12 Volt DC Air Conditioner | POWER CONSUMPTION TEST | Dometic RTX 2000 | Van Life
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This RV is now FOR SALE: vanlifetrader....
Will my solar farm of 800watts completely power my off grid Air Conditioner?
Would you like to power an off grid AC unit?
Want to learn more about battery and solar powered Air Conditioning, watch and subscribe to follow along on my journey of owning one of the first DC powered Dometic rooftop units in the USA!
Join me as I investigate power consumption for a ONE HOUR test of the first Dometic CoolAir RTX 2000 in the wild!
AC: Dometic RTX 2000 12 volt
Solar: 800watts
4 x 200 watt Kosta 200 panels, 2 in series, 2 in parallel.
Vehicle: 2010 Mercedes Sprinter Van affectionately known as the 'BAJA VAN'
Insta: / benbodie
Testing on a Hot 80° day in May, internal temperatures of my van reached 92°+ degrees Fahrenheit, how well will this air conditioner work?
300 ah Lithium Battery
Air Conditioner is 6,824 BTU
Cost: ~$2800 USD plus shipping
Link to specs on the Dometic RTX: www.dometic.co...
Link to specs on Kosta 200 panel: www.kathstore....
*Great with keeping my 1st floor **Fastly.Cool** . Had a little struggle getting it to sit properly in my small window but once I got it situated it works perfectly.*
Purchased: August 2023 - still works GREAT!I ruclips.net/user/postUgkxxsUnXhGsSJLim_XnMHyQK0u3XVaW-CGn live in a studio and during the summer it gets scorching hot - really old building with no ac units. I can’t express how EASY it was to install. This unit has been a life savior during the summer and some days during other seasons where it can still be a bit warm at night. In this small place is my friend, a husky, poodle mix and myself. We need AC - lolI don’t use the dehumidifier option - I’m not sure if it will leak in my house, since I did not install the small draining hose that came with it. May look into it late but I don’t worry about much humidity in the apartment. I don’t understand why the negative reviews since all things mentioned, I personally did not find issues with. Definitely worth it!
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Kinda ironic your using the sun's energy to defeat the sun's energy.
Thermal Judo.
OMG... Great CALL!!!!
One day there will exist an awards show for yt comment commentary commemoration
Now thats symmetry
Nope it’s still free cooling and very adequate to compete with the sun. I don’t know how old this video is but our van gets 69 degrees with no problem in the sun. Free AC. Not a competition with the sun at all. Game changer for sure. You’d have to really use one to make a comment like this to know how wrong it is
If been saying it for about 2years now, the first company that can successfully make a GOOD air conditioner for vanlife will end up being rich....because we're all waiting for it!
There is a HUGE pent up demand ready to Buy a good DC air conditioner that can run directly off the solar panels.
You are so right!
The mini split I installed on my travel trailer uses 300-400 watts compared to the 1200w the factory Air conditioner used. It's much quieter too 😁!
Alibaba. $430 for the unbranded version of this. :-)
@@chachi5975 Hi, does it run on DC? What is the brand? I do know those are whisper quiet.
I would think the thing to do if you want to cool everything off quick is have the engine running, put the cab AC full blast and also run the rtx2k in boost mode while drawing from the alternator so that it can get full power. It's supposed to pull about 60 amps when boosting.
Great for a little van. Specs say it’s 6,824 BTU less than half of a RV rooftop Ac unit. You were drawing 500 watts at 12v that’s 41amps that would be 6 hrs run time leaving approx 20% left on your battery bank if you turned off your panels. I have 850 watts and 4x100 amp hr lithium with a 3000 watt inverter and a soft start on the 15000 BTU AC and I can only get about 2.5 hrs without damage to my batteries. It also says there is a eco mode on this unit that only draws 19 amps. You could run that all night and still have good batteries in the morning. Thanks for the great info on this unit, nicely done sir.
Insulating the van is very important so the AC will cycle and conserve the energy. Great idea, love it.
Wow. This is the information i've been searching for! If you ask in a group how much solar and battery you need to run an air-con for an hour the answer is invariably "as much as you can fit". Thank you!
