Bushwhacker AC Upgrade 

I’m in NC right now, AC has made sleeping possible…lol

This comment made my day, thank you! It makes me happy to know people find it worth watching.

Thank you, I appreciate you watching. Those videos are definitely coming, stay tuned.

That’s right, it just doesn’t work out that way. There’s enough space around the intake on the side that it draws from the point of least resistance, which isn’t thru the top vents. I’ve played around with an e cigarette to see if it draws through the roof rents, seems to draw mostly from the opening out the side of the camper. Maybe I could seal it better to see if I could get it to draw through the small roof vents or mod them. Thank you!

What about installing a 120v computer fan behind the guard creating a draft

@@MorrisBJ300 not needed as the ac already has a big fan in it. The AC needs to be abke to get fresh air into the condenser though.

This comment made my day, thank you!

Thank you, I’d love to see some of your builds some time. Email pics when you can. -Brian

Putting it to great use right now!

The hardest part was making new trim. Left off the video is the milling black walnut down from stock for trim boards…lol

With this heat wave, there’s been an outpouring of requests about the AC in the FB… I’ve been sending them your way. I hope everyone will check out your channel and excellent website.

@@DIYOutdoorLife We just call it Summer in Texas! 😜 Kidding aside, it has been hot! These AC's are a must! Hope these videos help a lot of people get out and enjoy the outdoors this summer!

Haha… any time!

Thank you, really glad to have you on board! This is the best one I’ve used- #ad amzn.to/3z71pLC Thanks for watching!

That’s great to hear, thanks for watching.

Great! Thanks for watching

Haha… we’ll get there one day!

You’ll find that they did a lot of things that make little sense… lol

Check out this video my friend made, it goes into a much greater detail. This should be able to help with the project. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j6uzUy3sPXk.html

Hey Kurt, thanks for watching! I will work on getting those videos out. It’s super easy to do if you spend huge money, it becomes difficult on a budget. The best budget friendly way is a small gas inverter generator… more to come this season. Cheers!

You could definitely pull this off in a van. It is supposed to draw air through those roof vents and it does its job, the unit cycles properly and produces very cold air. I have seen some people put a DC fan to improve circulation if they live in a very hot area. You could also probably get it to breathe appropriately on the side with a larger enclosure. Thanks for watching!

@@DIYOutdoorLife I really don’t want to vent it through the ceiling (more holes). And yes I can make a larger enclosure or not enclose the sides at all- which would draw air from the inside? But do you think I should make a larger enclosure and have the opening / hole in the side of my van be large enough to draw air in from the outside and of course vent out side?

@@MannyWC its going to work best if you can vent outdoors (side of van or around the enclosure would be fine). It will work venting inside but not as well

I’m glad it helped you out during this heat wave, I have been camping down in the Carolinas and it’s very hot!! I will include a link for a must have device. Check out sizes and get the screens that will work best for you. It will block the wind and concentrate the heat, you’ll love it. amzn.to/3cQZljw

Not all of them. A lot of them reset and have to be turned on again.

Correct, I saw in editing that I explained that a little wonky. The only air intake that is being recycled should come to the front of the unit, otherwise it would create a negative pressure. The intakes on the side just run over the coils and blow out the back.

I think this is a system that could work really well. There are several considerations to take into effect, to get the most performance and efficiency. Window air conditioners were not intended to be used this way, but you can get away with it if installed properly. I am going to link a video that a friend of mine made, they go into great detail to explain how they rebuilt their system. I think that the video will be helpful for your build. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j6uzUy3sPXk.html

@@DIYOutdoorLife Thanks!

Thats exactly right. They've change the AC design on this camper several times, but on my model, that is what the vents through the roof of the camper into the AC box do. After swapping this unit out and sealing it up good, it has done a very good job efficiently cooling the tiny camper... ice cold

Did you click on the video description? Its a down arrow (V) on mobile and (show more) on computer. If you still can't get to it, let me know, and I will directly send the link.

@@DIYOutdoorLife TY. I was looking in COMMENTS section. DOH!

Bet that 1350 is nice with weather like we’ve been getting though. What about the portable units with the exhaust vent?

@@DIYOutdoorLife Possible. But our particular model has very little floor space, and using the sealing panel on our vertical sliding windows might be tricky. I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

@@twloughlin yes, that’s tough. Wait till you see what I did with my truck AC…lol

I do, it’s nice to have. I wouldnt worry about traveling without it, but it was money well spent.

You could definitely make this work. You want to make sure you simulate the sealed window environment as much as possible, where the front of the unit is open to the area youre cooling and the back portions of the unit are vented outdoors. If it is not working as well as you would like, consider adding a small fan in the box that helps blow the vented air outdoors.

