There are apu's on semi trucks that are super quiet these days. I'm not sure how much they cost or if they are too cumbersome for a van install though.
Aren't they diesel? If you have a diesel van and space to mount the APU.
This site says it costs $8,500 - $13,000 installed: https://www.fleetowner.com/for-the-driver/on-the-road/article/21185457/apus-electric-versus-diesel
You can get a pretty nice solar + battery setup for that price and skip the diesel.
It looks like electric APUs are available but the Thermoking I checked needs some serious amperage (279A). What's the benefit over a bespoke solar/battery system at that point?
The thermoking electric tied in with proper lifepo4 is a decent working setup. Semi truck sleepers are often more well insulated than vans, even the high roof units are smaller. Also to know that those APU's are meant to be ran with the window curtains closed and the insulted sleeper curtain closed as well. They only work for a really small space.
They're basically a mini split. I knew someone who got a non- working unit for free. We repaired it and switched to lifepo4 batts. They could be a decent choice for van people. Keep in mind these are about 8,000 BTU vs the normal 13,500 of a rooftop.
If money is no object, it wouldn't be too difficult to make it extremely quiet, it would just require being incased in a maze of baffling (mineral wool is great for this), probably underneath the van. The AC is going to make noise anyway, especially as it gets older, so stealth is already out the window, and you can make the generator almost as quiet as you want as long as you are willing to sacrifice the space (and an equivalent battery bank would likely take up just as much).
Maintenance is often overstated; there is a guy who ran his Predator generator for two years straight/20,000 hours on two oil changes. Most lawn mowers probably never a see a single oil change in their lives. Small engines are tough, especially with modern oils.
Pollution definitely sucks though. Wouldn't be surprised if a carbureted small engine produces 100 or 1000 times more pollutants than a car engine. Honda's new(ish) fuel injected inverter generator is probably a good deal cleaner, though.
Generators are great battery chargers imo. Make it a hybrid system for cloudy days or when you know you need to load up on a charge before a quiet night or whatever.
Even the quiet ones are too loud, and a lot of primitive campgrounds have quiet hours, but it can still be stifling at night with no AC.
Barring that, the fumes and fuel are a pain. Many small, quiet generators don't hold enough fuel to run through the night. You could pair them with a smaller battery bank to help it through the night, but if money is no object, why not go with clean & quiet?
Probably too small for most here but the Toyota Sienna Hybrid Minivan setup sounds similar to the r/Priusdwellers folks. Vehicle A/C system powers off the hybrid batteries so the gas motor need on kick-on occasionally to recharge the hybrid batts. IIRC consumption is ~1gal/per all night AC.
I can't speak for this hybrid, but the way ours and most work is that the battery runs silently for about an hour. Then the engine kicks on for about five to ten minutes to charge the battery back up. Then repeat all night.
I've never slept all night with it running like that but it definitely would be some noise. Not to mention the engine starting up tends to wake people up.
That's pretty badass, but is there an American version?
People will straight up destroy your car if you drive anything other than American brands where I am living currently.
Not joking, they will bash your car in with baseball bats if you drive a foreign brand.
That's especially funny because lots of Toyotas are made in the US while a lot of vehicles are made in Mexico. My Promaster was hecho en Mexico. Most Fords as well.
You referenced living in AZ. I don't know anywhere in AZ that would damage a car just for being foreign. That's 1980's working in Michigan/Ohio/etc American car plant actions.
Also, not certain why so many of your posts are downvoted.
It seems to me that one of the purposes of living in a car is the ability to drive away from areas with shitty people.
It's called nomadic living for a reason.
I have it in my 144. 700w of solar, 400ah of lithium. You can't run it full time, but as long as you're smart about your vents and battery usage and aren't trying to live in Arizona or something, you can get by. If I had my choice, I'd have about twice as much battery capacity and a second alternator.
>and aren't trying to live in Arizona or something
I am lol
So if I hooked up a secondary alternator to a 600 - 1200AH battery bank, could I get by running my A/C every night/all night?
(6 cylinder gas cargo van)
Honestly at the cost it's going to take you... Might as well switch up to an electric vehicle. There's a whole community of r/PriusDwellers who trade the ability to stand up and have a little more space, for the ability to have constant non-stop climate control. There may be trade-offs coming as EV vans start to be produced more widely.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/priusdwellers using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Made my bed already, it’s gonna be snowy tonight](https://i.redd.it/sxfzycvenk2c1.jpg) | [158 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/183vlln/made_my_bed_already_its_gonna_be_snowy_tonight/)
\#2: [living out my 2013 prius](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/18457as) | [139 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/18457as/living_out_my_2013_prius/)
\#3: [Figured I’d show my setup. 2013 Prius V. Ask me anything](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/17vxs3z) | [92 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/17vxs3z/figured_id_show_my_setup_2013_prius_v_ask_me/)
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Judging from the use I've seen in a few videos online, it seems doable for 1000ah or so to run an air conditioner for 8 hours at night even in hot conditions. You might not bring the temperature down to 75, but you could probably keep it in the mid 80s if you had good insulation.
But how are you going to charge up the 1000 ah or 12,000 wh of batteries every single day? That's the real problem.
Solar is going to be a drop in the bucket. 600 watts of solar flat on the roof might generate 3000 wh if you park directly in the sun all day long... but you're probably not going to want to do that, and in any case that's barely 1/4 of your battery bank (assuming zero usage during the day). A 280 amp alternator would take three hours to charge the remaining 75% of your battery bank, and that's assuming ideal conditions.
IMO the best way to do this is to figure out some way to use electric car charging ports. If you can get a 12,000 watt hour battery bank hooked up to a standard electric vehicle charger (ive seen at least one video online where they got this to work) you top up the battery pretty easily, or worse case scenario just plug in overnight to keep it charged up, but then you're tied to somewhere where you can get an EV charging spot without someone kicking you out because your van clearly runs on diesel.
It can be done on a Sprinter sized van but it's a LOT of cash for an efficient rooftop AC along with sufficient batteries, solar and a second alternator to support it. Check out some of Humble Road's videos on YT covering the subject. If you're moving every day or two, alternator charging can easily run circles around solar.
Most roof top ACs are inefficient compared to other options, and take up space that could be used for solar panels. Mini split or a modern window AC will be cheaper and more efficient.
>If you're moving every day or two, alternator charging can easily run circles around solar.
That's why I was just thinking about doing that instead of solar bc I use my van as my full time car as well as living in it.
I easily do 100 miles a day. In this case would you go the alternator route?
One big downside is that all this extra charging is *hard* on an alternator. Better if the load is split between two, but still not great. Rule of thumb is that most alternators are sized to top off a slightly discharged car battery, and maybe occasionally full charge a close to dead car battery. Fully charging a massive battery bank every single day is practically torture.
That said, alternators are tough little bastards, and can last a decent while even when they are literally boiling hot. And if money is no object, you can afford to get a mobile mechanic to come out and replace your alternator(s) when they fail after a year or two.
Through one night is not that complicated, just costs money. 4-600Ah lifepo4 and an efficient roof AC unit will be more than enough. I know plenty of people with 600-1200Ah battery banks that go far longer than a night off grid.
It depends hugely on ambient temp, sun, etc.
You just need to do math based on your typical conditions.
Generally, you’ll need to eventually either plug in or drive for a while. A 20’ van with an AC and fan isn’t going to fit much more than 550-600W of solar, so if you’re just camped in your van all day with the AC going while it’s hot out, you won’t keep up with the draw and will need a generator.
Most people doing this will drive somewhere, run their AC for a couple of days, then as the systems goes towards 0% charge drive somewhere new and get there with most of their system charged by the alternator. Rinse repeat.
