1200 solar plus 900 battery 😅 now that’s a sweet setup. Might be worth the swap in the future.

It truly is. Simple to install, affordable, and efficient.

Very cool! I would have done the same, but I was concerned with it getting dirty and being more difficult to clean. But they are a worthy I investment, especially in this heat.

I'm on the fence in doing this for daughter's transit van. Tried all other AC options. Are you running strictly off solar and battery and if so, how much?

@@prepparig144 400 watts solar, dcdc, and 400ah lithium batteries.

@@prepparig144 I have 800 W Solar and like 500 usable Amp Hours. No DC-DC charging as I like the idea of only using solar. The AC takes 50-60Amps when the compressor kicks on and it has a duty cycle of 25-75% depending on solar loading and outside temperature. The indoor blower pulls ~5-10 amps depending on speed. During the peak of the day I get 40-50 amps from solar so if I am not in the office and am inside the van the AC is basically straight off solar at that point. I get nearly 4kWh of charge each day and am maybe losing 10-15% charge when the outside high is over 90F. So I can only do 4 or so days of consistent high temperatures before I start worrying about having enough battery for everything else. I am thinking about getting another 200 useable amp hours of battery capacity to increase this range. You do need to have a fan or other way to move the air around the van as with the way it stands the AC will mainly cool off the back half of the van - especially noticeable during the day.

@@adventureroadtrippersHow is it performing a year in? Would you say most times it runs around 100w? I have a BLUETTI power station and trying to determine how much I’ll need to expand if I just want to run at night for sleeping. Thanks great video.

Exciting. It’s working great for $800. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

It's great! Affordable, simple to install, cools efficiently, and can run off a small battery bank.

Glad to hear we can inspire someone from a simple video. It’s hot in Florida and this ac is game changing.

Go for it!

Thank you. I couldn’t find much info when we decided to install this one which is why I shared the clips I had during install hoping it could help someone.

Thanks!

Thank you! 😊

Thank you 😊

They just became a thing because I've been researching for years, seems like Chinese were made aware of the popularity of van life and seized the opportunity as usual..

@@RealizniguhNit These have been around for a while, but their use is in semi-trucks. I just figured if it works to cool a truck cab it should cool a van.

@@adventureroadtrippers From what I've seen they've been a thing in Asia but not in the American market unless u were in business..

Exactly! 🙌🏼

if you have a long sprinter or transit you can mount the condensor under the van behind the differential, i have a 06 sprinter and it fit and work great and i have 600 watts of solar so on low with the sun out it still charge my battery while running the ac

I've been looking into mounting one of these under my sprinter. Did you remove the compressor from the casing to mount yours? I have a 170" Sprinter. Any chance you could send me a picture of your setup, I'd appreciate it!

We’ve got a 170 extended sprinter but elected to go with a 12 volt Dometic unit. Works fine and takes up no space to speak of. A tad more expensive, but a lot quieter than a mini. Run it all night on eco mode.

This specific unit is 9000 btu which is enough for a van but I don’t see it efficiently cooling anything larger. However, they have bigger units like 13,500 which seems to be the standard size for RV 110 units. I went with 9000 because my battery bank is only 400ah.

Thanks 😊

I'm extremely happy with it. All the videos I saw people had battery banks of 540+ah to run 12v units. With only 400 I didn't think it was possible, but it definitely is. I can run it all night with only 20% and during the day solar and dc-dc help to charge back up. In South Florida we need to have it on almost 24/7 and it's very quiet. It cools VERY quickly and easily maintains a comfortable temperature. I remove the thermal curtain during the day (on with velcro) and it does cool the entire van; I have insulated window covers.Go for it!

I have kw t 2000 is very good special for sleep and buy new batteries good luck

Yeah I was thinking to do that in my truck instead paying 15k for an apu that is going to break down anyway. These 12V dc mini split A/C units are running from 500 to 750 on eBay. I have Chinese bunk heater unit installed myself for 150 once my thousand bucks webasto broke down. Two years down the road that Chinese bunk heater is still running flawlessly

It’s a backpack-style unit designed to be installed vertically on a semi-truck. However, it can also be mounted on the roof or underneath the van.

Thank you! It's awesome 👍

@@adventureroadtrippers it really is, congrats!

It is one full “cover” piece. Only the circle vents are separate. I don’t see how you could attach a vent to those.

@@adventureroadtrippers I decided to get one, the circler vents can be popped out and a hose can go through, but you'll need some foam to help the hose stay in place, unless you somehow find a hose that's the exact size for it

Solar helps, but does not offset. I have a dcdc charger.

Roamfish Magnetic Screen Door Curtain Fits Door Sizes: 36×82 Inch, with Thermal Weatherproof Anti Energy Loss, Reduce Noise (Grey) a.co/d/aKG95Sx

Sorry, I’m not an hvac expert. I would ask the sellers on Amazon. They have been helpful.

Thank you 🙂 I bought 2 bottle of refrigerant and the vacuum pump. I read auto part stores will rent the pump.

@@adventureroadtrippers thank you.

I have 400ah lithium batteries and can run it all night at 70-72°F using 20-25% of the battery. During the day solar and dc-dc help as well.

