Ozark Trail 20 x 10 Cabin Tent, Camping with Air Conditioning - How to
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- We bought this tent a couple of years ago because of its size and the built in a/c vents so we could camp in the summer. I finally bought a window unit air conditioner and this past weekend was the first chance we had to test it. We'll need a few minor adjustments our next trip but all in all it worked very well. UPDATE: The “adjustments” we’ve subsequently made were to put a full 20” X 30” tarp over the tent, thereby creating the necessary insulation and we used the foam rubber strips that came with the unit to completely seal the area around the tent’s a/c vent so that there is no space around the unit and it takes air directly from inside the tent into the unit and back out into the tent as it was designed to do in a home window.
*So amazingly quiet and **Fastly.Cool** in my room! 42db is at a whisper level. I bought 2 and installed myself.Very sturdy bracket and easy to adjust to fit windows of different size. Absolutely fabulous units!!*
You, sir deserve an award. 👏🏽👍🏼🤗 I hate to sweat so I will definitely use this when I go camping.
Love it. My father in law did this 20 years ago while we all camped at Fort Wilderness. Think we are actually going to follow suit because it is HOTTER THAN SNOT IN FLORIDA STILL!!!! I am so tired of not being able to camp right now because it is to hot right now here in FL and the crazy storms we have had every single day for weeks and weeks lol. Throwing a tarp on top is genius too would have never thought of that!
Pretty close Alabama is like that so muggy and hot..you have to do something! Your awesome for sharing this..the tarp is a great idea
pretty accurate description of a Florida summer!! Wet and muggy ALL DAY and all NIGHT! lol!
Yep, from March to November.
djtblizzle same in Louisiana
djtblizzle and low country South Carolina
djtblizzle try working in a power plant in Florida....145 degrees on the turbine deck....in February
djtblizzle
Wouldn't live in the south if you paid me.
I have never seen anything like this, thank you!!!
I have three of these in my house and 2 fans for a two story and a basement. 3br 2 ba. And my house is cool while outside is 90. They are a little noisy but nothing to out of the ordinary. Absolutely recommend.
We have an AC we use in summer and a heater in winter. We use a tarp big enough to cover top to bottom. We use tarp on top of rain fly and keep all tucked in. It can be 100 degrees out and we have our covers inside bc it is very cold inside! We have been doing this for last 15 years and people often ask about our set up!
Thank you so much for making this video. I, too, searched far and wide to do what you're doing and there's very little on the subject of tent AC. We did a 5K BTU AC in our exact same tent as your's last late July in Missouri (muggy as hell) and it honestly couldn't keep up during the day with the tent "as-is". It was great at night after the sun wasn't beating down on it, however. I saw you supplemented with a thick tarp to hold the cold in, which I can see would greatly help. I'm going to take your idea one step further and use reflective bubble wrap (reflectix) to insulate to the max. Anyway with the tarp, great idea! Definitely going to use the added material to the tent idea. How we addressed the seal issue at the end tent vent was with duct tape and used reflective bubble-wrap (reflectix). We made a custom "boot" to put on the vent side outside and custom cut the boot to fit snugly around the AC and leaving a 4-5" "flange" lip to secure it to the AC with a bungee cord and duct-taped the boot to the vent to make it "input only".
I first figured out the tarp as insulation method while tent camping in the mountains in the winter time using an electric space heater and figured it would work just as well for a/c in the summer. What this video doesn’t show and what we learned on this trip was that the ½ tarp we were using was insufficient and we went to the full tarp on future trips and that solved the problem nicely. I’m now able to get to lower than 70 degrees inside the tent during South Florida mid-summer by using the full 20’ X 30’ tarp covering. The Lovely Research Assistant hates the way it looks but we both love the way it feels!
The Florida Explorer ...HAVE YOU FOUND THAT YOU NEEDED TO SUPPLEMENT THE STRUCTURE WITH ADDED SUPPORT BEAMS OR A MIDDLE POLE OF SOME KIND TO COMPENSATE FOR THE ADDED WEIGHT ADDED TO THE TENT ?
