Florida in June - AC Discussion

ericmac450 · 05-13-2022, 03:18 PM

We will be in the Florida Panhandle the last half of June. I'm very familiar with the heat that comes with that. We have a 30' Thor Daybreak Class C with a single AC unit. Thinking ahead I'm thinking I should take my portable AC unit and set it up in the front of the cab to help out the AC in the RV. I was thinking of running the exhaust vent out the cab window and sealing it off with some towels/tape, etc and running a power cord to the power pole...While that might be a little "rigged up" or junky I'd rather keep the rig cool than be in Florida with lackluster AC.

Anyone ever done anything like that, anything I should lookout for, anything I'm not thinking of?

**16ACE27** · 05-13-2022, 03:24 PM

Yes, people have done exactly as you plan to do.
I assume you have a 30 amp rig?
If so, I would also run the power cord out the window and plug it into the 15/20 amp receptacle on the power pedestal as you said to prevent stressing/overloading your RV's electrical system.

You could also get some coroplast or Dollar Tree foam board and make a custom window adapter that would fit exactly as you need it to without the use of towels or much tape.

ericmac450 · 05-13-2022, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Yes, people have done exactly as you plan to do.
I assume you have a 30 amp rig?
If so, I would also run the power cord out the window and plug it into the 15/20 amp receptacle on the power pedestal as you said to prevent stressing/overloading your RV's electrical system.

You could also get some coroplast or Dollar Tree foam board and make a custom window adapter that would fit exactly as you need it to without the use of towels or much tape.

Yes, it's a 30amp rig. The portable AC is rated for 11.8 amp so the external power receptacle will be what I prefer.

I had not thought about getting some foam or plastic to make an adapter...that's a great idea!

**16ACE27** · 05-13-2022, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmac450

Yes, it's a 30amp rig. The portable AC is rated for 11.8 amp so the external power receptacle will be what I prefer.

I had not thought about getting some foam or plastic to make an adapter...that's a great idea!

I would get some of this twinwall from home depot"
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Falken-D...1224/316676672

And sandwich it between two sheets of Dollar Tree foam board. You could put a thin plywood piece on the outside large enough to act as a collar for screwing your hose window piece into to better support it.

Would love to see what you come up with.

ducksface · 05-13-2022, 03:56 PM

You'll need somewhere to drain the condensation water from the hose/holding tank on the ac unit.
Without a hole in your floor or a pump/float contraption, you'll fail/flood in about two hours if it has a tank and fail immediately if it has only a hose. Few, but some, have built in pumps(allowing you to pump it out the window.).

I'll suggest just drilling a convenient hole in your floor and buying a right-sized plug for when you're done.

ericmac450 · 05-13-2022, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducksface

You'll need somewhere to drain the condensation water from the hose/holding tank on the ac unit.
Without a hole in your floor or a pump/float contraption, you'll fail/flood in about two hours if it has a tank and fail immediately if it has only a hose. Few, but some, have built in pumps(allowing you to pump it out the window.).

I'll suggest just drilling a convenient hole in your floor and buying a right-sized plug for when you're done.

Thankfully this model AC has a built in tank, with about 200 hours of use in my house I've had to drain it maybe 2 times, but that is a good reminder for me to make sure it's empty before we leave! It's been a real lifesaver when my AC has gone out a few times!

The Gritz Carlton · 05-13-2022, 05:59 PM

You can never have enough A/C anywhere but especially in Florida. Dress it up as best you can and don't worry. I saw a Class C last year with a small window unit hanging out the driver door. He had cut a piece of plywood the size of the opening, secured with "C" clamps from the inside window frame and then cut the hole into the plywood for the unit itself. Looked a bit funny but sleeping in a fridge is nice! It's always a great backup for your single rooftop that could go on the blink. A lot of heat comes in through the glass in the front cab. That heat rolls rearward and up, forcing your cold air downward and out through the many cracks and crevices, especially where the slide(s) meet the floor. Be aware, the humidity in a Florida RV will cause that tank to fill much quicker than it did in your home.

abjbrtd · 05-13-2022, 08:07 PM

Our portable works perfectly

I bought a couple rolls of reflextix.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-R...5-ft-L/3011906

Made a windshield, passanger and driver cover cut to size

Rolled the driver window up on the portable ac vent, cut the reflextix to fit and secured it with this.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-2-5-in-x...ape/1002947412.

It works SO WELL we only use the portable at night

We've never had a water problem, even summer before last on Key West

We run a 25' "heavy duty out the door, doesn't pinch at all or trip the breaker.

ericmac450 · 05-13-2022, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abjbrtd

Our portable works perfectly

I bought a couple rolls of reflextix.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Reflectix-R...5-ft-L/3011906

Made a windshield, passanger and driver cover cut to size

Rolled the driver window up on the portable ac vent, cut the reflextix to fit and secured it with this.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-2-5-in-x...ape/1002947412.

