As a long time HVAC Tech., overall, I liked your video and idea for use. Some things that comes to mind is that a piercing valve is never as good as a line that is brazed. You have more chances of a leak. Your mobile home will flex, increasing your chances of a leak also. On a normal RV rooftop, the connections are not moving separately. Sure, the whole unit will shake, but it shakes as one unit. As far as the air in the line, that may or may not be an issue. Most techs on any system do not pull vacuum long enough to remove all the air/moisture which can turn to an acid in a system. Techs usually assume that the filter/dryer will collect the extra. Your install, is good. All except how close you have the back of the unit against the camper. I would of mounted it out a little further. How are you going to clean the coil good? You need to be cleaning the coil at least once a year and maybe more if you are in a hot climate running it 3/4 of the year and also you have to consider how much rag weed, dirt, etc. is in the air. That is one sure way to kill your system early. Prior to that, it will kill your efficiency. Lastly, for some, if you are going to purchase one, consider to see if you want a heat pump version to give you heat in the winter. There are pros and cons to heat pumps, but I am not going to go into that as my comment is already way too long. If you do get the heat pump version and plan on running this on solar alone, Do Not get heat strips in addition to the heat pump. It will pull way too many amps and your chances of running on solar probably just went out the window. I am not knocking the video at all, just giving some more things for people to consider when doing this. Thumbs up on the video and info.
I like the setup, as a installer for over 15 yrs I would push the condenser back another 4” off the back of RV because you are loosing efficiency due to sub cooling the refrigeration. (Not getting air flow across the condenser). After doing you will see cooler temps inside on the evaporator unit. Plus maintenance cleaning outdoor unit will be easy also. (Road grime) Just some information other than that awesome install. Really enjoyed video
As an engineer that is new to all this RV and boondocking stuff , I appreciate the thought, research and time that went into this excellent video. Now I just need to find the right (small) unit for my needs. Cheers!
Great idea putting a mini split on your RV, much more efficient than the lousy rooftop AC's that come on RVs, I put a couple of mini splits in my house a few years ago, after getting two outrageous and I mean outrageous quotes to have them installed I purchased mine on the Internet, purchased a vacuum pump and a micron gauge and a tube cutter and installed them myself.
HVAC tech here - might want to shimmy that heat pump away from the camper wall an inch or so if you can to get some more airflow. Running a unit with high head pressure can cause all sorts of issues with it.
Couple of notes on this. When he talks about max power usage, you need to understand that you wont run it on high very often. That is for rapid cooldown. I ran one for years to cool a garage and I always kept it on its lowest setting and it still kept the area in the low 70s if I had run it for a while before I went out there. Some of these come pre charged with freon, that is usually the reason for the long pipe run. It is very important that you don't coil the lines vertically. The compressor oil will get stuck in the bottom part of the coils. The non pre charged ones can have a much shorter length line run. My unit, on low, pulled 1.5 amps. The ceiling fan pulled 1.2 and my big box fan was much more. So you can run these with only a little more electricity than a ceiling fan. I've heard that some of the newer units are over 40 seer. So quiet inside and out. You just need one hole for the power, lines, and condensate line to run through together.
Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about one of these for my garage. Right now, in the summer, I have two fans pulling air through the garage with doors open on each side. I did not realize these were that efficient. May be getting me a mini split. For me a garage does not have to be cold or hot just comfortable work in.
I worked for a company here in Australia, we built accommodation huts for the mining industry and were fitted with household units like these they had service technicians travelling all Australia servicing the camps and they found that the pipe work inside the units would rub together and therefore fail , so before these cabins went into service we would remove the outer cover and copper pipes that were close would have a coating of Sikaflex ( a brxndname polyurethane sealant) around them so as to stop them from rubbing together.
god bless you, what a wonderful thing to see a person whoo really cares about helping boondockers have a better life and not try to get welthy off the inventions you share freely! we need mroe people like you .have a wonder day .i loved the vedio.keep them coming.!!!!
I find your information so valuable and informative. It really helps people in RVs, vans and even sticks and bricks homes. As a retiree, i can stay in my home much more comfortably and economically. Thank you very much!! i also have a van that I want to travel in and this helps me with that too! 👍🏾🙏🏿
Good video...I'm a semi retired HVAC Service/Installer and like the mini splits...Their efficiency is incredible...I'm getting close to doing the BoonDocking, have an RV in my drive now I'm working on for a lady couple that does it...A 410A system, roof top heat pump that had lost some of it's charge....Why moron engineers would use 410A in an RV cooler is beyond me...I know the mini spit is probably 410A too, but look how much easier to service....Anyway, thanks for the video....Great idea and damn good work.
