something different?

[@LTD123CO]

Totally different. With mobiele airco I mesn the one u use at jome. 12000 BTU 1600w cApacity. Single unit ... i use the rooftop window of shower for the pipe. Is perfeft this Eurom is a real expensive tou

[@driversteve9345]

You never answered the most important question of all, does it work? How well does it work? That's really important info!

[@Coolcol44]

Hi there. We have had one of these units for 10 years now and they work brilliantly well. What essentially they do is suck all the hot humid air out of the caravan/MH through the internal unit and blow it outside the caravan through the outdoors unit via the connecting hose ( he called it a ribbon). If it's especially humid inside the van, then the water in the air inside the van when blown out, will turn into actual water in the bottom of the outside unit. Once it fills up you need to pull out the bung and let that water drain out of the bottom of the outside unit. In 32° Venice our inside van was 16°.

[@EvEvangelist]

Learn by doing! Love it.

[@gthomo1011]

I've got one and it's great. Kids are currently sat chilling in the van when it is 33 degrees C outside. Perfect when we had our kids as it meant they could still nap in the day Inside the caravan. It does struggle if the van is in full sun as they are not insulated that great. Usually get a good 6 deg drop In temp.

[@2.4inaVan]

Useful to hear your experience. Where in the world are you?

[@gthomo1011]

Currently in the Netherlands, just carted it through Belgium France and Luxembourg. Its a but fiddly to set up but I love it. Best purchase

[@2.4inaVan]

@@gthomo1011 goes to show that you can travel with it. Are you staying on hookup or have you managed to get it working on an inverter?

[@gthomo1011]

@@2.4inaVan only hook up for us. It takes up a bit of space but we chuck it in the boot of the car or on the caravan floor. Good thing is if it's not going to be hot it just stays at home.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@gthomo1011 very sensible approach

[@sparkmeister4706]

I've dismissed this and gone for a roof unit It's available anytime with a simple click. It can also heat. The roof one can also dry the van and remove condensation etc. It's good to see the positives and negatives of the cool my camper. The roof units are not as heavy as you make out though.

[@paultaceygreen]

That's interesting to hear. What model did you go for? How much does it weigh?

[@sparkmeister4706]

@@paultaceygreen well I originally ordered the Truma compact. But upgraded to the comfort for an extra £150 It was only after I found out that the comfort is better suited to the bigger caravan. The compact is for smaller units up to around 5 meteres. Weight wise. The comfort is 33kg The compact plus is 29kg And compact is 27

[@paultaceygreen]

@@sparkmeister4706 good to know. You didn't have to forgo a roof light did you?

[@sparkmeister4706]

@@paultaceygreen I chose to lose the kitchen one. But it couldn't gone in the roof. The AC units come with LED lighting so it's no lose of light. Plus there plenty of light coming in through the other windows. I don't see it as a loss.

[@paultaceygreen]

@@sparkmeister4706 sounds great

[@doraexplora9046]

Seriously though. You're living in the UK. Why would you even need an AC unit? We live in Australia and tolerate up to about 35DegC with relative ease. You are absolute right when you say you move outside as the temperature improves and you then cook/BBQ outside. Not inside. Having said all of that. Your split system is super-sexy. It's super quiet and I bet quite efficient. We do the same thing with our AC. We only take it with us for about 1-2 Weeks a year. Don't need all that extra weight all year round. I found my portable AC unit on the street. It had been chucked out and there was nothing wrong with it! (probably too small for the unit/apartment it came from).

[@2.4inaVan]

Yes, you're completely right, not something for the UK but for Europe and more a concern for the nights, especially the pull down bed at the top of the van. Also concerned about keeping the dog cool.

[@doraexplora9046]

@@2.4inaVan Yeah I read a lot about people wanting to leave their dogs in the van while they go somewhere and want to be sure that the AC won't catch on fire or worried about break ins. etc. Simple solution! Don't own a dog and travel !

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

Rather than hang on the window why not have it on a table outside that way no damage to blinds/rubber window seals etc? There is also a severe security issue with a continually open window. Thanks for the vid.

[@2.4inaVan]

Interesting idea but I'm not sure the fixed cable between the two units would be long enough without a very high table that we wouldn't normally carry. Maybe this is something you've made work though?