The "hybrid method".
Run around doing your chores, sightseeing, etc. w/the van a/c running full tilt... then when you are at your destination, turn on the roof a/c (while the van still idles). Within minutes & very little battery usage, you will be at any reasonable indoor temp.
Btw, is that an a/c only, or a heat pump that also heats when it's chilly out?
Fyi, you should install window shades on the outside of the van to keep that huge windshield, etc from having solar gain! They must be outside for best reduction.
These have been common with class A & C rv's forever.
I like your wet jet cleaner for the panels!!!
Even though this is a "cool" test, I'd be more interested in how much power it uses after the initial cool down, to maintain temp.
I would imagine it would be running almost the entire time if it's that hot outside. I don't know if it's an inverter AC unit or not.
@@randybobandy9828 No it is not a inverter AC.
That is the obvious question
He said at one point that he doubts it will get much cooler which means it will never reach equilibrium unless the setpoint is over 75. It will run continuously.
I have seen similar tests where at 'eco mode', the temperature is maintained after the initial cooling blast. That being said, assuming real life application, if you are driving all day, get to your destination at 5:00, the van will be hot. Run the AC for an hour or 2 at full, then in a few hours the sun goes down and you can drop to 'eco mode' to maintain or even further cool the van with a lower battery consumption.
A significant challenge that you're demonstrating is the ambient temperature of the items within your van. While the AC is running, they are still radiating back into the van since the surface temperature of items were at approx. 87 to 93 degrees when you started your test. In turn, your AC must run longer to displace that radiant heat - much to the point you were making.
If you started running the AC earlier in the day to keep the radiant temperature lower in the van, that AC looked like it would be really nice. Looks like you just need to add another 200W panel up there to overcome the negative draw off the battery during the day. That would likely get you really close at least.
Thanks for sharing.
That RTX is designed to run off batteries for 12 hours at which time it will shut down.
He has more than enough power to run from 6pm to 6 am. Drive or turn on panels and you’re good to go. 400 watts of solar would have been plenty but with two 400 watt panels charges the batteries that much faster. Thx for this vid ad we are in the process of obtaining this RYX ourselves. 420 amps of batteries 400 watts of soLar on the roof. ( 1 panel!). Great vid, thx!
This is awesome! So hard to find real world tests and usage. Appreciate the effort 👍
Glad you enjoyed it, let me know what other content you would like to see.
@@insidiouspeanut would like to see a 24-48hr usage. The energy use at night after the thermal mass of the van has cooled down and as the day goes on with the suns thermal energy heating the van in conjunction with the solar panels producing energy.
I have been looking into one of these units and a good cheap solar system.
Would have liked to see a test where the windshield was covered with a reflective sunscreen, and maybe the front windows too. An insulated curtain only can do so much.
Thanks for posting this. I forgot there were options besides a 14000 btu 20A AC unit powered by an inverter for boondocking.
They make 24 and 48 vdc complete roof top units , have been for many decades but are expensive compared to mini splits which do the job so much better , plus is you heat also from them.Roof units just arnt that efficient either 12v or the 120ac either ac or the heat pump models.
looks like you need 1 more panel but that's great! cant wait for EV Vans with solar built in
You can run this on a 400amp bank for aprox 8h, give or take. until the batteries are dead. No current small-AC's draws under 600W on full blast, heating or cooling. so a day before you need to charge from zero to a hundred with whatever source you've got. That is my summary from all the current presentations out there.
You'll be running this when you're stationary. Get several good boat flex panels and attach them on the sun side of the van while you're stopped, linked back into your charge controller - capture the power while you're running it and the sun is out there. That would usually offset the kind of draw you're showing.
If you buy the flex panels --also buy some salt and pepper. Leaving them in the sun (DUH) degrades the fiberglass and they crack.
GUESS WHAT THAT DOES TO THE TINY INTERNAL CONNECTIONS.
@@halfpastnews4999 get good ones designated for boat use. they'll cost more, but be a big step up. And they won't be in the sun all the time either unlike being mounted on a roof...