Midea is pretty decent, among the best coming out of China and decent bang-for-buck but there is better stuff out there. Daikin, Panasonic, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Hitachi and fujitsu will probably all offer inverter models with higher efficiencies, lower sound levels and longer lifespans. Virtually all Japanese aircon brands are excellent but more expensive. Also worth looking at models which use the newer R32 refrigerant, which will be even more efficient. If the budget was not restricted, I would go for Panasonic Z-series R32 inverter or Daikin Emura-series R32 inverter. Both of these also have pretty advanced air-purification systems built-in and both are super-quiet.
👍 great video gave me some great ideas for my in-laws in the Philippines where it's always hot and rolling electric black outs 7-8 times per day. I must also commend your attitude and knowledge to give it away for free.👏
I have 2 Mr. Cool 12,000 btu units for our 1978 MCI MC8 40' bus that do an awesome job that run off a 15 kw diesel generator. They replaced 3 roof top units that pulled a lot of power. Great video!!!!
What’s the wattage and how many solar panels do you use? And what type and how many batteries does it take to carry this thing at night. Very nice set up by the way!
We are having Mini split installed on our fifth wheel next month - not only are they more efficient, we will have more room for more solar panels on our roof! Thank you, not too many vids on these systems.
Sweet! My crane cab has a built in diesel heater, and it is very effective and super efficient, but the cab didn't have AC, until I installed a small (the smallest conventional type AC) Frigidaire 5,000 BTU unit. It cost less then $200.00, and I power it with a 1000 watt Yamaha generator, mounted on the same rotating platform I sit in to operate the crane. It is crude, but it works, and in my defense this was all before mini splits were on my radar, now I would go mini split all the way! Very nice and informative presentation!
Thank you for sharing your experince.. Regarding the warranty.. Im not sure if it still covered being installed on a moving/vibrating base which is not tje case in a domestic (house) or commercial setup.. But.. I appreciate that you made sure (waiting 1year) you are fully satisfied before you share..
I always impressed with the innovation and creativity of RV'ers. Thanks for such a nice system. I wished you'd show your solar system and batteries which must be extensive to run this 24/7
Thank you for the thought but a few others have put mini splits on their rv, I think that I am the first to be able to run it 24/7; but if not, that's okay too. Thanks for watching my video. 👍
Whoa, that's a fantastic RV AC system for DIY,,, thanks for sharing such a valueable info after testing it out for a year already,,, Safe, happy & GOD blessed travel, hiking on your all journey,,,
Well Done. Couple of things. All piping drain line and electric can go out a single hole in rear, making for a neat install. Other Air Handler models are available. there is a cassette type(4 way blow) flush to ceiling, and there is also an air handler that can hang from ceiling. about 6" H. an alternate to hanging it off the wall. They also make high grade, high pressure flexible refrigerant lines, though soft copper will last if supported correctly.
Hi David. Wow this is a wonderful idea! This is going to change the way people travel and boondock in the future. Thanks for being so kind and generous sharing your knowledge, experience and talents with the rest of us. I can't wait to see more videos, and all your inventions and upgrades. I have a feeling your channel is going to be huge and change a lot of peoples lives! I can't wait to see what your gonna do next!!!! : )
I just found your channel. My wife and I plan to start full-timing when she retires. I noticed your tag is from Tn. I live in Al. now But I was born and raised in Kingsport and Church Hill TN. Maybe we'll meet out there somewhere and we can have coffee together. It will be about two years before she'll retire, Be safe on your travels!!!
Very clever! I've heard the mini splits are very efficient. I wonder about a low profile rooftop unit that could essentially replace that noisey rv a/c unit
Thank you so much this has been a great help thanks for patented so it can't be copied and sold to the public because prices I'm going outrageous in my opinion the tiny houses I believe people have just taken advantage of it when it was started to help may God bless and continue blessing you
As soon as you publish the video and/or the plans and instructions, you are covered by US copyright law. You could protect yourself even for the rye believe by Publishing it under one of the Creative Content Licenses. Information about them can be found here en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons_license Getting a patent is expensive, time consuming, and once you do other people will have access to your work anyway. That is why a number of people have never gone to copy write their stuff as they didn't want other people to get their hands on it and use it. Thinking about it, I think one of the nice things about the creative content license is that you can set it up so that other people can make improvements and base further work on your original ideas, but you can prevent anyone from using them commercially.
