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cheap a/c 'ice chest" make..??

Discussion in 'General Camping Discussion Forum' started by landon6062, Jun 24, 2018.

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  1. Jun 25, 2018 #21
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    quote: We had to try something..

    Yep, I am with you on that.... that is pretty much where we are .. "got to try something". I do want to camp, but I don't want to be Miserable all the time.. lol

    You asked earlier what the size of my a/c was.. I went to look but I didn't see anything on the size or the brand.. sorry

    I did see a few A/C's online that may work in a camper..

    The "Zero Breeze" looks pretty good, but what I would consider expensive.. . 600. 00

    Not ready to make such an investment in that yet.
     
  2. Jun 25, 2018 #22
    xvz12

    xvz12 Well-Known Member

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    Just a thought, using a silver tarp big enough to stretch over the whole pup, making a sort of 'patio cover' over the whole pup should help.....I believe @roybraddy has posted pics of a setup like this.
     
  3. Jun 25, 2018 #23
    kitphantom

    kitphantom Well-Known Member Platinum Supporting Member

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    I would think the cooler/ice thing and a swamp cooler would both add more moisture than they help the temperature in your part of the country. Swamp coolers work find in arid regions because of the low relative humidity. One it rises to a certain level, they just don't provide as much cooling. e.g. we turn the water off the swamp cooler on our house when a rain storm hits, though the fan stays running.
     
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  4. Jun 25, 2018 #24
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    HI Kitphantom.. thanks..

    I have yet to find a picture of a "swamp cooler".. unless it is the HOMEMADE style that was in the video?
     
  5. Jun 25, 2018 #25
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    oK don't laugh.. aw laugh if you want to.. LOL

    I'm creative if nothing else.. LOL

    I made a "practice model" of this cooler to see what it does.
    I didn't want to destroy a cooler for nothing..

    Perhaps I didn't do it right but..

    PROS and CONS

    1. More air comes out of the TOP of the FAN than out of the TUBE.. I don't know why the guy's 20180625_150007.jpg in the video version blew so much more air? (perhaps the larger tube is better, I actually though smaller would be more forceful)

    2. I really don't SEE MOISTURE.. perhaps when more of the ICE melts.. that will change.

    3. The air is about.. "I'm GUESSING HERE" 60 degrees or so... give or take a little

    4. It does run quiet

    5. I am thinking in a TIGHT space such as the POPUP, with the a/c running it could make a bit of a difference.

    And maybe with a REGULAR cooler, with tighter seal it would work better??
     
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  6. Jun 25, 2018 #26
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    I have decided I am going to make one with a COOLER..

    EVEN if it doesn't work in the PUP, or I can't use it there.. I can use it under the awning for a quick cool moment.. LOL
     
  7. Jun 25, 2018 #27
    JPBar

    JPBar Well-Known Member

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    You getting creative, and that's a good sign. The one I saw I believe had 3 inch PVC elbow. Let us know how it works for you.
     
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  8. Jun 25, 2018 #28
    Mogimus

    Mogimus Active Member

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    I think the cooler option might be good for camping without electricity but with hook-ups, has any one ever added a portable AC unit to supplement the roof top unit? I believe the roof top on the Niagara's are 13,500 BTU's. I know its a pricey option, but it might do better than adding humidity inside and having the AC work harder, specially if its humid outside already.

    I've seen some 10,000 BTU units around $300, can mount on your counter top, and can exhaust out a window...
     
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  9. Jun 25, 2018 #29
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    HI Mogimus..

    I wonder if my a/c is that big.. 13500.. seems like it would do better if it were??

    I did look at a couple of options on Portable a/c.. the "zero breeze" I believe would work, but it is really pricey.. about $600.00.

    I'm just not ready to go there YET.. had a lot of expense already for set up..

    Anyway I would certainly be interested if someone else found a portable that works....
     
  10. Jun 25, 2018 #30
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    HI JPBar.. the video does say 3 inch.. but I thought.. that a smaller tube would mean more air pressure, kind of like water, going from larger pipe to smaller pipe increases water pressure... HA HA..

    Fooled me.. or maybe it is the cheap little fan I am trying to use. I just don't know yet.. duh..
     