@@halfpastnews4999 why salt and pepper?
SALT AND PEPPER IS TO SEASON THE PANELES WHEN YOU HAVE TO EAT THE MISTAKE OF BUYING THEM.
They get BRITTLE in the sun (DUH) and if you bend them they crack and break the tiny cell connections. I had to eat 6 hundred dollars worth of them.
@@halfpastnews4999 mabey if I put lots of hard shell turtle wax on them and do it often enough and you might not to eat them! Lol I have a Corvette and I wax it all time to protect the gell coat and it works pretty good..
Noted that your solar panels are very close to your roof . Due to very big inefficiency of solar , it is a normal recommendation that the panels
Are a minimum 70 mm off the roof .
Suggest you Google the inefficiency of solar as the temperature goes over 25 c
All panels ratings are done at 25c
You will be amazed.
Wouldn't that start to pose some issues with drag while driving the van?
@@platinumsky845 if that concerns you , place a wind deflector at 45 deg on the very front panel. I did this on my van
@@leithmurray736 alright, I'd just be worri d about the structural integrity under high wind speed but that sounds like it would help a lot, thanks.
@@platinumsky845 I have 2 x 150 watt panels mounted on aluminium angle mounted directly to the roof of my vehicle with 70 mil space under the panels with. A 100 mil x 1100mil front aluminium wind deflector. This was done to keep the wind noise down to normal.
I have on one occasion tried to see what this campervan would do . At 175 kph , I was starting to run out of road
The van has done over 100.000 kil with these panels on .
Thanks! Now I'm really considering adding one of these for the bedroom in my trailer, with a self-built 280Ah battery bank the total outlay to have solar AC for sleeping while off-grid seems reasonable.
The temp of the air coming out of the AC will be about 20 ⁰f cooler than the air going into the AC unit. Also, remember that unless you have something stiring the air up more that just the AC fan you are likely to have stratification.
Man wtf are you even talking about!?
@@omarwilliams6729 I am an HVAC tech. I am talking about how air-conditioning actually physically works. The thermostat is set to the temperature that you want the space to be. The air coming out of the air conditioner will not necessarily be the temperature that the thermostat is set for. The cooler air mixes with the air in the space until the thermostat senses that the air is the at the set point, then is turns off the air-conditioning.
@@seansmith6929 👍👍👍 I like this Brother.
Thank you for the knowledge imparted.
The temperature of the “air conditioned” space also involves the thermal mass of the area. Which means, the temperature of everything with in the conditioned space must make it to the desired temperature before the HVAC unit will maintain the desired temperature.
Goes for the refrigerator also, the more in the fridge at temperature, the less the fridge has to work.
Just found out a couple of days ago taht there actually are 12 volt ac units. This test was exactly what I was looking for, thank you. I Iike that you did a "real" relatable test and not some lab stuff.
Glad you’re not sleeping in 100+ temps anymore! Thank you for sharing!
so you couldn't start van at night and run that ac in the 100 degree temps at night eh is dash ac broken?
How about a portable solar cooler? The more hot and in direct sun the more colder drinks and cooler items get?
#NO MORE ICE👍
I've look at several blogs and videos showing 12Vdc air conditioning and yours is more in dept on actual real life usage, good information, great video!
In residential hvac units, the rule of thumb is that the air coming out of the unit should be 20 degrees colder than the air going into it. The temperature you set it at has nothing to do with it. As the temperature in your van drops, the air coming out of the AC will drop with it.
The temperature you set the AC to is just there so the unit will stop cooling when that temp is reached. It's just an "off" switch. Hope that clears it up, and thanks for the video.
If I am reading the specs correctly the unit has a variable speed compressor so the delta may vary with setpoint vs actual.
This is mostly true but changes a bit with variable speed compressors.
I sure do like that solar panel mounting.
I could do an in depth video on mounting these if interested. I utilized the stock Sprinter roof rails as a base.