Thank you for all your knowledge & testing... this sounds brilliant & I am looking forward to some of your other RV problems you have been testing & have figured out solutions for~
As much as this is good news for Nomads, I have found this video helpful is choosing a mini split I need for a game room! Please keep posting, you were great with the delivery of the information.
If you ever found yourself in need of water for what ever reason, you could just use the solar panels to run the unit in dehumidifier mode and then collect the water it produces. This would probably collect quite a bit of water during a 24 hour cycle if you are hold up someplace where it stays quite humid. Thanks for the video and info. Thumbs up and God bless
Thank you for the great video and I will try to find a travel trailer without an ac unit so I can use a mini split system as I want to boondock when I go back to RV'n.
Great I love the fact that your out there trying to HELP people , Its getting to be a rare thing . If a person wanted to have a inverter for only that purpose the Morning Star 500 , Is a exellent unit very dependable . Thank you very much for the exellent info , God Bless you in all that you do ...
Hey David! Ke Le sent me over. If only I had gotten off to such a great start on my own channel! This is a game changer, no doubt about it. I'd be honored to have you in attendance at this years van build in Parker AZ. Just subbed. Keep up the great work! ~Jamie
Hey Jamie. I'm speechless. It is I who would be honored to be there. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Looking forward to meeting you there. -David
If don’t evacuate the air under vacuum you lose a lot of efficiency. The other point is if you do not vacuum the system no warranty. The mini split is the very best solution for any number of applications. Cheap, quiet, reliable, efficient as hell.
Just thought I would mention to support the copper lines very well as vibration will crack them in and out of the fittings Hope this help have a great day! Cheers
Really it’s going to be the RV roof air conditioner co that brings that inverter tech to the RV world some big panels, high efficiency inverters truly off grid comfort that’s going to make a fortune! I mean you could run 2 roof tops off one small generator
Living in Thailand 20 years I've been thinking solar air conditioning in our home and in a camper that they have here..They actually import used campers from the USA and England.Dealing with temperatures above 100 is a norm plus the humidity ,,As you said the split units are the only thing available but I haven't checked into the dual voltage units yet for cost..This video gives me lots of ideas though..Thank you
... David ... What better way to discover your channel than on your first video. Since we have similar backgrounds, I think it will be interesting to hang around. Currently in between RVs and having one heck of a time making up my mind on what’s next. :(
It absolutely doesnt matter that you messed up portion of the video with portrait format. Every YT beginner is doing mistakes. Its a learning process. Just include it in the edit, we can live with it, because information is more important than the format. ;-) You will improve in the future.
WOW that split AC system by Midea looks really nice. Just got my first RV, a 20 year old Class A with lots of items to repair, but this AC system that functions as a fan, de-humidifier AC cooling and heater makes this boon-docking heaven. A bargain at 460 watts. Thank you so much for sharing this great information. Cant wait to save some money to add this to my rig. One of the biggest disappointments is the noise coming from my rooftop AC units, they are just to noisy. Please comment on the noise level you hear when this unit is running compared to the old energy hogging roof top units that every RV has. God Bless H
Thank You For Your Sharing & Wisdom In A/C/Heat Unit! Look Forward To More of Your Sharing In Life's Journey In The Go'n Into & Cum'n Out From In Living! :-)
i'm considering doing this mod, the stock AC just pulls too much energy for the cooling it provides and it balls to the wall loud. I've already deleted all the stock appliances (stove fridge oven heater pump ) and replaced them with commercial stuff, next I want to delete the stock RV AC then seal off the entire roof(e.g. with rv armour roof or competing DIY products) and upgrade its insulation. (e.g. with rv armour roof or competing DIY products). I'm never buying another RV, the build qualities are atrocious once you start counting the numbers and inspecting the build. All the manufacturers are in on it since there is no legal recourse.
