AirCon or Extractor Fans? (1 Viewer)

[Viv Danks]

So we are newbies, but I am a bit concerned (now don't fall over laughing) that our new motorhome may get too hot. I understand the concept of through flow and draught venting but I was wondering what the collective opinion was on either

After market AirCon (apart from lots and lots of cash) v extractors on the roof vents (such as http://www.fiammastore.com/fiamma-r...-caravans-and-motorhomes/fiamma-turbo-kit-fan)

Would appreciate your thoughts or alternative suggestions

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Proper climate control, if you can get it, is preferable to aircon' & aircon' should be far better than an extractor.

 

[Shrimp]

Air-con is ok but you will need EHU,
Fans are ok but they only move air around.
We open everything and sit in the shade!

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[Odd job]

We have air-conditioning but it's very noisy, also only 1000 watts so only good at night when the heat has cooled. We have got an end less breeze fan we use that more than the air con. Have a look at the air conditioning section on here. Lots of advice there

 

[Kingham]

My last habitation side air con was mounted on my caravan roof and even on its lowest setting, was too noisy for me to sleep with it running. That was the only time I really needed it too

I've never bothered having it fitted to any of the motorhomes for that reason and manage with a fan.

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

A lot depends on where and when you will use the van.

The van we have now came with an omnivent extractor and air con fitted.

We are into our 3rd year and have been in France, Spain and Portugal during the winter. Portugal, Spain France and Italy during spring and early summer. UK during autumn, spring, summer and early winter. We are current in Greece and it has been quite hot on a few occasions.

So far we have used the omnivent extractor on many many occasions, very rarely to cool the van but frequently during cooking.

We have switched the aircon on three occasions. Once when we got the van to see if it worked. Second time was when my grandson was married midsummer in southern Spain and last week to check it still worked as our daughter and her one year old are flying out to Greece soon for a short visit.

We have the air con and if required we will use it to cool the van for a short time before getting into bed. We will not leave it on overnight because as others hsve said it is too noisy.
If we were not due to have visitors and it became too hot we would be in the wrong place at the wrong time and damn well move.

In short unless you wish to spend a lot of time in southern europe during the school summer holidays I think aircon is expensive and unnecessary.

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[Ridgeway]

For us the fact that you can't use HAB aircon when you're driving and only on EHU makes it's worthless. We didn't buy a camper to be connected to a cable.....

Alternatives are 12v fans, vent fans like the Fiamma which we have and going to bed so exhausted that you're going to sleep any way.

If it would work (for sensible money) whilst driving then I would have done a DIY install to keep the children cool in the back on long journeys.

 

[DBK]

For us the fact that you can't use HAB aircon when you're driving and only on EHU makes it's worthless. We didn't buy a camper to be connected to a cable.....

Alternatives are 12v fans, vent fans like the Fiamma which we have and going to bed so exhausted that you're going to sleep any way.

If it would work (for sensible money) whilst driving then I would have done a DIY install to keep the children cool in the back on long journeys.

I'm sure hab A/C could be made to work while driving - it would have to be connected through an inverter of course but I can't see any technical reason why it shouldn't work. Unless for some reason they don't work on the move but I can't see why that should be, fridges work on the move.
If you set up the inverter, as some people have, so it kicks in when the EHU is turned off and then feeds 240v into all the 240v systems on the vehicle the hab A/C wouldn't know it wasn't connected.

 

[Odd job]

For us the fact that you can't use HAB aircon when you're driving and only on EHU makes it's worthless. We didn't buy a camper to be connected to a cable.....

Alternatives are 12v fans, vent fans like the Fiamma which we have and going to bed so exhausted that you're going to sleep any way.

If it would work (for sensible money) whilst driving then I would have done a DIY install to keep the children cool in the back on long journeys.

Ours works while driving and we probably use it more like that than on site. Also because it is a low power unit it will work from the battery for an hour or two

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[Ridgeway]

It can work on the move, but many $$$ are required.....

You need 1000 - 1500w from the inverter and after wastage that a lot of energy going in. The cost I got locally was more than the unit itself for the "drivable" version.

Seems to be a standard on RV's though.

 

[Ridgeway]

Ours works while driving and we probably use it more like that than on site. Also because it is a low power unit it will work from the battery for an hour or two

What power is the unit ?

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

Hi this is our's frozen bottle of water and a fan 12v or main's

Broken Link Removed

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[DigglyDog]

We had ours fitted very early on in our ownership as we expected to travel to southern Europe with a floppy basset and needed to keep her cool. We haven't regretted a moment of it and it's currently on the drive being prepared for a trip to Guernsey this week, aircon nicely keeping it at a balmy 18 degrees, and the three of us inside sipping cold bubbles....