@@deeb2448 No, not at all. The tent is sufficiently strong to hold the weight.
WHAT... kind of Power Station/Generator did you use to do the A/C?
great description of the heat there :-)
Yea but on certain days in South Florida (east or west) in August, adding to what he said, also spraying a rag with pepper spray than rubbing the rag all over your body before walking in the bathroom with the shower running for awhile would be more realistic. Don't forget, its not just the hot and wet but also the burn.
I really like the idea of bringing a long tarp with me and putting in under the rainfly to really waterproof the tent in heavy rains.
I started that 20 years ago and people laughed at me
My father in law too lol.
Next time you upgrade try an insulated ice fishing tent. You have to create the opening for the air conditioner (pretty easy) but with he insulation you'll be chilly even in muggy Florida.
That is beyond genius! I would never have thought of that!
“Ice fishing tent” is a foreign language for Floridians. Sounds like an idea though.
Great idea... where can you buy it??
Thanks for the video. My husband and I live in Texas and it gets SOOOO HOT down here. I think we just might buy this tent 👍
I live in texas too, i have the same tent and use a/c units it keeps the tent pretty cool, but it's hard to find the tent anymore i think it's discontinued!
I was doing this in the 80's My friends and family thought I was nuts. But, it worked and I was comfortable in my tent. Should I sue them for my idea? hahahahahahaha
Lol I was doing it too in late 80's! We got in trouble for taking my girlfriends a/c unit out of her window.
Sure others thought of the idea first
@@thomasmarquez6790 must been really desperate could not get your own had steal your girlfriend lol
Liar
🤷♀️🤣
You are absolutely right. I have not seen another video of something that is common anywhere you deal with humidity like in Texas. Fantastic idea for sharing a good technic for summer 🏕️....next time do show a thermometer to see the changes in temperature. Awesome video !!
No need for a thermometer, it's high 90's and 95% humidity during the day, the coolest part of the day is around 4:00 AM and that's about 76 with 95% humidity while inside the tent its 68 with 0% humidity.
I wish they still sold that tent. I am rigging something similar for camping in Texas. I gave up on finding a reasonable size tent tent that supported AC directly, instead I am making an adapter for my back window in the largest size Coleman SunDome tent (SunDome 6 10x10, no kids so no problem). For covering the no see um mesh I am planning on using Attic Foil which I have leftover from doing radiant barrier in my house, it's alumized mylar, I will attach magnets and use washers on the inside to hold it together. Yes, camping along the gulf coast is best described as air made of hot soup. I have done a temporary test rig on mine on a 98 deg weekend with 90% RH and a GoldStar 6.5K BTU window unit in the tent. I had to nudge the temp UP as the AC got the tent too cold...
Cool video/channel! I'm in West Palm Beach. Getting ready for some AC camping and came across your video. Thanks!
Ahhhh just hit up Juno Beach and it was spectacular!
I SPENT ALL SUMMER IN A CAMPGROUND IN FLORIDA
IN A 10 BY 12 TENT WITH ONLY A FAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO HAVE HAD THIS TENT
❤❤❤❤
Well if you cant get a real AC you could try a ice chest the foam kind cut out a hole to fit a fan in it fill it with ice and the fan will blow really nice cold air.
Florida in August ... Africa HOT .. the most miserable deepest depths of HELL HOT ! ( I have since moved to a cooler climate .... but I do miss Hurricane season... ; > )
Lol this was hysterical and spot on but I'll never move. I spend most time in the water or in AC so it's all good.
I have the same tent and got the large tarp idea from you.i use to use several on a smaller tent.but I have the new one like yours and I bought a tarp that covers all the way to the ground all around it it works incredible.just like being in my cool house.cant remember the size but get the big one and use a large garbage bag tape it around the ac to seal.