@@DIYOutdoorLife so I just did a mock up pretty much exactly like yours, do the sides of the box get warm? Only difference from mine is I don't have the exhaust venting on top but it's definitely venting outside and it' working well, still need to test when the sun comes out now lol

@@theodorecarbajal2975 the top vent definitely keeps the sides from getting hot. If it is working, and you don't have to add a fan or additional ventilation, maybe consider adding some reflectstech insulation so that the box isnt fighting your cooling inside. Sounds like you're off to a great start.

Thank you for watching, are you talking about placing this AC on the roof?

@@DIYOutdoorLife yes I'd like it on the roof, plan B would be install in rear doors window but this stress's the door hinges an I plan a cargo box on this door the other rear door has a heavy spare tire.thanks

@@steveleston1848 these windows to her once wouldn’t be suitable for a roof install. Maybe you can go with a portable unit and just vent it out the back window?? amzn.to/3HoYDX4

Mine gets cold, cold… makes me feel like you got a bad unit. If the sun is beating down on the trailer, it runs quite a bit.- if the sun in down, it will make it like a meat locker. Is your 10 SS set up like mine? Same vents and everything? Just wondering if it is ventilating properly.

@@DIYOutdoorLife it looks to be exactly like yours. Thanks for the quick reply. If side ventilation matters on these window units, it sure doesn't seem like there is very much space in there but I guess if yours works... On a side note, do you have somewhere that I could send you a picture of our galley remodel? I think you would really appreciate what we have done.

@@lastamericanpatriot6280 diyoutdoorcontent@gmail.com. I’d love to see it!

Classic BC engineering…lol. You’ll have to pull the whole unit out to clean the filter.

@@DIYOutdoorLife I have a FreeSolo Din that came with this A/C and the cabinet next to the AC sticks out a enough to block the filter. I ended up using something like the AC Safe Air Conditioning Window Unit Replacement Economy Plus Filter to replace the one that came with the unit. It is a little fiddly to replace but I did not have to pull the unit to change the filter.

@@DIYOutdoorLife I am able to Carefully bend it as it is coming out to clean. getting it back in is much trickier.

@@jenniferreaves4499 good to know!

@@johnwdavisjr yikes…

Unfortunately, I don't remember well enough to answer. Mine had a rubber plug, probably ½" hole, don't remember exact location. Sorry I couldnt be more helpful.

So i have another question in my teardrop trailer when running the AC unit at night, the humidity level is high 80-93 percent. I have to run the AC at 70 degrees or lower to keep me cool on the inside. Do You get high humidity in your teardrop?

@@darmatm9416 the AC actually lowers the humidity, thats why it drains water. Also try cracking the roof vent with the fan off. Humidity is always a battle with tiny campers.

I cracked the roof vent and side window. Still high. It has me stumped 🤔 could it be due to the type of insulation inside the trailer. It has Styrofoam and then it has reflective with the bubble holes between the two silver sides, and then covered with outdoor speaker carpet for sound protection.

@@darmatm9416 it actually comes from us. Through our respiration, we can release over 1 pint of water into the air in just one night sleep! We actually release a lot of water that evaporates off of our skin as well. If the air humidity is already high, small environment inside the teardrop doesn't stand a chance. Me, Lucía and Ripple (who will end up jumping in a body of water right before bed) spend nine hours in there and we definitely have to address humidity. You can hang those damprid bags, they work a lot better than the canisters. The most effective technique is tons of ventilation, but the air conditioner helps too. I will send a link for a small dehumidifier, I'm usually off grid, but people claim it's very very effective. amzn.to/48uveXC

Do you already have the Goal zero 1500X? I have a video on two different portable DC aircons. The wave 2 by EcoFlow is a pretty good unit, although nothing is perfect. The reason why I ask about the GZ1500 is because the wave 2 can plug directly into the EcoFlow power stations for direct DC to DC. Although it'll work with any power station, it works considerably better on that DC to DC. In other words, if you don't already own the 1500, it might be worth looking at a comparable unit from EF. Hope this makes sense, let me know if you want me to post you a link to the video on the air conditioner .

@@DIYOutdoorLife love your videos bryan! Thanks for the info I will check it out. That’s why I watch you, an honest opinion!

No, the battery/inverter combination boxes. Like a Jackery, Bluetti, Ecoflow, or Goal Zero.

@@DIYOutdoorLife What size power station would be best to run it?

