Installing Window AC in Older Trailer

Please, keep us up to speed on your AC project, Jerry. This is one upgrade I am planning, also.

Thanks for all the help. Think I can place it where the old refrigerator was on top of a cabinet and use the roof vent and the old wall vent area. AC will sit on top of a cabinet with an oversized dorm refrigerator. I can vent the back of that out what used to be the furnace vent. We only will camp on weekends with shore, so no gas refrig or furnace. I am downsizing due to age and health and taking about 3 years to go through this trailer.

JU

Window units work just find and they cost a lot less to run. The energy saver button is great. I would suggest you have a rotating fan to help circulate the air around in your camper.

Have you considered a mini split AC?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Elegance-12-000-BTU-1-Ton-Ductless-Mini-Split-Air-Conditioner-110-V-60-Hz-A37GW2C-ELG/203423956?N=5yc1vZc4m1Z2bctxo

Put the condenser on the back bumper?

colliehauler wrote:
Just remember a window A/C draws air in from the sides and exits the back of the unit. Mounting it flush without a source of air to the sides will cause the unit to overheat and fail. A lot of the new campers that use window units without proper ventilation for the A/C are having issues. Some new units with window units have a roof frig vent to draw air in to work correctly.

Excellent point. My window unit does have a refrigerator vent right above it. I seem to remember a post where the vent was there but a hole not cut in the roof to allow it to work. No issues with mine, so I assume they installed it correctly.

Bumpyroad wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
A lot of the new campers that use window units without proper ventilation for the A/C are having issues. .

it would be good if you would identify some of these installations so the OP and others could look at them and see what not to do.
bumpy

I just told you in my post, It needs air for the sides in order to work correct. As long as you can get outside air to the sides of the A/C you will be fine.

If you would like to read more threads,
Broke 2 year A/C by Pattern
Side mounted A/C by Enoch Light

The thin walls of the RV trailers almost prevent any success doing what you want to do. As noted above installing such units flush with the outside wall is about the only safe way of doing something like this. The walls and windows just will not support the normal way of installing window type air conditioners. The will have to sit on inside structures of some sort and just extend to those areas...

The portable air conditioners are becoming popular now as well with exhaust vents going to the window areas...

We have used window air conditioners several times when tent camping and even with extended trips with our OFF-ROAD POPUP camping off the power grids allowing us to use our portable generator to run the smaller BTU air conditioner. The 5K-8K BTU Window type small foot print air conditioners run just fine with our 2KW Honda Generator.

Roy Ken

colliehauler wrote:
A lot of the new campers that use window units without proper ventilation for the A/C are having issues. .

it would be good if you would identify some of these installations so the OP and others could look at them and see what not to do.
bumpy

Just remember a window A/C draws air in from the sides and exits the back of the unit. Mounting it flush without a source of air to the sides will cause the unit to overheat and fail. A lot of the new campers that use window units without proper ventilation for the A/C are having issues. Some new units with window units have a roof frig vent to draw air in to work correctly.

most of these installations I have seen have the AC poking out an inch or two so they can vent. I think looking at what is available with the least venting on the side and most on the rear would work just fine. you may want to check out some rVs that use them and see exactly what is used.
bumpy