I am new to the business and have an air conditioning question on a sprinter van. I currently drive for an owner who will not allow his drivers to mount a window air conditioner thru the walls or rear windows of his sprinters. I considered buying one of those portable ones that rolls around but have heard they are very inefective and dont want to spend 400 dollars for something that doesnt work well. I have heard window air conditioners work much better and their price is much more to my liking, anybody have any suggestions for possibly mounting thru front windows? I do have the generator to run a small unit but am stumped as to how to hang it out the window without damaging the window frames. Thanks for any suggestions
Air Conditioner question
- Thread starter lumpy1979
- Start date
Dakota
Veteran Expediter
the rollabout ones will work, shop around they sell them everywhere at different price levels get at least 8000BTU
I saw one at Meijer that had heat and AC I think it was 10000BTU
Also, if your van doesn't have good insulation, no ac unit is going to cool it down ie bare metal or windows
I saw one at Meijer that had heat and AC I think it was 10000BTU
Also, if your van doesn't have good insulation, no ac unit is going to cool it down ie bare metal or windows
Speedwagen
Seasoned Expediter
Frigidaire makes a nice, small, light 5000BTU window air conditioner that is small enough to fit in a Sprinter's side window- just picked one up at KMart (of all places
) on sale for $99.00:
Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5000 BTU, 2 Speed Rotary Air Conditioner
Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5000 BTU, 2 Speed Rotary Air Conditioner
Using the roll up feature of the window and a few strategically-placed pieces of foam (dump the side curtains) and you're good to go- and really is not that visually unappealling! When ready to roll- roll down the window, carefully remove, store and go.
Good luck!
) on sale for $99.00:Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5000 BTU, 2 Speed Rotary Air Conditioner
Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5000 BTU, 2 Speed Rotary Air Conditioner
Using the roll up feature of the window and a few strategically-placed pieces of foam (dump the side curtains) and you're good to go- and really is not that visually unappealling!
When ready to roll- roll down the window, carefully remove, store and go.Good luck!
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
the guy i bought my first van from had a rolling unit. he said he had to sleep under blankets to stay warm. his dark blue ford was not insulated.
now once you buy one you gotta have a drain and a vent hole. he cut a hole in the over hang near the license plate.
now once you buy one you gotta have a drain and a vent hole. he cut a hole in the over hang near the license plate.
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Jenny
Veteran Expediter
We have a roll around in our sprinter. It is mounted behind the drivers seat. Nick modified the breezeways that we have to adapt the duct, so we slide the drivers seat forward and are all set. When it is time to drain it we unscrew the cap, take out the drain plug, and drain into a large cup. Only drilled two holes in the metal piece that the bulk head had been attached to.
bluejaybee
Veteran Expediter
I too have heard the portable roll around type work well. I know of one who modified the window vent adaptor and uses it in the passinger side window, which eliminates cutting holes in truck anywhere. Of course, he has to set it up everytime he uses it, but is really not that much trouble.
purgoose10
Veteran Expediter
My Chevy C/Van has a roll around. Mounted behind the pass/seat and using an optional window kit and exhaust tube goes out the right window. The window vent unit can be cut for the window opening. It has a pan that goes under it for draining and it slides out for draining. Driver say's it works great.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
Jenny
Veteran Expediter
Yes. Next time we set it up I will take some pictures.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
OK, that would be helpful, I have actually never seen a portable AC before. I grew up in upstate NY, it is in the 80's for 2 weeks and then summer is over.
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AMonger
Veteran Expediter
That sounds like heaven.
Summer sucks.
Waiting for autumn...the best time of the year. Highs in the 40s and 50s, lows in the 30s and 40s... The smell of smoky campfires...never need to idle when it's like that.
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
I'm thinking that you'd get effective cooling if you put the rolling AC right where you sleep, and put up blankets or shower curtains between you and the front seats and behind you and the bulk of the cargo area, so you're only cooling the area you really need.
Anybody know of a less-than-permanent way to insulate? Some simple way to put up insulation that can be removed later, restoring the interior to factory condition? I either read or heard of someone using blankets, but I don't remember the details on how he got them to adhere.
paullud
Veteran Expediter
I think upstate NY isn't so heavenly in the winter
Well it depends on your idea of heaven. My home town has an average yearly snow fall of 110 inches, that is great for snow mobiles and skiers. We also traditionally have a week or 2 where it fights to get above 0, not so fun for anyone except power companies.
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I would also appreciate this, I'm also thinking about this type of setup. What kind of generator do you use, and how do you route the power cable into the van? I'm hoping there's a better option than routing it through a cracked window that will just leak the air.
Thanks,
Justin
Jenny
Veteran Expediter
We have the Honeywell 2000 generator in which we bought at Camping World for about $550. We have an extension cord that we run from the generator into the van, which we just close in the sliding side door. We have a surge protector strip that we plug into that, in which we plug our a/c into. Once the initial "start up surge" from the a/c is over, we put the generator into eco mode, and plug in our tv, cell phone and laptop chargers. Running it in eco mode in Laredo at 105, the one gallon fuel tank lasts us about 5 hours. Its not as great as a Honda, but half the price.
Thanks Jenny, I appreciate the info. Since the generator sits outside, do you have to turn it off and put it back in the van when it rains? I'm also wondering if anyone uses external gas tanks with their generators to keep them running all night while they sleep.
Justin
Justin