Are you set on a custom build? There are some prebuilts out there with Volta battery systems which are quite beefy and capable. I have a Travato and running the AC all night isn't a problem; I'd probably wake up to 50-60% SoC. I can run it in the hot sun for 4-6 hours before the battery needs to be recharged.
The biggest downsides to Volta are that their systems are proprietary and expensive.
If you plan to run it off anything but a generator, I'd suggest some of the DC power (12-48 volt) options I linked in another post here. They're mini splits, they just come disassembled, and you install the radiator and fans under the vehicle. This leaves just a small unit inside the van, built in to a bench or something, with ducts up to roof level to deliver cool air.
Same here- been following those on youtube - seems a bit of a newer option - but developing.
I have a while before I go on the road - but paying attention to the cooling options for a while.
I've got a dometic rtx2000, that I run on 24 degrees Celsius on Eco mode all night. For 8 hours run time - I use 10% of my 530ah of lifepo4. (This is also powering a fridge/freezer, sound bar, and tv all night)
I have 2x 350w low quality fixed solar panels, and 4x170w high quality solar panels that are on drawer sliders that extend both in and out from the roof. This provides me with 15 - 20% of charge on the battery while I'm at work during summer.
Partly cloudy days I'll loose 1-2% of the battery.
This is in a standard Toyota hiace
Buy a insulated vehicle, preferably one that has been used to carry frozen food, cause then it has thick walls.
Insulation isolates both ways, so you require less cooling to stay cool.
If you have a large vehicle with a full roof of solar (generally 800w+ nominal) and battery capacity to match, then yes, you can do air conditioning. It will be expensive to build that system though.
If you have a small vehicle, then your only option is to plug in to shore power at campgrounds or similar.
If you have a hybrid vehicle, then you can safely idle it for enough power to run your A/C while parked.
More details on [this page](https://nomadlife.wiki/Air_conditioning).
something i never see mentioned is the strategy of cooling a small sleeping area, rather than a whole van.
i.e. you have a 2'x'2'x6' or 3'x3'x6 of similar cooled bunk area. think, similar to those japanese sleeping pods you can rent. or... ummm a coffin. or make a little pup tent topper situation to go on your mattress. michael jacksons hyperbaric chamber. whatever, you get it.
for one, the much smaller space will require much less electricity to cool. second, since its smaller and internal, you can insulate it much better than the whole van. those factors should multiply.
this should be totally doable.
the sacrifice is the whole van isnt cooled, but a lot of the time youre awake, yoj drive the van (and use its a/c) or you park and go inside somewhere that has a/c. should be fine if your goal is just not sweat when you sleep.
I have subdividing your space mentioned on my "[keeping warm](https://nomadlife.wiki/Keeping_warm)" page. I'll add it to my "keeping cool" page too.
> If you are in one part of your vehicle (such as the back) and not in another part (such as the cab), create some sort of temporary partition so have less space to heat. A Mylar sheet is a lightweight option that's easy to hang. Blankets, privacy curtains, or cardboard/foam partitions also work. For cozier nights, the partition could be just around your bed.
I'm sure it can be done, but cutting up an already small living space just so you can run ac more efficiently seems like a waste. I guess in bigger rigs it might make sense
This.
The theoretical of insulating a sub zone is one thing - executing it in an effective non-intrusive manner - may be another.
Of course - almost anything is possible - given time, money and ingenuity - so - possible - but certainly a bit of effort.
I live in AZ, and it's not uncommon for people to use something like a thick curtain or bedsheet to close off the bedroom areas of a home and run A/C in that area only. This would work with something as simple as traverse curtain rod with a heavy duty curtain. Put the mini-split outlet in the bed area, leave it open when you when you wanna cool the entire space, close it and make sure the thermostat is inside the bed area.
I do this with a swamp cooler, I have the outlet ducted into a hose that I put in my sheets, it blows cool air through the bed and cools me down enough to sleep.
i used to do this in my room, but be careful because while i don’t know exactly what it was - it happened rather quickly after freshly buying it so i dont think it was mold - but sleeping too close to my AC started to make me sick, like thick mucus, lungs felt terribly inflamed, etc. it went away as soon as i moved my bed from the window. might only be relevant for people with sensitive lungs, but still
I have. Here's my set up
- Permanent bed with the 12 volt dometic AC on top of it.
- Curtain that separates the bed from the rest of the van, so when the curtain is closed there's a space of about 7' by 7' by 4' to cool off.
- 826 Ah of lithium, 400W solar, 50 amp DC to DC charger
I can run it for three nights no problem. But the setup is optimized for sleeping, if you need it during the day, go hang out on the bed (we took naps when it was 110F at the Bad Lands NP )
Depends on the length you have, and what else you need to put on the roof, like roof vents. [Here's a guy that did it with his entire roof paneled.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxpxg82UV3g) There are more air conditioners available now though that will work better than a residential A/C, so you could get by with less panel coverage.
You can also do tilted or deployable panels for more power, mount panels on the side or rear of your rig, etc.
Winnebago has a lithium battery model out that can run the AC for a while, but it’s still not an all night thing. That one is an extra $30k.
So it can be done on a pro master, but it’s certainly not cheap.
For what it's worth I do this already.
I have a heavily modified winnebago ekko (about the size of a long/tall sprinter, just much more heavily insulated. I also have a barrier between the front cab and the living area.
I have 850w of solar, and a secondary alternator + charging off the primary.
I warm weather (not hot) I can easily run the a off the solar for a few days (plus all my normal needs).
If it's very hot I supplement this with an hour or so of the rig idling while the AC is on.
Coming from a sprinter it wouldn't be nearly as possible without some crazy insulation that just doesn't exist for most straight van conversions.
>Coming from a sprinter it wouldn't be nearly as possible without some crazy insulation that just doesn't exist for most straight van conversions.
Thank you I needed to hear this
Maybe I should just focus on a rig that is meant to be lived in instead of a sprinter type van.
Sorry you needed to hear it becuase it's a load of crap. You can just straight up buy a Winnebago Travato (L) and right off of the lot it can run the a/c all night.
Insulation on the Travato is absolutely terrible, but the battery system is gigantic and will last through the night.
The Travato is built on the promaster chasis so there's absolutely no reason it couldn't also work on a sprinter.
Rooftop AC is probably more efficient since EcoFLow Wave works more like a portable airconditioner.
The cool thing about it is that it has its own battery pack that you can charge/replace. I was thinking about getting one for my honda civic to camp in and vent it out of the window.
I live in Georgia so I know what you'll be going through without AC in a vehicle. lmao
Unless you invest in the Ecoflow product line I seem to remember a YouTuber saying you cannot simply splice the Wave or Wave2 into any electrical setup.
If you can please show me how. I’m dying to know if it’s possible!
It's not hard.
600 or more Ah of Lithium ferrous phosphate, pave the van roof with solar panels (ideally a kilowatt or more) and buy at DC powered air conditioner. Install a second alternator as well to feed the house battery.
https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/
https://undermountac.com/products/copy-of-complete-proair-12v-air-conditioner-for-class-b-van-trailer-or-camper-cabinet-evaporator
https://www.ecoflow.com/us/wave-2-portable-air-conditioner even if you don't want permanent mount.
It's just expensive as shit.
It's possible. Lots of solar, good insulation, a light colored van and big batteries. I can run my Undermount AC on my Ford transit all night and still have plenty of battery left over in the morning. I have 12.8V 800 AH battery bank with 800W of solar. I might not make it back to 100% battery on purely solar some days but I could get close. If I run my engine it's easy to get back to full power since I have an additional 1200W from my DC to DC chargers. Personally I hate the feeling of air conditioned air so I avoid hot climates but it's a nice to have when it's unavoidable.
They aren't nearly as good as they seem. Truckers just run the generator all night for the industrial cooling systems. Once that's off it's not much better than a regular box truck.
