Air Con - Worth The Extra? (1 Viewer)

norfolkenchants

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We are eagerly waiting for our first motorhome to be built -April delivery. It's a Vantage Neo van conversion and one of the options is a roof mounted air con unit for the habitation area. We are mostly going to tour in the UK. My question is - does anyone have any experience of these units? Are they worth the money and are they noisey? I appreciate there are quite a few different models out there but any advice would be much appreciated.
 

DuxDeluxe

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A good question..........

We tour mainly UK and decided that habitation aircon wasn't worth it as the days when you really need it are relatively few and the nights, where it is really useful, even fewer. An endless breeze cooling fan does the job for us at night if needed and the act of sitting outside works for us during the day.

It is horses for courses - the AC will only work when you are hooked up......... so please bear that in mind
 

Mousy

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Oh your post has given me a twinge (of envy), we were going to buy a neo from Scott but the 7 months wait time for an auto made us pause. Congrats lovely vans, as to air con, we weren't going to have it cos Scott said even when they go abroad the side and rear doors are so open, van stays cool.
I'm presuming if it's hot enough in the uk to need it, you'd be outside in the daytime so it would be on for sleeping, which would restrict you to EHU all the time. Are you planning on wild camping?

We were going to try it without for a season then if needed have it fitted when the hab check was done. :thumb:

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DBK

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The problem with A/C is you get used to it! By that I mean when I lived in Belize, which was exceptionally humid (99% at times) I had an air conditioned office, which was fine but when you went outside in the day the heat and humidity knocked you for six. Others, who didn't have A/C in their offices and had actual windows (I worked in a bunker) got used to the heat and humidity.

I have also lived in Kuwait where A/C was more or less essential. Before A/C no one moved during the day but sat wherever they could catch a breeze - in some places they built "wind towers" to generate a breeze artificially.

I have also camped in a little tent in Jordan (Wadi Rhum) and by mid-morning it was too hot to move in late May so we used to get in the car and go for a drive to enjoy the A/C in the car!

In the UK I wouldn't bother with A/C unless you suffer from heat (i.e. to put it indelicately you are probably grossly overweight) and for Europe I wouldn't bother either although if you want to go to say Greece in the height of summer you would certainly appreciate it but you would have to accept the A/C is going to do its best to keep you trapped in your MH during most of the day!

My advice, unless you need it on medical grounds, is avoid A/C except in the cab and choose places to go where the temperature is reasonable, so hot countries in Spring or Autumn, northern Europe in the summer.
 

Forestboy

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Our last 3 vans have all had aircon fitted and in 7 years I don't reckon we've used it 6 times and we've been all over UK Europe & North Africa. A lot of sites abroad probably don't have the power on ehu to run it anyway. If I was buying a new van I wouldn't fit it a good roof vent decent blinds and small fan does the job perfectly.
 

MikeD

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Habitation air con

We have a dometic freshlight fitted.

We have never found the need to use it in the UK but if you tour abroad it will become more useful.

Our freshlight is not too efficient so does not really chill the van and whilst it is almost silent when in operation for your neighbours it does make a fair old racket inside.

I could not sleep with it running.

But it does reduce the humidity in the van so makes a comfortable sleeping environment. :thumb::thumb:

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Dec 6, 2011
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it will also affect your available payload,:Eeek: with the local weather i guess in uk you would use it maybe 2 weeks every 5 yeras :Blush::ROFLMAO:::bigsmile:
 

Moodybrook

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A good question..........

We tour mainly UK and decided that habitation aircon wasn't worth it as the days when you really need it are relatively few and the nights, where it is really useful, even fewer. An endless breeze cooling fan does the job for us at night if needed and the act of sitting outside works for us during the day.

It is horses for courses - the AC will only work when you are hooked up......... so please bear that in mind


We have gone down the "Endless Breeze" route too £38, it is as new ! off fleabay, so hope you are right. Have looked at air con but the power consumption was always the stumbling block. Extra batteries and solar a better investment.
 
