Looking for LOWEST BTU Roof A/C available-

NinerBikes wrote:
Might just be easier/cheaper to pair another Honda Eu2000i with cables to run the A/C, both of them in Eco mode. Or a Yamaha EF2400Is model, solo.

Might be, but carrying a pair of generators to run a grossly wasteful A/C doesn't appeal, and will a Yamaha fit in my truck's rear foot-well like a single Honda, and can I carry it with one had (despite my 4 back surgeries) like my Honda?

Not sure how buying another $1000 Honda, or a single $1400 Yamaha is cheaper, except I guess I could sell the Honda I have for $600, meaning I would break even vs. replacing my current A/C w/ a Honda compatible unit.

Beside, as I said one post above, I already have a Champion 3100i which is only 1" or so larger in each dimension, and under 10lb heavier than the Yamaha 2400 Yamaha vs. Champion Comparison

I don't mean to sound stubborn, or argumentative, but the generator solution doesn't sound preferable to me.

Might just be easier/cheaper to pair another Honda Eu2000i with cables to run the A/C, both of them in Eco mode. Or a Yamaha EF2400Is model, solo.

Thanks-

Nice to know the combination actually works before I go and drop over $600 anyway!

I can probably sell my 13.5 for something since it has about 10 hours total on it!

I have a 3100w Champion inverter genset that would run the 13.5, but when I use the truck camper, I can easily put the 46# Honda in the truck's rear foot-well, where as the 85# Champion is a bit less "heft-a-ble," and not as compact, but will sit fine in he BED of my P/U when towing the 5th wheel.

bobinyelm wrote:
Yes-

That spec sheet is for the 3PS via the link from another poster.

The specs for the 11,000 BTU 9XX Series Mach 1 you mention is:

Mach 1 9XX Specs

This is lower then the 3 so-called "Power Saver" units.

It would SEEM that my Honda 2000i might run it based on the specs-

These are the specs for the new 9200BTU Polar Cub Casita installs:
Polar Cub 9201 9200 BTU Specs
but many Casita users say their Honda 2000i struggles to start that one (plus due to higher fan speeds for use with R410A it's objectionably noisier than the OLD R-22 Polar Cub Series).

Strange that it is 9200 BTU in the 9XX Series you mention (and makes me wonder why Casita doesn't install the Mach 1PS instead), but the LRA is HIGHER (45.6) vs. the 11,000 BTU Mach 1 LRA at (41.5).

Confusing!

But Click Here is a thread where someone with a truck camper tried using the Coleman Mach 1 PS 11,000 BTU unit you suggest, and it worked fine (at cold temperatures) with a Honda 2000i genset.

I mention that because I noticed that my 5th wheel A/C uses OVER 15a at hot temps (116 deg ambient, but more like 145 deg on asphalt) and tripped its 15a breaker running, yet when the inside air cooled to the 80's (after the A/C had been running a long time) the unit was only drawing around 12 amps. (I've learned carry a clamp ammeter w/ me at all times).

The only way I could keep the breaker in was by pointing a fan at the CB panel until the A/C had cooled the RV interior down a lot. The coolest I could get it it in my 5er was about 87 degrees at the hottest part of the day, but that was AZ parked on an asphalt RV campground lot, a pretty extreme condition which I mention only because A/Cs take a LOT more current in high ambient temps (The Coleman chart in the link shows 25% more in desert conditions, in fact) .

There are still older, 8xx Coleman Mach 1 Power Saver 11,000 BTU's being sold. It's very possible the individual in this Nov 2013 link had an 8xx series Coleman Mach 1 Power Saver 11,000 BTU with a higher LRA.

FWIW (and it may be worth little--lol!!), I've run my 13,500 Dometic a/c with an LRA of 63 amps with one EU2000i with the ECO mode off. I have also seen one EU2000i power a 9xx Coleman Mach 1 Power Saver 11,000 BTU in southern AZ heat (108 deg day temps; 90 deg night temps) for 48 hours straight with the ECO mode on.

Ref your comments about changing conditions, if you click on the links in my first post in this thread, you'll note Coleman gives some specs under extreme desert conditions.

