BCM Community
Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: freds on June 06, 2020, 08:30:48 AM
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Good Morning Everyone
Just saw a YouTube review of a new window air conditioner that someone knowledgeable may be able to hack into a compact mini-split.
Here's the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-pa_vUNGl4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-pa_vUNGl4)
Here's the Amazon purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0867GMW9X?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-win10-other-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0867GMW9X?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-win10-other-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp)
Enjoy...
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Found another possible candidate for conversion: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085P27VNF?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-win10-other-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085P27VNF?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-win10-other-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-5&ref=aa_scomp)
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At 6000 BTU I'd say it isn't worth the effort. In effect all that unit is is a mini split assembled with a short tubing kit. The AC in my little bus is 9,000 BTU's and Id like to come up with a 12,000 BTU inverter unit to replace it with but so far the only one I have found (LG) is too large spatially to fit. Jack
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Ah the first one that I listed is available in 8,000 - 12,000 BTU's.
I am getting ready to put a large number of solar panels on the roof of my bus and the air conditioners are in inconvenient spots in the relation to the widths of my panels.
However I also don't want to give up bay space and have to change a door for a mini-split.
Plus the cost of a 12,000 BTU unit is half the cost of a similar sized Mr Cool mini-split.
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Check the SEER rating. These days when more on pulling power off batteries and panels, highly efficient units are desirable.
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I've seen the outdoor side of a mini split installed in the engine compartment of a bus before. Maybe you have room for that option.
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I've seen the outdoor side of a mini split installed in the engine compartment of a bus before. Maybe you have room for that option.
I could probably do that if I got rid of the diesel generator, but right now the remote radiator is there. Going to see how my full solar installation works for a while before I ditch it.
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A/C's are on sale. Buy two 12,000btu window units. Cut both in half carefully leaving the fan motor one one to power the inside unit. And cut the second leaving the fan motor for the outside unit. Even though you're buying two, still cheaper then a mini-split. Good Luck, TomC
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Most window air conditioners use one motor with one fan blade and a squirrel cage at other end.
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A/C's are on sale. Buy two 12,000btu window units. Cut both in half carefully leaving the fan motor one one to power the inside unit. And cut the second leaving the fan motor for the outside unit. Even though you're buying two, still cheaper then a mini-split. Good Luck, TomC
That's why I thought this unit was interesting in that you didn't have to hack up two separate units up and throw away stuff, just potentially extend two pipes and some wiring.
Plus this unit would be the very latest in refrigerant and efficiency being inverter based...
Of course the latest bleeding edge news specifies R600 with a dose of carbon nano tubes....
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Not sure what you are looking to do with the first unit you posted, but I had hoped to be able to separate the two units, mount the back half on the roof and the front have horizontally in the front of my MCI 102A3.
I contacted the company and they claim it is not possible to separate the two units like a mini-split, and that both halves will not work at all if mounted horizontally. :(
I hung my mini-split on the back of the bus and it looks fine and works great without giving up any bay space. The only mistake I made was not getting one that supports 2 heads. Cools the whole bus fine but only with a couple of fans pushing the air from the back to the front. That gets old after a while. I may have to break down and put an RV roof unit where the front hatch is.
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I hung my mini-split on the back of the bus and it looks fine and works great without giving up any bay space.
Picture please?
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Lots of dirt on the back of the bus, so keeping the unit clean will be a priority.
Everything that goes under the bus comes up in a reverse vortex effect, rolling up and against the back of the bus.
Oil drips, dust, AC drains, etc.
Just so you know to keep the fins clean.
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
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I have 3-Coleman 13,500btu roof airs I installed in 1994 still working fine. Granted they aren't as quiet as I'd like, but at night I just run the front one or just the middle one and close the bedroom door (I have a space at the top just for the A/C flow). Can't beat that record and when I do need a new one, will be easy to replace. Good Luck, TomC
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I have 3 Coleman 15,000 BTU hanging on my roof they are ducted,quite, will freeze you,I can run 1 off the inverter on the road or all 3 with the generator if needed,my dash air works so good I never needed to do that,at a trade show I saw the new Coleman that is coming with the inverter compressors in a few years when he never did give me a time
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By that metric, 3-4 tons should be adequate for any eventuality. That means the two rack air units and maybe the dash air if needed. That's a rated 4 tons and possible 4.5 tons based on the TXV's. Which means a pair of 2 ton Copeland scroll compressors should handle it. Depending on seer, around 15-20A each. Wonder if they make them in 110v versions? I guess they must because, window units.
Jim
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Sorry it took so long to post the requested pictures.
This is a 110v, 12k btu, inverter technology, 16 seer, heat pump, Air Con mini split. I bought it 3 years ago for $450 when it was an unknown brand and it has performed flawlessly.
Recently in OK the temp was over a hundred degrees and I couldn't push enough air from the back of the bus to the front through two doorways to cool the front. So I am in the process of tearing everything out of the road ac bay just behind the front wheels to put a second mini-split there with the air handler just below my cabinets on a wall where the second window behind the driver was.
This Air Con unit is now well over $800.00, so I have a Daizuki 110v, 12K btu, inverter technology, 20 seer, heat pump unit on the way instead. Should be here in the next couple of days.
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Easy to see the attraction when you can buy a Garrison 18K from walmart for $318, about $350 delivered. 220v though so there's that, but also seer 20.8 which is good. A comparable window unit costs as much or more. But why wouldn't you also be able to combine that with the OTR air? I think I can see a path starting to take shape here.
Jim
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Easy to see the attraction when you can buy a Garrison 18K from walmart for $318, about $350 delivered. 220v though so there's that, but also seer 20.8 which is good. A comparable window unit costs as much or more. But why wouldn't you also be able to combine that with the OTR air? I think I can see a path starting to take shape here.
Jim
I don't see where you can by a mini-split of any kind for that from Walmart. Are you sure you are not looking at a price on just the air handler?
Even on Ebay the cheapest mini-split is a little under $500 and that is not a heat pump unit.
As for the over the road air, mine needed freon and I decided it was not worth it to do that and keep up the maintenance long term when a heat pump mini-split is as cheap as they are and can be used both over the road and when parked.
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I just did a search for air conditioner on the walmart site and clicked on the mini-split icon. 2 or 3 pages came up.
Jim
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Cheapest I see is the Garrison 9K btu for $446.00