Replacing rear window with hatch

[Hiyu]

Hello All,

I'm wanting to remove one of my rear windows and replace it with a marine hatch so I can slide an ac unit in and out when needed. Anyone have any experience with this?

It's the smaller window on the right.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Hiyu

Hello All,

I'm wanting to remove one of my rear windows and replace it with a marine hatch so I can slide an ac unit in and out when needed. Anyone have any experience with this?

It's the smaller window on the right.

You might be better off to try to find (or build, assuming you can find a small enough AC unit) a "through the wall" metal enclosure that is permanently mounted in the hole and is more or less on the inside or outside depending on your needs. The AC unit then slides into and secures in that metal box which, tilted to the rear just enough for drainage, will cause any rain or AC condensate to drain out the back. It can also have a cover that is put on during cold months to seal it up.
You do have to use an AC unit designed for through the wall (they generally don't have vents on the sides) or a much bigger box than the sixe of the AC to allow those side vents to work.

Just an idea.
Mini splits however can have the outside unit under teh bus and the Evaporator inside the bus. They're highly efficient but they're also not available at any big box store when one eventually fails.

[Hiyu]

Thanks for the tips, mini splits would be good, but having the condenser under the bus... I'd be worried about road gunk, mud trashing it out.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Hiyu

Thanks for the tips, mini splits would be good, but having the condenser under the bus... I'd be worried about road gunk, mud trashing it out.

There were THREE condensers under my 40' RE AmTran for the original AC units it had. All were pulled and none showed any sign of damage from debris.
However, I understand your concern. If there is room on the side, under the bus, against the side panels and below the cross pieces that support the floor of the bus, I would put it there, with a somewhat heavy (but not too heavy) expanded metal grate over the side opening and another expanded metal grate to protect on the inside. It should be fine. That's how our rear unit will most likely be mounted as there is a space behind the wheels (we will also install an nice 3/16" steel "wall" appx 6-8" behind the rear wheel mud flap to protect from anything the rear tire might pick up and from tire carcass flopping around in a failure.

[Hiyu]

Good news hear that, thanks to you and the earlier post again.

Don

[bubb, the real one]

I used 1.5in angle for the base, made a box just the right size so it could not slide around, I used metal strapping over the top to tighten it down, I bolted a piece of angle on the bottom of the window opening to make a solid base

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by bubb, the real one

I used 1.5in angle for the base, made a box just the right size so it could not slide around, I used metal strapping over the top to tighten it down, I bolted a piece of angle on the bottom of the window opening to make a solid base

And that's just a standard, pick it up at any WalMart, Target, Piggly Wiggly, etc. window AC. It goes bad, $200 and you're back in business.

[Hiyu]

Excellent! Thanks heaps!