I like your real world tests, gives an insight how pv panels, battery, and AC to cool your space. I believe to enhance your envelop (van), hopefully there's an air gap between the pv panel and the van's roof. Otherwise, I would suggest better insulation and more air movement in side the fan (like that little fan, as a booster). To reduce heat conduction from the outside, try painting an aerogel based paint on the inside - sides, bottom, and roof to the bare metal (Do just a small section first and see how well the product works. Check with the laser temp gun - it's expensive - but good). As for your glass windows, that's tough to insulate. Maybe a high quality window tints or an aluminum radiant barrier custom cut to the windows. The thermal curtain certainly helps reduce heat gain. Within your many options, I believe you can achieve your cool goal much quicker and sustain it for a very long time.
Awesome but I like my $250 8000btu home depot special window ac. Easy to replace And it pulls about 615w at full blast. Works for me n the dog here in south florida in my shuttle bus on 1400watts of solar.
I wonder how the rtx 1000 would do in comparison.
But I'd love to see this test done in "eco" mode. and see the power draw and how much is lower the temp
And another test of power consumption over time to a vehicle that is allready at a cool temperature.
People always test these things in low humidity regions. I would be very impressed to see how it does in Florida, where we have 100%. Humidity. Temperature is easy to extract heat from, pulling water out of the air is a different story.
Great test to see, for future to get accurate temp readings you need to have a dry bulb / wet bulb temp sensor to accurately read discharge temps from the unit.
My van is now for sale! At a very reasonable price. vanlifetrader.com/listing/solar-ac-motovan-offgrid-adventure-van-eco-friendly-affordable/
It could help to put a reflective sunshade in the windshield to reduce heat buildup in the cab, as well as the window letting sunlight into the living space of the van.
I can actually watch ur content, thanks for not sucking and rambling about bs like other youtubers.
Keep up the great content!
Who-da-thunk watching solar panels cleaning would be so satisfying! :L
I'm going to guess that it doesn't just cool the van, but also removes moisture from the air, which makes even a modest reduction in air temperature feel much more comfortable!
When you started the air after the inside of the van is preheated it will take a long time for any a/c to cool it down!
"But ac cuts down humidity instantly, that makes you feel like heaven right quick( I. Should know, heh heh!)".
Hank¡t ain't no vaxeęn•Aaron
"W O R D "
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Me tooo!"
Lisa Shaw
My hand hurts ".
Eric Cĺapton
The thermostat is just the cut off temp. Does not control the temp it blows at. If you have a 15 degree split or better depending on the units efficiency then your good. In other words most room heat pumps or air conditioners remove 15 degrees of heat at a time. High velocity systems like in a car can remove more but that’s a different animal.
Can you post a link to that small flip-down fan you had?
Put a switch in and run it off the alternator until it gets cool and then switch to batts for the night......save a ton of AH's pulling down the space.
turn the little fan on it will blow the cold air around better
The temperature it puts out is based on the temperature of the air it is sucking in. Most air conditioners are only able to drop the air temperature roughly 15 to 20 degrees from the temperature of the air it is taking in. If the temperature was 75, putting out 62 is about perfect. I really like that unit though. About time someone came out with a reliable 12vdc AC.
Ben, this was an amazing video (for me); didn't know solar powered a/c was avail. Def will do add'l research; might be great upgrade! Pulling the insulated curtains and (maybe) using Reflectix on the windows would def help with the temp and a/c cooling. Thanks for sharing!
Y'all Be Safe!
Glad it was useful to you, I made this video to share knowledge that I have learned in my quest for an air conditioner capable of running WITHOUT a generator or typical plug in electrical source.
Windows are a huge escapement route for thermal air, hence why I only have a small window in the rear of my rig. My insulated curtains are home-made from vinyl and 3M thinsulate in order to keep the heat from the cabin separate from the living area... it works very well for this along with added privacy!
My van was insulated with closed cell foam spray to a depth of 1.5"-2." on the walls, doors and the roof, I then put another layer of 3M thinsulate over the spray foam before installing my paneling. Rigid foam board was used on the floor underneath 3/4" plywood. I estimate an R-value of approximately 18 in my build, this is very efficient! The weak point would be the seals around the doors not being perfect and allowing air to escape. Proper insulation is key to maintaining an area capable of heat regulation.
