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02-12-2016, 03:20 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: Bill&Laura
Trailer: 1988 Bigfoot Fiver
Kentucky
Posts: 814
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Anybody else go without AC?
The issue of air conditioning has become a hot topic (hahahaha, made myself laugh) at our house because of the water damage inflicted by the use of a home ac system installed in Ziggy by the previous owner.
Last night we actually talked about trying to go without ac at all. I know that in the heat of the night at home, this wouldn't work because we don't get very good air flow through out bedroom. However, we've discussed changing out the front and rear windows for sliders and the sides are already sliders, so we could/should have good air flow and could always add a room fan for additional movement.
So, I was compelled to come here to ask if anyone has tried this theory already. No sense loosing sleep on an idea that's already been tried...whadya' think?
__________________
"All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost..." J.R.R. Tolkien
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02-12-2016, 03:34 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
Michigan
Posts: 291
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No AC here.
We will not buy AC for our FGRV's. We do NOT travel or camp in hot weather, ever. We realize we're the exception, we well realize. We don't expect others to be in our "camp".
We also do not worry about re-sale either. If the "next" folks want A/C, they can have it installed easily. Scamp preps everything for Air.
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02-12-2016, 03:53 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: jen
Trailer: 1980 13 ft. burro
Pennsylvania
Posts: 852
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I don't have air conditioning in my Burro. My camping is in a real mix of locations, and there have been some pretty hot times. Several days in the Badlands in South Dakota of 108 - 112F has been the roughest, though. That situation was mainly just trying to survive and soaking t-shirts in water and staying the shade, but in less severe heat I try to get a shaded campsite, open all windows, and fire up my vent fan, which helps a lot.
Also a general attitude that it's not the worst thing in the world to be a little hot helps, too.
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02-12-2016, 03:59 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Trailer: 16 ft Scamp Side Dinette
Posts: 310
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We do without AC most of the time, and install a small window unit through the rear window when we do need it. However, we are in Minnesota, plus are moving toward more off-the-grid camping so would not have the power for AC. Here, most nights are cool enough when away from hardscapes anyway. It's nice not hauling the AC unit, and hearing the sounds of nature at night rather than the hum of AC. It's really nice to have when we need it though, especially to remove humidity!
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02-12-2016, 05:24 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
Posts: 4,500
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We have it and use it. Life is too short to save a few bucks in order to suffer through hot sleepless nights.
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02-12-2016, 05:56 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1988 Bigfoot Deluxe B19 19 ft / 2007 Nissan Frontier V6 NISMO 4x4
Posts: 456
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I have an AC unit on my 1988 Bigfoot B19 but am going to take it off and install a Fantastic Fan. The AC unit works fine, so I will store it for re-sale, but I only used it once and it was so loud that I couldn't sleep through it (I am a very light sleeper). I have read that the roof models are all quite loud compared to the window units. I have lots of window space, so if I really end up needing AC, I might look into a removable window unit, but I like to go camp in cooler climates during the summer, so I think a fan will do much better and as I want to start doing more off-the-grid camping, having a fan is much more practical, as it can run for short periods off the battery, whereas an AC has to be hooked up to electrical power to run. Happy Camping!
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02-12-2016, 06:56 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: Eric
Trailer: Scamp 13
Michigan
Posts: 256
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We did not have AC until a couple years ago. It is not the heat that bothers us as much as the heat with high humidity. The scamp bed is not that big and one humid summer my wife didn't touch me for 5 nights and then said to put AC in. We use it only occasionally, but usually every year a few nights. YMMV.
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02-12-2016, 07:12 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: Hazel
Trailer: Trillium
Saskatchewan
Posts: 588
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We don't have ac in our Trillium. We only camp in Canada though - and where we are the temps go down fairly well most nights. We just open all the windows and run a fan to cool the unit down before bedtime.
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02-12-2016, 07:59 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
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RE; "Anybody else go without AC?"
I DO! ...
...95% of the time. its the other 1% when I am glad I have it, almost always at night when its so hot and humid I would not be able to sleep with out. No sleep means no fun camping, so the AC is worth it.
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02-12-2016, 08:00 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 4,897
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I drove across Canada last summer. No A/C. Used furnace on many nights. Only one night would have loved A/C. I am looking at a possible 8000BTU portable unit for that really one or two hot nights and my portable will be placed outside of trailer, when I get it.
__________________
Retired Underground Coal Miner.
Served in Canadian Army (1PPCLI)
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02-12-2016, 08:02 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: Karin & Don
Trailer: 2012 Scamp 13Ft
Maine
Posts: 159
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We didn't even consider air conditioning in the trailer (come on, we're camping here) Of course we've never used the air conditioning in our cars or home either. The noise kind of makes me edgy and I find that fans and open windows work great. I do drive a convertible so I guess that's cheating. But we used to live in Central California where it gets over 100 ever day in the summer and we never used it there. It was a matter of closing drapes during the day and opening the windows at night and using fans, and we use the same systems in the scamp if it is hot.
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02-12-2016, 08:59 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Frederick / Janis
Trailer: Previously Scamp 13 2002,2016. Scamp 16 on order
Michigan
Posts: 291
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No A/C or No Furnace
It's pretty simple, really. If you camp or travel in cool/cold weather, you need heat. If you travel/camp in hot, humid weather, you likely need A/C.
If you travel/camp in both cold and heat? You likely gonna need both.
This seems exceedingly simple. People where we live in the far north do not have A/C in their homes. Folks who live in more southern climes are much concerned about A/C than they are a powerful heating system. So, you probably knew the answer to your question before you asked it.
