I’m in Florida, so I’m going with the ac as a priority before other “unnecessary” items.. it would be unbearable to sleep/hangout on the van without it at 90 degrees and 100% humidity. So before wheels/tires, roof rack, rear door accessories, etc I have to figure out the ac. Thanks for the technical info on this system
There’s a cost difference and a convenience difference to consider. Tough decision indeed- depends on your access to shore power when you’re traveling.
@@onionhead5780 im thinking about hacking a 120v unit for my van honestly. I’m an ac contractor and I have all the parts and tools at my disposal.. there are 9000 btu inverter units that probably are sufficient enough for a well insulated van that close to draw the same power as this at 120v even after accounting for inverter loss. And they cost less than $500 vs $4000. I’m going to explore options and see
What is your opinion on mini split AC units. I've seen some put people put them on there overlanders. They like how quiet it is and the low power consumption
Nomadic is 36x32x9 vs the Dometic at 29x42.5x11.29. So the Dometic is both longer and taller and takes up more square footage on the roof. The nomadic is wider but both shorter and lower profile. If you're looking to put a small low wattage solar panel on either side of the AC, Dometic may be the option for you. If you're like me, and you want the biggest gap between the AC and the MaxFan for a large walkable solar surface, Nomadic looks like a great option
The minisplit on the back door is way better... just lost your roof space bro. It would be cool if it was a 240 I verter type with a good inverter and a Hella bank of lifepo4 and two solar kits.. rooftop and portable set out panels.
OMG....forget all that. Get a heat pump ac for 700 dollars...Get a 12 volt backpacker mini split. Much better unit for a third of the price and do your own install. Insane how much these guys are charging...not their fault. But I know that they will be charging well North of hundred bucks an hour for this type of an install.
Adding weight to the top of a vehicle that has an intrinsically high Center of gravity is a bad idea as it increases roll over risk and raises the moment of inertia of the vehicle. Increasing the frontal area of a vehicle contributes to even worse aerodynamics.
I am going to put a portable air conditioner made for a house inside my box truck conversion and run it in a generator. The generator will be mounted discreet and secure on the outside of the truck. Also, the heat will be powered the same way. And, I am using a battery pack and propane for everything else. How do I recharge the battery pack ? The generator ! I am specifically designing this rig to require only a fresh water and grey water line. How ? Compost toilet. There will be no shore power option and my fresh water storage will be in 5 gallon cans which feed to the cold taps of the sink and shower and the hot water tank. Most of my interior lights will be battery operated pucks mounted to the ceiling and walls. I was going to do a van, but, dollar per cubic footage, buying a new box vs buying a new van, the box looks more attractive.
If you always have shore power then a 120V unit makes the most sense. But if not, you’re going to need about the same battery capacity to power a 120V unit - the same amount of “work” is done by either unit and you lose 10% through the inverter which is always the weak link in the system. Thinking a $500 3000-watt inverter is going to hold up to powering a 120V air conditioner is just wishful thinking - you’re going to need a $2K-$3K inverter for that.
I know it’s been a long time ago. I’m just now watching this RU-vid because we’re buying a cargo van to redo it. How do you like your air air conditioner?
There is one out now that has 10,000 BTU cooling, 4,500 BTU heating runs all night on one 100ah battery and is about $900 made by outequippro and mine has been awesome for over a year now! It is about 7 inches tall and 28inches long and 26 inches wide.
I just checked it out. Sorry, but it says "Get 8 hours of cooling with a 480Ah battery and 10 hours with a 600Ah battery when parked". So, it is misleading to say that it runs "all night" on a 100 amp hour battery.
@@VanLand $4000 for an AC unit is a just too much. The Outequippro runs on 12v 50a -75a whereas the Nomadic 12v runs on 65a-105a. The Outequippro is a 10000 BTU and the Nomadic it 11000 BTU. The price difference is stark. I get it though, as long as you can sale it at that price why would you stop. 💰
You wouldn't. Also, if your generator is big enough you could save some serious coin by buying an 120VAC rooftop unit ($3000). Of course if the greenies have their way gas will be >$20/gal so there's that..... but then we might not be building vans if that happens.