With the panel output you are still in deficit consumption mode, not sustainable long term. However once the van is cool you may not be in a deficit. What I would like to see is a test over several days.
This may be true. I need to test individual panels and see if any diodes have failed.
Solution is simple. Run van engine for a wee blast.
We just installed a 200w, 20amp system on our augmented scuba trailer. Since we're completely new to the off-grid aspect, we didn't want to jump into the deep end, and we know pretty much all of the system is scalable. While insulation has dramatically helped reduce the heat build up (we live on the Tex/Mex border that you've heard so much about lately), and extremely high-efficiency A/C unit would be a nice add-on. Did you find that you had enough solar coming off of just the two panels (assuming nominal PV production from them) to be enough for the A/C unit?
@@cetifoxproductions you generally need 1000 watts minimum. My 800 watts is not enough for all day.
Awesome! I've been searching high and low for a good real life comparison with Dometec, lithium ion cells and solar arrays. I can do my own math, however the data here is invaluable. Thank you!!
If you don't mind, could you tell me what the AC unit draws on your battery bank without solar like at night? Obviously it's cooler at night, and I would need to know your lithium battery storage capacity.
I have a vintage camper that I restored. It's a 1957 with all Birchwood cabinetry and walls inside. It's small, about the size of a van, but I want to have AC to get me through the first few hours of the night here in Colorado which can be in the '80s and lower '90s. By midnight it's usually below 75, so that's cool, quite literally.
Hey Ben, you’ve had this going for a few weeks in warmer weather, still a good purchase?
When i was i kid i made an ice powered aircon,was basically an esky full of icy water with a small car radiator mounted on top and a pump to circulate the water through the radiator. It was incredibly effective, far colder than any normal aircon, unfortunately it didn't last very long without needing to add more ice.
I never used it, it was just proof of concept, i made alot of weird things as a kid.
If only we can use dry ice with out putting ourselves into a coma and dying lol
@@dl2.504B i don't see why it can't be a sealed system, or at least vent outside.
Considering you need the AC mostly when it is very sunny outside, you are covered.
PS: It would definitely help if you have insulation as well.
Big time!!
I have a 120v 5k btu unit and 800 watts solar. After 5 mins of use it settles at unit 420 watts. On a decent day I still have input into my batteries while in use so no output from battery. Best test on a day with 95 degrees interior I can drop to 74 degrees in 35 min and 69 degrees in 55 mins. I normally just set ac on 72 degrees. Once to that temp it goes off and kicks on about every 10/15 mins for 5min. So my batteries stay full during the day. My last hour of solar input I turn on constant until no solar input and get it down to 64 degrees. Then adjust to auto 78 and turn my fans on and the ac will barely come on maybe every 30/40 mins for 5 mins.
Exhaustive & detailed review here.... Thank you. Our newer, inverter-type vapor-compression compressors do "speed up & slow down" depending on how close to the setpoint the room return-air is. (variable btu output for a 12,000 might be 3,500 - 12,500 for example) SO, my opinion is don't have your setpoint any lower than what you want or the unit will remain maxed out until you tell it otherwise. If your target is 74, then once it gets close to that, it will "slow down" as will the wattage consumption as it approaches that 74 degree mark. Today's AC units do not "bang on" and "bang off" like they did 15-20 yrs ago. They speed up and slow down (provided they are designed and sold to do so as I am pretty sure this system is.) Read the manual and see if it shows a "BTU Range" of operation. Great video..... Very informative.
variable speed. High end window air units do this now as do all? mini split systems. I've seen where some mini splits can power all the way down to 200 watts or so (if not much ac is called for).