In any case, there are no guarantees, only calculated risks. As always YMMV.

Good luck!

Yes-

That spec sheet is for the 3PS via the link from another poster.

The specs for the 11,000 BTU 9XX Series Mach 1 you mention is:

Mach 1 9XX Specs

This is lower then the 3 so-called "Power Saver" units.

It would SEEM that my Honda 2000i might run it based on the specs-

These are the specs for the new 9200BTU Polar Cub Casita installs:
Polar Cub 9201 9200 BTU Specs
but many Casita users say their Honda 2000i struggles to start that one (plus due to higher fan speeds for use with R410A it's objectionably noisier than the OLD R-22 Polar Cub Series).

Strange that it is 9200 BTU in the 9XX Series you mention (and makes me wonder why Casita doesn't install the Mach 1PS instead), but the LRA is HIGHER (45.6) vs. the 11,000 BTU Mach 1 LRA at (41.5).

Confusing!

But Click Here is a thread where someone with a truck camper tried using the Coleman Mach 1 PS 11,000 BTU unit you suggest, and it worked fine (at cold temperatures) with a Honda 2000i genset.

I mention that because I noticed that my 5th wheel A/C uses OVER 15a at hot temps (116 deg ambient, but more like 145 deg on asphalt) and tripped its 15a breaker running, yet when the inside air cooled to the 80's (after the A/C had been running a long time) the unit was only drawing around 12 amps. (I've learned carry a clamp ammeter w/ me at all times).

The only way I could keep the breaker in was by pointing a fan at the CB panel until the A/C had cooled the RV interior down a lot. The coolest I could get it it in my 5er was about 87 degrees at the hottest part of the day, but that was AZ parked on an asphalt RV campground lot, a pretty extreme condition which I mention only because A/Cs take a LOT more current in high ambient temps (The Coleman chart in the link shows 25% more in desert conditions, in fact) .

I hear ya.

I'm a Tinsmith, so duct work and air handling is what I do. So, for me it would be a piece of cake. In fact, I modded a mini-school bus, so my particular skills and experience came in very helpful.

Yes, a rear window install may be best in your case. I basically re-created an outdoor environment, inside the bus, by building one exhaust and two fresh air plenums. But in the extreme heat, there's too much heat build up, so I need to install three 12v fans to assist with air flow. But with a window install, you won't encounter such issues.

Nice little camper, btw. I sometimes wish I went that route.

bobinyelm wrote:

dahkota wrote:
Coleman Mach 3 p.s.

The Locked Rotor Amps is pretty high for a Honda 2000i, and the running wattage is awfully close to the max wattage to the max for the genset, which I'd like to avoid.

Mach 3 PS Specs

These specs are for the older, discontinued, 8xx series Coleman Mach Power Saver. The newer 9xx series have much lower LRA/running amps (see my previous post for the 9xx series specs).

dahkota wrote:
Coleman Mach 3 p.s.

The Locked Rotor Amps is pretty high for a Honda 2000i, and the running wattage is awfully close to the max wattage to the max for the genset, which I'd like to avoid.

Mach 3 PS Specs

jrnymn7 wrote:
Or maybe a window shaker installed on the roof, ducted in?

I got lucky and found a brand new Danby 5100 for $50, and installed it in its own duct system, but it really struggles once the temps get over 95F. I'll be adding some 12v fans to help with its fresh air and exhaust air movement. My camper's all metal, so that doesn't help either. The OP's unit is fiberglass? So that would help. But at those Texas Temps...

I looked up a "Danbi5100" and it appears to be a window unit (of which I have 2 similar nearly-new units). My truck camper is pretty tall already, and adding another 18" and cobbing together some sort of way to tie it into the 14" square hole in the top (on which the roof unit is currently installed) doesn't sound like a really good plan.

To be honest. mounting it in the wall at the rear through an enlarged window opening Picture Link sounds preferable, though I really don't want to butcher my back wall, either, unless I could somehow make it interchangeable with an attractive rear-window for non-summer use.

I wish there were a similar unit made in a low-profile ceiling configuration, though the probable low volume of sales would make it uneconomical to manufacture, I guess.

This may stir up some creative juices?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHDT5ZEpKkw