It runs directly off of a battery system- no inverter needed. This is the most common setup we use: vanlandstore.com/products/victron-power-system-bundle-600-amp-hours-1?_pos=2&_psq=600+&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Bring your van to sSouth Texas without A/C, let's see how it goes. Which part of California or Colorado are you guys? Thanks for your videos, well done
I live in South Florida and have a 2020 144 MB 4x4. When we travel in the summer, even a few hours of AC during the night would be a blessing. I’m trying to figure out which of the 12v ACs to get and how much battery power I need for overnight stays without shore power. Any suggestions?
Hi Mike, I would suggest getting the Nomadic 2000 and placing it near your bed. We find that the until will run reliably for 2 hours for each 100 amp hours of power storage you have. So, if you want 6 hours of run-time, then you would need 300 amp hours of storage. vanlandstore.com/products/nomadic-cooling-2000-12v?_pos=2&_psq=nomadic&_ss=e&_v=1.0
@corey Babcock i have though about the same thing but taking in to consideration the hanging unit on a side and the stealth factor even at a higher price some low profile ac units could be beneficial
You're not putting on an air conditioner on your personal van. And you will tell us why? I think I already know. I think we all do. None of us can afford a 12 Volt, rooftop air conditioner. None of us! Because we are not that kind of stupid. You put the cheap, stock, 120 volt unit on your rooftop. You get yourself a good inverter. At you put in lots of batteries. There isn't any other choice. You will spend a fortune on lithium batteries. They are not practical either. They are all miniature bombs. Waiting to explode. Whenever they feel like it. And so best not to be cycling your air conditioner on those. As it's only a matter of time. Until they take out your RV and/or Motorhome. And your own, living abode. Not that lead acid batteries can't also ignite and explode. But not with the frequency of lithium. An accident waiting to happen. But it's the hot buzzword right now. Rich guys are getting very much wealthier on. As they also know. This ain't the technology to have. We don't got the right batteries yet. And we may not never? Is the newfangled ones that will be right. Will be hideously expensive. For decades to come. So just forget it! We are stuck with the lousy overpriced lithium's for now. Solid State ain't exactly happening yet. They are a bit expensive and difficult to produce. Only the military gets that stuff.. We won't see it for decades yet. And rich guys want to get wealthier. So? We are left with this. The Lithium Conundrum. As China has most of the lithium. Wouldn't you know it? It's a business plan for sure. With plenty of American Interests. Funding it. Making it happen. For the Chinese and themselves. Here in the USA. One need only follow the money. To know where these highroller boys are going. RemyRAD
Yes, you’re right. That’s extremely expensive. I hate to see these items get out of control in terms of pricing. However, there are new products coming to make this upgrade more affordable.
This is a great video. I was sold. I needed something like this. But of course you The best for last. Yeah no. This unit is only designed for those. Who simply have the money for a 12 or 20 V unit. Not really for the people, it should have been priced for. This is nonsense.. What new technology could create a 3-$4000 price tag? For a roof mounted air conditioner? Hello? How do you spell Insanity? US DOLLARS. I am sorry there is No Technology. That requires $3000 plus for a roof mounted air conditioner. None. This is beyond Bunkers. I mean honestly now? There is no, honesty, now. Let us review. Condenser, evaporator, compressor. Refrigeration juice. A radiator. An electric motor. AC or DC power. You build it into the unit. So you take your stock, $800 rooftop 120 Volt unit. And you build a special, goof proof, fail free, $50 inverter. Into the unit. Now they can charge between 3000 and $4000! How perfect! We will now become billionaires! As that's all that's needed to be done. And how much current does it draw with the air conditioning on full? About the same. 800-1500 Watts. You can talk about amps. Others will talk about, volts. Some of us are hard of hearing and keep saying… Watts? Watts you say? What Watts? Who's a, Watts? And that's all that really needs to be done. Those other inverters that don't work out well for people. Right. They are too small. Too lightweight. Not enough Heat Sinking. As they are external to the unit. And they stick them in hot stuffy places. And they fail. When