Great and informative video, David, thanks so much. Two questions: 1. Have you measured the inrush current (instantaneous startup amp draw) of this unit? You need a very high sampling rate meter with a peak amp value hold setting to capture that. The reason I ask is that while this unit draws under 500 Watts operating, it could easily pull 5-10 times that starting up. I know that some inverter controls have some soft start built into them, but practically every electrical device (basically anything with a capacitor in it...) spikes inrush current when it first starts. Especially motors and compressors. This is the true limiting factor in sizing a DC-AC inverter. Its not the operating wattage that kills them (or the devices you plug into them,) but the inrush current spikes, moreso on top of an existing steady load, that you need to size for and/or manage carefully. See Apollo 13 for a dramatic demonstration of the problem. Your thoughts? 2. I couldn't download wall clearance installation requirements for your outdoor unit, but these vary from a low of 2" to over 8". Most are around 4", but that assumes no side restrictions within a foot or two of the unit, which can double or triple the required minimum wall clearance. Your unit appears to be about 3" away from the back wall of the rig. Compounding that, your insulated control and coolant line routing is severely restricting airflow on the inboard side of the outdoor unit, well below any manufacturer's airflow requirements. The likelihood of chronically, albeit mildly, overheating this unit seems pretty high, and if nothing else those lines should probably be rerouted along the side of the unit to restore required wall clearance and airflow. You probably want to double-check your minimum wall clearance requirement from the installation manual as well. Is your outdoor wall clearance really adequate? Lastly, a comment. High-amplitude road shock is not a trivial damage risk to these units, which simply weren't designed for it. The sharp whack of a deep pothole or hitting the lip of a roadway ground down for resurfacing at highway speed could well damage a running compressor. Don't get me wrong, I love this solution and am designing one for myself, but I won't be running it while driving. Good to have you and many others out there finding the limits of these compressors. We'll find out how long they last on the road, which could well be a very long time, but of course, your mileage my vary... Keep up the good work, you're helping make the Internet great again... TomA
Hi Tom. I gotta go in a few minutes but I want to reply, albeit briefly, to your very valid questions first. I retired from the robotics industry and I still happen to have my motor test equipment. This type of inverter motor has a very slow but gradual startup curve. In fact, it takes about 20 seconds for motor ramp-up. So even if the in rush current were ten times operating amps, a 20 second ramp-up would completely smooth out the in-rush current. Any remaining in-rush would be attributable to startup motor torque which actually is well below the 500 watt power needed to run it at full speed. Next, the inverter uses both frequency, not voltage regulation for speed control as well as a reluctance dc motor with extra neodymium magnets to mitigate the torque at the high pressure side of the swing compressor, which also differs from the standard a/c compressor.
Your other comments seem to both concern airflow: heat and airflow restriction. I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
Oh, as to vibration, there are plenty of examples of DC motor/compressor units that are subjected to vibration. My DC RV refrigerator, air bag system, even my water pumps are all examples of rotary pumps driven by DC motors. Historically, few ever fail due to vibration. Most failures occur due to heat, bearing failure, or seals. I hope this helps you, and others, on your Installation. Happy camping!
GREAT Video..Will YOU post the manufacturer and name OF the system you have set up.as well as the the" ball park" cost for your BUILD... planning on going off grid and building a school bus for camping. Thanks.
Enjoyed the video. Thinking of putting one on my Econoline van BigTomsVan. Got 500 watts solar but probably will run the AC from 2100 watt inverter generator. I got to come up with a way to mount the outside unit to the door with brackets. Thanks.chattanooga here.
I have the considered the same thing on my Van. Thinking about it now I got some ideas. The bed extendere as might work if you could screw them in to the Van door directly, alternately you could replace the back bumper with a square to bumper and use hitches as David did in the video. Depending on the weight, I have seen folding brackets in wood working videos on UA-cam that hold a lot of weight and people have used them With the Bracket that is opened up At a 90ﾟ angle to the vertical upright. It is locked into place and stays that way with whatever tool or item that needs to be horizontal to the floor. I'm going to start looking at these myself. I wonder if you could save some money if you don't use hitches for The bed extenders and even eliminating them entirely and replace seeing them with something else.
Have been thinking some more about this and here are my latest thoughts. If you could get a horizontal unit and put it on the roof, you would eliminate the need to build some kind of a support on the back of the vehicle. If it were mounted on the roof, you might then be able to run your copper lines Back-and-forth along the roof. You could use the heavy duty RV tape (I forgot the name) to hold them down. The Tape might give some protection to them. Another alternative would be to run the copper lines inside of PVC pipe and fasten the pipe to the roof. You might even be able to make yourself or have someone make for you a roof rack that the unit could sit on and you could thread the copper pipes back-and-forth through the roof rack.
