Installing AC under front bunk/couch?

[Baxter]

Most scamp 13s, unless they’re fairly new, don’t have bracing for a roof mount

In my case, I had things pointing me to underbench (my trailer was already cut up for an underbench install. That’s not all that common. It seems like a lot of the folks retrofitting ac put them in the closet. There are lots of threads about that.

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Hopper

any good ideas with where and how to install an AC unit in my Scamp 13’ ?
new window in side rear ?
Roof, but it might fall through ?
below couch, I really am opposed to this install, sorry.
Fantastic fan in roof vent?

any other ways that work ?

You need to tell us what year Scamp you have. Newer Scamps are built to support roof air. Older ones, not a chance. Fantastic fan moves air, which is great, but it is not a substitute for AC when it gets really hot. I seek out higher elevation when I don't have AC. For instance, in Utah in June, I stayed at Bryce Canyon NP (over 8,000 feet) instead of Zion NP (3,000 feet). In the summer, you might see a difference of 25 to 30 degrees between the two parks.

My newer Escape has roof air, but my Trillium does not. IF I ever decide to add AC to the Trillium, I'll probably go with a portable unit outside, replace one pane of my jalousie window to connect an inlet and outlet hose. I am not a fan of cutting more holes into the trailer. Personal choice here. Realize Casita has been doing basically this for decades with their 13 and 16 foot trailers. So it can be done right.


Since I so rarely camp with 120V hookup, its not on my radar screen. Locally, I camp at higher elevation during the summer months.

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by Hopper

You said you your roof would not hold an AC unit? How do I know without actually putting one up thereto fall through?
Have you installed a fantastic fan?
Has anyone put another kind of window in the side rear so an AC unit could fit in this window?
I need some AC in my scamp 13, HELP !!

Go camping in places where it is cool and dry. Carry a fan, plug in, or battery.

[barryra]

Not sure if this has been brought up but would 1 of these floor standing a/c unit work?

I was thinking of having it sit on the front bench/bunk. The only issue I can see is adding a round hole to the wall & being able to seal it when not in use.

Would this work?

[Baxter]

I have one of those and don't recommend it. I don't think it works all that well, I think it's clunky and awkward to vent, it's always in the way and it doesn't travel all that well.

[Jon in AZ]

@ Hopper
It is possible to install roof A/C in an older Scamp that was not reinforced for it. There are two ways you can add the necessary reinforcement.
(1) Cut and peel back the lining from the center raised roof around the A/C location. Lay in fiberglass cloth.
(2) Make two wooden “rafters” that span the center raised roof. Attach them to the ceiling fore and aft of the A/C location.

A call to Scamp should yield details about both methods. The first is what they do on new builds. The second is how they do factory retrofits on older units.

A simple and inexpensive alternative if A/C is just a once-in-a-while thing... Put a small window unit through the rear slider. Take it down to tow and set it up in camp. There are old threads on making a surround that fills in the gaps around the A/C unit and is easy to install and remove.

If you want a permanently installed window unit (without sacrificing the fridge) I would do it in the door closet rather than through a window. There’s nothing but thin fiberglass to support the A/C around the window. Scamp did factory installs at the bottom of the closet before switching to roof A/C. Getting the air flow and drainage right is important. It requires cutting some good-sized vent holes in the shell.

[Baxter]

Since I installed the AC over the weekend I figured I'd close the loop on this thread.

In this interior shot, you can see the existing holes that were already on the trailer when I got it. One good size one in the floor, and two 4" holes coming out the front of the trailer.

You can see the two "skids" I made to elevate the AC a bit off the floor and allow more airflow to come up from that floor vent.

You can also see the beginnings of my insulation to separate the intake and exhaust sides. I used thermal-rated foam insulation board, built up in layers, and wrapped in metal ductwork tape to build a roughly 3" barrier between the two sides.

[Baxter]

Here's an exterior view. You can see the thermal-activated fan I added. If it gets hot, it should help extract the heat. I haven't wired it in yet, but it's there.

[Baxter]

I also insulated that whole center box area with foam sheet, and used about a half roll of ductwork tape.

[Baxter]

I used a 2x2 screwed into the floor to lock it in place, even though it was already a really snug fit with all the insulation I had in place.

Then I used still more foam sheet to seal if off from the front side.

I still need to trim it out, but there it is.

So how's it work? In my unscientific driveway tests, it works great! On a very warm (about 90F) day, it dropped the temp 5 degrees in about 15 minutes and quickly made the little trailer quite comfortable.