I went camping one time when the weather was around 95+ degrees at night. It was a horrible, yet memorable experience. Would I do it again? I'd prefer not to lol. But man, I understand how u feel and that AC will definitely help u enjoy camping in summer. Good luck!
LMAO hell yes it's the same way in Texas brother
No trust me on this one have lived in CA, CO, TX and FL and Florida is a whole other beast lol.
One thing i would do, Is use duck tape to seal up the corners of the tent and the A/C unit. And also use a panty house or a bug net and wrap it around the out side of the A/C unit so it will act like some sort of filter from the outside.
We used press and seal wrap from Glad° over the screen neating at the top area. Then we tapped the areas of the edge with packing tape. Made a huge difference. We only do that we are camping longer than a weekend. No matter how many tarps you place on the tent, the cool hair us leaving the tent...the a/c will work too hard and loose its power and might if freeze up.
No, not the case at all. The full cover tarp provides sufficient insulation, of course cold air will escape every environment - refrigerators, freezers, houses, and tents - but the proper sized unit will, and does, do the job very nicely. This works, it works very well, we didn't post these videos to demonstrate failure. This is as cool as any home and we posted this as a way to help others in the same situation.
Thanks for taking the time to make this vid. I'm currently researching ways to A/C a tent to extend out camping season (mississippi). Lot of good pointers here. Wish I could find a large tent that doesn't have a mesh ceiling. Obviously like you said, thats works for northern summer nights but I'd rather have it sealed and use the AC.
Well, what this video doesn't show, that the next one on the same topic does, is we ironed out the kinks on the second trip, and all the rest since then. We use a full tarp 20 X 30 covers the entire tent and then some. I used double sided tape to put 2 X 2 foam rubber insulation on the unit so when I get it set up I pull the top flap tight and the design of the tent does it magic and there are no gaps. I also built a stand out of wood the perfect height specifically for this unit. We keep it 68 day and night.
I remember going to Alexander Springs to camp one weekend, between the raccoons, bugs, heat, mosquitoes... It was terrible. I can deal with all of those, as long as I have AC!! Yes please!!
Me too, I can sweat all day long but when it comes time to sleep I have to be able to.
Absolutely! These Florida summer nights can be brutal! I love to sleep and it must be nice and cool! 😊
Milk crate seems like a good idea
Liked and subscribed as soon as I saw the Purple Haze shirt
Tarps were a great idea! It might have dawned on me mid camping trip... maybe?! But thanks for the heads up! I'm going to try a single 5000BTU unit on the new Magellan Bastrop 12'X7' Tent in Oklahoma (it gets hot & humid here).
That should work for that sized tent. I figured out the whole tarp thing years ago as protection from the rain and then realized it was a great insulator when used with heat. What this video doesn’t show and what we learned on this trip was that the ½ tarp we were using was insufficient and we went to the full tarp on future trips and that solved the problem nicely. I’m now able to get to lower than 70 degrees inside the tent during South Florida mid-summer by using the full 20’ X 30’ tarp covering. The Lovely Research Assistant hates the way it looks but we both love the way it feels!
Put a fan in front of the a/c that will help more
Had no idea some tents came with an a.c. port. Who knew!
Wish i would have seen this video b4 i ordered the Bushnell 12 person tent. I doubt it has an a.c. port built in it, if it doesnt, i will be making one for it.
I plan on making more memories with my little grandchildren this summer by taking them camping. Trial run in the back yard first :D
Guess i'll be purchasing a small air conditioner too ;)
Thank you so much!
I have a whole new out look on the camping thing now.
Have you thought about using the 4" wide rubberized flex tape (used to stop camper leaks) to seal around the A.C?
If you could frame 2" of one side of the tape to the tents a.c port, leaving 2 inches of the rubber sticking out to slip the air conditioner in (the tape stretches) You would have to apply 2" of tape over the sticky part though so you slide it around the air conditioning.
i think it would work.
That stuff sticks to anything!