@@HandySolution it all depends on where you live and how you plan to use it, but big big big. The larger the power station, the better. For my set up, 2000wh gets me a night without mods. Since I use an outlet timer, to just cool it for a few hours as I go to bed, I can get several nights on 2000wh and solar.

@@DIYOutdoorLife That’s what I was thinking! Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it

Hey Mike, I’m sure there’s more glamorous ways, but I found a piece of plastic that I cut that fits the opening. You could even put a piece of wood in there, I use gaffers tape to hold it in. Since I only remove the AC during winter trips, a piece of reflex tech insulation is a great option. If you get some free time, look at the video I did on Allie’s Bushwhacker. She had an ingenious idea!

Allie's Free Solo Tour | Braxton Creek Bushwhacker Teardrop ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6FWzlcKmN5E.html

Use a good extension cord, preferably 12awg or 10. Try not to run many other things while using AC (no electric cooking, coffee, hair dryer) and youll be fine.

Use a goof extension cord for my a/c window unit? Don't plug it in directly to my rv outletz?

@@erickrodriguez3104 I meant between your RV and your sister's house

Actually a riser for Tacoma. Leveled out, the top of ball should be around 18-19”

@@DIYOutdoorLife Thank you for the reply! I’m picking mine up Wednesday so ill have to go out tomorrow and try to find an adjustable hitch somewhere lol

@@rb3tactical145 I have a video coming out soon on the Yitamotor adjustable on Amazon. Excellent unit for the price, there’s several options available, some are on sale…. I know you need one ASAP… worth looking for comparison amzn.to/3RYBuhX

Hahaha… you are right

This is a good point and depends on how yours was installed. The plastic cover shroud is what should keep weather out. There seems to be a lack of consistency in the manufacturing, but I didn’t have to respray mine. Definitely something worth checking to ensure you’re sealed up from weather and insects

@@DIYOutdoorLife I’m at the dealership now picking up my ‘22 freesolo DIN and they are having to shim and remove foam because the brand new unit is dripping on the stove. You’d thing Braxton would have corrected this by now.

@@eugenemaze SMH… you would think…

It depends on what you’re looking to do, what are you powering the AirCon with. Do you have a Bushwhacker and this AirCon or a different set up?

@@DIYOutdoorLife I've got a freesolo OG so same as the bushwacker. I run it on a 2000 watt dual fuel champion, it works but on the rare occasion (1 out of 10) it trips out on startup. I'm looking to make it easier for the wife when I'm not there.

@@jrsob3026 my honest opinion here would be that it would not be worth the expense of a proper soft start. The easier option would be to make sure you turn the fan on first, move to low cool, then turn to desired temperature. As you found out, proper soft starts, can cost a lot more than this AC.

​@@DIYOutdoorLife That's what I've been doing start on low cool and move it up as needed. I figured if anyone had an idea you would thanks.

@@jrsob3026 we could try a few things if it acts up but I don’t want you spend unnecessary money.

Truth! I was even tempted to buy the three-year warranty plan because it might pay in this situation.

​@@DIYOutdoorLifealso if closed cell foam doesn't compress enough to fit under the a/c or provide enough cushion, you could use open cell foam (like a memory foam topper) with open cell, but just take a bucket or tote large enough to put a couple inches of hot water in, mix in about 5 cups of borax (it's very cheap at any store) and soak the open cell foam in the borax/water, then pull it out once it's fully saturated, don't squeeze it, allow it to naturally dry outside, and then all the borax powder residue will be left inside the open cell foam, and any moisture that gets inside of the foam will not be able to produce mold or mildew because you will have creates an alkaline environment which mold can't grow in. This is a good way by the way to treat any carpet, or material that might get wet to keep it from mildewing or molding. I've used borax in a camper many times when I had a leak. If you want to prevent mold or mildew, just sprinkle heavily some borax on the wet area and let it soak into the material/wood. It will never allow anything to mold or rot. They use this trick a lot in marine settings. Cheap and easy.

​@@DIYOutdoorLifethere are places that sell closed cell foam for $27 for the dimensions you need to replace the cedar under the a/c which would dampen vibrations to the a/c and closed cell foam is waterproof.

@@Steven-gv1ke solid mods! I actually used borax yesterday on an old garage.. great stuff for many uses.

That's great. Please share the model, thats usually not the case. If they do come back on, they often reset the settings, while the others require you to push the on button again.

Yea, the whole RV industry is tough. Either it’s shabby or reallllly pricey.

I have a Bushwhacker Plus 15....not cheap $$. For all the repairs...mods.,and such...probably could have built one better!

@@jeffreyjacobs6072 I’ve been seeing that develop… ouch Did you have one of the Plus that leaked inside walls?