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

@@2.4inaVan We've not used one but seen them in use on our last trip. We are looking at them as an option.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@teethtrainsandcameras2668 what else are you considering?

[@teethtrainsandcameras2668]

@@2.4inaVan one of the roof top units but we don't have a skylight I want to sacrifice. Not sure if they can make a new hole as the fitter won't know where the supports are.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@teethtrainsandcameras2668 very true. I appreciate the light too. There are some roof units (I believe) that still have a window element and can allow light in. Where will you be using the van that you've decided you will want Aircon?

[@shawnbowden3463]

Got excited but not available lol

[@2.4inaVan]

Sorry to hear that. Sometimes they're available second hand on eBay?

[@petermccall6880]

Useful video thank you. Definitely not a unit for me, could not be doing with all that faff. Have been considering having A/C fitted to new van on order, we’ve managed for years without, now weighing up whether it’s worth it for the occasions (few) when it would no doubt be a welcome gadget.

[@2.4inaVan]

Would you go for a 12v or 230v unit do you think?

[@petermccall6880]

@@2.4inaVan If I go for it I’ll get either Dometic or the Truma roof mounted - I think mains is the only option really to be effective. We did have it on a caravan many years ago - we found then that when we did want it (S of France/Spain) the site electrics were often not up to it. I’m sure that’s improved now but still a consideration in France where 3 Amp supply is not uncommon even now. I am a bit OCD when it comes to clutter so the free standing types would not work for me. Thanks for your videos, they are informative- I don’t know how you find the time! Rgds. P

[@2.4inaVan]

Interesting. The 12v option also gives you Aircon when you're wild camping I guess. Let me know what you decide to do, and thank you for supporting our channel :-)

[@petermccall6880]

@@2.4inaVan I take the point about running the A/C ‘Off Grid’ but I doubt you’d be able to run off battery power for very long - need some very meaty solar recharging!

[@2.4inaVan]

@@petermccall6880 very true

[@waltergutierrez9834]

thanks Ted Lasso..!! didn't know you had a youtube channel..!! 😂😂 J/K

[@albes83]

Thanks for your video. Is it safe if left mounted while driving? Is there a way to do it?

[@2.4inaVan]

I wouldn't do that on the side of the van because it makes the vehicle wider. If you had it on the back, then it might work but I'd want it resting on something like a bike rack for stability. I've not tested it though and I wouldn't want to guarantee that it would be ok.

[@sprucelodge]

Good review, but looks all a bit fiddley , taking a window out to disconnect the units , seems a bit of a pain in butt , would only suit if you were parked up for a larger amount of time ,

[@2.4inaVan]

Definitely. I probably didn't do a very good job of explaining that I intend to find a better solution to taking the window out! If I have to do that every time I suspect it will gradually ware down the window.

[@bambambino23]

There are screws right where the tubes connect into both units, why don’t you just unscrew that and disconnect it for easier installation

[@2.4inaVan]

It's a good idea. I'd be concerned about whether that might impact the functionality of the unit but you could be right.

[@rocobocotest7994]

hello, if I have two 100 amp agm batteries and 500w panels, how long do you think it will last me in full sun, like hours?

[@2.4inaVan]

Lead acid batteries don't like to go below 50% so you've got 100AH of capacity with 2x batteries. 500W can theoretically generate up to 40A (500/12v) but if we work on 75% to be on the safe side then this is 30A. You would need 3.5hrs of this to charge the batteries from 50% to 100%. This presumes that you're not drawing anything from the batteries at the same time. I wouldn't recommend running the Aircon from the batteries with an inverter. It is extremely power hungry

[@TravelTrollsTV]

Never seen them before. Dont tell the girlfriend or she will want one 😄

[@2.4inaVan]

Ha! I'll keep shtum I promise

[@johnferry5668]

Good review but I think I’d rather cut a hole I’m the roof. Can’t be doing with all that carry on.

[@2.4inaVan]

Glad it was useful John

[@chrisseaman1975]

They don’t weigh anywhere near 50kg and you don’t always have to drill the roof, in fact that is rare. Quite often replaces a normal sky light

[@2.4inaVan]

Completely agree but my thought was that replacing the skylight has a negative impact on light in the van. Am I wrong?