they get hit by a, air conditioning compressor kicking in. And the Start capacitor is, going soft. And whoopsy! As so there is absolutely no reason this should cost $3000-$4000 for a rooftop air conditioner. For your low-cost motorhome. Because this is only for the high-priced spread.. That doesn't need them! Again.. And so I don't think I have anything good to say about this unit. Not at this price point. And where do you suppose it is being imported from? How much do you think it costs, in China? $150 US? Something like that. And this makes it all better. For those that also have $10,000 worth of, Lithium Batteries.. And Your Sinewave 20,000 Watt, Inverters. Providing better than, shore power. Cleaner and more stable. And Auto Compensation for EMP. So no worries about, Carrington Events. Your child porn will never be found nor lost. Jeffrey Epstein made that mistake. As you had to forfeit his island.. We all wanted to see some cracks at. I mean he was his own country. He had his own laws. He wasn't doing anything wrong. In his country. Girls can be married when they are 13. And he only had girls that wanted to get married.. To, Prince Charming guy with hands from England. I think there were a few? They most all look alike.. Stupid. Therefore easy to spot in a crowd. I bow to thee. In a pig's eye! So this is utterly, totally, bonkers stupid. It should cost no more. Than any other, similar, rooftop air conditioner. Sorry.. This is bullshit. Oh sure. They are using some of the newest technology, solid-state, refrigeration, devices. Plug a whole bunch of them in together. Where cost is no object to rich folk. Who can have anything they want, to have. By simply demanding. And it is custom fabricated for them. No matter the cost. And so sure! Someone will gladly, cast and create. Your very own, V-9 Engine for your car. But the engine might cost, wanted and $150,000, give or take a couple? But they will build it for you. If you have the money. They will make their own sand castings. They will forge their own, Titanium. You can get anything you want for a price. And $3000-$4000 for stupid wealthy people sounds just fine! Sure! Install 3 of them. So we don't have to worry about our, Bargain, Modified Sinewave Inverter blowing up again. Spending an additional $15,000? No problem. For the smart, $2.5 million, semi tractor-trailer Motorhome. With a smart owner. Having, money than brains. That Demands a 12 or, 24 volt unit//units. This kind of bullshit is never-ending. A ridiculous product for ridiculous people. That's all that matters. RemyRAD
Just wanted to share a thought. I'm hoping to get an eSprinter when it comes out. I think the 400V main battery will have 113 kWh. That's over 9000 amp hours at 12 volts for 900 amp hours a 120 volts. However you can't connect accessories directly to the 400V battery with a voltage converter. Instead the house battery would be connected to the 12V vehicle battery. EVs have 12V batteries to run accessories and to handle various EV system functions. Normally the 12V is kept charged by the 400V battery. I'm hoping that the 12V battery will be kept charged when the vehicle is on, even if stationary. Then there would be basically endless power to keep the AC going. But there's some mystery surrounding 12V battery charging in EVs. Will have to wait to find out more.
I have a 144 2014, I live in SC. Are there any outfitters within my area that you could recommend for installation of the air conditioners. It looks like you're in California?
Too huge of an air conditioner! With phones and TV's getting smaller, why is Nomadic making larger units compared to other new 12 volt units? Less room for solar panels! And noisy too!
I want too put AC in F150 so it keeps it cool while iam away so I don't have to come back too a hot truck I have COPD and this would be great thanks CE Clyburn I would even do a mini split if I could iam 67 and iam keeping the truck till I die so mods are not a problem. i
I don't understand years ago like in the 80s you could get a window AC for the car backseat of course and it removed the condensation, wonder if it wasn't legal anymore?
I'll be using the van during the week to work at a school; I want my dogs to be cool as cucumbers on the inside and I don't want to worry about them. (You asked why!)
a very explanatory video... one question ... is it possible to use the unit whilst driving instead of the main vehicle ac unit (the one installed with the engine i.e.)??. thanks again
Do these AC units work like regular AC where the compressor starts and runs full until the temp is reached? Or do they run at variable speeds like DC Inverter style AC units?
