A/C Assistance

[Bruceper]

Hello everyone! Been lurking for a while, first time post.

At this point I am in the process of buying a used Class B. But for my questions the make/model shouldn't matter.

Next July we are planning a trip. Here are the destinations in mind.

Winnipeg to Grasslands National Park to Yellowstone to Salt Lake City to Las Vegas. On the way back from Vegas we plan on going to the badlands in South Dakota for a total of probably 9000 kilometers round trip. We plan on staying in the van for most of the trip, including in Vegas. I will try to include all possible details below, even if the answer to A is yes. Full disclosure!

A) Knowing this is in July, will the Dash air be enough? I suspect not.
B) If we have roof air (I could install if necessary), would it be more cost effective to turn off the dash air while driving and run the roof air?
C) Is it even legal to run a generator while driving?
D) If I can run a generator, where would I put the sucker? Obviously not inside!

The generator I currently own, and I am not interested in buying another due to cost, is a Homelite CG6300. 6000W intermittent, 5000W continuous, has two 120 volt 15 amp outputs, one 120 volt 20 amp output, one 120 volt 30 amp output and one 120/240 volt 30 amp output. It's one heck of a generator.

I don't like the idea of a trailer to carry it, and a class 3 hitch holder just seems too flimsy for a 200 pound generator. Suggestions? Considerations? Answers to questions I haven't thought of?

Thanks in advance!

[96RT190V]

A) Knowing this is in July, will the Dash air be enough? I suspect not.
B) If we have roof air (I could install if necessary), would it be more cost effective to turn off the dash air while driving and run the roof air?
C) Is it even legal to run a generator while driving?
D) If I can run a generator, where would I put the sucker? Obviously not inside!

Hi, Im from Winnipeg too!
A) don't think dash air would be enough specially in Vegas
B) Dont know if it would be cost effective but turning off the dash air might not cool the front part of the van to be comfortable
C) not sure if its legal but I have run my built in Onan while driving to exercise it
D) find a class b with a built it generator, just makes things easier


1996 Roadtrek 190V
Winnipeg, MB

[Caped Crusader]

Not to rain on your trip, but no rooftop A/C is going to keep you cool. Vegas alone can be 120 in July. A roof top A/C will only cool the inside temp about 15 to 20 degrees below outside temp., under ideal conditions. After driving for the day in 100 + degrees, your likely to see inside temps reach 120 + degrees. I have seen 130 in mine, and it takes a long time to cool the van down because the air temp doesn't drop much in the desert, and the ground just radiates heat.
You won't find many RV's traveling in the SW in July, or August.
You need to realize your traveling in a tin can, with single pane glass, poor insulation, and doors that will be constantly opened, and closed, allowing hot air to enter.
I speak from experience, having lived with a Class B in the desert.
Being from Canada, you can't imagine how hot a Class B can get.
My advice would be to not buy a Class B, or Conversion Van, but to drive a car, and use the money you saved to stay at decent Hotels.

[bikerbill]

My suggestion is to look for a quality already built used m-home. Buy one that is an accepted brand, not a do-it-yourself. But if you are going to do it yourself, most heavy duty class 3 receivers will handle a 200 pound weight on them. So I would suspect you could buy a carrier for the 2" receiver and mount a generator there and have it run while driving. There is basically no law against it. Many of the Class B m-homes have underbody Onan propane or diesel generators installed and many people do run them while driving. Many people will argue that you should not have your propane tank on while driving but that is like asking which is better, Ford or Chevy?

If you are planning on installing and creating your own Class B from a Sprinter truck van, you can do much to insulate the inside as you build it. There are many ways and costs associated with insulating it but I sure would not want to start with a black colored van. Silver is best, 2nd best is white for reflectivity of solar heat.

Look around at Roadtrek.com and check out the Roadtreking column on Facebook. There are others out there who make Class B's: Airstream is another good one.

Good luck.

[obgraham]

Caped Crusader is posting rubbish. I've toured in the southwest in a Class C, with roof air, at the usual summer temperatures. The a/c works just fine. I've done the same in a pusher with basement air, and it also kept me nice and cool. Where I live now it has been over 102 for 2 weeks straight, and I've been running the roof air on my new Roadtrek in the driveway while I learn its systems. It blows so much cold air I had to turn it down.

There are loads of RV's out West in the summer. Think Moab, Arches, 4 Corners, Grand Canyon, Vegas. Folks aren't boiling to death!

[Caped Crusader]

Try driving your Rt all day in 120 heat, on a highway that is about 150 degrees, then park it and see how long it takes the A/C to cool it down.
You my friend do not know what you are talking about, and I'm trying to give the OP some real advice.
I have a Rt and live in the desert, so I think I know more than you what I'm talking about.
in Vegas, it can still be 90 at 2:O0 am.
To the OP, good luck in what ever you decide.

[gerrym51]

I think your both right.

[Bruceper]

Temperature wise it is typically low 90's here during the summer with high humidity to push it above 105. It can and has hit 110 here.

I'm having to convert here. 90 = 32 Celsius, 105 = 40 Celsius, 110 = 43 Celsius. As 96RT190V who is also from Winnipeg can attest, our heat can suck. Granted it's not usually like that every day, but it still hurts.

