Portable a/c units?

[waywardfool]

Has anyone used one of these (or maybe 2). They have models that are about 100 cheaper, but this also has heat. 9000btu a/c, 4500btu heat.

Seems it would be the easiest and cleanest to vent to the outside, as all it requires is a four inch hose.

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN ... 0&MID=9876

[phillbus914]

This link goes to a page on home depo website... which model are you talking about?

Does anyone know how many BTU's it takes to cool a bus? I used my 5,050 btu window a/c in my bus this weekend & it had a hard time keeping up. I thought it would work fine since my bus has less square feet then my bedroom.

[the_experience03]

The problem comes with the limited insulation, metal construction, and all those windows our buses have. A safe bet would be to use the "kitchen" standards listed on the side of the A/C. This is generally a higher number meant to cope with the excess heat in the kitchen. I think a bus will forever have an issue with even cooling distribution due to the shape. This is one reason why you'll often see two smaller units on an RV instead of one bigger one I think.

[wtd]

I don't know what your link is to, but I use 4 5,000 BTU window units in my bus. I stacked them in pairs in WalMart microwave carts, cut holes in the bottoms of the carts and set them over holes cut in the floor with 200 CFM exhaust fans, so they vent through the floor.
My 27' motorhome has a 13,500 BTU unit and it keeps that comfortable, my bus has a lot mor cubic feet, so I thought I'd need more cooling in it.
With the 4 separate units I can mix and match depending on what power I have, they draw about 5 amps each - if on shore power, I can run all four, on the generator 3 and I can even run 1 for a while on batteries/inverter. Didn't seem to make sense to have all that in one unit, where you're sitting on all that cooling power and can't use any of it because you don't have enough power to run all of it.
I wind up with 20,000 btu's when all are running and this kept the bus quite cool today and it was 111 here, two will keep it bearable, but still warm when it's a hundred or so outside.
I got all four units at Lowe's for 86 bucks a pop, so total cost is on par with an RV unit, I didn't have to put any holes in the roof and they weight about 20 pounds a piece - easy to install. Ready built indoor 5000 btu air conditioners were about 500 bucks when I checked and you still have to vent them to the outdoors through a dryer vent - couldn't see spending all that money for simply putting window units in a cabinet.

[lapeer20m]

i think this is what he's going for....it's down a little ways on the original link he posted



here's the link

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80HDUS/...rchResults.jsp

[waywardfool]

sorry about the link, worked until the homedepot session expired.

here's a link to the item on fedders website: http://www.fedders.com/catalog/applianc ... /index.htm

they also have ductless split units, don't know the cost:
http://www.fedders.com/catalog/Split_Un ... tunits.htm

[phillbus914]

After this past weekend, I know I need a "big enough" A/C unit and a Geni. I really like the EU2000 but I dont think it would run a big enough a/c unit. I used a eu2000 this past weekend and it ran the 5050btu window unit fine but the unit had a hard time cooling the bus.

I'd like a roof mounted unit, does anyone know the power/btu requirements that would satisfy my bus? Also do some of those roof mounted units have heat as well?

I'm not trying to change the subject here, I would consider the one in the link if it would do the job.

[the_experience03]

The EU2000 will support a 15 amp constant load and will do a much better job than some others on the market at taking up a start up load. 15 amps is a an awful lot of power, really. When shopping for a new unit, don't just look at the output. Look at the energy efficiency of each. I know where I work we sell models that are all 5500 BTU, but while one draws 4.5 amps, another draws 7 amps.

[Firearm]

My friend has a similar AC unit in his upper floor office and it is awesome! He bought it because the windows in the office were not big enough for a window unit. They blow a lot more cool air than most window units I've seen and you can move them from room to room or center it in the bus for more even cooling. They do have a window vent hose, but he didn't even have it hooked up last time I was there. I've been thinking about buying one for the house.

[busone]

Those units work great, however they are expensive for what you get. I once converted a window unit to vent outside with a 4" duct. It was not very quiet but it worked just fine.

One thing about buses is they require lots of cooling. When going down the road 2 12,000 BTU units will be the minimum. When parked at leat 1 12,000 BTU unit. Buses are not like houses, they are all metal so heat goes right through them. All the windows make it like a greenhouse.

I am going to make a complicated system for my bus. I will have two Saden compressors running off the engine for going down the road. That will give me plenty of cooling power while forcing hot wind through all the little cracks and crevices at 70 MPH.

While parked I will use two 12,000 BTU window units. I will canabalize them and put the condenser under the bus and the evaporators inside. I am going to oversize this system so it can cool the bus quick. If we are out for the day and come back it will be very hot. An oversized system will be able to cool it quick.