Any experiences with portable AC units?

[hunter_rv]

I am completely off grid and currently have 2 generators (Honda 2000i and 7000i). I only want to bring out the out the big one for prolong cooling periods and also don't want put the hours on the big one unless absolutely necessary.

Researching the possibly of using one of these portable ac units (between 8.8 -12 amps) as an occasional use ac unit, instead of the 12.5/15k BTU units on the 5th wheel.

Does any one have any experience with this units and also describe how you are venting the unit?

...editing for additional info
this is private land and I do use this as a camp. I am just now starting into solar/wind, but based on info I learned on this site and YouTube, I need a large size set up just for this small size portable unit. So I want to use the small honda 2000 up until the time I really need the run the 15k BTU unit-then I haul the 7000 in. Since it is so big and expensive, it is kept at my house and loaded up on a Kawasaki mule for the transport on the back of the pickup truck. I want to keep the hours low to ensure that this lasts many, many years. The power company quoted we 35k to run power to the site due to the distance and terrain- so I use generators until I can build up solar/wind.

Ideally, I think I can by with a small portable unit 8k BTU, 8.8 amp draw for the bedroom space only.

Thank you.

[SkiingSixPack]

I have successfully cooled both a 13x10 man cave with 9 foot ceilings and the bedroom of a class A. In my cave, the exhaust air goes straight out the wall to the garage... In the MH, the exhaust goes out the window with some foam insulation ... like others have said. It is 9000 BTU.

It works much better than I expected it to when my DW gave it to me 🙂

[Chrisatthebeach]

I used a 5000 btu to get by for a few days when I needed to replace the fan motor. I used cardboard and made a template of the escape exit window and cut a sheet of plywood to the window size and then cut a rectangular hole the exact size of the small ac unit with it centered, I then took foam pipe insulation and put around the outer edge of the plywood, put it in the window opening and used wood wedges to hold it in. The ac slid into the opening in the plywood and I was good to go. The window unit costs less than the portable ac unit, and my experience trying to use the portable was even when the hose was routed through a window the backside of the unit still emitted a lot of heat.

[rockhillmanor]

My neighbors took one of the small bays of their TT and installed slide brackets on it. AND installed a window ac unit inside the bay.

Closed when not using so you didn't see it hanging off the outside and when they wanted to use it all they did was open bay door and slide the ac unit outside. A few minor diy hole in floor above bay to hook up the electricity to it and opening for cool air to enter the TT when on.

Is the slickest, most simplist thing I have ever seen.

[RGar974417]

After camping at Assategue National Park one August, I came up with a way to mount an 8,000 BTU a/c unit in the rear door opening.With the rear door and screen door open, I set the a/c unit on the floor and cut a piece of styrafoam to fit in the opening. Never tried it while camping, but it seemed to work ok at home.

[okhmbldr]

I used an 8k btu portable a/c on my 30' Rinker boat for a few years. Not with a generator, but with a battery and 1000W inverter. The battery would run the A/C for about five hours before being too low to operate the inverter, but that was enough for my purposes. During the day I would charge the battery from the boat motor as we used the boat, Worked for me.
I vented the exhaust out the front hatch. I put a piece of coroplast over the opening with a hole for the vent tube, easy in and out each day.
I think your generator would run a smaller portable A/C, maybe get some dryer vent hose and do an extended vent out your roof vent.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Since your dealing with a permanent location but still off grid, I assume getting enough solar to cover your needs is tough due to tree canopy in summer months , but what about Hydro? Do you have a stream nearby?
www.homepower.com
has some interesting articles on all methods of power generation and savings.

[2oldman]

hunter_rv wrote:
I only want to bring out the out the big one for prolong cooling periods and also don't want put the hours on the big one unless absolutely necessary.

Why not?

[valhalla360]

My rooftop unit draws around 10amp (continuous) so I'm not sure you are looking at much of an improvement unless you go really low BTU. 2000w translates to around 16.5amps at 120v.

The big issue is getting the unit to start up which is typically 2-3 times the continuous amps. Even at 8amps the 2000 will be boarderline starting the unit.

I suspect a better option would be a soft-start unit for the rooftop (after verifying the continuous amps). I believe the 2000i is rated at 1600w continuous or about 13amps. If the soft-start will get you over the hump, you can run the existing unit and not deal with complications.

We had a portable unit on our prior boat and it did a decent job but that was because it was a fraction of the cost of a new marine unit.

[Sam_Spade]

dmck413 wrote:
Get the 2 pipe unit, otherwise you will be exhausting conditioned air to the outside.

THIS is very important.

While you are exhausting cooled air out through the pipe, you will be sucking in HOT air through all the cracks in the walls and floor.....including the black water tank vent every time the stool is flushed !!!! :E

The single pipe units are a cruel joke.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Add a microair easy start kit to the roof air. That coupled with a hybrid inverter may allow the 2000 watt generator to run the roof air.

[RoyB]

Assuming you are going to be in a public location where the use of a generator is allowed. We camp alot off-grid and have found it is most often that generators use is really really restricted. Most of the time they are allowed in public places from 8AM to 10AM and then again from maybe 4:30PM to 8PM. Some public Natl Forest areas allows their use from 8AM to 8PM... We have never found a public place that allowed the use of Generators between 8PM and 8AM the next morning.

Have heard alot of motorhomes running all night long at public camp grounds. Somehow they all seem to get away with it. Maybe folks can't tell if it is the motor running or the generator running all night long??? Who knows - Who cares haha...

Private locations of course is a different situation and they are allowed whenever the camp ground owners allow them...

This would be my first problem to contend with... Where will I be able to use my generators...

I have used my 5K BTU small Window Type Air Conditioner Unit sitting on a shipping pallet on the ground just outside a Tent opening and also setting on a flat board just inside my POPUP trailer sitting in the unused tent bed in my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer with the rear portion of the air conditioner sticking outside of the window flap area running from my 2KW Honda generator just fine. I then would tape up around the openings with duck tape to seal off the tent like fabric.

Google Image

The Portable low BTU air conditioner units are now starting to show up on the market sitting on the floor near a window and using exhaust vents to route hot air to the outside using a window vent panel. Much like what you can find on the internet like shown here...


google image

Perhaps one can find a spot on the trailer to actually cut a hole through wall or mount in a slide window and mount the small air conditioner unit that your small generator will run for these off-road places... these small air conditioners are not real heavy units..

Google image

It has already been beat to death that the 2KW Honda type generators do not do well with the standard 13,500BTU Roof mounted Air Conditioners...

An Ice chest full of ice with a couple of small DC fans mounted in the lid work pretty darn good as well. But of course finding ICE off grid becomes a problem... Cold creek water does pretty if you are setup near the creek bank..

Google image

I am only going through all of this because you are listed as a new member and it might be helpful for you ...

Roy Ken

[dmck413]

Get the 2 pipe unit, otherwise you will be exhausting conditioned air to the outside.

[kerrlakeRoo]

hmmm, interesting, you could possibly get solar to come close to covering AC for at least half a 5 er. If you only needed AC for maybe 3 PM to 8 PM It may keep up.
I would think a panel cut to fit in a window opening would be all thats needed for venting. I dont know if a larger condensate drain pan will be needed or not because of the smaller, low ceiling type of space.

I remembered a remote jobsite, we had a small AC unit that worked well. So I looked up Ductless mini-split type units can be as small as 7000 BTU didnt spend a lot of time but saw those and thought they could work better, compressor would be outside cooling unit only inside, higher SEER ratings but the ones I saw were all 230 volts, but It could be worth exploring.