A great idea and thanks so much for sharing! Our RV unit is 3 years old, the ac on it I think is junk! I had to add an easy start device to get it to work on a 3500w inverter generator because of the high amp startup on this unit! The mini split is a fantastic idea, it would be great if you showed more detail on how you mounted the Inside component, from this video I can really see any detail of that.. How big of an RV AC unit did you have originally on your motor home, and how does this split compare to it in cooling performance?? Thanks again for sharing your great ideas with us!!! W
This is great to know! Thank you! I plan on staying in an RV for a long time, and thinking of getting a smaller Van type one day closer to retirement, so this is good stuff! Nice job with the video, and I'm looking forward to watching more!
rather than hiring an HVAC tech to come out and evacuate the air in your system for $300 like you say, you could buy a vacuum pump and manifold gauge set for around $100 on amazon and evacuate the system yourself.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and video. You did a great job for your first time posting a video. Looking forward to your next video and pondering a mini split for my specific application.
Glad I just happened upon this video and your channel. Subscribed! Thanks for the great info. I see we are in the same part of the country - I''m in Nashville. I'm looking at coverting a cargo van into an RV and this AC system looks like it might be a great fit for me. Thanks again.
I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
I'm amazed that you're able to say the system works so well considering how your mounting location of the condenser is literally starving to death from how close it is to the back of the R/V. These units need at least 12" of free space from behind the unit for proper airflow. Nonetheless, congrats on how well the system works for you.
Ozzie Alarcon actually, many factory wall mount brackets allow 1” of grill clearance. Keep in mind the condenser fan is a multi blade design and airflow is tremendous even at low RPM.
FIRST YT clip? Then do did a great job, Very comfortable temps MEANS ????? and would LOVE to see the wound up copper pipe in your cover box and HOW you did it without damage, Thank You for your info & time to do this !
The information you are providing is so very valuable. I am curious how you managed to coil the extra length of copper lines without crimping. Could you share that effort?
It seems pretty close to the rv ... if you have the space you should move it away a couple of inches in order to help with the airflow.. your seer rating will drop of you do not have sufficient air flow. I believe the manual for those units stats it should be 12" away from any wall
I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
@@GoneBoondocking I believe by doing that, you are just ensuring you are not getting a pressure drop from the intake side to the exhaust side. The issue I see, is you will not be getting laminar flow through the entire coil. Air will always take the path of least resistance, which means it will be moving a lot more air through the sides of the condenser coil than it will through the back/center.. . Either way, if it's doing what you want, than its fine. If you are constantly leaving it on and close to the same temp, it most likely does not have a large amount of demand on it
![009 - [Redo] Solar Mini Split Air Conditioner Runs 24/7/365 Day & Night](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rjVIxqTHahY/mqdefault.jpg)
![009 - [Redo] Solar Mini Split Air Conditioner Runs 24/7/365 Day & Night](/img/tr.png)
As a long time HVAC Tech., overall, I liked your video and idea for use. Some things that comes to mind is that a piercing valve is never as good as a line that is brazed. You have more chances of a leak. Your mobile home will flex, increasing your chances of a leak also. On a normal RV rooftop, the connections are not moving separately. Sure, the whole unit will shake, but it shakes as one unit. As far as the air in the line, that may or may not be an issue. Most techs on any system do not pull vacuum long enough to remove all the air/moisture which can turn to an acid in a system. Techs usually assume that the filter/dryer will collect the extra.
Your install, is good. All except how close you have the back of the unit against the camper. I would of mounted it out a little further. How are you going to clean the coil good? You need to be cleaning the coil at least once a year and maybe more if you are in a hot climate running it 3/4 of the year and also you have to consider how much rag weed, dirt, etc. is in the air. That is one sure way to kill your system early. Prior to that, it will kill your efficiency. Lastly, for some, if you are going to purchase one, consider to see if you want a heat pump version to give you heat in the winter. There are pros and cons to heat pumps, but I am not going to go into that as my comment is already way too long. If you do get the heat pump version and plan on running this on solar alone, Do Not get heat strips in addition to the heat pump. It will pull way too many amps and your chances of running on solar probably just went out the window.