We went to jordan lake in nc during july 4 and when i was leaving i told my wife ill never go camping again in tents,it was even hot at night and i cant sleep hot,2 weeks later i got a springdale 29RLSS,with cold ac,we did the ac in the tent trick and it did well for the time but i just cant do it anymore,im getting to dang old to tear a tent down,we eventually sold the rv and bought a 99 Fleetwood Bounder class a driver with the washer and dryer,yeah i know its a little overkill but im sure comfortable and im not sleeping on a air bed which is horrible in itself,and im not hot which is a big plus,it didnt help things that i had a heat stroke about a yr ago either,but really its all in what folks can afford and what they are willing to put up with
Not an AC vent. It is a vent, and I'm not saying he's using it wrong, but it's just as regular vent to help move air through the tent via a fan. Hence why he's had to modify it so much to properly fit an AC unit, if it was meant for ACs, be it'd be better set up for it. But i digress, it works, go for it, i don't blame him.
@@iamthecheese2737 the item discription actually says its for the purpose of adding a AC unit.
There are several options, to making an AC port I've seen kits that people sell as well.
I LOVE IT !!!
They need to make a canvas tent that way, although the price would be CRAZY HIGH ...especially for that size of tent.
Hey...ENJOY.... nothing like camping .
I used quilts to cover the top.. worked great we had a cabin tent!! And a free standing AC
Put foil faced bubble wrap over your tent, it insulates, stops wind, and reflects the sun rays.
Great idea... where can you buy Foil Faced Bubble Wrap?
I just did the 10 by 14 cabin video with AC vent I learned a little something from your video milk create could come in handy
FL the sun shine state 😍❣️
Im from Louisiana moved to Florida (South) and the heat and humidity is not near as bad as Louisiana.
Jeremy from jersey just subscribed
I got a hand it to ya for camping in summer, Florida too! I'm in Chicago area and I don't tent camp in summer, but maybe I'll try this!
Will be getting this tent and testing it in the Sonoran Desert soon. Thanks for the video!
My pleasure, we found out on a subsequent trip that covering it completely with a tarp had the sought after effect of insulating it entirely so that it remained cool throughout the day.
The Florida Explorer
I'd invest in some rolls of "Reflectix" for insulation. It's what is used by many yurt makers to insulate, also used to insulate metal
La Reviews It how was it in the desert?
A step stool works perfectly for the a/c set up and swim noodles will frame it in perfectly.
Could you explain how to use the pool noodles for enclosing the exposed areas around the unit? Would you cut and then duck tape them?
Going on a beach trip in July and getting everything bought and prepared to set up this same unit in our tent. Any advice is appreciated!! :) :)
@@abbypelletier4760 I use 2 X 2 foam rubber insulation with double sided tape to adhere it to the unit. Seals it perfectly.
Buddy, what you wanna do is get adhesive strip magnets, probably wont stick to the tent material, but you can glue one side of the strip magnet to the front face of the a/c, then just stick the other side of the magnet on the inside of the tent, bam instant seal, and its easily removable with no holes. I would use gorilla glue to stick it to the a/c once you have it worked out, the adhesive backing on those is so-so
Thank you.
A magnet size of a domino..stick magnet to side of ac , drape tent peice over magnet and place magnet or steel washer on top
+1 That's a good idea. I wouldn't have thought of strip magnets.
you can get those magnetic tool hanger holders from harbor freight for like 5 dollars (sometimes free with coupon) they are like 18" magnetic strips and you could just drape the material onto the A/C then put the magnet on the outside and use the magnet to pinch the tent material between the magnet and the A/C, like sticking your homework to the fridge.
Too bad ozark tents are garbage, and not waterproof at all.
As you said completely cover it with the tarp will be a huge difference.
Great information on the AC, will be incorporating your ideas for our July 2023 camp out...can you share the camp/site number....great location!!! THANKS!!!