It works SO WELL we only use the portable at night

We've never had a water problem, even summer before last on Key West

We run a 25' "heavy duty out the door, doesn't pinch at all or trip the breaker.

Do you have any pictures of your setup?

Do you tape the reflextix to the door? I've been thinking about this all day now and I was thinking of getting some sort of rigid board like what 16ACE27 was talking about and then using some sticky magnet tape to stick it to the door.

We have used this for 1+ years and love it for the window coverings. AMAZON LINK

abjbrtd · 05-13-2022, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmac450

Do you have any pictures of your setup?

Do you tape the reflextix to the door? I've been thinking about this all day now and I was thinking of getting some sort of rigid board like what 16ACE27 was talking about and then using some sticky magnet tape to stick it to the door.

We have used this for 1+ years and love it for the window coverings. AMAZON LINK

I'll go do a partial setup, need to anyway and take some pictures.
You can get smaller rols of reflextix, I cut the reflex a little bigger than the window

abjbrtd · 05-13-2022, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmac450

Do you have any pictures of your setup?

Do you tape the reflextix to the door? I've been thinking about this all day now and I was thinking of getting some sort of rigid board like what 16ACE27 was talking about and then using some sticky magnet tape to stick it to the door.

We have used this for 1+ years and love it for the window coverings. AMAZON LINK

I've used tape and velcro in the past, nothing now just cut a little over size.
Here are some pics, worth 1k words at least.

ericmac450 · 05-14-2022, 08:23 PM

We are in North East Arkansas burning up this weekend…I will 100% be making a setup for Florida!

Thanks for the pictures and all the advice!

fourthgear · 05-16-2022, 11:49 PM

That reflective wrap may be ok for the Sun's Rays , as far as insulation , it has almost no insulation value. I would make up a sandwich of it on the outside & a closed cell foam inside , at least where the window is open . Maybe double or triple up layers of the reflector material ,sandwich some insulation
Something like this ,
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Project-...-PP1/203553730

Its only R 5 & you can get it larger size ,but much better insulation value then the reflector material & you can make a cardboard template to cut it with a Box Cutter the same out line as the whole window or Frame .

Most of those free standing A/C units have a float shut off for high water in the condensate drain pan , but I wouldn't trust my Flooring on it.

twovillagers · 05-17-2022, 10:03 AM

I install Sunshades on the outside of the windshield and side windows when needed. Also added a curtain rod behind the cab with an insulated curtain that we can close when needed. In our Vegas, much of the heat comes from the cab area.

I put an insulated refllective "pillow" in the skylights (readily available) and installed permanent reflective insulation in the bathroom dome skylight. Also insulated the engine doghouse.

I also make sure the coach is cool when I arrive at the campsite and immediately turn on the A/C when I hook up.

I find the cumulative effects have made a big difference.

ericmac450 · 07-08-2022, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abjbrtd

I've used tape and velcro in the past, nothing now just cut a little over size.
Here are some pics, worth 1k words at least.

I never got any pictures, but I ended up doing almost the exact same as yours, I just used 2 pieces of reflextix over a piece of thin plywood and hung it on the outside of the window. I put magnetic tape on the back side so it would stick to the door frame, then used automotive 3m tape to secure it to the glass and try to keep as many bugs out as possible.

It worked well but it was still hot the first couple days. We were getting horrible air flow to the back of the house. Come to find out, when they were working on my roof back in February they put my AC plenum on backwards so quite a bit of air was just recirculating into my house AC. I did some emergency maintenance with the foil tape on the first or 2nd day and it really helped. We survived and while I may try to come up with a different approach if we do more Florida summer camping this seemed to work pretty well.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help from everyone here!

The Gritz Carlton · 07-08-2022, 07:44 PM

I would be adding a 2nd rooftop and run a dedicated 120V line to it, using the 120V 15A receptacle at the campground.

ericmac450 · 07-08-2022, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

I would be adding a 2nd rooftop and run a dedicated 120V line to it, using the 120V 15A receptacle at the campground.

Oh man, you just opened up a rabbit hole and I think I've gone down it...the wife would love the AC but might not love the money it would take!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BlVOSQAZY

LovemyClassC · 07-08-2022, 09:27 PM

Granted it is hot in Florida. I’ve lived here for about 35 years and I am a lot older than that. We have found, in our 26’ Class C, that using insulation blankets on the front cab windows really cuts down the heat inside the RV and retains the HVAC sufficiently for us. We do have insulation blankets that we carry for the other windows but we normally do not use them. Thank goodness the campgrounds do not charge us by the KWH(LOL). We do keep the unit on the cold mode. Your idea is promising and I suggest to give it a try. The noise and inconvenience of the installation may be too much though but that is for you to decide. Try it first and let us know your thoughts. Thanks, Peace

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