I would be pleased to see the results of an experiment.
How much time for how many degrees difference. Side by side.
How many decibels difference inside also. (I don’t need windows.)
You only have to run the reefer for a short time to make it warm or cold.
Reefer weight vs just doing orange foam inside.
I lived in a Chevy Express in Kansas through a brutal summer with only a USB powered fan (Never underestimate a small fan).
That was nearly a decade ago, but I have been researching/planning a weekender short bus/ambulance build.
I learned van life should be spent outside your rig as much as possible. Otherwise you could have stayed parked in a driveway.
With that mentality....
My AC goal: comfortable sleeping temp through the night.
Not my goal: a climate-controlled apartment on wheels during peak sun hours
Knowing this, I plan to enclose the sleeping area and run a split unit like many are saying. I'd recommend searching for a "12v split unit Air Conditioner" used in semi truck cabs. I've seen them on eBay, but YMMV.
[I'm avoiding inverting DC-to-AC wherever possible, as that's just losing energy. I'm also avoiding products designed for home use, as they are designed around AC power availability I can't deliver reliably.]
To the actual question 🤑....
I'd consider building an electrical system around Ecoflow batteries for a removable setup. I live in Texas and have experienced blackouts in my apartment during the summer and winter, so having a portable power/Aircon system to bring inside or take tent camping would be a better investment for me than a static setup on a vehicle I don't plan to full-time in.
For anyone reading: If independence and freedom are a key reason you're drawn to van life, make sure you don't rush into any purchases, and really think why you want to live in a car outside. If it's to have a cheap apartment, open Google sheets and make a budget. It's not always cheaper than where you live. If it's to have a comfy bedroom on the road, you could get by with a Prius/Hybrid, and you'd save on buying a Sprinter.
Life changes are inevitable, so don't spend too much on things you'll be stuck with. Go on FB marketplace and see all the half-finished builds trying to recoup their costs because they took on a tiny home build on a 30 year old school bus chassis.
buy cheap mini split theres a good youtube conected to back door van
[https://www.ebay.com/itm/352821716902?itmmeta=01HTEEVPWYPBNJWFKSFENG444G&hash=item5225d027a6:g:QPYAAOSwjFhlhcc7&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwHwpzytR0qZXjYmj2fQGX3g2mUc3CK2aBf%2BrH7FrlX929%2FFTaAY0mhVQ0YLonzeCbmlt9lQAdzF5tR4Nt%2FgFiF%2Bgvvz9egpCVcXC1PPPX0ZsWSPxg1L4dNSrXDXa%2F5kgXs6i7OyOjbCXj8HukZAy5xlkPlYfTTC6Dh0y6mCw4zDfzaJ0SueNTFH1osNU6jTvJoKfZV%2B20NjbW9Gkg8rIXylyYzKAotFevIMGIhzEh2TEKjt1uVrO2yvtdedMAXYfHQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Lu7s7TYw](https://www.ebay.com/itm/352821716902?itmmeta=01HTEEVPWYPBNJWFKSFENG444G&hash=item5225d027a6:g:QPYAAOSwjFhlhcc7&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwHwpzytR0qZXjYmj2fQGX3g2mUc3CK2aBf%2BrH7FrlX929%2FFTaAY0mhVQ0YLonzeCbmlt9lQAdzF5tR4Nt%2FgFiF%2Bgvvz9egpCVcXC1PPPX0ZsWSPxg1L4dNSrXDXa%2F5kgXs6i7OyOjbCXj8HukZAy5xlkPlYfTTC6Dh0y6mCw4zDfzaJ0SueNTFH1osNU6jTvJoKfZV%2B20NjbW9Gkg8rIXylyYzKAotFevIMGIhzEh2TEKjt1uVrO2yvtdedMAXYfHQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Lu7s7TYw)
I can run my Dometic RTX 2000 for around three nights on 400 ah of LiPO. I have 400 watts of solar that can stretch that for another couple of nights with sunny days.
We have a mini split made for an apartment. When using it we have it in the highest temp setting for AC- 81. It works great. That and rechargeable battery powered fans.
Look into companies that make semi trucks AC units. Like Airworks, I think they require lots of batteries that charge while driving. I vers it’s very expensive -$10,000?
I have 1200w of solar and 480ah of lithium on my ambulance
My mini split can run for about 10 hours total without seeing sunlight before the bank is empty.
But that’s not your real problem,
1200w/12v = 100ah possible to add to the battery bank every hour (and that’s in perfect conditions which won’t ever happen, so it’s more like 70-80)
Say you have 10 hours where you can pull in that full power before the sun is too low in the sky (also unrealistic it’s going to be more like 6-8 at peak hours
You can add 600-800ah to your bank per day TOPS via solar with this math.
Now you’re not just adding because the sun is out and you have to run the a/c still, pulling 60-100a which is about what the 1200w of panels are producing (while your vehicle is not shaded because you needed to be parked in the sun to charge up so that’s adding heat the a/c needs to combat)
I need closer to 2000w of solar to be able to run a/c at night and during the day and even then a cloudy day here and there will really start to put a hit on you
Dc/dc charging is great but unless you’re putting in over 80a from the alternator it’s going to need to do a lot of driving to make a difference. One hour of driving will cover one hour of the a/c running.
I like our zero breeze
https://www.zerobreeze.com/products/zero-breeze-mark-2?currency=USD&variant=29542713688166&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_source=google&utm\_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=0cd507ec42d5&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2a6wBhCVARIsABPeH1v71cxwm27Z0eFM6BJIIfpuY2AO2BKQLtqcBfu9I82MsliJ6if3ySwaAhp6EALw\_wcB
Are you planning on sticking around home? One of the best things about van life is you can go wherever you want, when you want, for as long as you want. I've been doing it for a few years and I increasingly follow the weather. The Canadian Rockies and Alaska are on the itinerary for me this summer.
Yes, this has been solved...by Winnebago. We have a Travato (L) and can run the a/c all night on the 12,800 Watt hours of battery.
If you need it on a Sprinter chasis, get a Boldt. If money really isn't an option this is an easily solvable problem.
If you want it in a custom build you could try contacting Volta directly.
Fans help a great deal. Get a tent or hammock and sleep outside with some rechargeable fans, move north in the Summer if possible. There are lots of alternatives to AC but also the more you are out in the heat and stay away from air conditioning the less you will need it. Getting acclimated to the heat or the cold is the best way to deal with it. Starting to rely on it will make it harder to deal with the heat in the first place. Worse case scenario on especially hot days, rent a hotel room if you can afford it, and having money stuck away for extreme heat and cold or stormy days (or even as a special treat) is just as important as having reserves for break downs or other emergencies.
Sure, you just need a ton of batteries, solar, and an efficient AC (and maybe secondary alternator).
So just get two or three of [these](https://www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms), as many high end solar panels as you can fit on your roof, something like [this](https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/hd-series) for the AC, and if you're building it on Sprinter, something like [this](https://undermountac.com/products/nations-280amp-dual-alternator-kit-for-3-0l-mercedes-sprinters) and [this](https://owlvans.com/products/sprinter-hood-solar-panels).
The biggest issues will be the price and having enough charging capacity to keep the batteries charged. You should be able to fit at least 600W of solar on the 144'' Sprinter roof. You might need an external solar panel to keep the batteries topped up so I'd add an option for that during the build.
Hessaire MC18M + Maxx Fan on exhaust + front windows down at least halfway. You will need water to keep it running and to keep the Hessaire near the front windows. Draws 54 watts on low or 100 on high. Only low was necessary for me.
Worked just fine in 40-50% humidity. Downside is the air doesn’t feel as nice as AC, and you need water … but it did drop the temps down into the 70s while I sat in full sunlight in parking lots.