@@adventureroadtrippers good deal. i have one other question. how many btu's is the ac. Thank You for the response.

9k btu this is the unit: RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

@@adventureroadtrippers thank you so much

I had it on 24/7 Fri-Sun. I run it at 23°C with fan level 2 and only have it cooling the bed area instead of the entire van. It did get down to 48% at one point. Solar helps but doesn’t offset. I did also have the refrigerator, lights, 4 gallon water heater, and used the microwave several times. I do drive a little each day and just 30-60 minutes will recharge the batteries back up.

On my specifically, the thermostat goes up to about 80°F, so it could kind of work if no other heater was available. But some do have a heat pump.

Thanks! 12v Air Conditioner: watts at different temperatures kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eJlxoticm9GqgYk.html My battery bank is small at 400ah lithium and can run all night (8 hrs) with 20-25%. I do run it during the day as well, but I have 400w solar and dc-dc helping.

What do you mean when you say you can "run all night with 20-25%?" Does that mean that it only uses 20-25% of your 400ah of battery to run all night or something else? Also, what brand and BTUs is your unit? How long have you been using your unit now and have you had any problems with it? Can you open and close the door it is mounted on without any problem? I would normally be attached to shore power or running a 120v ac generator. I guess I would need to use an inverter to convert ac to dc. Would this work ok? @@adventureroadtrippers

@@victorhoye6116 I do NOT use an inverter and I have NEVER hooked up to shore power. This is purposefully a smaller ac at 9000 btus that can run on my 400ah battery bank while still being able to use a 4 gallon water heater, microwave, induction stove, keurig, air fryer, etc everyday. I can use the ac 8-10 at night only using about 25% of the battery bank. If I chose to run it longer or during the day I can as solar and dcdc charging help offset. If you need something bigger, there are bigger units (more btu) in the same style. I’ve been using it for 5 months now and would install the same one again.

@@adventureroadtrippers thanks for ur input. Do I need a 400 amp lithium battery or can I connect directly to my Duel Bank 720 cranking amp x2 battery’s under seat transit van.

Thank you that’s good to know. We used Super Tech 134a refrigerant- no mention of sealer 👍

It could cool the entire van. I just have it cooling the bed area to conserve battery. If it was hooked up to shore power, I would remove the curtain- it’s on with Velcro.

@@adventureroadtrippers Perfect. Thank you. I have a shuttle bus that's almost ready to travel with but I'm using it as my temporary office in town. I got a 5k BTU portable ac unit to run on 120V from the grid but I don't think it will be enough when it gets really hot.

@@brazilianredneck How exciting! This unit is 8000 btu so slightly bigger than yours but it does come in other options upto 13500.

@@adventureroadtrippers Thanks for letting me know. When I was looking at it, the ad said 2600W of cooling power but I was wondering about the BTUs.

Raptor Liner in Olive Green 😁

@@adventureroadtrippers thank you so much for responding 🫶🏾

10am inline came that way.

10amp inline fuse- came that way. Good luck.

On the gauge it will drop to 0 when empty. We did it twice to be sure. We did not know this then, but you can google a chart that tells you based on the temp how much you need to fill.

​@adventureroadtrippers do you happen to know if the AC isn't icy if you can evacuate the system and start again to recharge it? We may have not reached the necessary psi for our temperature.

I was concerned with the weight before installing, but then realized it’s not really that heavy. So far no issues. I’ve had weight on the doors for years before the ac without realizing it (water hose, filter, extension cords, electrical hook up adapters, surge protectors, shovel, etc) 😅 I just swapped that weight for the AC.

Thanks for making a video!!

There a a multitude of after-market equipment...spare tire racks, ladders, large equipment lockers/"gear boxes" that have been mounted on van doors for years. Even compared to a rack with a full size spare tire, this ac unit is nothing.

You can repurpose that water. As it's nothing but distilled water. They can make 5 gallons of water everyday. Use it to shower with. Cook, and Wash dishes..If you filter it. You can drink it..

The hose goes from the bottom of the ac unit into the door through the panel. It runs all the way to the bottom of the door and out a 1” hole where the weather stripping is. The water that drains exits the van as it sits lower and past where the van floor ends.

@@adventureroadtrippers Nice, must be a fitting or something to hold the hose in place at the bottom. I'll figure it out, thank you for the reply.

Would be a perfect souce of water for a pre-cool evap for the condenser coils.

@@johngalt97 Some AC units include a sling fan. It captures the condensation in a pan. Then tosses it over the coils...But I found they use all the water. You don't get to capture anything...

You can stealth came with the ac on! It’s not loud at all. The Maxxair fan is louder 😂 Obviously outside it’s makes more noise when the compressor turns on, but it’s not loud enough for the vehicle next to you to even know you’re running the ac.

It’s still working amazing. The only thing different would be the cables to the battery. Instead of going out the side through the door mechanism slot we just went out the front panel to not put strain on it. Other than that no issues with the hinges (most people’s concern).