I am not knocking the video at all, just giving some more things for people to consider when doing this. Thumbs up on the video and info.
I like the setup, as a installer for over 15 yrs I would push the condenser back another 4” off the back of RV because you are loosing efficiency due to sub cooling the refrigeration. (Not getting air flow across the condenser). After doing you will see cooler temps inside on the evaporator unit. Plus maintenance cleaning outdoor unit will be easy also. (Road grime) Just some information other than that awesome install. Really enjoyed video
"I waited a year before I did a video on this". Immediately thumbed up 👍
Two months on youtube and this guy has 120,000 views. Not surprising. This is great information.
As an engineer that is new to all this RV and boondocking stuff , I appreciate the thought, research and time that went into this excellent video. Now I just need to find the right (small) unit for my needs. Cheers!
Thank you for your kind remarks. Happy camping.
Great idea putting a mini split on your RV, much more efficient than the lousy rooftop AC's that come on RVs, I put a couple of mini splits in my house a few years ago, after getting two outrageous and I mean outrageous quotes to have them installed I purchased mine on the Internet, purchased a vacuum pump and a micron gauge and a tube cutter and installed them myself.
HVAC tech here - might want to shimmy that heat pump away from the camper wall an inch or so if you can to get some more airflow. Running a unit with high head pressure can cause all sorts of issues with it.
Couple of notes on this. When he talks about max power usage, you need to understand that you wont run it on high very often. That is for rapid cooldown. I ran one for years to cool a garage and I always kept it on its lowest setting and it still kept the area in the low 70s if I had run it for a while before I went out there. Some of these come pre charged with freon, that is usually the reason for the long pipe run. It is very important that you don't coil the lines vertically. The compressor oil will get stuck in the bottom part of the coils. The non pre charged ones can have a much shorter length line run. My unit, on low, pulled 1.5 amps. The ceiling fan pulled 1.2 and my big box fan was much more. So you can run these with only a little more electricity than a ceiling fan. I've heard that some of the newer units are over 40 seer. So quiet inside and out. You just need one hole for the power, lines, and condensate line to run through together.
Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about one of these for my garage. Right now, in the summer, I have two fans pulling air through the garage with doors open on each side. I did not realize these were that efficient. May be getting me a mini split. For me a garage does not have to be cold or hot just comfortable work in.
I worked for a company here in Australia, we built accommodation huts for the mining industry and were fitted with household units like these they had service technicians travelling all Australia servicing the camps and they found that the pipe work inside the units would rub together and therefore fail , so before these cabins went into service we would remove the outer cover and copper pipes that were close would have a coating of Sikaflex ( a brxndname polyurethane sealant) around them so as to stop them from rubbing together.
I didn't think Sikaflex would stick to copper...
Can't wait for the next video! You are a natural teacher and very generous with your ideas. Thank you from someone who hopes to be traveling soon.
Thanks so much for your kind comments.
So glad you're here. I am looking forward to learning from you.
You are all awesome. Thank you for watching my video. More to come!
god bless you, what a wonderful thing to see a person whoo really cares about helping boondockers have a better life and not try to get welthy off the inventions you share freely! we need mroe people like you .have a wonder day .i loved the vedio.keep them coming.!!!!
I find your information so valuable and informative. It really helps people in RVs, vans and even sticks and bricks homes. As a retiree, i can stay in my home much more comfortably and economically. Thank you very much!! i also have a van that I want to travel in and this helps me with that too! 👍🏾🙏🏿
Good video...I'm a semi retired HVAC Service/Installer and like the mini splits...Their efficiency is incredible...I'm getting close to doing the BoonDocking, have an RV in my drive now I'm working on for a lady couple that does it...A 410A system, roof top heat pump that had lost some of it's charge....Why moron engineers would use 410A in an RV cooler is beyond me...I know the mini spit is probably 410A too, but look how much easier to service....Anyway, thanks for the video....Great idea and damn good work.
Midea is pretty decent, among the best coming out of China and decent bang-for-buck but there is better stuff out there. Daikin, Panasonic, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Hitachi and fujitsu will probably all offer inverter models with higher efficiencies, lower sound levels and longer lifespans. Virtually all Japanese aircon brands are excellent but more expensive. Also worth looking at models which use the newer R32 refrigerant, which will be even more efficient. If the budget was not restricted, I would go for Panasonic Z-series R32 inverter or Daikin Emura-series R32 inverter. Both of these also have pretty advanced air-purification systems built-in and both are super-quiet.