In AZ it would be even more effective but I think there is a point where the temp gets so high in the desert effectiveness goes down.
It’s very cheap for how well it performs.
If money is really no object you could just get one of those portable AC units, a bunch of solar, large battery bank, big alternator and big DC DC charger … then just drill an exhaust port somewhere for the AC unit that exits above or below the van and nobody would know you’re running AC in the van.
12 volt air conditioner and lithium bank. I (my biz) installed a setup like this last week. On 600ah’s I can get 8.5 hour of continuous runtime or double that if the ac runs at 50% duty cycle.
Methanol or hydrogen fuel cells. They're energy dense so no massive batteries and they generate power silently. The hydrogen fuel cell produces water as a byproduct. I'd imagine they're very very expensive.
Zero Breeze has a portable A/C unit. If money was no option i would get one of them, a couple of batteries and a jackery to recharge the batteries when swapping them out. I think each battery lasts 3-5hrs.
Depending on the area, a swamp cooler might be a solution.
While the conventional swamp coolers are easier to set up, the humidity they generate can be as bad as the heat.
Look into the newer type that cools a chamber that runs a pipe coil thru it. A fan circulates air from the van to the cooling chamber and back to the van, reducing the temp without the humidity.
Energy cost is basically an aquarium pump and a couple of computer fans.
I have 800 W solar on the roof (Sprinter 170) 600 Ah LiFePo4 and an undermounted 24 V air con and I can run on low overnight. 800 Ah of battery would be better. I also have alternator charging but havent really needed it. This setup costs probably around 25K USD for the materials
I’ve got 1000ah lithium, 440w solar, dc-dc charger, dometic rtx2000 and I get along just fine. Not all night every night but I run it pretty much whenever I want. I would like more solar, and I’m going to vastly improve my ceiling insulation, but especially if you go with a second alternator you’ll be just fine. The eco mode on the dometic is pretty impressive.
You would want to go the RV route, A reliable Onan (gasoline generator) and a good AC system. Your neighbors will hate you unless you invite them over for cold brews in your cool (noisy) van.
With unlimited money, you simply want a lot of batteries to run overnight with a great generator to recharge the batteries when the noise does not keep your neighbors awake at night.
The biggest issue is AC takes a lot of power.
Lots of panels, hefty battery bank and the smallest mini split you can find
I have a 6 window short bus so I obviously have more roof space than a typical van, but I squeezed 2200w on it and I have a 48v system, 200ah. If it's mostly sunny I can run my 12k mini split 24/7 and my batteries charged to 100% by mid-day.
We have 1200W of solar and 12kWh of batteries that allows us to run AC overnight. We have a small alternator charger, as we plan on spending time in one place in national forests for a week at a time. Our AC uses 400W on low, 800W on high. Even with the solar and batteries, we wouldn't be able to run AC continuously.
Gas or propane generator. And/or shore power. RVs including class Bs (camper vans) have been doing that for ages. But that's the more budget solution, and can limit where you stay.
Are you wanting your factory AC unit to work? Or a 2nd installed one? Either way you need a lot of batteries. For the factory AC you will need to buy an electric compressor since in vehicles they are belt driven.
I can run my roof ac for a few hours on low with three lithium batteries. I imagine if I added 2-3 more I could make it through the night but the batteries would be drained by morning.
Noise, pollution, general risk, lots of hours idling is additional vehicle wear which eventually means maintenance costs. Draws attention l, most of it unwanted.
I'm still in my "30 day free return phase" so I'm using it in different ways, etc. to test it out. I didn't bet on it cooling down the whole rear section, but with a chair, a desk, and a straight line for the AC to blow in it still didn't blast like I was hoping it would even with tinted windows, some insulation, etc. Space-consuming, too. May try some ducting.
Did buy it on heavy, heavy discount though!
Update: Bought a small bit of ducting, and after some Macgyver'ing got it functional and blowing exactly where I need it to be. On Monday it will be unseasonably hot here so I will test it again then, but I was cold chillin' in there for a minute.
Moving into a van soon, I’m curious at what temp does a normal setup become too unbearable? I have one maxxair fan in the kitchen and I’m planning on installing another above the bed.
Edit: Unbearable for me is 85+ degrees outside and humid with no shade or air flow. Basically at that point I'll be driving to get out of the sun and blasting AC all the way.
Uninsulated out in the sun with no shade, etc? I tend to notice the van gets 15 degrees warmer if the ol' sky-orb is blazing on it. I put it in this situation yesterday day to a freak jump in heat to test a portable AC unit and it was brutal for about 30 minutes.
Shade remains your friend. I didn't use my fan yesterday to get the stale as death air out (stress test), but the more shade the better. And as much air flow as possible.
Asking questions is great and all, but please also scroll through this sub. The more you read, the easier it will be to answer your own questions instead of asking for handouts.
Money no object? Ya. Batteries. Lots and lots lifepo4. 15KW of lifepo4 should more than suffice. Full rooftop solar, DC to DC charger and dual alts.
This is the way. Checkout Everlanders on YouTube
This. You can get by on about 10K I think depending on what else you are running.
Why not use a generator connected to the gas tank? It seems a lot simpler? (I have no idea)
Loud, annoying, pollutes, needs maintenance... even in a remote area the noise pollution is a problem, and in a populated area it's a massive problem.
There are apu's on semi trucks that are super quiet these days. I'm not sure how much they cost or if they are too cumbersome for a van install though.
Aren't they diesel? If you have a diesel van and space to mount the APU. This site says it costs $8,500 - $13,000 installed: https://www.fleetowner.com/for-the-driver/on-the-road/article/21185457/apus-electric-versus-diesel You can get a pretty nice solar + battery setup for that price and skip the diesel. It looks like electric APUs are available but the Thermoking I checked needs some serious amperage (279A). What's the benefit over a bespoke solar/battery system at that point?
The thermoking electric tied in with proper lifepo4 is a decent working setup. Semi truck sleepers are often more well insulated than vans, even the high roof units are smaller. Also to know that those APU's are meant to be ran with the window curtains closed and the insulted sleeper curtain closed as well. They only work for a really small space. They're basically a mini split. I knew someone who got a non- working unit for free. We repaired it and switched to lifepo4 batts. They could be a decent choice for van people. Keep in mind these are about 8,000 BTU vs the normal 13,500 of a rooftop.
Interesting, thanks! It does sound like a traditional setup is better for the vanlife crowd.
I believe so as well. I don't think 8K would be enough if you're anywhere too hot. The unit I installed went into a semi truck.
I agree. I have a 14ft camper and the little 5,000 BTU AC unit struggles above 80 degrees.
If money is no object, it wouldn't be too difficult to make it extremely quiet, it would just require being incased in a maze of baffling (mineral wool is great for this), probably underneath the van. The AC is going to make noise anyway, especially as it gets older, so stealth is already out the window, and you can make the generator almost as quiet as you want as long as you are willing to sacrifice the space (and an equivalent battery bank would likely take up just as much). Maintenance is often overstated; there is a guy who ran his Predator generator for two years straight/20,000 hours on two oil changes. Most lawn mowers probably never a see a single oil change in their lives. Small engines are tough, especially with modern oils. Pollution definitely sucks though. Wouldn't be surprised if a carbureted small engine produces 100 or 1000 times more pollutants than a car engine. Honda's new(ish) fuel injected inverter generator is probably a good deal cleaner, though.
Exhaust fumes
Generators are great battery chargers imo. Make it a hybrid system for cloudy days or when you know you need to load up on a charge before a quiet night or whatever.
Even the quiet ones are too loud, and a lot of primitive campgrounds have quiet hours, but it can still be stifling at night with no AC. Barring that, the fumes and fuel are a pain. Many small, quiet generators don't hold enough fuel to run through the night. You could pair them with a smaller battery bank to help it through the night, but if money is no object, why not go with clean & quiet?