  11. Jun 25, 2018 #31
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    Ok I modified it just a little with what I have on hand..

    Toilet gasket/ring.. LOL oh well it was bigger.. ( again before I go cutting the cooler, I am trying different options)

    I am really not concerned with it being directed at anything in particular.

    As you can see I also got some Scotch-guard.. I 'll use that on the ceiling and bedding just in case..

    I was EXPECTING a MIST, but I do not see any.. (perhaps because the ice is in a bag?) 20180625_161304.jpg

    Anyway, the surface for the flow is bigger, but the velocity of the air is no better.. I think a stronger fan might be better..
     
  12. Jun 25, 2018 #32
    tombiasi

    tombiasi Well-Known Member

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    Keep in mind to any significant cooling with ice you would need a supply of about 200 pounds of ice per hour.
     
  13. Jun 25, 2018 #33
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    Hi Tom. I am not using it as an A/C but "perhaps" as a supplement to the a/c we have, for certain hours of the day.

    More than likely we will only camp a couple of days at a time.. "weekends".

    The guy on the video said.. He used a block of ice and it lasted about 5 hours..

    This is just an experiment.. nothing set in concrete yet..
     
  14. Jun 25, 2018 #34
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    think I found an UPGRADE.. perhaps less humidity this way..

     
  15. Jun 25, 2018 #35
    kitphantom

    kitphantom Well-Known Member Platinum Supporting Member

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    Swamp cooler is actually a nickname for evaporative coolers. The odor produced at times, especially with aspen pads, is (I’ve been told) the reason for the nickname. Or, poorly maintained ones. Our old cooler had three pads, our current one has just one that’s a foot or more thick. There are portable versions, but they require power, at least the ones I’ve seen.
    I’ve actually seen a few trailers with small swamp coolers installed, I’m sure they were all mods.
    A true swamp cooler really doesn’t help much once the humidity is over 40 % or so, so any cooling from the ice chest version is more likely a result of the ice or ice water, in most of the country.
     
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  16. Jun 25, 2018 #36
    tombiasi

    tombiasi Well-Known Member

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    Let us know how you make out. Keep in mind, in order to cool the air the ice has to get warmer. At some point the ice water will bee the same temperature as the air.
    There is just not enough ice in the cooler to cool a small room. I am skeptical about his claims.
     
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  17. Jun 25, 2018 #37
    mstrbill

    mstrbill Active Member

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    I doubt it's any smaller than that, and I doubt it's a 15K unit. I have only heard a of couple of HW trailers with a 15K unit.

    As mentioned before, shade and pugs are your friends, HW trailers have too much interior volume to cool well in the sun. The first summer we had our Niagara, there was another Niagara in the campground with us. He was on a partial shady site and to try to keep it cool he literally wrapped his PUP in 125ft of reflectix using clips and magnets. Even with all that, he said mid 80s was the lowest it got.

    A 2nd AC is only real way to get additional cooling by adding a portable unit. But you will have to careful using a 30A Power Pole. I run a separate extension cord to the 20A outlets.

    In temperatures like those, you might want to consider leaving the animals at home. Campgrounds can and do lose power. I had it happen in TXSPs several times, once for about 6 hours and another for over 18 hours(went to bed, don't when it actually came back on). Plus I had several bad breakers that took a while to be replaced.
     
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  18. Jun 25, 2018 #38
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    Thank you for explaining the swamp cooler.. after some more research..i can see they basically use a mist to cool..i would be very concerned with that.. I am going to try making the one in the last video I shared. Ironically. We have lost our power tonight for 6 hours...lol...getti g the camping experience without even leaving home..lol
     
  19. Jun 25, 2018 #39
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    Surely will Tom.it will be an interesting experiment..
     
  20. Jun 25, 2018 #40
    landon6062

    landon6062 Active Member

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    Did i understand you to say you run a second a/c in your pup? I've considered that but not sure how one can use one..all Windows are sealed with screens?..if you have time to share I would like to hear how you did that.. after all of this.. absolutely decided not to take our pets till the fall...i would be devastated over them suffering in this heat.. at this point I am not sure even I want to go while it is this hot..lol, unless I can come up with a better solution..
     
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