 

[du162]

For us the fact that you can't use HAB aircon when you're driving and only on EHU makes it's worthless. We didn't buy a camper to be connected to a cable.....

I fitted the dometic 240volt inverter along wth 2 x 220 amp hour batteries works when driving and the dometic 2200 is quite enough for us to sleep on low setting
Would be without it

 

[Ridgeway]

Think I priced up the "drivable" kit as exactly what du162 lists above, I got that to about £1500 and the aircon unit was around £1300, all domestic. Reckon if you're smart you can find a similarly rated inverter for less.

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[du162]

You can but it comes as a kit with all the connections 12volt switch etc imo it was well worth the extra and it doesn't give anyone an excuse not to cover it under warranty if anything goes wrong

 

[BMM]

Been out for a little spin today (practice for our summer trip) I had the Hab air-con on running from the generator. should it be able to run without the generator?

 

[Lenny HB]

We had ours fitted very early on in our ownership as we expected to travel to southern Europe with a floppy basset and needed to keep her cool. We haven't regretted a moment of it and it's currently on the drive being prepared for a trip to Guernsey this week, aircon nicely keeping it at a balmy 18 degrees, and the three of us inside sipping cold bubbles....

18 bl**dy freezing, our daughter lives in Bangkok they set their aircon to 26 - 28 we do the same in hotels when visiting.

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[olley]

If it gets to hot for those in the back, I start the Genny and then fire up the ac, soon cools them down

 

[ianthebuilder]

I have a blizzard aircon unit! I think it's Electrolux,,,, in fact it's on as we speak! It does make a hum but it works,, I've got my sheepskin on ! And my electric blanket!! Xx

 

[Allan & Loren]

We've never used our air con and don't use a fan either. If it's really hot we open the roof vents and windows to blow through and enjoy the warmth I can never understand why we go on holiday in search of the sun and heat then put the air con on and sit in the cool!

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[DBK]

I've just ordered a dog cooling coat for Charlie as he really suffers even when it is only moderately hot. It arrives tomorrow and I'll give it a trial and report here. If my trial works I'll see how Charlie gets on with it.

 

[HymerB544]

When we had our last van it had an excellent, reversible, extractor fan above the kitchen and it was great. When we bought the current van it already had a factory fitted Dometic habitation area unit on the roof. We've taken the van to Morocco and over-Wintered in Spain, but used the aircon maybe twice! To be fully effective you need to close Windows and doors, and who wants to do that! Save your money for something better, Gary

 

[DigglyDog]

18 bl**dy freezing, our daughter lives in Bangkok they set their aircon to 26 - 28 we do the same in hotels when visiting.

More soft southerners eh Lenny ??

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[DigglyDog]

I've just ordered a dog cooling coat for Charlie as he really suffers even when it is only moderately hot. It arrives tomorrow and I'll give it a trial and report here. If my trial works I'll see how Charlie gets on with it.

Looks a little like this - our Basset hates it, but loves her ..

 

[DanielFord]

Temperatures above 28 degrees can be very dangerous for our particular breed, so with our current weather, Rosie is only allowed outside in her rather fetching cool coat!

 

[simsy56]

Been out for a little spin today (practice for our summer trip) I had the Hab air-con on running from the generator. should it be able to run without the generator?

No, your roof A/C has to have the genny running, or be on hook up to work.

Craig

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[ukbill]

So we are newbies, but I am a bit concerned (now don't fall over laughing) that our new motorhome may get too hot. I understand the concept of through flow and draught venting but I was wondering what the collective opinion was on either

After market AirCon (apart from lots and lots of cash) v extractors on the roof vents (such as http://www.fiammastore.com/fiamma-r...-caravans-and-motorhomes/fiamma-turbo-kit-fan)
I bought that fan a few years back totally useless and ex pensive, I changed it to a strong fan for less than half the price,it's now in the bin

Would appreciate your thoughts or alternative suggestions

 

[ukbill]

I fitted the dometic 240volt inverter along wth 2 x 220 amp hour batteries works when driving and the dometic 2200 is quite enough for us to sleep on low setting
Would be without it

I'm yr to get my inverter,uk I reckon,just had mine fitted,110ah x3 batteries 3x120w solar, so hopefully on 12v the unit will be ok,not sure how long on solar it will run,but asap ill test it

 

[DanielFord]

We run ours on the inverter, I wouldn't want to run it for too long though, the most we have left if for was one hour.