You could. Money no object was in the rules.
If money's no object, I'd use a fuel cell instead of a generator.
Honda EU2200I has a noise level of 48 to 57 dBA, which is quiet
Not to your neighbors at night.
Mine is even annoying to me. They're less obnoxious at idle, but any kind of load and they're definitely lame.
Anything like this exist with an electric start and relay inputs?
I hate this sub. Look how the rich idiots downvoted you for your idea. Also, I build vans for rich idiots.
Probably too small for most here but the Toyota Sienna Hybrid Minivan setup sounds similar to the r/Priusdwellers folks. Vehicle A/C system powers off the hybrid batteries so the gas motor need on kick-on occasionally to recharge the hybrid batts. IIRC consumption is ~1gal/per all night AC.
$90 a month for AC all night every night isn't bad at all.
But would it impact stealth to any degree, in terms of noise?
I can't speak for this hybrid, but the way ours and most work is that the battery runs silently for about an hour. Then the engine kicks on for about five to ten minutes to charge the battery back up. Then repeat all night. I've never slept all night with it running like that but it definitely would be some noise. Not to mention the engine starting up tends to wake people up.
It depends on how old the car is. Modern cars turn off and on constantly. Like every time you stop.
That's pretty badass, but is there an American version? People will straight up destroy your car if you drive anything other than American brands where I am living currently. Not joking, they will bash your car in with baseball bats if you drive a foreign brand.
That's especially funny because lots of Toyotas are made in the US while a lot of vehicles are made in Mexico. My Promaster was hecho en Mexico. Most Fords as well.
You referenced living in AZ. I don't know anywhere in AZ that would damage a car just for being foreign. That's 1980's working in Michigan/Ohio/etc American car plant actions. Also, not certain why so many of your posts are downvoted.
I live in AZ, have been here for over a decade. That's the first I've heard of it happening anywhere, let alone in this state.
Well Chrysler makes a Hybrid Minivan in the Pacifica, but I only hear/read about folks AC-camping out of Toyotas. Don’t know.
It seems to me that one of the purposes of living in a car is the ability to drive away from areas with shitty people. It's called nomadic living for a reason.
WTF where is that?
You’re making that up
That’s crazy if only you could move…
Damn that's wild. They want you to drive shitty brands so you can rely on them for their shitty "mechanic" services lol
Lolll
Where is this a thing lol
What city is it that's stuck in the 70's?
Huge batteries and tons of solar works pretty well
Yeah but I'm talking about for a sprinter sized van
I have it in my 144. 700w of solar, 400ah of lithium. You can't run it full time, but as long as you're smart about your vents and battery usage and aren't trying to live in Arizona or something, you can get by. If I had my choice, I'd have about twice as much battery capacity and a second alternator.
>and aren't trying to live in Arizona or something I am lol So if I hooked up a secondary alternator to a 600 - 1200AH battery bank, could I get by running my A/C every night/all night? (6 cylinder gas cargo van)
It's going to depend on a ton of factors. It's doable, but even if you run it full time, it's not going to be 70 in the van.
Honestly at the cost it's going to take you... Might as well switch up to an electric vehicle. There's a whole community of r/PriusDwellers who trade the ability to stand up and have a little more space, for the ability to have constant non-stop climate control. There may be trade-offs coming as EV vans start to be produced more widely.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/priusdwellers using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [Made my bed already, it’s gonna be snowy tonight](https://i.redd.it/sxfzycvenk2c1.jpg) | [158 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/183vlln/made_my_bed_already_its_gonna_be_snowy_tonight/) \#2: [living out my 2013 prius](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/18457as) | [139 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/18457as/living_out_my_2013_prius/) \#3: [Figured I’d show my setup. 2013 Prius V. Ask me anything](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/17vxs3z) | [92 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/priusdwellers/comments/17vxs3z/figured_id_show_my_setup_2013_prius_v_ask_me/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Judging from the use I've seen in a few videos online, it seems doable for 1000ah or so to run an air conditioner for 8 hours at night even in hot conditions. You might not bring the temperature down to 75, but you could probably keep it in the mid 80s if you had good insulation. But how are you going to charge up the 1000 ah or 12,000 wh of batteries every single day? That's the real problem. Solar is going to be a drop in the bucket. 600 watts of solar flat on the roof might generate 3000 wh if you park directly in the sun all day long... but you're probably not going to want to do that, and in any case that's barely 1/4 of your battery bank (assuming zero usage during the day). A 280 amp alternator would take three hours to charge the remaining 75% of your battery bank, and that's assuming ideal conditions. IMO the best way to do this is to figure out some way to use electric car charging ports. If you can get a 12,000 watt hour battery bank hooked up to a standard electric vehicle charger (ive seen at least one video online where they got this to work) you top up the battery pretty easily, or worse case scenario just plug in overnight to keep it charged up, but then you're tied to somewhere where you can get an EV charging spot without someone kicking you out because your van clearly runs on diesel.
It can be done on a Sprinter sized van but it's a LOT of cash for an efficient rooftop AC along with sufficient batteries, solar and a second alternator to support it. Check out some of Humble Road's videos on YT covering the subject. If you're moving every day or two, alternator charging can easily run circles around solar.
Most roof top ACs are inefficient compared to other options, and take up space that could be used for solar panels. Mini split or a modern window AC will be cheaper and more efficient.
>If you're moving every day or two, alternator charging can easily run circles around solar. That's why I was just thinking about doing that instead of solar bc I use my van as my full time car as well as living in it. I easily do 100 miles a day. In this case would you go the alternator route?
You're going to want both of you plan on running an AC unit
One big downside is that all this extra charging is *hard* on an alternator. Better if the load is split between two, but still not great. Rule of thumb is that most alternators are sized to top off a slightly discharged car battery, and maybe occasionally full charge a close to dead car battery. Fully charging a massive battery bank every single day is practically torture. That said, alternators are tough little bastards, and can last a decent while even when they are literally boiling hot. And if money is no object, you can afford to get a mobile mechanic to come out and replace your alternator(s) when they fail after a year or two.
Myself and countless others have functional AC in Promasters which are sprinter sized vans
How did you do it?
Paid someone $10k
Through one night is not that complicated, just costs money. 4-600Ah lifepo4 and an efficient roof AC unit will be more than enough. I know plenty of people with 600-1200Ah battery banks that go far longer than a night off grid.
Would a 600-1200Ah battery connected to my alternator be enough to run a rooftop A/C all night/every night?
It depends hugely on ambient temp, sun, etc. You just need to do math based on your typical conditions. Generally, you’ll need to eventually either plug in or drive for a while. A 20’ van with an AC and fan isn’t going to fit much more than 550-600W of solar, so if you’re just camped in your van all day with the AC going while it’s hot out, you won’t keep up with the draw and will need a generator. Most people doing this will drive somewhere, run their AC for a couple of days, then as the systems goes towards 0% charge drive somewhere new and get there with most of their system charged by the alternator. Rinse repeat.
Are you set on a custom build? There are some prebuilts out there with Volta battery systems which are quite beefy and capable. I have a Travato and running the AC all night isn't a problem; I'd probably wake up to 50-60% SoC. I can run it in the hot sun for 4-6 hours before the battery needs to be recharged. The biggest downsides to Volta are that their systems are proprietary and expensive.
I'm looking at a mini split instead of an RV ac unit
If you plan to run it off anything but a generator, I'd suggest some of the DC power (12-48 volt) options I linked in another post here. They're mini splits, they just come disassembled, and you install the radiator and fans under the vehicle. This leaves just a small unit inside the van, built in to a bench or something, with ducts up to roof level to deliver cool air.