Jul 1, 2012
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Fellow Neo owner, no AC.
really hot weekend this summer drove coachbuilt owners outside but we were fine inside with side and back doors open.
Paul

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Tootles

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We have a Trav-L-Cool unit fitted to the roof, not strictly an air-con, but it draws cool water from the tank, passes it through a heat transfer system, and the air being drawn in is quite cool. You can also use it as an extractor when cooking in the MH. Works on 12volts, but has about a 6 amp power drain.



Here's some Bumpf on the Trav-l-cool:

High temperatures in your motorhome can make touring stressful. The Trav-l-cool evaporative air cooler will provide comfortable internal temperatures while on the move and when the engine is off. Evaporative process does not require 240 Volts or very high 12 volt currents. The windows can stay closed to increase the cooling capacity, providing additional security particularly at night. The Trav-l-cool uses no fuel and is environmentally friendly. Complete with separate pumped water system
which feeds the evaporator of the roof unit with water. Pump, piping & container supplied in kit. Due to the evaporative process, the external fresh air is cooled before being blown inside the motorhome, the heat is dissipated into the external atmosphere.
• Cools stationary or moving vehicles, Aerodynamic casing minimises wind resistance.
• Slim styled internal diffuser has 4-way adjustable air distribution outlets. Reversible fan can be used as extractor to draw out hot air or draw in fresh air as required. Dust and dirt particles filtered out of airflow. Fresh air scoop while travelling, with power ‘off’. Cools all night on low fan setting. Quiet in operation providing optimal sleeping comfort, even when temperatures outside are high.
• LIGHTWEIGHT unit, weighs only 8 KG ( DRY ) on roof, easy to install on any roof without the need to reinforce structure in build.
• Fits standard 14” x 14” roof vent opening, will easily adapt to 400 sq vent apertures. Easy to retrofit to existing vehicles. With careful installation, unit can be easily transferred when changing vehicle. Once removed simply re-install roofvent.
• As fitted by Hymer, Euromobil & Burstner Germany.
• We have had excellent results will Trav-l-cool units fitted to our own motorhomes. They provide sufficient cooling power to acclimatise to the ambient temperatures,yet provide a haven of cool to get out of the heat.
• The addition of a 75 watt solar panel would provide enough power for a Trav-l-cool to run 24 hours a day on low setting, and still be able to put a charge in the battery.

TECHNICAL DATA
Dry weight 8 kg
Voltage 12 V DC and 24 V DC versions
Amps Hi - 5 Amps Lo - 3.3 Amps
Size Length 805mm
Width 680mm
Height 180mm above roof
Diffuser 64mm below ceiling
Water usage Unit consumes ca 0.5 to 1 ltr per hour
Performance
Outside temp. Outside relative humidity Inside temp.
32oC 40 % 26oC
30oC 60 % 23oc

Available, I am told, through CAK Tanks
 
Last edited:

pappajohn

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nice if its already fitted to a van but not worth the extra money as an addition in the uk....we dont have enough sun for long enough.

if you plan on spending extended periods in Southern France or Spain then yes, worth the outlay.

we have two roof units but only turn them on to excersize them.

they dont perform well if left unused for long periods....seals etc tend to dry out and compressor oil settles out causing problems.
 

Jim

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We've always used a fan on those horrible hot days. We had two of them on an RV but never used them, even in Spain in high Summer. A fan is better and was quieter.

I too now have an endless breeze fan, a great deal from Techno100:thumb:

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pappajohn

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not much info on the trav l cool unit in english but the euro cost is around €654.

a lot of money to realise just 6 or 7 degrees below ambient temperature.

32c outside...26c inside
30c outside...23c inside
 

ourcampersbeentrashed

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How often in England do we need air con?

What will you use your motorhome for?

