I've been doing this for years, and it works very well. Added benefit is the white noise from the a/c when you are camped in a noisy campground. I rigged up my own shelf for very little $$$. Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----
> This has already been done. TerryK used to sell an adapter to hang a
> regular AC unit in the Westy Passenger van. Hung it off the cargo
> carrier up top. You need a small generator (Honda 2000 for instance)
> to power it if you don't have AC around. BTW, A Honda 1000 isn't
> enough. A Honda 2000 is a very quiet generator. A 50 foot extension
> cord to locate it away from your van (and not near anyone elses
> hopefully) and you won't even notice it. Especially if you have an AC
> blaring away.
> On Oct 27, 2013, at 6:45 PM, JRodgers wrote:
> > Jim,
> >
> >
> > what would be the prospect having a small 5000 BTU AC unit that
> > could be
> > mounted in the passenger window of the van when you are stopped and
> > camped somewhere. The to power it - tow a small trailer with a
> > generator, spare propane, larger tools, bigger tent, etc, etc, and
> > when
> > not in use the AC unit and the frame for it could also be stored on
> > the
> > trailer.
> >
> > John
> >
> > On 10/26/2013 9:10 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> >> My situation is that I am the Director of the Alabama Scenic River
> >> Trail (
> >> www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com). Travel to meetings with Corps of
> >> Engineers, City and County officials, landowners and such are part
> >> of my
> >> job. I put about 10,000 miles a year traveling in places where
> >> moteling-it
> >> is not an option. Neither is staying at an RV lot. For the most
> >> part, all
> >> there are are locally run "cornfields" with minimum hookups and
> >> often I am
> >> the only one in them or nearly so. There are a lot of these in
> >> rural
> >> Alabama that cater to migrant workers and the flood of builders
> >> that follow
> >> hurricane and tornado damage., Especially in the south of the
> >> state. In the
> >> north of the state, I am either home at night or I can stay with a
> >> friend
> >> or relative.
> >>
> >> In four years of doing this job, I have not spent one night in a
> >> hotel or
> >> motel. I have camped hundreds of times in my westy.
> >>
> >> In a few minutes, daughter, grandson and I will pull out for a
> >> nearby
> >> National Forest overnight. When we camp, it's usually under
> >> conditions that
> >> the weather is cool at night. In any event, our real camping (as
> >> opposed to
> >> work travel) is normally far from phone service much less
> >> electricity to
> >> run an air conditioner.
> >>
> >> I use my westy for both, don't see a problem in outfitting it for
> >> both.
> >>
> >> Jim
> >>
> >>
> >> On Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 8:55 AM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Having shore power AC means you probably aren't camping, you are
> >>> RV-ing
> >>> (at least in MY world).
> >>>
> >>> My SO was at Camping World (big box outlet store here in the west)
> >>> recently, where the counter-person kept trying to sell her a
> >>> membership to
> >>> Good Sam club...so she could "save money when camping" according
> >>> to the
> >>> clerk...My SO tried to explain that staying in a commercial RV
> >>> space was a
> >>> bit different than camping, but the clerk just did not
> >>> understand...In the
> >>> clerks mind, camping was driving from RV park to RV park on the
> >>> interstate
> >>> system and plugging everything in each night...'roughing it'...
> >>>
> >>> I, too use my Vanagon for non-camping bivouacs but if I were
> >>> wanting to
> >>> 'camp' in Good Samaritan or 1000 Trails or other Non-chain RV
> >>> parks all the
> >>> while, I guess Dennis might be right...the Vanagon seems a bit
> >>> under-sized
> >>> for that....and you would be 'looked down upon' by all the other
> >>> RV-ers,
> >>> quite out of place in your vanagon..
> >>>
> >>> I think if I traveled the south in summer I might be tempted to
> >>> just
> >>> motel-it...It IS really uncomfortably hot and humid there at
> >>> times..
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 8:07 PM, Dennis Haynes
> >>> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Most all window AC use a single motor to drive both the
> >>>> evaporator and
> >>>> condenser fans. You also have to consider the position of the
> >>>> coils in
> >>>> relationship to the compressor so the oil circulates and travels
> >>>> through
> >>>> the
> >>>> compressor. Needing AC while camped is often the first sign your
> >>>> out
> >>>> growing
> >>>> the Westy.