@@markparent7999 yep , mini split is way to go period.Dont have large cables running to 12volt/24volt/48volt units , just plain ac 10/2 to the outside condenser and 4/16awg wire from condenser to the inside unit cassette.One 18k btu heats and cools 40' DP so much better then both (30kbtu) the 15kbtu 120volt ac 15 amp draw pre units it had., maintains it all day long and only draws from batteries during cloudy days and nights.Runs about same as just one 15kbtu roof unit but it does so much better at it and the noise , the noise gone is so worth it.Just a whisper comes out of celing cassette. Cant even hear the outside condenser running unless your right in front of it (within 2ft)
This is impressive. If you added just ONE or TWO more solar panels you could totally run the AC without depleting the batteries at all. You could run the AC as long as the sun shines!
or just up the batterry bank from 300 to 600. The panels delivers plenty for a day of full blast, and evenings and night time you don't need a lot of cooling.
Thanks for answering one of my worries. All the best from Australia
Wow, that's really impressive. Consider too, that the aircon has to also remove the heat from the entire van's structure as well as the hot air contained within it. Looks like it would get down into the 60's pretty soon after the test ended.
I think so too. Solar aircon that really works, even 78 to 80F is tolerable if one isn't moving around
Pretty informative, now i have ideas on this 12v dc aircon. Thanks man!!
I’m curious why more people aren’t using the mini splits like you see on semis. They run off 12 volts. They run independent from the engine…. 🤷♂️. Sure there’s something I’m missing
been doing it for few years.With a 220volt mini split heat pump. I use a 18k btu 25seer ac(220volt AC ) mini split for 40'DP ceiling cassette in the middle section , condenser mounted in back pass side rear compartment. The 8 way cassette blows air constantly throughout entire RV.Junked both the 15btu 120v 15amp draw roof top units and just put cassette in the middle in the fan vent opening. Had to increase hole to fit cassette unit in and then make/paint fiberglass roof cover and seal it to roof (had roof redone during the upgrade so both old AC holes were covered and no longer in roof). Helped with not having 2 roof ac units so could fit solar panels better. Drain comes out into ptrap on roof and it runs right off to the drivers side to the rear.Works so much better then those RV roof units ever did. I didn't use 48vdc mini split units because super high price they seem to ask for them. Just wasn't worth it when the AC mini splits did same thing and I already had to have inverter to run other items like washer/dryer,tv audio system....
Very good presentation :-). Likely the best I’ve seen in the past 2 years !
Looks like you are showing what is coming off the battery, with the solar panels contributing.. Have you tested what the real draw of the RTX2000? I would love to see real amps from the field of an independent person like you. Like what the peak draw was and how many AH over a period of time like this test.
When I flip the breakers to the solar panel, the draw is coming purely from batteries.
This is a part of the power draw test.
What would be interesting is how long it would run at night, when you are trying to sleep.
Watt hours is where Its at, not amp hours
Since the voltage doesn't really change it's effectively the same either way, watt or amp hours.
We used that same spray mop to clean the bathroom floors on 747s and A330s
the supply air temp is determined by inlet temp and outdoor air temp if its cooler outside it can cool more because the condenser is more effficent
There is no short cut, DC air is meant for semi sleepers or mass transit busses and both never shut down the engine while in operation.
AC powered Air and generator or shore power is really all there is
excatly. The only excepion is wheren you have sun every day, all day., and a 600w battery bank.
Thank you for your informative video. Can you recommend an off grid Solar AC unit for a 20x8 tiny home. I think 6,500 BTU should do the job. I heard about a new company that developed a 12,500BTU unit that is fully solar, I can’t find info on that unit. I appreciate your insight
If I’m not mistaken you can take battle born batteries all the way down to zero and recharge without damaging… also they have a 10 yr warranty
You need to read about Lithium batteries (including BB!) DOD or Depth of Discharge. Simply put, any discharge below 20% of the battery, you WILL degrade the total amount of power the battery will be able to hold. This can ultimately lead to a shorter life if you are constantly discharging them to near 20%... In comparison Lead acid batteries are only supposed to have a DOD of 50% this is one of a few reasons that Lithium are superior to Lead acid. I do believe BB batteries have a BMS (Battery Monitoring System) that will prevent you from discharging them below 20% but you should know what stress you are putting your expensive system through!