I am sure those are nice, dependable units but, I can buy 12 window units of the same BTU rating as the smallest/cheapest one on your site. Sure, I had to sacrifice one of my opening windows in the rear of my Dodge high top conversion van for installation but I think it is worth it, for me anyway. Your installation looks cleaner and, being on the roof near the center, all the cold air drifts down for better coverage whereas mine is only about half the height of the van and is located in the rear. I use a few USB fans to move the air around. I am sure your units will last longer than a window unit (probably not 12 times longer) and, I could not afford one anyway so I went another route. Your builds do look great though and I wish you much success.
I think you have decided that your window air is OK for you. Typically , those air units are difficult to start. You may need a big sine wave inverter. Also, those units remind me of a dirt dobber nest. If you don't mind the eye sore appearance, I can look another way. So, I'm good with it. Let's Roll! Wolf
@@wolfalaska7638 Thanks. Yes, my ac unit draws 410 watts and my inverter on my Bluetti AC200P can handle 2000 watts. My gas generator can also handle 2000 watts starting and 1700 running watts. Also, I don't think it looks bad but, all I really care about is keeping cool in the hot summers. Safe travels.
@@VanLand anyone that can’t afford to do spray foam I would consider the foam board insulation it still has the same R6 value per one inch just not as air tight and doesn’t add so much to the rigidity and is easily shapable with a knife or osculating tool I’m building a tiny house now but can’t wait to build a van
@@topofhelist6592 IMO using a 1/2” air gap between the foam board (with a reflective coating) and van walls/ceiling will significantly lower radiant heat gain in the van. Radiant heat is the biggest driver of heat gain. Tight fitting window covers with reversible silver/black surfaces (for summer/winter) will help, as will optimizing window choices. Vehicle A/C units are usually way oversized and extremely energy efficient compared to any A/C you will add, so consider adding ducting from the vehicle A/C to the rear for cooling down the rear while driving or the initial cooldown when camping in one place.
Will the Bluetti AC 200MAX solar gen. have enough start-up power to run the Dometic RTX 2000 .rooftop AC unit.. I know the running time is limited ,,,but will it run ..
I just added a Nomadic 2000 after 4 years of only having fans. Our travels this summer made us realize in today’s climate our motto of go up or North if hot would no longer work. Install was pretty simple, even with already converted van. I would comment that there is more to the cost than just the A/C, you will probably need to add additional battery capacity. Looking forward to much more comfortable travels and the option to travel places we previously avoided due to heat.
@@TheAllang123 😀 just about every year has "record breaking temperatures".... hot or cold... on a given day. The 30s were hotter than today.... well, until they decided that was an inconvenient fact and they started adjusting those temps down as a "correction" to supposed faulty equipment. Going much further back it was warmer during the renaissance period (at least until they finally outlawed SUHs [Sport Utility Horses] and coal fired cooking 🥵). As for DC powered aircon.... nice they have options even if they are crazy overpriced.
That air conditioner is huge! Putting it on the roof will make a lot less space for solar panels on my Sprinter camper van. Any 12 volt standard size A/C to replace the hole my old A/C is in? Also in replacing my old A/C with a new 12 volt A/C do I need to route two large Dc canles through the ceiling?
Your old AC (Roof) unit was probably 12v being it came out a motor vehicle. Call the sprinter dealer and ask what was the watts/btu of the old unit. Then compare with the new unit you're purchasing. Long as the new unit does Not exceed the old unit in power, use the electrical wires installed already
Higher voltage gives you thinner wire benefit, but you’ll lose the ability to use the same battery pack for 12v loads without adding a step down converter.
this pulls 60A peak at 12V or 24V? when talking about power it helps to speak in watts rather than amps, as amps tells you nothing about power draw unless you know the source voltage.
Are you serious 60a that is a crazy amount of power to not be that powerful in cooling since it is direct connect to batteries there has to a minimum amount of power needed to have that unit. My home unit only pulls 15a and it a 8000 btu and wow on the 3 or 4 grand is crazy I seen a 12v minisplit by mr cool DIY unit. Nice unit just wow on power and price to performance
Any ac that mounts on the roof is not going to be very efficient and is going to use a lot of power Why would you want air-conditioning if you can't use it all the time without having the van running There are a few DC AC units that are available that work great and you can run them 24 hours a day 7 days a week just from solar and a decent battery bank A 1000 Amp 24 volt battery with a 10 year life is not very much more than what the ac units you are showing cost