[@simracer1256]

Sounds like a right palava

[@2.4inaVan]

You might be right

[@simracer1256]

@@2.4inaVan are you still using it?

[@2.4inaVan]

@@simracer1256 that's a good question. We've opted not to use it as we predominantly wild camp so we're not on mains

[@GeoffreyArrius]

is it ok if it stay out while it's raining? I want to do a permanent installation

[@2.4inaVan]

Yes it is but the instructions also say not to have it mounted whilst you're going along. Perhaps you've got plans for a different type of installation though?

[@smooth111012]

Can this be powered by solar?

[@2.4inaVan]

It's 230v so you'd need an inverter to power it from your leisure battery and then solar to recharge the batteries. I probably wouldn't recommend it as the power requirements probably are too big but depends on your battery capacity. What's your setup?

[@JoseHernandez-he2yc]

Ive have it and used it for 2 hours before it ate my 200 amp battery. So you can use it, but it will eat up your batteries really fast. It did not cool well in those 2 hours, it needs more operating time. You best feel it in the afternoon night. So when its really really warm and you cannot sleep at night , those two hours of use are golden.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@JoseHernandez-he2yc really useful information, thanks. I think it's designed to run off mains but good to know that you can run off an inverter too

[@LTD123CO]

it is biggest crap you can buy , please check the BTU IT IS to loow, when it is hot almost zero impact in the motor home..

[@2.4inaVan]

That's interesting. It's not what we found for our van but I appreciate your experience

[@LTD123CO]

@@2.4inaVan is your video sponsored?

[@2.4inaVan]

@@LTD123CO No, why do you ask?

[@LTD123CO]

@@2.4inaVan just want make sure you are not misleading people for own benefit. There are many people paid making such videos. I bought a mestic for 620 Eur., competitor of Euram and very very dissapointing....

[@2.4inaVan]

@@LTD123CO Don't worry, if I'd been sponsored, I would have said :-) this was bought with our own hard-earned cash!

[@farty1000]

what a faff about, i would say that is useless!! and definitely gonna see some damage to your window and the outer skin/paintwork ....horses for courses and its not for me, thanks for showing us though.

[@2.4inaVan]

Not noticed any damage to the outer skin. I suspect we'll use it more over the coming weeks so I'll have a better idea soon

[@farty1000]

@@2.4inaVan Hopefully not, with my clumsy cack handedness there would be a few marks that wouldnt polish out, i have the dometic b2200, but also the bycool camper unit by dirna, that is light and noisless and gets very cool.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@farty1000 thanks for the tip Dave

[@RVTKZCE]

I have the same Aircon , it's useless and I do not recommend to buy it unless you like wasting your money..Shame that you cannot disconnect one unit from another as the cable is not detachable. I bought a roof Aircon and its way much convenient and efficient.

[@2.4inaVan]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. Did you go for a 12v or 230v unit?

[@vintageb3]

I really don’t think you chose the right window for that unit. What a hassle! Are there any good points to it? Also…you are pretty…but for Gods sake if you really have to turn the camera on yourself…hold the bloody camera at a distance! Shots of AC unit we’re framed well…then double tap from your gimball and WOOSH….BIG SPINNY and your face was in mine! It made me feel sick! Not your face so much…but the spinning! 😂

[@2.4inaVan]

Appreciate the honest feedback. I'll keep an eye on that. I probably didn't do a good job of explaining why I selected that window. Other than the resting height of the blinds that I did talk about, the window is central to the van meaning the cooling and noise is not right next to either the kids' heads (in the front) or our own (in the back). Good points have to be the effectiveness of the aircon, and that there's little to no risk of water leaking inside the van. Also the weight point that I raised in the video versus fixed Aircon. We're yet to use it in anger. I'll see how we get on with it in the summer and report back.

[@TomTalksTech]

Vintageb3 opinion is rubbish. Good editing and welcomed the direct talking instead of just looking at the unit. Keep up the good work and don't always listen to every comment.

[@vintageb3]

@@TomTalksTech Tom Talks but says nothing.

[@2.4inaVan]

@@TomTalksTech Thanks for the feedback. I don't mind. Everyone can have their opinion

[@2.4inaVan]

@@vintageb3 heya, I think everyone can have their own opinion. I'd prefer to keep this channel positive and helpful to everyone.