400w solar and 400ah lithium batteries. I can run it all night (8 hours at 18-21°F without issues). I can also run it during the day and while solar helps it doesn’t offset. I do have an induction cooktop, microwave, electric water heater, air fryer, 95dz Dometic fridge with freezer running, etc that draw a lot of power but I make sure to drive some each day since the dcdc is the best way to charge back up. By adding an insulated curtain I only need to cool 1/4th of the van which cools quickly and efficiently. This particular unit is 9,000 btu so with 400ah you can have air conditioning. I have insulated window covers for all windows and fans.

@@adventureroadtrippers good info you shared here. thanks

RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Amazon.

I have not tried it. I know the temperature setting goes up really warm. Before deciding on an ac I had installed a Webasto gas heater, so I won’t be using this for heat. But it is nice to know there is a backup source. Also I’m in South Florida where it’s always over 90°F inside the van and very difficult to test that feature. I can always try it out in Winter where I’ll be in the mountains.

I have 400ah of lithium batteries. Running the ac 6-8 hour at night at 22°C with fan on level 2 will consume 25% of the battery. During the day solar helps as does the dcdc charger.

Thanks 😊...mine is 120 volt a/c ..but i want 12 volt one l got only 2 solar 200 watts 100 watts battery not sure if works.

Yes, you can install on the roof or under the van. I chose not to install under only because it would be inconvenient to clean (at least for me). There is another model (rectangle instead of backpack style) that is smaller and might be easier to install underneath.

@@adventureroadtrippers ah yeah, I know which model you’re taking about. I really like how you guys put the unit on the door. How flexible are the high pressure and low pressure lines? I’m wondering if they will be able to bend around the door conduit so that I can mount the compressor under the van, and the evaporator on the door.

They are pretty flexible. I was able to wrap them to install all 10 feet of both lines behind the evaporator, but it was just too thick to put the panel back on (that’s why I routed them through the door length instead).

RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It’s not. It makes about as much noise as the maxxair fan on the roof. I’ve heard horror stories about people not being able to sleep with their roof mount ac, but I have no issues with this one and can use it anywhere since it doesn’t bother the neighbors. It’s also very quiet outside.

@@adventureroadtrippers thank you!

RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric Air Conditioner, RV Truck Excavator Engineering Vehicle Agricultural Vehicle Bus Van 12V Parking Air Condition (12V voltage) www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_QFN5G3D27RW4WSCSP246

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eJlxoticm9GqgYk.htmlsi=4eh-9bz7NkxpsGaC

12v Air Conditioner: watts at different temperatures kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eJlxoticm9GqgYk.html

Why?

It’s very quiet; unlike the rooftop Dometic Penguin II in my travel trailer.

The noise is also outside.

@@adventureroadtrippers Nice work, there are apps that will measure DB level, I think that will be very useful to post.

Thank you, I’ll look into that.

$700

RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share This is the one I installed, but shop around.

Thank you!! Looks like I will need to upgrade to more Amp Hours for COMFORT.....to stay cool!!!!

It’s not loud. You can hear the compressor kick on, but it won’t wake us up or anything. I prefer this a million times over the Dometic Penguin II I have in the travel trailer- now that thing is loud.

@@adventureroadtrippers Thank you!

Correct. I wanted to run it off the 400ah batteries I have without worry of running too low and it works perfectly using only 20-25%.

The entire van cools nicely. It just depends for how long you’re willing to run it on high (800w). To help it cool faster I cover the cab windows with insulated window covers. I cover both maxxair fans with covers. The middle windows have Velcro covers. If I’m not sitting in the cab I use a curtain to not cool that area. If I’m in the bed I use an insulation curtain to only cool the bed. The smaller the area it needs to cool the less battery it consumes. When it cycles off it’s running at about 50w. I find the temp to be comfortable at 70-72°F and it can get there very quickly (even when it’s 100°F outside).

Had it for 6 months now and it’s still the best van upgrade.

It’s going strong! I love this simple ac.

This is the one I got, but there are similar ones on Amazon and even cheaper on Alibaba if you are willing to wait a month or so for shipping. RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

RV65F Universal 12V DC Electric... www.amazon.com/dp/B0B391ZXZ8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

8000

@@adventureroadtrippers thanks 8000 is a decent size.

a.co/d/0nuLM1m. You could ask the seller about the heat. I know the temperate setting come up pretty high.

@@adventureroadtrippers Does this mini split produce heat at all? If so, what outdoors temperature range have you been able to get heat from the mini split inside your van?

We can't seem to make anything economically anymore... China is eating our lunch with innovation.

Unit is 9000 btu.

The entire roof should be solar panels

@@nordic5490 For keeping your whole vehicle in the hot sun all day! Not me I'll get a generator and rechargeables first because they work in the shade.

If your roof is covered with solar panels then even in full sun it is still technically in the shade. Do us a favor and put your generator exhaust right next to your window.

It's was never meant to be a video. I recorded clips along our install and later pieced them together and realized they showed enough to tell a story of how we installed this unit. I shared it thinking part of it it could help someone.

The unit is intended to be mounted vertically isn't it? @@adventureroadtrippers

@@victorhoye6116 yes, this one is a backpack style. There are similar one that are more rectangular which may be better for mounting underneath.