We tent camp with an a/c too. Like the tarp idea
What do you use for a power source if you're not camping in a campground that offers electricity
@@bendaves77 you'd need a generator that provided enough wattage. Make sure to keep it a good distance from the tent and have a carbon monoxide detector inside.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I have this same tent, and am going to follow your advice.
I hope you & your family are safe from Irma. You're in my thoughts brother
Thank you very much, appreciate that
Only way to tent camp comfortably in the southeast. Even in the winter it can get up to mid 80's with humidity.
thank you, for vid! im thinking of using pool noodles and screen to seal from air leaks and bugs.
I'm pretty sure there is vents on top of that unit that push air out. keep that clear if there is, to make it more efficient,.every bit helps on a window shaker...
No vents on top, wouldn't cover it if there were.
Excellent video, I wanted to know how the ac vent would fit.
Maybe design a little wooden wagon type thing to put the A/C on...use a pool noodles to make a seal around the opening.... Just an idea that may or may not work
Pool noodles for seal around AC?
I wondered about this if there was a option where you can have an air conditionerI guess course you just use a generator to run AC this is so niceI don't live in Florida but it gets hot up here in Ohio at times and just to go camping I can't bear to heat at all and I will definitely have to have air in my tent
A little velcro attached to the bottom of the unit and around the vent part would probably work to seal it.
Thank you, yes, I see what your saying but the adhesive velcro backing won't stick to the tent and I don't possess anywhere near the patience to sew it on. I went with double sided tape and 2 X 2 foam rubber insulation placed on the unit, pull the top flap tight and tie it down and it seals perfectly which is something we owe to the tent designers. I like to find the same design with about half the space.
Sir it gets humid hot up here in Maryland. Horrible if you don't have an A/C even up to New York!
Nice cool tent ⛺️
Florida sounds like it sucks. Thx for the tip
Timing is crucial. Right now and for the last 4 months its been great!
Yeah, don't forget about the alligators strolling through your camp site. Lol
Florida is always in the news and true crime docs lol no thanks.
FL.. no thanks
You'll never catch me in Florida!! Lol
Creative!
i love camping at Silver Lake in Brooksville
That definitely be useful to camp for me when it's very hot outside bec I suffer alot in he heat. I'm more like a cold person myself now in day's lowl
Excellent video... and you're right ... not too many videos about this (A/C).
It has been a few years... Have you changed anything about this setup?
Yes, I mention in this video that I would use a full tarp the next time and actually did another video using that set up. I also used a/c stripping for the edges of the unit.
@@TheFloridaExplorer
Excellent Idea!!
Wtf your t shirt is amazing. I need one.
If you pull up the flap on the top of the a/c and allow the top vents to have circulation it will work much better
Thank you very much, but there are no vents on top of the unit.
You could get a piece of wood have the one side on a slant, put it under the air conditioner closer to the tent it will be on a slant, you could buy a stand up air conditioner and have your pipe sticking out of your tent just cut a hole in the side, I would have the pipe sticking out around a extra foot to prevent the water leakage from going under the tent
Seal the air conditioner with water pipe insulation it's like a pool noodle but smaller and foam so it's flexible and you can cut it to size
How about an elastic that would go around the outer edge of the a/c unit that has a shroud that expands outward and attach wide velcro to the shroud and tent? Think of it like a shower cap over the vents but cut out the top of it and velcro/seal down the wider edges.
If you could have used garden plastic instead of the tarp also.
Where does the electricity to run the A/C come from?
Add some pool foams around the window to close gaps
someone shared a standing ac and the. put it in the actual tent and just drain it in a bucket in the tent
Ill be trying a portable AC Unit
Where does the water go from the A/C?
Thank you!!!
This is interesting but a 10 x 20 tent is too big for one person, expensive and unwieldy. I wonder if other “tents with AC flaps” are available or if you just have to find what you like and cut your own opening. From Florida.
Thank you for sharing your ideas on summer camping with Air Conditioning. It gave me some ideas. What is your power source?
