BajaNomad

Portable, battery powered AC for tents, offroad trailers, and boats in Baja is getting better than ever

JZ - 5-19-2022 at 06:51 PM



advrider - 5-19-2022 at 07:32 PM

I've been looking at this one and one called the cool breeze. The second is an ice chest but not a swamp cooler. It uses ice/ice water to cool the refrigerant in a manifold like a standard AC unit. Runs 6 hours on a rechargeable battery. I'll have to look for some reviews as I need to add AC to my trailer but we don't need it very often so a portable unit might do the job.

mtgoat666 - 5-19-2022 at 07:45 PM

Why would you go tent or rv where you need AC?
The desert is for cool season visits. Pretty stupid to visit the desert in summer.
If I really need AC, I will go to a hotel!

JDCanuck - 5-19-2022 at 08:08 PM

Calcs: Evaporating 1 lb of water absorbs 970 btu of energy, or about 1/13 of a ton of AC.
To get 1 ton of cooling (500 sq ft) you evaporate 13 lb (1.3 gal) of clean water per hour if it is 100% efficient and get the added benefit of high humidity.
What Baja needs is someone to design a combination indirect evaporative cooler/distiller that uses salt water and captures the re condensed water as clean water. But what to do with the brine product remains the issue.

[Edited on 5-20-2022 by JDCanuck]

advrider - 5-19-2022 at 08:53 PM

Good info JDCanuck.

Goat not everyone hides inside because it gets hot, but it's nice to cool things off at night to sleep. There is also the issue of travel and the fact that you could spend some time in warm Climents in the course of getting to your destination. If you never leave the house, you have nothing to worry about!

Bajaboy - 5-20-2022 at 05:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
Good info JDCanuck.

Goat not everyone hides inside because it gets hot, but it's nice to cool things off at night to sleep. There is also the issue of travel and the fact that you could spend some time in warm Climents in the course of getting to your destination. If you never leave the house, you have nothing to worry about!


This will help snowflakes from melting in the heat:lol:

pacificobob - 5-20-2022 at 06:02 AM

The efficiency of evaporative coolers plummets with even a small rise in humidity.

JZ - 5-20-2022 at 08:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob  
The efficiency of evaporative coolers plummets with even a small rise in humidity.


This one isn't a swamp cooler.

Bob and Susan - 5-20-2022 at 02:29 PM

if you put water in it its a "swamp cooler"

JZ - 5-20-2022 at 03:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  
if you put water in it its a "swamp cooler"


It uses R134A refrigerant.

JZ - 5-20-2022 at 03:27 PM

Here is the setup I want to use it in. Only at night to sleep.



mtgoat666 - 5-20-2022 at 04:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Here is the setup I want to use it in. Only at night to sleep.





Half pint:
That tent is about 3 feet long. Even you are too tall for it.

Bob and Susan - 5-20-2022 at 05:43 PM

that thing might work

JZ - 5-20-2022 at 07:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Bob and Susan  
that thing might work


I watched a video where it dropped the temp in a tent from 88 to 72. That was during the day time on an overcast and humid day. I think it would be good for summer nights on the SoC.




[Edited on 5-21-2022 by JZ]

AKgringo - 5-20-2022 at 07:21 PM

From what I could find with a quick search, the basic unit is near a thousand dollars, and will run on an external power source. The battery is another four hundred or so, and will power the unit for about five hours.

I remember back in the early 50's, my dad had a swamp cooler that mounted in the window of his Buick that used water and air flow from driving to cool the interior of the car. Not too useful in city driving, but back before air conditioning was common, it made road trips more pleasant!

mtgoat666 - 5-20-2022 at 07:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
From what I could find with a quick search, the basic unit is near a thousand dollars, and will run on an external power source. The battery is another four hundred or so, and will power the unit for about five hours.

I


Sounds like a perfect ACA unit for a one-night trip. How you gonna recharge it put-putting around on an outboard 22’ bayliner?

JZ - 5-20-2022 at 07:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Sounds like a perfect ACA unit for a one-night trip. How you gonna recharge it put-putting around on an outboard 22’ bayliner?


It's pretty energy efficient. In rocket mode it draws 168 watts. In sleep mode it draws 105. Boats typically have 3 or 4 very large deep cycle house batteries. Can easily run it w/o the battery using an inverter and their adapter.

Or you can stack two of the batteries together. Can also charge them when using the unit.

These days there are also very capable external power sources based on lithium battery technology. That might be the way to go when tent camping.


[Edited on 5-21-2022 by JZ]

AKgringo - 5-20-2022 at 08:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
From what I could find with a quick search, the basic unit is near a thousand dollars, and will run on an external power source. The battery is another four hundred or so, and will power the unit for about five hours.

I


Sounds like a perfect ACA unit for a one-night trip. How you gonna recharge it put-putting around on an outboard 22’ bayliner?


I imagine that if you can put-put, you can charge-charge 12 volts!

pacificobob - 5-21-2022 at 03:02 PM

Is the condenser outside the air conditioned space or is it ducted outside?

JZ - 5-21-2022 at 07:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob  
Is the condenser outside the air conditioned space or is it ducted outside?


Ducted outside.

JDCanuck - 5-22-2022 at 07:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Here is the setup I want to use it in. Only at night to sleep.




Thats a pretty tiny space alright, and if you added a small solar panel to it for power, might be very useful, as any drop in those temps would be welcome. Not a good spot forr swamp coolers for sure.

JDCanuck - 5-22-2022 at 07:17 PM

I would want ducted intake for the condenser too, dual hose system, or even better locate the unit outside the fly and just blow the cooled air in. Why is it so bloody cold here right now, I've been running the heat pump steady to maintain 23 degrees inside. This is Baja, not Wisconsin.

JDCanuck - 5-22-2022 at 07:21 PM

By the way...I still owe Gnukid that meal I promised him for the tip on monoclonal antibodies...time to collect as I'm flying home end of the month. Give me a U2U. And yes JZ...i owe you too but unless you make it to La Paz sometime when we are here, I dunno how i will get it to you.

[Edited on 5-23-2022 by JDCanuck]

RFClark - 5-29-2022 at 07:49 PM

https://velitcamping.com/pages/about-us

Site has a new (to me) 12/24VDC RV roof mounted AC for small spaces.

pacificobob - 5-30-2022 at 10:38 AM

60 Amps that should run for about 3 hours on a deep cycle battery. [3hrs=180amp hours]
.

RFClark - 5-30-2022 at 08:00 PM

I’d run it at 24VDC from 2- 150A Li Batteries. Full power draw is 30A/24V, at night in an insulated space 10-15A after cooldown so at a 20A average 14-15hrs runtime. Recharge from solar 600Watts or your alternator in about 6 hrs.

JZ - 5-31-2022 at 08:35 AM

You could mount that on a hard shell roof top pop up tent.

Would be a sweet setup.

advrider - 5-31-2022 at 08:25 PM

That unit looks very promising, I'm going to look at one for my trailer. I have four lithium batteries and 450 watts of solar. It looks like its made to fit in a roof vent/fan opening. If so I can remove one of two fans and be ready to go.