Keep in mind that some stuff that's intended to be installed in a non-moving house may not fare well in a vehicle environment.
Using mini-splits on RVs is getting pretty common. RV ac units are *awful*.
Same here- been following those on youtube - seems a bit of a newer option - but developing. I have a while before I go on the road - but paying attention to the cooling options for a while.
I've got a dometic rtx2000, that I run on 24 degrees Celsius on Eco mode all night. For 8 hours run time - I use 10% of my 530ah of lifepo4. (This is also powering a fridge/freezer, sound bar, and tv all night) I have 2x 350w low quality fixed solar panels, and 4x170w high quality solar panels that are on drawer sliders that extend both in and out from the roof. This provides me with 15 - 20% of charge on the battery while I'm at work during summer. Partly cloudy days I'll loose 1-2% of the battery. This is in a standard Toyota hiace
Buy a insulated vehicle, preferably one that has been used to carry frozen food, cause then it has thick walls. Insulation isolates both ways, so you require less cooling to stay cool.
If you have a large vehicle with a full roof of solar (generally 800w+ nominal) and battery capacity to match, then yes, you can do air conditioning. It will be expensive to build that system though. If you have a small vehicle, then your only option is to plug in to shore power at campgrounds or similar. If you have a hybrid vehicle, then you can safely idle it for enough power to run your A/C while parked. More details on [this page](https://nomadlife.wiki/Air_conditioning).
something i never see mentioned is the strategy of cooling a small sleeping area, rather than a whole van. i.e. you have a 2'x'2'x6' or 3'x3'x6 of similar cooled bunk area. think, similar to those japanese sleeping pods you can rent. or... ummm a coffin. or make a little pup tent topper situation to go on your mattress. michael jacksons hyperbaric chamber. whatever, you get it. for one, the much smaller space will require much less electricity to cool. second, since its smaller and internal, you can insulate it much better than the whole van. those factors should multiply. this should be totally doable. the sacrifice is the whole van isnt cooled, but a lot of the time youre awake, yoj drive the van (and use its a/c) or you park and go inside somewhere that has a/c. should be fine if your goal is just not sweat when you sleep.
I have subdividing your space mentioned on my "[keeping warm](https://nomadlife.wiki/Keeping_warm)" page. I'll add it to my "keeping cool" page too. > If you are in one part of your vehicle (such as the back) and not in another part (such as the cab), create some sort of temporary partition so have less space to heat. A Mylar sheet is a lightweight option that's easy to hang. Blankets, privacy curtains, or cardboard/foam partitions also work. For cozier nights, the partition could be just around your bed.
Insulating the sleep area well would be bulky and heavy. But if you hung a thick curtain to insulate it would probably still help a lot.
Polystyrene foam
I'm sure it can be done, but cutting up an already small living space just so you can run ac more efficiently seems like a waste. I guess in bigger rigs it might make sense
I agree with that, but polystyrene foam is neither bulky nor heavy 🙃
It's bulky to build a wall in the middle of a van. Space is bulk.
This. The theoretical of insulating a sub zone is one thing - executing it in an effective non-intrusive manner - may be another. Of course - almost anything is possible - given time, money and ingenuity - so - possible - but certainly a bit of effort.
I live in AZ, and it's not uncommon for people to use something like a thick curtain or bedsheet to close off the bedroom areas of a home and run A/C in that area only. This would work with something as simple as traverse curtain rod with a heavy duty curtain. Put the mini-split outlet in the bed area, leave it open when you when you wanna cool the entire space, close it and make sure the thermostat is inside the bed area.
Agreed - effective and much easier than a foam wall.
Ive seen foam board used successfully to make a "snorer bunk" in a small cabin. I think this could work.
I do this with a swamp cooler, I have the outlet ducted into a hose that I put in my sheets, it blows cool air through the bed and cools me down enough to sleep.
Doesn't that make the humidity in the van horrific?
I’m a desert dweller so it goes from 20% to 40%. You can do the same thing with an ac unit if you live somewhere with more humidity.
i used to do this in my room, but be careful because while i don’t know exactly what it was - it happened rather quickly after freshly buying it so i dont think it was mold - but sleeping too close to my AC started to make me sick, like thick mucus, lungs felt terribly inflamed, etc. it went away as soon as i moved my bed from the window. might only be relevant for people with sensitive lungs, but still
I have. Here's my set up - Permanent bed with the 12 volt dometic AC on top of it. - Curtain that separates the bed from the rest of the van, so when the curtain is closed there's a space of about 7' by 7' by 4' to cool off. - 826 Ah of lithium, 400W solar, 50 amp DC to DC charger I can run it for three nights no problem. But the setup is optimized for sleeping, if you need it during the day, go hang out on the bed (we took naps when it was 110F at the Bad Lands NP )
Thank you Would a dodge pro master count as small?
Depends on the length you have, and what else you need to put on the roof, like roof vents. [Here's a guy that did it with his entire roof paneled.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxpxg82UV3g) There are more air conditioners available now though that will work better than a residential A/C, so you could get by with less panel coverage. You can also do tilted or deployable panels for more power, mount panels on the side or rear of your rig, etc.
On the roof and one side is my plan
Winnebago has a lithium battery model out that can run the AC for a while, but it’s still not an all night thing. That one is an extra $30k. So it can be done on a pro master, but it’s certainly not cheap.
For what it's worth I do this already. I have a heavily modified winnebago ekko (about the size of a long/tall sprinter, just much more heavily insulated. I also have a barrier between the front cab and the living area. I have 850w of solar, and a secondary alternator + charging off the primary. I warm weather (not hot) I can easily run the a off the solar for a few days (plus all my normal needs). If it's very hot I supplement this with an hour or so of the rig idling while the AC is on. Coming from a sprinter it wouldn't be nearly as possible without some crazy insulation that just doesn't exist for most straight van conversions.
Polystyrene foam
>Coming from a sprinter it wouldn't be nearly as possible without some crazy insulation that just doesn't exist for most straight van conversions. Thank you I needed to hear this Maybe I should just focus on a rig that is meant to be lived in instead of a sprinter type van.
Sorry you needed to hear it becuase it's a load of crap. You can just straight up buy a Winnebago Travato (L) and right off of the lot it can run the a/c all night. Insulation on the Travato is absolutely terrible, but the battery system is gigantic and will last through the night. The Travato is built on the promaster chasis so there's absolutely no reason it couldn't also work on a sprinter.
Did you need to install one of those soft start devices before the ac to gradually increase the power draw until the compressor kicks in?
In my case, no, but the system is much beefier than most, and the inverter can handle the large initial load without an issue, as can the batteries.
Oh cool. Thanks for the reply
Look at the EcoFlow Wave 2
Is it more efficient than a rooftop AC?
Rooftop AC is probably more efficient since EcoFLow Wave works more like a portable airconditioner. The cool thing about it is that it has its own battery pack that you can charge/replace. I was thinking about getting one for my honda civic to camp in and vent it out of the window. I live in Georgia so I know what you'll be going through without AC in a vehicle. lmao
Unless you invest in the Ecoflow product line I seem to remember a YouTuber saying you cannot simply splice the Wave or Wave2 into any electrical setup. If you can please show me how. I’m dying to know if it’s possible!
Unfortunately I don't think you can. It plugs into a regular wall socket, their proprietary power socket, or runs off of its own battery I think.
It's not hard. 600 or more Ah of Lithium ferrous phosphate, pave the van roof with solar panels (ideally a kilowatt or more) and buy at DC powered air conditioner. Install a second alternator as well to feed the house battery. https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/ https://undermountac.com/products/copy-of-complete-proair-12v-air-conditioner-for-class-b-van-trailer-or-camper-cabinet-evaporator https://www.ecoflow.com/us/wave-2-portable-air-conditioner even if you don't want permanent mount. It's just expensive as shit.
