Best Way To Add A/C to a older trailer?

[jimx200]

I'm helping out my sister by trying to find a used trailer under 20'. I did find a Forest River model in great shape, but it does not have A/C and since we are in California, it's pretty much needed at times.

What's the easiest/best solution? Generator running a portable unit, having a roof A/C installed, or? Anyone know ballpark cost of the first two solutions? Thanks much.

[Gulfcoast]

My 2018 rooftop A/C is very noisy and would not be my choice if I had to spend the big money to replace it.

[CavemanCharlie]

I agree that a Window AC unit is the cheapest and possibly the best option. But,, unfortunately,, these days with the way people are you will have to keep it hidden at a lot of parks. People will "Look down their nose at you" if you have a window unit sticking out the side of your camper. And, some parks will not allow it.

If you build it into the camper as Gdetrailer has said, and you keep it looking nice then that is helpful and you should be OK.

Have a nice Day

[Gdetrailer]

ajriding wrote:
I still suggest that the roof unit is the best option.
Not because of price, or sound, or any other suggesting, but that this is what 99% of RVs use and is what the industry uses. It is made to cool RVs. On the roof it is out of the way, and does not block anything inside. Resale value...
Most likely the wiring is already there. The wiring is just 3 wires, white, black and green, and this will match the 3 wires in the AC unit.


The split units are iffy. Cheap ones are going to disappoint. Good ones will be expensive. The ones that use the tubes to move air in or out of the camper may not be a good choice. this puts everything outside and then u have to cover it. Some of the portables bring in hot outside air, cool it and the cool air has to leak out of the camper somewhere as the AC only brings in outside air. This is taking hot air and cooling it, rather than recirculating cooled air and making it cooler. The ones with two tubes will recirculate the air at least.

A window unit is great if you can make it fit.

Looking for efficiency? How does that matter? How much gas will that save in the generator really?

If it is "an older trailer", is it REALLY going to help or improve "resale value"?

The answer is NO.

You probably would have to go back into the 1990s to find a trailer that did not have a A/C included from factory. My guess is the trailer the OP is talking about would be before 2000 and really an new RV roof mounted A/C unit would be worth more than the RV its self.

Get over "resale value" it is non existent, RVs lose value, you buying it for your pleasure, pretty much a hobby and with any hobby, pretty darn near everything in the hobby world is worth less when you attempt to sell it.

I am a bit with you on the split units, insanely expensive to start with for the cooling power you get, difficult to find the outdoor unit which runs on 120V (most split units are setup for 220V), pretty hard to find a split unit which is not a heat pump (more expensive and less reliable).

As far as window units efficiency goes, not about "saving gas" it is about getting MORE COOLING PER WATT. A 11K BTU window unit draws less current than the beloved "RV 13.5K roof air" and yet will give you pretty much the SAME COOLING CAPACITY as the 13.%K RV Roof air.

My current trailer with TWO window air units and total of 16.5K BTU can freeze you out on a sweltering 110F day and can operate on a 15A breaker.. I HAVE done that.. Don't try that with a RV A/C..

I also have a "power save mode", your RV A/C does not have that.. With power save, it operates just like your Home sticks and bricks, once the T stat has been satisfied, not only does the compressor shut down but so does the FAN.. Fan will cycle on for a couple of seconds once and a while so it can check the air temp and once the T stat calls for cooling the fan and compressor starts..

Go ahead and hug your RV A/C, I am not attached to them..

[ajriding]

I still suggest that the roof unit is the best option.
Not because of price, or sound, or any other suggesting, but that this is what 99% of RVs use and is what the industry uses. It is made to cool RVs. On the roof it is out of the way, and does not block anything inside. Resale value...
Most likely the wiring is already there. The wiring is just 3 wires, white, black and green, and this will match the 3 wires in the AC unit.


The split units are iffy. Cheap ones are going to disappoint. Good ones will be expensive. The ones that use the tubes to move air in or out of the camper may not be a good choice. this puts everything outside and then u have to cover it. Some of the portables bring in hot outside air, cool it and the cool air has to leak out of the camper somewhere as the AC only brings in outside air. This is taking hot air and cooling it, rather than recirculating cooled air and making it cooler. The ones with two tubes will recirculate the air at least.

A window unit is great if you can make it fit.

Looking for efficiency? How does that matter? How much gas will that save in the generator really?

[colliehauler]

ppine wrote:
For California consider a evaporative cooler. Then you only need to run a little fan.

I never thought of this because California has a dry climate a evaporative cooler would be less costly to operate as well, excellent idea.

Where I live they don't work well because of high humidity.

[colliehauler]

Best bang for the buck would be a window unit. If there are no financial constraints I would go with a roof top AC for ease of installation. Portable A/C are expensive and inefficient.