Yes, run a maintain test, as opposed to a bring down test. What make of AC is that? Very nice low profile.
Real test.....Phoenix AZ
119f today....... I dare ya lol
Setting the AC temp. to 78* and leaving it there without turning batteries of and on would have been a more scientific test, but as long as you are satisfied with the outcome I guess it doesn't matter.
That is very cool I did not know that they made a 12-volt rooftop thank you
Would like to know the Decibels on the unit as well. Hard to know from the video if it was loud or even audible.
West Texas... ? ... I"m here in Southeastern New Mexico... over 100* today...
Nice informative Video' but For 3000$ 6.8K BTU is a little bit too much,,For my bus covertion,a $ 600 9K BTU would make more Financial Sense, It was Very good to know this little guy, I guess for a VAN, would be way to go
You need to cover the front cabin from outside and cover any windows facing the sun for optimum results
Have you thought of mounting your panels a few inches off the roof to allow air flow and solar block? I did this (same van) and it works great. The roof actually remains cool to touch.
There is currently 2.5" of room between the underside of the panel and the roof. Plenty of room for air circulation, no room for "liftoff" like I've seen on some rigs that are ready for flight 😂
@@insidiouspeanut lol trudat!
Impressive!!! All that on one 300 ah Battery being fed by 4 solar panels, this brings me hope in the sense that I don't need a 3,4 or 5 bank battery system.
300Ah of lithium is about 3K on the batterybank alone. 800W of solar and all the expensive (but high quality) victron gear is easyly another 1,5-2K.
@@casemodder89 That is false...100ah is about 300-500 , 200ah is like 800 and 300ah is 1k-1200.And you drop massive weight just going from lead acid to lithium.You also gain ability to be able to USE most of batteries AH not like lead acid where you try to keep from draining them past 70% or it destroys battery and they barely last 4-6years as it is!
5,000 btu window air conditioner uses about 450 w off an inverter and they cost under $200
But then you have to cut a giant hole in your rig that screams "someone lives in here!" For that reason I experimented with disassembling a traditional window unit and mounting it as a mini split with the radiator underneath the van to expel heat and condensation..... After much trial and error I decided to go with this roof unit. To each their own, just trying to spread info on this unit that just hit markets spring 2021. ✌️
This..if it falls out you just keep driving. Wal mart had some 5000btu window ac marked down years ago for $30..i should have bought the whole pallet.
Thats a pretty small space , larger you want something more capable for 25-40' DP. This is why I choose 18k btu mini split compared to 2 the two roof top 15k units that only cooled.Power dropped about half and mini split cooled so much better and much faster in 90-110F. Not to mention they heat down to about 5-10F. I add in backup heat down that cold and really just use it to circulate the air at that point.
I’m going to need you to compare it to a AliExpress split unit for me 😂 Thanks for sharing. I’m afraid of not having the roof space for one of these suckers.
OR, this same unit unbranded 12v for $430 through Ali, which also runs on 24v and is more efficient of course.
@@BreAsop link? 🙂
@@BreAsop any more info on this? Thanks!
@@TheShadowVortX You'll have to search Alibaba. Links change fast by whatever distributor is offering them.
An evaporative cooler is the way to go in dry climates.
80 degrees?
Can you test this again when it’s actually hot outside? I’m talking 110-115ish.
Haha. You just mentioned west Texas (that’s where I am) and 115 degree temps (like I mentioned above). Yea,... test it in those conditions.
Is it possible to add one more panel and actually have a zero draw off the battery? Actually even charging the battery while running the ac
Yes by my calculations 1kw of solar panels is sufficient to run this system with excess power generation.
Good vid overall but amps is the more meaningful measure when it comes to runtime. Amps are how the batteries are marketed and the math is significantly easier. Understanding you have to work with what you got but meat thermometers isn’t the best tool for this test. Using an IR temp gun you’ll see the aircon will blow mid 50’s at the vent.