Electricity
Okay....,Is the camp site providing the Electricity, or your have another great idea for power source for your Electricity? My apologies if I wasn’t clear with my original question. But I do sense a little sarcasm in your answer.
No, you were perfectly clear. It runs on electricity and in this case the campground provides it.
The Florida Explorer : That is what I thought. Thank you for sharing your idea and experience with your tent. Definitely gave me some ideas.
Did putting the tarp over the top of the tent also make the material of the tent last longer?
That you would use on the duct work for a home central air setup
You should try to use flex seal On the Fly cover
Not practical
Where did you plug 🔌 in the ac ?
Electric post found at most camp sights
AND TRUST ME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A 4-20 SUMMER 😆😆
just seal it with good ole strong duck tape for now if it doesnt rip the tent when you take it off
Duct tape will ruin it
@@wendyeesue Not to mention it would never adhere to the material. I'll stick with the tarp for now.
We're all just creatures of comfort,and when u can't afford a nice rv to sleep in.
What kind of tent is that? Who made it.
Bubble wrap is a good seal for the ac unit
Pool noodle too, just make a slit on it so it will go over the edge of the vent.
Those are good ideas, I went 2 X 2 foam rubber insulation using double sided tape to adhere it to the unit.
Instead of a window unit, why not just use a portable unit with a small exhaust vent? Surely it would be easier to route a small exhaust vent securely out of any tent, and you could put the AC unit right in the middle of the tent blowing upwards to circulate evenly.
Also, I would have gone with an insulated small tent (less air = less air to cool). An air conditioner is the same technology as a dehumidifier, so you shouldn't have condensation issues with the AC running, so venting isn't critical and even an insulated tent should breathe enough. Something like the Crua Tri, you could make it pretty dang chilly inside!
That wont work out. Less air to cool means it will cycle too much, and it will be hard to control humidity in high humidity situations. You need the volume of air to be well matched to the BTU of the unit. You need it to cycle less and stay on long enough to effectively dehumidify. With a very small tent, there basically isnt a unit small enough to work well.
free88 it doesn't work
or how about just staying in a hotel if you cant handle camping without ac better yet camp where it isnt that hot. I mean come on this isnt camping when you are restricted to needing an electrical source. Why waste the money just buy a dam summer home or RV.
Tt Ss Some people, especially older people cant sleep without ac. I'm 55 and have loved camping since I was 4. But I find I cant sleep and sometimes cant breathe if its too hot. But I still want to camp. Dont like rv or hotels. Want to camp in a tent. With ac. Ac or not, its still camping.
put a block of 2by6 inside and outside just sandwich it together and it helps brace it to!
What would I be trying to brace?
Who would want to go camping in Florida??? Not me,its like here in Texas!! WAY TO HOT🌞🌞🌞🌞🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#giveme5starsresort
Have you thought of cutting out the mesh and putting the front of the AC through the hole, and then sealing around the sides with duct tape?
No, that would be of no benefit. The mesh does not inhibit airflow nor the ability to operate the controls, the mesh also serves to keep out the dreaded bugs, so nothing could be gained from removing the mesh. And duct tape, or any other kind of tape will not adhere to the tent nylon. Appreciate the suggestion and input very much.
Double unit is the way to go.
Wow i like this tent
I use a portable unit it works great
Does the Park have an electrical outlet on tents sites or you have to bring a generator? I like the idea of what you did
Electrical outlet, I'm no expert but I don't think the average generator could run this unit.
How where you powering the ac?
From the Campsite power source.
I would frame the ac with cardboard ( 1 on the inside 1 on the outside. Then take 4 corner screw and wingnut. yes you will have 4 holes in the tent but you can secure them with metal rings then you will have a secure ac without gaps.
Pretty cool deal, thanks
Thanks!! Just what I was looking for! Great job!
What portable power station/generator are you using for this A/C?
we use the campsite power
@@TheFloridaExplorer
I will check that out...
Thank you so much.
What powers the air conditioner?
Electricity