Need some critical feedback from the collective minds...

It's a Toyota and the other place is a little slow on the replies:

1999 Toyota ToyoAce in-bound.
5L diesel with 7,000 or so miles.
No AC
Looking at adding AC but using the following:

EF ECOFLOW 3
EF ECOFLOW 3 Additional battery
ECOFLOW Alternator
ECOFLOW Delta 3+ Battery
2-4 Solar Renogy solar panels over the back

In my mind, I will 3D print mounts and venting so that the EF ECOFLOW 3 can be easily removed and used outside of the truck (in a camping setup).

Thoughts?

 

No way a 6000 BTU battery powered AC is going to satisfactorily cool a van.

For reference, my 3700W camper AC is double that capacity, and still can't keep up in direct summer sunlight. A typical belt driven car compressor is 2.5-3x that.

I'd go for an actual dometic roof unit. Actually, I'd look into retrofitting an actual compressor into the van first. AC while camping is a luxury only reserved when one has full hookups. Battery ACs are a waste unless you are cooling a tiny, heavily insulated teardrop.

Just my opinion.

 

It's a 4 door firetruck.

I'm going to flatbed it.

I will only have the 4 door cab to cool off... but I do not think anything is insulated and there might be more greenhouse area than non.

I will look into the Dometic roof units.

 

Also, it is going to live in South Texas. So stupid heat + humidity. I had given the Dometic a side glance early on but was hesitant to drill any more holes in the cab. I was hoping to keep it as minty as possible (not including the flat bed).

 

I see these guys as well:

Sunster RV Air Conditioner 12V/24V - Efficient Cooling for RV, Campervan & Truck

https://sunsterdirect.com/products/parking-air-conditioner-sunster-s-ac1?ref=taddydigest

 

For an average insulated house in South Texas, the *general* rule of thumb is 1 ton per 500 sq ft. (1T=12,000 BTU). BUT, remember that in a maintained house, that size AC typically pulls 1-2 degrees per hour. In a recovering house (aka a house that went without AC for >24 hours) it will pull much less than a degree per hour.

Now think about your typical RV. It's much smaller, but also it needs to be able to pull as much as 20-30 degrees per hour, just like a car. My camper is 115 square feet; it's 60 sq ft living space plus two slide out bunks. I have a 1 ton dometic roof unit to cool that tiny volume. Even at 1 ton, it can only keep the camper under 80 degrees for 16-18 hours in a typical day. Starting at 11AM, it will start to struggle and won't be able to recover until about 5-6PM. Funny thing about campers, they're poorly insulated.

Most cars are pulling slightly less than two tons equivalent AC. (15-20k BTUs) Even though the cubic volume of your typical truck cab is tiny, you are asking it to drop a 130 degree interior temperature to 75 degrees, and you want it done rightthisfuckingminute.

Those units you're looking at will be somewhat tolerable after the sun goes down, and only if you start them in the afternoon. At night, you'll at least be able to sleep in relative comfort, somewhat. During the day, you're going to be sweating like a rotisserie pig.

So it all depends. It's not a bad idea to look into those units as a camping AC. For a driving AC, you're going to be greatly disappointed.

 

Exactly the feedback I need.

I daily a 96 Sambar that has AC but I rarely run it. Probably 30hp at the wheels which gets real finicky about moving with the AC on. When I do use it, it somehow cools that cab down right quick and there is a giant greenhouse going on.

I was wondering if I could run the ToyoAce without AC, Japanese firemen fully suited apparently did... but am settling in on the idea that I want something more climate controlled.

Any thoughts on a DC mini split? There's room under the truck for the outside unit and under the back seat for the inside unit.