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02-12-2016, 09:35 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
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It partly depends on how much you want to rough it. But where you camp is, I think, the biggest issue.
In higher elevations, it almost always cools off at night. Personally I would never consider AC. If the camper I just bought had come with AC, I would have removed it. But I'm in Montana. All my camping is here and the surrounding states and the desert. The southeast? I'm not sure you could make it...
The coast is probably not bad either. The desert is great. All those places regularly fluctuate 20-40 degrees between night and day temps. Just wait till the sun goes down and open up the windows. You can typically find good shade during the day, too.
I would guess it's different in the midwest and the southeast.
But so much depends on just what you're willing to deal with. It's totally possible to do without. I've never let my heater run through the night. But I've camped when it got into the low teens (F) at night, with just a big down comforter. But I DO turn the heat on in the morning. But back in college, I'd go down to southern Utah in January sometimes, and tent camp. 50's and sunny during the day, 20s at night. No problem.
So...a lot just depends on what you're willing to put up with. I mean people survived all this time, up until very recently, without AC. But then we don't have campers so that we'll suffer...we have them to be comfortable. But everyone has a different idea of how comfortable they want to be.
So yeah, it's completely possible.
I agree with the post above me, but also believe that people are unnecessarily comfortable these days, if that's possible. I mean people in Montana DO have AC. Some people. Some people feel it's necessary to always be climate controlled to a "comfortable" temperature. Other people just deal with the local conditions.
Which type of person you are determines whether you want AC, as much as where you happen to live.
I would personally rather sweat in bed at night than feel that cold, artificial air AC creates. But that's just me
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02-12-2016, 09:48 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19
Posts: 353
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We had a 2011 with air and didn't use it. Had a teardrop w/air ....didn't use it. Opening the sliders, crank outs, and having the fantastic fan works wonderful.
__________________
A three egg family..
(2) Big Green Eggs for cooking..(1) Egg for camping
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02-12-2016, 10:26 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Ray
Trailer: 2017 Scamp 16 Deluxe
Missouri
Posts: 692
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We were trying to keep the Scamp13 weight low enough to stay under the 1500 pound
towing weight of our Honda CRV. We omitted both the AC and the furnace. We do have both
a Fantastic fan and a very good small electric space heater.
For extended stays in areas of high heat and humidity, we can temporarily mount a small
home window AC unit in the back window of the Scamp. For emergency heat in a site without
electric hookups, we have very warm sleeping bags and can carry a Mr. Heater Little Buddy
propane heater.
According to a friend who has the top-mounted Scamp AC unit, that 13,000 BTU unit would freeze out an Eskimo. 😉
With the crank-out Windows and the Fantastic Fan, we found that it was much better to not
open the curtains or use any sort of curtain tie-backs. With the Fantastic Fan set in the "out"
mode (to exhaust warm air out of the top), air is pulled in the crank- out windows and is directed down over our faces by the closed curtains. In hotter situations, we sleep on top of the covers, set the Fantastic Fan on "in" to blow air down over us, and use a second fan on the sink cabinet
to blow additional air over the bed.
So far, we've not missed having a permanently-mounted AC or furnace.
Of course,as always, YMMV. 😉
Ray
Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV
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02-12-2016, 10:45 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: Dennis
Trailer: Scamp
Minnesota
Posts: 409
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We don't have air in the Scamp, and have really only felt the need for it one night in 12 years. We have it in our house, but rarely use it. In the house, I installed a fan in the ceiling that pulls air in through open windows and exhausts air into the attic. It cools the house in the evening quite well!
__________________
2021 Nissan Pro 4X. 2020 Scamp 19’ Deluxe.
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02-12-2016, 10:56 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,912
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Putting sliders in the front and back of your Scamp is going to require fiberglass work. Operable windows need a flat mounting surface, which the front and back are not. Fantastic fans might be an easier and more effective way to increase ventilation for sleeping. Since they're powered, you'll have a breeze even when the air is still.
We don't need AC out here in the arid West, but in the humid East it's different. I grew up in Maryland camping in a tent trailer without AC and we survived, but a Scamp will never be as wide open to breezes as a tent trailer.
You can always give it a try. If it doesn't work, then reinstall AC. With your experience of how NOT to do it, I'm sure you'll do a better job than before.
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02-13-2016, 06:16 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Wendy Lee
Trailer: Scamp 13' Standard
New York
Posts: 1,071
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I do not have A/C in my home or in my Scamp. In the trailer, I find that the fantastic fan and the awning windows left open do plenty to give me a great night's sleep. That coupled with lake breezes, and I'm out. I do realize that being from NY, others living out west or down south might not feel the same. I don't have it in the house either. Frankly, I just don't like the way I feel (stuffy nose, congestion, possible sinus infection) with extended A/C exposure. I don't mind it for short periods...as in the relief of walking into a department store on a hot day to the coolness inside. The PO had my Scamp prepped for A/C, but I know I'll never install. Just nice to know the roof has the extra support for snow load up here in Western New York, in case I ever have to store my Scamp at the house again during winter.
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02-13-2016, 07:29 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Name: Tab
Trailer: ParkLiner
Tennessee
Posts: 128
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Not having AC in Tennessee is like not having indoor plumbing. I would never consider not having AC.
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02-13-2016, 07:54 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
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But then some of us have lived for times without indoor plumbing and actually, on some levels, really enjoyed it!
I agree with you, but I also try to keep in perspective just how comfortable we are these days, leading to a very, very high expectation of comfort.
Don't get me wrong, though, I have my vices and my "I won't do withouts".
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