Aight folks. All the threads I've found across the interwebs either don't have pics, or the pics are no longer viewable.. Trying to get some AC situated in my 6x12 V-nose. Rooftop is out of the question as they units are way expensive and would have to have the roof reinforced as well.... Yes, the best option, but not budget friendly. I've read too many posts about portable units being inefficient in enclosed.. true or not? So, I've decided that the best option is to install a small window unit... Problem is I can't seem to get any picture ideas, and i'm terrified to just go hacking at my trailer. SO - has anyone installed a window unit in their enclosed before? What'd you do? Pics? Have power and ceiling is insulated, just need some advice on how to do the deed. Thanks!
I'm not on my pc so I can't post my links, but if you Google search Window AC enclosed trailer, and the click images, a bunch of great ideas come up. Form the images, you can then click the source link to whatever website. I've had great luck on tnttt.com (teardrops and tiny travel trailers). They have a cargo trailer conversion section. I'm doing a conversion on a 7x12 I'm buying in spring into a toy hauler too. Insulation, fold down bed, ac, etc
Yea, that's where i've been looking, just haven't found much of what I want to do... Please post your links when you can! :thumb:
We use to set up the window unit at the edge of the trailer opening on the ramp door and close in the end with the blue insulation board with a spot cut out for the a/c unit. Doesn't look the greatest but it worked really well. The inside of the trailer was all insulated with a foam type padding that we got from a friend at a factory that was used as shipping padding. We would be chilly in the trailer in the middle of the parking lot of Road Atlanta. You don't have to cut up your trailer so you won't loose the value when you go to trade up. I had seen one guy use like the thick heavy plastic drapes with slits in them and over lap, on the end of his with the ac in the same spot. That way they could still walk in and out of the end of the trailer.
I was thinking of the center room style like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Haier-8-...Control-HPRB08XCM/204712070?N=5yc1vZc4m4Z1xr5 run the outside duct to one of my side vents
i have something similar in my garage. But the most BTU for the $$ is a window unit. You might even be able to get a heat element for the higher end ones. Of course they are also the harder to install. The portable ones could be put out through a vent that trailer have on the side. For the roof ones you might be able to find a used one at a salvage yard that has a trashed RV. Be careful on power as you say you have it but at what current? A roof unit has a decent output but also uses a good amount of current. A small 5000 but window unit will not draw much but even on them look careful as they have a variety of load for the same BTU. Good luck :thumb:
Don't do this, been there done that and I found it did not work well. Sure you can get it 10 degrees cooler but it is not efficient at all. The real problem is the heat generated by the unit offsets the cooling. In a large area like a house it seams to work but in a small space like a trailer it just does not. The big problem is a vaccume effect. What happens in a small space like a trailer you vent the hot duct to the outside, the unit pulls in air and cools it delivering some cool but exhausting more hot, so where does the air come from it needs to cool? It creates a vacuum in the trailer pulling hot air in from every crack and crevice and when you open the door forget it all effort wasted. My trailer is well insulated and because of this vaccume I don't think the unit could work efficiently because of the vaccume it couldn't get ample air in to cool. Not only that but the damn thing was always in the way and loud at night. It's not just my experience go to home depot website and read the reviews on the stand alone units, people have the same problem I described using it in a small bedroom. Needless to say I now have a rooftop AC unit and love it. It's not in my way, it pulls air from outside and exhausts outside, and blows cold air OUT every crack and crevice leaving the trailer icy cold. Not sure a window AC unit will act The same. Food for thought hopefully this helps.
runaway campers ^^picture I like how this company does it, don't see why you couldn't pick a side of the v-nose and mountil one.
This is what I want to do! Now to just figure out how they do it and what they use on the inside and out :thumb:
ok, as noted above one way to mount your window air conditioner, AND NOT cut up your nice trailer. Take some 3/4 plywood. Cut it to fit your door opening (tight fit) Then cut an opening in the plywood for your air conditioner. When you get to your track, open the trailer door, put the plywood in, stick the air conditioning unit in the opening (again tight fit) and plug in. when ready to leave take air unit out, plywood out, close door and drive away. I have done this for the last two years. 9K window unit. No holes in my trailer walls. When I go to sell makes trailer more attractive. If I do get funds for a roof top unit, no holes in walls. However and sorry no pictures, but if I did do one in wall, 2 years ago when I was researching, a very creative person took a marine hatch door. installed it in the front section of his trailer. He could then open the hatch and slide the air conditioner unit in. When ready to travel he just slide the air unit out and locked down the hatch. it was very clean looking. Just type "marine hatch cover" into google
I have thought about this; however, I have one big issue with it in my case... If I did this, the regular trailer door has to be kept open. So, if it rains, the thin wood on the inside of the door would get soaked and destroy it... I may also note that this trailer will be lived in at the track, not just to keep it cool while I am there riding. I like the idea of the hatch cover. Do they make them in many different sizes? (i.e. one that would go perfectly around an AC?)
