Air Conditioner Question

[Parker Buckley]

We just got back from a great spring weekend of camping in Hocking Hills, Ohio in our Scamp 13 that we got last fall. While lying in bed I began contemplating the window air conditioner that came with the Scamp and thinking about what that will be like right above my head. I don't think I'll like it, nor will my wife be enthused about it probably blowing right across her. I've seen many postings about putting an A/C in the closet area and other places. That may still be the best solution, but I'm also interested in putting the thing outside on the ground like a Pet Cool and ducting the air in and out. Someone, maybe one of the moderators, recently said they had modified (or had modified for them) a number of window units to sit outside. So here are some questions, for which I would greatly appreciate some comments. Is weatherproofing an issue? We'll be camping a lot in the east, in the rain, not the desert. Maybe it all goes in a box of some sort. What about controls? Is it possible to pull the control panel and move it inside the egg with a set of plug-in cables? That would sure beat going outside at night to turn it off. Maybe someone makes a small window unit with a remote? Any other concerns? I really don't want to do major surgery and/or construction to the trailer other than connecting the air lines. I'm not sure yet where to connect them; probably under the bed, but we'll look at that depending on how the other comments go.

Thanks,
Parker

[Per Walthinsen]

Parker:

I adapted a Sears Kenmore brand 5200Btu for my trailer. If you are OK with that size you might do a search for that unit. Electronic touch-panel controls that can be hacked into (but as I recall it had a total of 13 wires to splice into) and a separate remote that would activate the unit through the touch-panel.

It was the smallest one I could find at the time.

[Parker Buckley]

Parker:

I adapted a Sears Kenmore brand 5200Btu for my trailer. If you are OK with that size you might do a search for that unit. Electronic touch-panel controls that can be hacked into (but as I recall it had a total of 13 wires to splice into) and a separate remote that would activate the unit through the touch-panel.

It was the smallest one I could find at the time.

Per,

That sounds like it has possibilities. The one that came with our trailer was of similar size, but did not have the remote setup up. I'll look at how many wires I'd have to hack into with what I have, but an electronic remote would be great. Assuming all that is doable, did you enclose yours in an outer box to provide for weather protection, collection of the cold air and return of the trailer air?

Thanks for the reply.

Parker

[Per Walthinsen]

It doesn't sound like the rest of my installation would apply, because I mounted mine in a cabinet under the bed that was generally inaccessible anyway, vented the exterior air circuit through vents in the floor, and ducted the cold air to a convenient outlet inside. Some might say the installation was needlessly complex, with two helper fans, etc. etc.

However, this type of control might be used in your installation. Just make sure the controls are electronic and not mechanical. I ended up splicing each of the 13 wires with 6 foot long extensions to reach where I wanted the panel to be. Quite a bundle.

[Parker Buckley]

I'm now well into converting a 5000 BTU window air conditioner to sit externally, ducted into the trailer. Pictures to follow if I deem this a success. I've made an adaptor which will allow me to run a six-inch flex hose to the large vent/hatch on top of the Scamp. For the return line, I may end up cutting into the steel panel that seperates the two floor levels at the dinette (anyone done this?), but as an interim I'll probably make a panel to sit in one of the windows with a flex hose connection (or just run with ambient air return initially). So while I'm doing all this, I'm thinking ahead to the electrical connections. For those with exerternal AC units, do you plug directly into the campsite outlet (maybe through a tee where the trailer line connects) or do you install an outlet on the outside of the trailer? What about a GFI? Do you count on the campsite having safe grounds, or do you install your own GFI unit? The Pet Cool unit I had with the teardrop used a simple grounded 110V plug, apparently not concerned with the elements. I suppose the best way would be to at least use an external outlet box with a rain cover. Of course if I run straight to the campsite outlet, that's usually covered. Comments appreciated. Back to the workshop.

Parker

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Would an electrical outlet ,mounted on the outside but controlled by a switch inside (close to both the bed and still accessible from a side dinette) work? Thermostatic control and fan speed might not even need to be adjusted if you just want to be able to turn it off when going to bed! We rarely change adjustments after the initial start-up each day.
Kurt & Ann K.

[Parker Buckley]

Would an electrical outlet ,mounted on the outside but controlled by a switch inside (close to both the bed and still accessible from a side dinette) work? Thermostatic control and fan speed might not even need to be adjusted if you just want to be able to turn it off when going to bed! We rarely change adjustments after the initial start-up each day.
Kurt & Ann K.

Kurt,

That would be a pretty straightforward way to do this. I'm still concerned about whether or not to use a GFI outlet and am a little surprised that some of the electrical gurus haven't jumped in here yet. Maybe they're camping. If this thing works out mechanically (cools the trailer, airflows are sufficient to prevent icing up, etc) then I may install a 24V transformer and 110V relay in the AC itself to allow for an external thermostat line to the camper. I'd just leave the original temp control at max cold and use the thermostat to turn the compressor on and off the same way the manufacture does with the internal device. I looked at moving the entire control panel into the trailer and decided it wasn't practical. Thanks for your comments. It's good to know that you don't have to mess with yours much after you set it....that could certainly simplify my approach.

Parker