I never gave much thought to colour (Canadian spelling!), thanks for the reminder. That could help as well.

In regards to the rooftop A/C, what I meant was that if the RV didn't have one, I have the ability to add it. I was not saying I planned on converting a van myself although the thought did occur. But that's a different story.

I haven't made any decisions, but I got a call today about a conversion van that's quite cheap. I'll go look, but I told them I won't make any promises. I still have eleven months to make a decision!

Thanks everyone for the input.

[Mike]

FWIW, in March 2009 we drove our Roadtrek back up I-15 from SoCal through Vegas and north to I-70 with the Onan running and only the roof air (which is actually a Kool Kat heat pump) on. It wasn't frigid inside the cabin, but it wasn't uncomfortable either. I think the blower struggled to push enough air to the cockpit of the van. The area from the galley back was cool. Outside temp was in the 90F+ range all day. I chose to give the very deserving 350V8 engine a break from the heat by keeping the dash air off. It had to pull over 4 tons of van through the desert and had already done the PCH in the fog and had the Glenwood Canyon still to go to get us home.
I have also slept in Anthem, AZ in September 2011, and it was easily 90F+ at 02:00 as has been suggested.

[booster]

Can't speak for the desert because we haven't been there yet, but have been in the very hot badlands in our 07 Roadtrek. If we are in the sun on a clear day and 90+ outside, the van gets over 100 very quickly. We can keep it within about 10-15* of outside with the Fantastic fan and open windows all around. As was mentioned, you will only get 20-25* max, under ambient, with the air, if it is sunny. A cover for the windshield and front door windows is a big help in the sun, also.

You are wise to consider the color in your quest. Many folks on the various forums will discount the affect of color on the interior temp, but we have one of the sand colored Roadtreks and can tell you it gets hotter than the white ones, or even the bright silver ones. I painted our roof with sparkle silver, and it did help quite a bit. There was a reason that all the RV used to be white, and then the marketing folks realized many folks that buy them didn't understand the colors would be hotter, and they do look nice, so you see a lot of colors now. Some are even black, dark brown, dark read, charcoal, etc and will be considerably hotter than if they were white. We wound up with sand color, I wanted white or silver because of the heat, but we got a good deal, and it was DW's preference to get the sand. With the silver roof, a windshield and door window cover, etc, it is OK in the heat, but the AC has trouble during the day, much less at night. 90 degrees after dark doesn't really seem to be much of an issue for us. The van cools in about an hour once the sun is off it, and we can easily get to 70 degrees inside with the AC. I would guess that considerably more than 50% of the heatup of the van is from the sun, with a much lesser amount from the temperature. I have measured the temp of hood of our van (not running) in the sun at over 120*, and out of the sun on the same day at ambient of 90*.

[obgraham]

Caped, I'm sorry you bought a rig that won't cool.

I do in fact live in the desert, and when I'm not here I'm in Mesa, AZ, so I have learned a thing or two about living in a climate often thought of as just short of Hades. I've been able to keep all my houses and RV's cool without a great deal of difficulty. Your results may be different.

But it is really disingenuous to suggest that nobody is out and about in July and August out West. It's just not true.

[Caped Crusader]

I stand my what I stated, and cooling a Class B is a lot harder than cooling a Class C, or Diesel pusher.
After driving all day in the desert heat the van will be unlivable the first night.
Maybe if the OP can park for a day in the shade, do all the things Booster said, keep the doors closed, he may see 15 to 20 degrees below ambient temp. Finding shade in Vegas is not easy, but there will plenty of places to camp.

Go to RV.Net, and you see everyone with a Class B has struggled with their A/C's in a AZ, Nev, Texas, etc. during the summer.
I think obgrahm you are doing a disservice to the OP by suggesting he will be able to stay cool in the desert during July, and August.

I guess the OP will have to decide who is giving the correct info, you who just bought a Class B, or someone who has delt with the heat, and cooling a Rt for years.

[markopolo]

To the OP - the generator mentioned in the first post might not be suitable if too loud. I have a slightly larger one (Champion 6500W continuous) that is just way too loud to have it hitch mounted on the van.

And, everyone, remember opinions and experience will vary greatly between rig owners based on operating style and tolerances etc. I have some visitors from a hot climate here who needed jeans and a windbreaker yesterday while I though it was perfect weather dressed in shorts and t-shirt.

There will be variance between brands and model years also. I had an RT with the fiberglass dropped floor and remember feeling the heat there after driving for many hours in the summer. And, Class B's will have from 8,000 BTU to 13,000 BTU units now. Then there's different window configurations, metal roofs, fiberglass roofs, quality of insulation etc. etc.

[obgraham]

One last comment after re-reading OP's post, then I'm done on this:

If you haven't actually picked out your B, selection of the right vehicle in the right color will be key. What will be best for your travel in Canada may well not be the best for your planned desert trip. An integrated onboard generator/AC system will be better than the cobbled together system you were describing. And Crusader and I agree on one thing: Dash air alone is not going to do the job.

Then get out and enjoy your rig and your trip.