Neighbor bought a portable A/C for his trailer would not cool it down. He took it back and bought a bigger portable A/C still would not cool the trailer. He ended up going to a RV shop and had a 15k btu unit installed.

Some new small trailers come with a window unit because they are more inexpensive.

[ppine]

For California consider a evaporative cooler. Then you only need to run a little fan.

[prichardson]

If you go the portable route, be sure to get a model that uses two hoses to the outside and not the single as shown in the link. They are much more effective when used as the primary cooling source.

[patperry2766]

Portable AC

This might be easier assuming the camper has a window that the hot air can be vented out of. The added kicker is that the unit can be used in their house if needed

[TurnThePage]

I would go the mini-split rout.

[Gdetrailer]

ajriding wrote:
The best is the roof unit. There is already a 14.5 inch square hole on the roof and it is likely, most likely, intended to support the 95 lbs or so weight of an AC unit. You can install this yourself if you posses the most basic of skills. It is not hard to do, and these skills you could even learn by watching a few vids.

Depending on the generator size you might want to consider the size AC unit you need. The typical one is a 13,500 BTU size. For small generators of around 2,000 or 2,200 watts you will need a smaller AC unit of about 9,000 BTU. For a 20 foot trailer this might be enough. Keep in mind that as altitude increases the generator power decreases and the AC will be harder to start, so if you want to camp above 5,000 or so then research what gen can run what AC at altitude. Either size will be expensive compared to a window unit.

Installing a window unit is cheap bc they are $99 but would require a lot of modifications to make it work depending where you are able to install it, preferably the back wall.

The mini-split units are nice, yet cost more than a window unit, but will have challenges to install it also. They tend to be more efficient, so a small generator can be used, and I have seen one guy run a split off a roof-full of solar panels, something you can't do with the roof top ACs.

I suggest getting a roof AC unit.

Roof unit is not the "best", it is the EASIEST.

Wall/Window units are much more efficient, because they "splash" the A/C condensate water over the outside cools. RV roof A/Cs do not splash the condensate, they also sit on top of the HOTTEST part of a RV, THE ROOF.

Had a 1980s 20ft TT which when we bought it had no A/C unit, bought a window unit, picked the rear back closet and cut a window A/C size hole to the outside in the bottom of the closet.

Made a aluminum splash pan to go under the unit, cut the bottom of closet door off. A/C rested on some rails I made with 2x2s and only the rear coils of the A/C showed. Disguised that with a metal RV fridge access panel and the side of the trailer I added a intake vent for the A/C.

We were able to use a 11K BTU wall A/C and it would turn the 20ft trailer into a meat freezer..

My current TT, a 26ft one I went with a 10K wall unit in the rear and our dedicated walled off master bedroom in the front has it's own 6.5K BTU unit.. Both are hidden in similar fashion as to our 20ft one was..

Both Window A/C units are quieter than any roof A/C unit I have heard, they make Window units much quieter now days than they used to be.

Cost for both A/C units was $350 vs a roof A/C at $800 plus..

Very comfortable and we even get a REMOTE CONTROL which is real handy..

Not gonna get a remote control with a roof A/C either..

If one is handy, has the vision, has the talent, one CAN adapt..

[enblethen]

Most rigs are wired for a roof air. The wire quite often is located behind the plastic decorative frame. The wire is coiled behind breaker panel.

Could find an AC unit at local salvage yard.

[time2roll]

Easiest is to take it to a dealer and replace one of the 14" roof vents with an air conditioner.
Find a campground with electric power and skip the generator.

[ajriding]

The best is the roof unit. There is already a 14.5 inch square hole on the roof and it is likely, most likely, intended to support the 95 lbs or so weight of an AC unit. You can install this yourself if you posses the most basic of skills. It is not hard to do, and these skills you could even learn by watching a few vids.

Depending on the generator size you might want to consider the size AC unit you need. The typical one is a 13,500 BTU size. For small generators of around 2,000 or 2,200 watts you will need a smaller AC unit of about 9,000 BTU. For a 20 foot trailer this might be enough. Keep in mind that as altitude increases the generator power decreases and the AC will be harder to start, so if you want to camp above 5,000 or so then research what gen can run what AC at altitude. Either size will be expensive compared to a window unit.

Installing a window unit is cheap bc they are $99 but would require a lot of modifications to make it work depending where you are able to install it, preferably the back wall.

The mini-split units are nice, yet cost more than a window unit, but will have challenges to install it also. They tend to be more efficient, so a small generator can be used, and I have seen one guy run a split off a roof-full of solar panels, something you can't do with the roof top ACs.

I suggest getting a roof AC unit.