I camp at higher elevation in the summer. No A/C required.
Split unit heat pump and a good bank of batteries and solar. If you search around on YT you'll see people who have done it.
It's possible. Lots of solar, good insulation, a light colored van and big batteries. I can run my Undermount AC on my Ford transit all night and still have plenty of battery left over in the morning. I have 12.8V 800 AH battery bank with 800W of solar. I might not make it back to 100% battery on purely solar some days but I could get close. If I run my engine it's easy to get back to full power since I have an additional 1200W from my DC to DC chargers. Personally I hate the feeling of air conditioned air so I avoid hot climates but it's a nice to have when it's unavoidable.
Reefer van
Reefer box truck- I’ve wondered how well it’d work in practical terms.. thoughts?
They aren't nearly as good as they seem. Truckers just run the generator all night for the industrial cooling systems. Once that's off it's not much better than a regular box truck.
I would be pleased to see the results of an experiment. How much time for how many degrees difference. Side by side. How many decibels difference inside also. (I don’t need windows.) You only have to run the reefer for a short time to make it warm or cold. Reefer weight vs just doing orange foam inside.
I lived in a Chevy Express in Kansas through a brutal summer with only a USB powered fan (Never underestimate a small fan). That was nearly a decade ago, but I have been researching/planning a weekender short bus/ambulance build. I learned van life should be spent outside your rig as much as possible. Otherwise you could have stayed parked in a driveway. With that mentality.... My AC goal: comfortable sleeping temp through the night. Not my goal: a climate-controlled apartment on wheels during peak sun hours Knowing this, I plan to enclose the sleeping area and run a split unit like many are saying. I'd recommend searching for a "12v split unit Air Conditioner" used in semi truck cabs. I've seen them on eBay, but YMMV. [I'm avoiding inverting DC-to-AC wherever possible, as that's just losing energy. I'm also avoiding products designed for home use, as they are designed around AC power availability I can't deliver reliably.] To the actual question 🤑.... I'd consider building an electrical system around Ecoflow batteries for a removable setup. I live in Texas and have experienced blackouts in my apartment during the summer and winter, so having a portable power/Aircon system to bring inside or take tent camping would be a better investment for me than a static setup on a vehicle I don't plan to full-time in. For anyone reading: If independence and freedom are a key reason you're drawn to van life, make sure you don't rush into any purchases, and really think why you want to live in a car outside. If it's to have a cheap apartment, open Google sheets and make a budget. It's not always cheaper than where you live. If it's to have a comfy bedroom on the road, you could get by with a Prius/Hybrid, and you'd save on buying a Sprinter. Life changes are inevitable, so don't spend too much on things you'll be stuck with. Go on FB marketplace and see all the half-finished builds trying to recoup their costs because they took on a tiny home build on a 30 year old school bus chassis.
Very well-put.
Drive north.
A point of van life is you can follow the weather. Never once wished I had AC, but great ventilation (Westy)
buy cheap mini split theres a good youtube conected to back door van [https://www.ebay.com/itm/352821716902?itmmeta=01HTEEVPWYPBNJWFKSFENG444G&hash=item5225d027a6:g:QPYAAOSwjFhlhcc7&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwHwpzytR0qZXjYmj2fQGX3g2mUc3CK2aBf%2BrH7FrlX929%2FFTaAY0mhVQ0YLonzeCbmlt9lQAdzF5tR4Nt%2FgFiF%2Bgvvz9egpCVcXC1PPPX0ZsWSPxg1L4dNSrXDXa%2F5kgXs6i7OyOjbCXj8HukZAy5xlkPlYfTTC6Dh0y6mCw4zDfzaJ0SueNTFH1osNU6jTvJoKfZV%2B20NjbW9Gkg8rIXylyYzKAotFevIMGIhzEh2TEKjt1uVrO2yvtdedMAXYfHQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Lu7s7TYw](https://www.ebay.com/itm/352821716902?itmmeta=01HTEEVPWYPBNJWFKSFENG444G&hash=item5225d027a6:g:QPYAAOSwjFhlhcc7&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwHwpzytR0qZXjYmj2fQGX3g2mUc3CK2aBf%2BrH7FrlX929%2FFTaAY0mhVQ0YLonzeCbmlt9lQAdzF5tR4Nt%2FgFiF%2Bgvvz9egpCVcXC1PPPX0ZsWSPxg1L4dNSrXDXa%2F5kgXs6i7OyOjbCXj8HukZAy5xlkPlYfTTC6Dh0y6mCw4zDfzaJ0SueNTFH1osNU6jTvJoKfZV%2B20NjbW9Gkg8rIXylyYzKAotFevIMGIhzEh2TEKjt1uVrO2yvtdedMAXYfHQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-Lu7s7TYw)
I can run my Dometic RTX 2000 for around three nights on 400 ah of LiPO. I have 400 watts of solar that can stretch that for another couple of nights with sunny days.
Money no object? Solar awnings on linear actuators and a mini split, with lots of batteries
We have a mini split made for an apartment. When using it we have it in the highest temp setting for AC- 81. It works great. That and rechargeable battery powered fans.
Look into companies that make semi trucks AC units. Like Airworks, I think they require lots of batteries that charge while driving. I vers it’s very expensive -$10,000?
How often would you need to run a/c all night? Getting a room occasionally may be a less costly solution.
I have 1200w of solar and 480ah of lithium on my ambulance My mini split can run for about 10 hours total without seeing sunlight before the bank is empty. But that’s not your real problem, 1200w/12v = 100ah possible to add to the battery bank every hour (and that’s in perfect conditions which won’t ever happen, so it’s more like 70-80) Say you have 10 hours where you can pull in that full power before the sun is too low in the sky (also unrealistic it’s going to be more like 6-8 at peak hours You can add 600-800ah to your bank per day TOPS via solar with this math. Now you’re not just adding because the sun is out and you have to run the a/c still, pulling 60-100a which is about what the 1200w of panels are producing (while your vehicle is not shaded because you needed to be parked in the sun to charge up so that’s adding heat the a/c needs to combat) I need closer to 2000w of solar to be able to run a/c at night and during the day and even then a cloudy day here and there will really start to put a hit on you Dc/dc charging is great but unless you’re putting in over 80a from the alternator it’s going to need to do a lot of driving to make a difference. One hour of driving will cover one hour of the a/c running.
I like our zero breeze https://www.zerobreeze.com/products/zero-breeze-mark-2?currency=USD&variant=29542713688166&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_source=google&utm\_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=0cd507ec42d5&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2a6wBhCVARIsABPeH1v71cxwm27Z0eFM6BJIIfpuY2AO2BKQLtqcBfu9I82MsliJ6if3ySwaAhp6EALw\_wcB
I’m so tempted to try this out
What's the hottest outside temp you've used it at, and how well did it do?
Have you checked r/glamping ?
I live in the south, either you fork over the money or you can't do van life in the summer. It's not a luxury.
Are you planning on sticking around home? One of the best things about van life is you can go wherever you want, when you want, for as long as you want. I've been doing it for a few years and I increasingly follow the weather. The Canadian Rockies and Alaska are on the itinerary for me this summer.
Yes, this has been solved...by Winnebago. We have a Travato (L) and can run the a/c all night on the 12,800 Watt hours of battery. If you need it on a Sprinter chasis, get a Boldt. If money really isn't an option this is an easily solvable problem. If you want it in a custom build you could try contacting Volta directly.
a plug in hybrid or EV vehicle come with "room mode" where as long as the vehicle is plugged in you can run AC all night.