> >>>>
> >>>> Dennis
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> >>>> Behalf
> >>> Of
> >>>> Jim Felder
> >>>> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 9:07 AM
> >>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >>>> Subject: Re: idea?
> >>>>
> >>>> My brother and I were discussing cutting an AC unit in two and
> >>>> mounting
> >>>> part
> >>>> outside, part inside, under the rear seat.
> >>>>
> >>>> Also, it would be possible--but more difficult--to mount a split
> >>>> unit
> >>> like
> >>>> that in the luggage rack with only vents down into the cabin, but
> >>>> the
> >>> cabin
> >>>> roof would have to be penetrated and all the controls would have
> >>>> to be
> >>>> completely remoted. A weather cover would have to be created for
> >>>> the
> >>>> luggage
> >>>> rack mount. While the unit would not have to be "split" like it
> >>>> would if
> >>>> mounted under the seat (the whole thing would be mounted outside
> >>>> the
> >>>> vehicle) it would benefit from being rearranged to better fit the
> >>>> space
> >>> in
> >>>> the luggage rack to keep the profile low.
> >>>>
> >>>> The underseat mount would allow you to use the faceplate of the
> >>>> unit just
> >>>> as
> >>>> it came from the factory as long as it was not more than 13
> >>>> inches tall.
> >>>>
> >>>> The problem of making up some mounts is not trivial but not much
> >>>> harder
> >>>> than
> >>>> some intercooler mounts. I have a friend who works on this type
> >>>> of small
> >>>> window unit AC, and he said the only problem would be knowing
> >>>> where to
> >>> cut
> >>>> the lines and then installing the valves and plumbing to allow
> >>>> evacuation
> >>>> and refill. He said he would show me when we had a unit to look
> >>>> at, which
> >>>> hasn't happened yet.
> >>>>
> >>>> You could put one in the closet, too, I think but it wold be even
> >>>> harder
> >>> to
> >>>> split the unit using that space.
> >>>>
> >>>> Would love to hear from anyone who has modified a unit by cutting
> >>>> and
> >>>> modifying the tubing.
> >>>>
> >>>> Jim
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 7:47 AM, ralph meyermann
> >>>> <ralphmeyermann@gmail.com>wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Correct placement is a must for issues like that. If I use the
> >>>>> front
> >>>>> part of the original unit, it would simplify the controls too?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> >>>>> On Oct 25, 2013 7:40 AM, <ddbjorkman@verizon.net> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Careful how you use that space above the transaxle. It could
> >>>>>> cause
> >>>>>> a space restriction should you decide to remove the engine or
> >>> starter.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Dave B.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On 10/25/13, ralph meyermann<ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Still thinking/brainstorming/planning on how I could make it
> >>>>>> work.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> >>>>>> On Oct 24, 2013 8:57 PM, "Scott Daniel"
> >>>>>> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> >>>>> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>> There's quite a bit of unused space above the transaxle in a
> >>>>>>> 2WD
> >>>>> vanagon.
> >>>>>>> huge 'outside' area there ....just integrate the unit into
> >>>>>>> that
> >>>>>>> rear firewall behind the rear seat.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> On 10/24/2013 5:33 PM, Mike B wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> You can't integrate "everything" into the interior. The
> >>>>>>>> condenser
> >>>>>>>> and it's fan still must be mounted outside or be able to
> >>>>>>>> exhaust
> >>>>>>>> it's hot air to the outside or it won't cool the interior.
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> On 10/24/2013 8:09 PM, ralph meyermann wrote:
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> Hi Volks! I have a possibly crazy but possibly doable idea.
> >>>>>>>>> I am
> >>>>>>>>> thinking about getting a new 110v window a/c unit,
> >>>>>>>>> disassembling
> >>>>>>>>> it and integrating it into the interior and underneath
> >>>>>>>>> reconnect
> >>>>>>>>> everything recharge
> >>>>> with
> >>>>>>>>> refrigerant and tie it into the the 110v of the van. Some
> >>>>>>>>> slim
> >>>>>>>>> low
> >>>>> amp
> >>>>>>>>> 110v fans will be needed. Am I the only one thinking with
> >>>>>>>>> this
> >>>>> possible
> >>>>>>>>> nonsense?
> >>>>>>>>> Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>