Air Conditioner Output

Ericp

Newbie
On the way back home we stopped at Harvest Host with power and got to try using the AC for the first time. It was humid and about 85 degrees starting the night. I put the AC on max to cool the trailer and left it there for the night. The trailer cooled off but not as cold as I would have expected. I should have had a thermometer to have actual numbers. When I got home with the trailer stored in the basement garage I pulled out my thermo camera to see what kind of the temperatures the AC was pushing. With the AC on max cool/high cool was seeing about 60 degrees being output. I have a 8000btu window unit in my office and when I ran the same test I was seeing 38 degrees being blown out the unit. (both pictures attached) Is only getting out 60 degrees from the trailer AC expected?
 

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Hi Eric....

couplet things...Humid air is hard to cool, and the AC is going to have to do that before it can really start to lower temperatures. Because the air space is small in any teardrop, they tend to short cycle. Meaning the compressor will run only for a a little bit, then turn off and start up again. This means removing humidity and cooling can take longer than expected. That same AC cooling a large room, the compressor will run for a considerable amount of time before it shuts off. Drying the air better, and allowing it to cool.

Its really hard to make such a small space bigger. But, you can in a sense by opening some windows. It is completely counter intuitive, but if I crack a window and turn on the ceiling vent fan (I can't remember if I"m exhausting or bringing air in -- I'm thinking bringing air in...not a lot, just crack the vent about an inch and put the fan on a lower setting.

Alternatively, we have the ARB side room --- we just leave the door open. It has the advantage of cooling the side room too - not a lot - but some. This keeps our critters happier :D

I suspect it is becuase warmer air is being drawn into the AC which is allowing it to expel more volume of cold air, where as if it is closed the AC is sucking in its own cold air...

Give that a shot and see how that works for you.
 
Only run the AC unit on low cool, not on max cool. The higher fan speed of the max cool will recirculate too fast and short cycle the AC unit. The camper will get colder, faster if on low cool.

The thermostat will bottom out about 62 degrees. It will not get colder than that.

Cary
 
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Will try these tips out! I'm looking at getting the ARB side tent as well for our two dachshunds so this will work well to make the space 'bigger' while keeping them cool as well.
The side tent sold by Campinn is also good -- Its actually got a lot of room in it. Don't not give it a try :) Thats like "Always, never forget to clean your optics"

Even just cracking the fan and opening a window a touch makes a big difference.
 
We have 1 of the Campinn side tents which work well, was thinking ARB on the other side to have more room for the dogs as they would be annoying in a 550 lol.
 
We have 1 of the Campinn side tents which work well, was thinking ARB on the other side to have more room for the dogs as they would be annoying in a 550 lol.

Thats kind of why we have teh ARB. My wife runs a shelter, and almost every trip we take we have 'fur babies' with us, and in some cases even a minor vet medical clinic :)

The room is nice. Doing it again, I'd probably buy the Pahaque mounting kit. Camp Inn Mounting Kit for 10x10 and 5x7 Tents

Its not too late, we could still use this, but its the time factor to acdtualyl make the modification to the ARB....we just don't have it.

One thing, very important, if you do use the ARB ---when it rains --- drop the outer legs all the way down to give the water a place to go. These are not super strong....
 
If I understand that mounting kit, it's putting a rain gutter on the door, then cutting hole in the ARB plus adding a cable to secure to the door? What do you do now without having it?
 
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