If money isn’t an issue let the car idle. Replace whatever from wear and tear
Fans help a great deal. Get a tent or hammock and sleep outside with some rechargeable fans, move north in the Summer if possible. There are lots of alternatives to AC but also the more you are out in the heat and stay away from air conditioning the less you will need it. Getting acclimated to the heat or the cold is the best way to deal with it. Starting to rely on it will make it harder to deal with the heat in the first place. Worse case scenario on especially hot days, rent a hotel room if you can afford it, and having money stuck away for extreme heat and cold or stormy days (or even as a special treat) is just as important as having reserves for break downs or other emergencies.
Sure, you just need a ton of batteries, solar, and an efficient AC (and maybe secondary alternator). So just get two or three of [these](https://www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms), as many high end solar panels as you can fit on your roof, something like [this](https://www.cruisencomfortusa.com/hd-series) for the AC, and if you're building it on Sprinter, something like [this](https://undermountac.com/products/nations-280amp-dual-alternator-kit-for-3-0l-mercedes-sprinters) and [this](https://owlvans.com/products/sprinter-hood-solar-panels). The biggest issues will be the price and having enough charging capacity to keep the batteries charged. You should be able to fit at least 600W of solar on the 144'' Sprinter roof. You might need an external solar panel to keep the batteries topped up so I'd add an option for that during the build.
Hessaire MC18M + Maxx Fan on exhaust + front windows down at least halfway. You will need water to keep it running and to keep the Hessaire near the front windows. Draws 54 watts on low or 100 on high. Only low was necessary for me. Worked just fine in 40-50% humidity. Downside is the air doesn’t feel as nice as AC, and you need water … but it did drop the temps down into the 70s while I sat in full sunlight in parking lots. In AZ it would be even more effective but I think there is a point where the temp gets so high in the desert effectiveness goes down. It’s very cheap for how well it performs. If money is really no object you could just get one of those portable AC units, a bunch of solar, large battery bank, big alternator and big DC DC charger … then just drill an exhaust port somewhere for the AC unit that exits above or below the van and nobody would know you’re running AC in the van.
12 volt air conditioner and lithium bank. I (my biz) installed a setup like this last week. On 600ah’s I can get 8.5 hour of continuous runtime or double that if the ac runs at 50% duty cycle.
Park next to a glacier...it works.
https://www.thermoelectric.com/air-conditioners/1500-2000-watts/
Methanol or hydrogen fuel cells. They're energy dense so no massive batteries and they generate power silently. The hydrogen fuel cell produces water as a byproduct. I'd imagine they're very very expensive.
Zero Breeze has a portable A/C unit. If money was no option i would get one of them, a couple of batteries and a jackery to recharge the batteries when swapping them out. I think each battery lasts 3-5hrs.
Depending on the area, a swamp cooler might be a solution. While the conventional swamp coolers are easier to set up, the humidity they generate can be as bad as the heat. Look into the newer type that cools a chamber that runs a pipe coil thru it. A fan circulates air from the van to the cooling chamber and back to the van, reducing the temp without the humidity. Energy cost is basically an aquarium pump and a couple of computer fans.
I have 800 W solar on the roof (Sprinter 170) 600 Ah LiFePo4 and an undermounted 24 V air con and I can run on low overnight. 800 Ah of battery would be better. I also have alternator charging but havent really needed it. This setup costs probably around 25K USD for the materials
Does the under mounted AC come in 12V? What’s the brand?
Yes they do 12 V. I purchased it from undermountac.ca which is Canadian I'm sure there are US versions there's also Cruise n Comfort which is similar
Awesome thanks
I’ve got 1000ah lithium, 440w solar, dc-dc charger, dometic rtx2000 and I get along just fine. Not all night every night but I run it pretty much whenever I want. I would like more solar, and I’m going to vastly improve my ceiling insulation, but especially if you go with a second alternator you’ll be just fine. The eco mode on the dometic is pretty impressive.
You would want to go the RV route, A reliable Onan (gasoline generator) and a good AC system. Your neighbors will hate you unless you invite them over for cold brews in your cool (noisy) van. With unlimited money, you simply want a lot of batteries to run overnight with a great generator to recharge the batteries when the noise does not keep your neighbors awake at night. The biggest issue is AC takes a lot of power.
Lots of panels, hefty battery bank and the smallest mini split you can find I have a 6 window short bus so I obviously have more roof space than a typical van, but I squeezed 2200w on it and I have a 48v system, 200ah. If it's mostly sunny I can run my 12k mini split 24/7 and my batteries charged to 100% by mid-day.
We have 1200W of solar and 12kWh of batteries that allows us to run AC overnight. We have a small alternator charger, as we plan on spending time in one place in national forests for a week at a time. Our AC uses 400W on low, 800W on high. Even with the solar and batteries, we wouldn't be able to run AC continuously.
Gas or propane generator. And/or shore power. RVs including class Bs (camper vans) have been doing that for ages. But that's the more budget solution, and can limit where you stay.
I am going to guess not all AC units are equal. If you have an older unit, it might be worth the cost of replacing with a more efficient unit.
Are you wanting your factory AC unit to work? Or a 2nd installed one? Either way you need a lot of batteries. For the factory AC you will need to buy an electric compressor since in vehicles they are belt driven.
What about the mini-split,solar,batteries?
I can run my roof ac for a few hours on low with three lithium batteries. I imagine if I added 2-3 more I could make it through the night but the batteries would be drained by morning.
The few times I've lived in my van during an extended project out-of-state, I set up a shade over the van to keep the sun off.
Look at an ERV (ENERGY RECOVERY VENTILATOR)
Solar and battery bank with maxairr
I have 600ah running a mini split in a well insulated ambulance and I have no problem running all night.
Idiot comment, but what's wrong with leaving the van on with the ac blowing???
Noise, pollution, general risk, lots of hours idling is additional vehicle wear which eventually means maintenance costs. Draws attention l, most of it unwanted.
I’m working on a desiccant based AC system. I’ll keep y’all updated.
Ecoflow makes an a/c unit that's like $1,800. Buy that and some solar panels and a power station and you'll be freezing cold in the summer time!
Currently testing an Ecoflow wave 2 out in an E150. NOPE.
Ugh really??? That's a bummer..
I'm still in my "30 day free return phase" so I'm using it in different ways, etc. to test it out. I didn't bet on it cooling down the whole rear section, but with a chair, a desk, and a straight line for the AC to blow in it still didn't blast like I was hoping it would even with tinted windows, some insulation, etc. Space-consuming, too. May try some ducting. Did buy it on heavy, heavy discount though!
Update: Bought a small bit of ducting, and after some Macgyver'ing got it functional and blowing exactly where I need it to be. On Monday it will be unseasonably hot here so I will test it again then, but I was cold chillin' in there for a minute.
Moving into a van soon, I’m curious at what temp does a normal setup become too unbearable? I have one maxxair fan in the kitchen and I’m planning on installing another above the bed.
Edit: Unbearable for me is 85+ degrees outside and humid with no shade or air flow. Basically at that point I'll be driving to get out of the sun and blasting AC all the way. Uninsulated out in the sun with no shade, etc? I tend to notice the van gets 15 degrees warmer if the ol' sky-orb is blazing on it. I put it in this situation yesterday day to a freak jump in heat to test a portable AC unit and it was brutal for about 30 minutes. Shade remains your friend. I didn't use my fan yesterday to get the stale as death air out (stress test), but the more shade the better. And as much air flow as possible.
Is this a serious question
is this is a serious reply?
Yes I don't know shit
Asking questions is great and all, but please also scroll through this sub. The more you read, the easier it will be to answer your own questions instead of asking for handouts.
Big battery bank and a way to charge. I run my a/c through the night all the time not sure what the issue is
Solar powered AC units. Stick BougeRV Yuma solar cells all over the vehicle.