*edit*
Another footnote, you don’t want to run your batteries dead all the time but this is the first time anyone put the advisable limit at 20% charge. Ive been neck deep in camper vans for over 3 years now (trying to qualify my statement). Curious to know where you learned that.
I’m not an expert and I’m not trying to come across as one. Just sharing with the community while providing some constructive feedback.
seeing the current draw of a home ac in real-time would be pretty cool
There’s a sticker on the side that will tell you. Volts x Amps = Wh
A home AC unit is going to use much more power as it’s cooling an entire home and not a small box. You’re looking at around 10x the power consumption but it also has way more BTUs.
The only place you can put PV panels is on the roof so anything else occupying roof space is a bit of a wasted opportunity. Ideally you need enough PV to be able to top up a battery as well as run the AC and I suspect this is your situation once the AC has done the initial job of cooling a hot van.
Can you do a real world overnight battery only test?
How about an update ? Is it keeping up with the summer heat ?
Since this is my second request for an update, I'm going to assume that the air conditioner system is a failure.
UPDATE ? That's all good for May but what about now ? Thanks for the video.
It is not enough watts, because in Texas, for July and August, it only gets down to 75-80 degrees at the coolest (unless it rains, but then little or no solar energy) and that's at 4:00 am. He would still need to run his A/C at least a little bit at night or it will heat back up into the 80's quickly due to everything radiating heat around the camper. Seems great for May and some of June though, but not enough watts for the rest of Texas summer. Either get more panels and more battery capacity, or just hit Texas in May, but then go to a nicer climate for the rest of summer.
Very interesting test 👍 but found it hard to watch with poor camera work jumping around ... 😕
Putting the A/C on the roof where the hot sun is keeping the compressor and condensor hotter does not help. It is best to have it under the van where its cooler, and then you have more room for solar panels!
Lots of poor implications from flipping an oil-lubricated compressor upside down. Along with fighting thermal dynamics of heat rising & cool air sinking etc etc etc 🤦
Is it loud? The music is drowning out the real sound. We have a Pioneer mini split that is undetectable when it’s on. But you have to be level or it will dump condensation on the bed 😮.
I would get rid of the power inverter and get a 12 or 24. Volt ac unit. I'm talking about for home use not.in a van. I cannot complain about my electric bill but there is always room for improvement. The home has better insulation so this is doable.the solar can be direct wired to the ac initj.
Seems like a 5000 btu $150 wall unit in back may be better with inverter. Bernie Sanders likes it 60.
The cabin is saturated, if you leave your panels on, and let the unit run 24/7 that system will work for you...got my attention. think of the energy units you are removing...it will take at least 24 hours to stabilize...
Love the content. I live in south Florida and will look into this. One comment on the video; slow down on the panning. I have an 85" tv and actually got motion sickness watching. It would be better on a tripod or cut the scene and restart for different views.
Great content.
Best 12v AC video I have seen!!!!
What is the load amps and the actual run amps of that Dometic? If ran all night then what is your batter percentage at before the solar starts to charge? And how long will it take to charge on a good day back to 100% on your lithium batteries?
A properly operating AC should have a 18 to 22 degree split at air in verses air out. That's too expensive. I can buy a central unit for a house for that much money.
the temperature you set at doesn't change the temp it runs at it will just turn off when it gets lower then your setting ac can only cool so much
What battery, inverter n charge controller are you using would you recommend? $$$
Definitely check out 280ah cells . 1/3 the price of a battle born.
My 5000 btu AC only draws 27amps DC in my roadtrek. With 560 ah 13 volts of lithium that gives me almost 20 hours of use, and of course much extended with my 300w of solar. It kind of looks like a regular small air conditioner does pretty good, as compared to you Dometic. Of course when 560ah are gone it takes a long time to charge.
Hi Rick,. What brand ac is that? Where are they sold? I'm interested.
yea, what brand, model you got?
But what does it draw at night without power while at temperature? It cooler at night. Should be less of a load and won't need to cool down from being so hot all day if it starts cooler inside.
cool, great info. 10hr at night, but might be cooler at night so maybe less use. can you set it to turn off when it reaches the 20% mark?