If you are going to be inside all the time well then yes perhaps consider aircon, but if you are only using it for sleeping in and eating in when its wet then just get a cheap fan
 

Mel

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My Dometic air con is also a heater .

Mel

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MikeD

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it will also affect your available payload,:Eeek: with the local weather i guess in uk you would use it maybe 2 weeks every 5 yeras :Blush::ROFLMAO:::bigsmile:

Yes - forgot that. 40 kilos just where you don't need or want it. :Eeek:
 

Snowbird

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We have a Trav-L-Cool unit fitted to the roof, not strictly an air-con, but it draws cool water from the tank, passes it through a heat transfer system, and the air being drawn in is quite cool. You can also use it as an extractor when cooking in the MH. Works on 12volts, but has about a 6 amp power drain.



Here's some Bumpf on the Trav-l-cool:

High temperatures in your motorhome can make touring stressful. The Trav-l-cool evaporative air cooler will provide comfortable internal temperatures while on the move and when the engine is off. Evaporative process does not require 240 Volts or very high 12 volt currents. The windows can stay closed to increase the cooling capacity, providing additional security particularly at night. The Trav-l-cool uses no fuel and is environmentally friendly. Complete with separate pumped water system
which feeds the evaporator of the roof unit with water. Pump, piping & container supplied in kit. Due to the evaporative process, the external fresh air is cooled before being blown inside the motorhome, the heat is dissipated into the external atmosphere.
• Cools stationary or moving vehicles, Aerodynamic casing minimises wind resistance.
• Slim styled internal diffuser has 4-way adjustable air distribution outlets. Reversible fan can be used as extractor to draw out hot air or draw in fresh air as required. Dust and dirt particles filtered out of airflow. Fresh air scoop while travelling, with power ‘off’. Cools all night on low fan setting. Quiet in operation providing optimal sleeping comfort, even when temperatures outside are high.
• LIGHTWEIGHT unit, weighs only 8 KG ( DRY ) on roof, easy to install on any roof without the need to reinforce structure in build.
• Fits standard 14” x 14” roof vent opening, will easily adapt to 400 sq vent apertures. Easy to retrofit to existing vehicles. With careful installation, unit can be easily transferred when changing vehicle. Once removed simply re-install roofvent.
• As fitted by Hymer, Euromobil & Burstner Germany.
• We have had excellent results will Trav-l-cool units fitted to our own motorhomes. They provide sufficient cooling power to acclimatise to the ambient temperatures,yet provide a haven of cool to get out of the heat.
• The addition of a 75 watt solar panel would provide enough power for a Trav-l-cool to run 24 hours a day on low setting, and still be able to put a charge in the battery.

TECHNICAL DATA
Dry weight 8 kg
Voltage 12 V DC and 24 V DC versions
Amps Hi - 5 Amps Lo - 3.3 Amps
Size Length 805mm
Width 680mm
Height 180mm above roof
Diffuser 64mm below ceiling
Water usage Unit consumes ca 0.5 to 1 ltr per hour
Performance
Outside temp. Outside relative humidity Inside temp.
32oC 40 % 26oC
30oC 60 % 23oc

Available, I am told, through CAK Tanks

Great bit of kit. I have the same thing fitted and although do not have dash air, the TravLcool keeps the van cool during travel and the solars keep on top of the consumption when parked up. They are not as noisy as mains arcon units which I have had in RVs, allowing them to be used at night and still being able to sleep. I believe they are no longer available.
 

DBK

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If you do have A/C a problem is they tend to cut in and out to maintain the set temperature. This can make sleeping difficult so a trick we used in Kuwait in the house was to turn it down to minimum and sleep under a winter weight duvet - but then we weren't paying for the electricity!