I would assume you could take the skin off the section of trailer you are wanting to mount the a/c unit in and weld in some square tubing to support to unit. Replace the skin with hole cut for unit. Maybe add some extra bracing on the outside tooo, depending on how big of a unit you use.
just throwing this out there.... I have a 2 room tent.. It's like 14x14 or something around that. Takes one min to put up with two people. Has an ac hole and electrics hole for an extension cord and I also have a queen size air bed that is elevated.... Good enough sleep for the wife and I and I like the fact that I have my bike and equipment locked at night in the trailer. The tent was 150 and the portable ac was 250 I got at end of the year sale. Might be an option you might like to consider.
not sure how your trailer is made, but I was at Barber with a torrential all weekend rain. never had a drop in my trailer. Remember the 3/4 plywood fills the complete door way. in addition I actually "made my" plywood door. Took two (2) 3/16 plywood sheets, sandwich 3/4" hard board insulation between the plywood sheets glued it all together. Makes the "door" very light (one person) and has same insulation value as the rest of my trailer. like I noted above rain is never an issue. I also live in my trailer at the track. If you want a more convient solution (other than cutting your walls) make two "doors" one flat with no cutout, and one with the cutout for the air unit. These two doors will fit in your "back drop down ramp" area. This moves the air unit to the back of the trailer and leaves your door for entry. either works well, but the smaller entry door means only one "plywood door" and I like having the back ramp door accessible. I also have the heavy freezer plastic strips at my ramp door to help keep the cool air in when the ramp doors needs to be down. However after two years, I will most likely create the two doors for the back ramp area, and move the air unit back there. I now attend track days with other riders and we find ourselves going in and out of the trailer more often. that means the large ramp door is open more often, letting more cool air out. my trailer is 7_6 inside height, 8_6 wide and 24.0 long. so that comes to about 1,570 cubic feet of space. My 9K unit struggles to keep up on hot days, when we are coming in and out often (think something wrong with bike and coming in and out for tools)
The trailer is "caveman" enough style for the wife. Tent would be a no go. Plus, this year, a new little addition (baby) will be joining. At STT events I'm not worried about my bike sitting outside at night.
Yes google as I noted above and you will find a large selection. A couple of issues to note First check your wall spacing. are you walls on 16" or 24" center. That determines the maximum size wall unit you can utilize without making structural changes. if you have 24" on center walls you are set, even a 13K unit will be less than 22.5" wide. As far as bracing goes again assuming you have a unit that fits between the wall stud's just take a 1" (my walls are 1" deep) piece of plywood and cut it to the correct width and height to sit between the wall wells, and to the bottom of the air unit. in this way 90% of the weight of the air unit is transferred to the plywood and to the trailer floor. This provides all the support you need. if you have 16" wall stud's, then you are more limited. I think 10K units come in 14.5 width's. The simplest solution is to determine your wall stud opening, but the largest unit that will fit between YOUR wall studs and go from there. You say you have a wife and a baby coming, assuming cost is relatively similar, you can probably get a 8K size unit. They usually only run about 50.00 more than a 5K unit. might as well have the extra capacity for 50.00
Sorry, explanation may not have been clear. I am referring to the thin plywood on the inside of the trailer door that has to be kept open when using the AC (See pic).. Since you're man door would have to be kept open when using AC, the wood on the door would get soaked if it rained. I like the idea, just not ideal for me. Wife and (soon to be baby) inside at night, I prefer to be able to close up completely and not have to leave that door standing open all day long. I'm starting to like the idea of the hatch put in that I can just slide the AC unit into when stationary...
Jay, I think Perrone (?) was attempting to sell an older camper unit for like $500 last fall. While the unit was pretty much done, what it had going for it was a roof top AC/Heat unit and a gas stove - you could get the AC/Heat unit off it, trash the trailer and it would be worth it....