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Biged

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Anyone tried the Road Pro fan, its a lot cheaper than the Endless Breeze, is there a reason for that :RollEyes:
 

camcondor

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We have a Waeco roof mounted aircon which can also be used as a heater. Its been a godsend on humid days particularly. We have airconditioning units at home and all the cars have too - would never be without them, but then there are health related reasons for their use - we do actually need them.
 

chrisboyo

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We have aircon on our Autosleeper Sussex Duo, it comes as standard and works well , but

We used it in very hot weather last summer for a few days, but it was a bit noisy at night and of course you have to be on hook up.

In our previous moho we used a standard 9 inch desk fan which we ran on hook up or the inverter, worked fine and we left it run all night

If I had to pay for it as an extra, I would not, as it is expensive, heavy and noisy.

When we used it last year on a site in germany, siitting in the cool while eveyone else melted, we did not know that the elec was metered and the elec bill was treble our friends.:Sad:
Happy (cool ) Daze
Chrisboyo

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Tootles

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Great bit of kit. I have the same thing fitted and although do not have dash air, the TravLcool keeps the van cool during travel and the solars keep on top of the consumption when parked up. They are not as noisy as mains arcon units which I have had in RVs, allowing them to be used at night and still being able to sleep. I believe they are no longer available.

Still available through CAK Tanks.



http://www.caktanks.co.uk/files/cak_catalogue_2012/2012_CAK_Ventilation.pdf
 
Apr 25, 2012
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When we bought the current van with factory fitted habitation aircon, we thought "great!" But we never used it in either Morocco or Spain and have only switched it on occasionally to make sure it actually works!

So my advice is don't bother. Aircon needs a sealed environment to be effective and how often do you get that on site?

Cab aircon is a different matter though and we wouldn't be without it.

::bigsmile:
 

Rapide561

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Hi

I had aircon on a motorhome and thought, yes, its OK but nothing to get over excited about. Anyway, I changed the van and did not fit aircon - I soon had it retro fitted though! I would not be without it. It's a Dometic B2200 system. I would also advise getting a bigger system than the manual suggest. I forget all the model numbers but lets say less powerful unit for a small van, medium unit for a medium van and larger unit for a larger van (the units are the same measurements, I refer to cooling ability). I would got for medium unit small van, large unit medium van.

Russell

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Southampton

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We have the freshlight a/c fitted and whilst we have not really needed it in UK, we used it all the time when in Croatia. The temp was mid to high 30's and humid, so to be able to get some respite from it was bliss. We like the sun but there are times when you need to escape it. Used a table top fan whilst sleeping most of the time although the a/c on low fan speed wasn't to noisy for the occasions we did leave it on. Aircon is not essential but to us it adds a little more comfort and we enjoy it.
 

Cocoro

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I've had an aircon unit on the roof of my last and current van. On occasions I have used it, it has been great to step into the van and experience the cool atmosphere from the heat of the day. However, unless your running it the whole time, it takes quiet some time for it to cool a very hot van, sometimes three or four hours on very hot days!

The noise of roof top units can be tolerated during the day on the lowest fan setting but for me, at night, it's too loud so just when you really need it, you don't use it. Metered electricity on camping sites really makes you question the use of it at all.

If my van had not already had it fitted I would not bother. Or, I would go for the underfloor units which are much quieter and channel the cool air at ceiling height to three different locations.

I have an endless breeze fan also which disappointed me with it's noise levels and being able to stand it where it was needed wasn't easy and then was too close for noise comfort. So I decided to place it directly up against an open window at the front of the van blowing out. With only one roof light open above the bed, the fan drew air in over me, through the van and out the front. It worked very well.

If I could be bothered I would remove the aircon to gain the extra loading kilo's and another roof light. But I can't. So I'll use occasionally when a breath becomes hard to take!
 
Jun 22, 2012
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We find the endless breeze brilliant even in august in the South of France. As to the noise, I sleep through anything and apparently my snoring could wake the dead so Nick has earplugs! Will look forward to hearing about the Vantage Neo as that is top of our list for Nicks reitrement in April 2015.:Smile:

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