Thanks for caring and helping us all, God bless.
You are very welcome. It is my privilege.
👍 great video gave me some great ideas for my in-laws in the Philippines where it's always hot and rolling electric black outs 7-8 times per day. I must also commend your attitude and knowledge to give it away for free.👏
You are welcome and thank you for watching. 😊
I have 2 Mr. Cool 12,000 btu units for our 1978 MCI MC8 40' bus that do an awesome job that run off a 15 kw diesel generator. They replaced 3 roof top units that pulled a lot of power. Great video!!!!
What’s the wattage and how many solar panels do you use? And what type and how many batteries does it take to carry this thing at night. Very nice set up by the way!
We are having Mini split installed on our fifth wheel next month - not only are they more efficient, we will have more room for more solar panels on our roof! Thank you, not too many vids on these systems.
I'm happy to help. Safe travels.
Sweet! My crane cab has a built in diesel heater, and it is very effective and super efficient, but the cab didn't have AC, until I installed a small (the smallest conventional type AC) Frigidaire 5,000 BTU unit. It cost less then $200.00, and I power it with a 1000 watt Yamaha generator, mounted on the same rotating platform I sit in to operate the crane. It is crude, but it works, and in my defense this was all before mini splits were on my radar, now I would go mini split all the way! Very nice and informative presentation!
Thank you for sharing your experince..
Regarding the warranty.. Im not sure if it still covered being installed on a moving/vibrating base which is not tje case in a domestic (house) or commercial setup..
But.. I appreciate that you made sure (waiting 1year) you are fully satisfied before you share..
I always impressed with the innovation and creativity of RV'ers. Thanks for such a nice system. I wished you'd show your solar system and batteries which must be extensive to run this 24/7
There is a video on the solar. Thanks for watching
Wow! Your one of the good guys! Thanks for sharing, such a blessing.
I think something like this should be used by the RV manufacturers as an option, but naturally reward you for your ingenuity.
Thank you for the thought but a few others have put mini splits on their rv, I think that I am the first to be able to run it 24/7; but if not, that's okay too. Thanks for watching my video. 👍
I don’t know why all RV manufacturers don’t install something like this at the factory.
winky phillips because vibrations. They don’t want to be on the hook for these thing failing.
Whoa, that's a fantastic RV AC system for DIY,,, thanks for sharing such a valueable info after testing it out for a year already,,,
Safe, happy & GOD blessed travel, hiking on your all journey,,,
David, you are amazing a true gift to the RV community, thank you
Thank you for your kind remarks Leo.
Well Done. Couple of things. All piping drain line and electric can go out a single hole in rear, making for a neat install. Other Air Handler models are available. there is a cassette type(4 way blow) flush to ceiling, and there is also an air handler that can hang from ceiling. about 6" H. an alternate to hanging it off the wall. They also make high grade, high pressure flexible refrigerant lines, though soft copper will last if supported correctly.
Hi David. Wow this is a wonderful idea! This is going to change the way people travel and boondock in the future. Thanks for being so kind and generous sharing your knowledge, experience and talents with the rest of us. I can't wait to see more videos, and all your inventions and upgrades. I have a feeling your channel is going to be huge and change a lot of peoples lives! I can't wait to see what your gonna do next!!!! : )
Thank you for your kind comments. My greatest hope is to help our community as much as possible. Thank you again.
@@GoneBoondocking You are so very welcome.
I just found your channel. My wife and I plan to start full-timing when she retires. I noticed your tag is from Tn. I live in Al. now But I was born and raised in Kingsport and Church Hill TN. Maybe we'll meet out there somewhere and we can have coffee together. It will be about two years before she'll retire, Be safe on your travels!!!
Solid tech combined with a generous spirit. All my thumbs up!
A man with allot of time on his hands. He must be a rocket scientist. 👍
Thank You. I will be using this information in my travel trailer and in my cabin which is in a very rural area.
Very clever! I've heard the mini splits are very efficient. I wonder about a low profile rooftop unit that could essentially replace that noisey rv a/c unit
What a great first video! Thanks David for sharing your experience and know how. Looking forward to more, Mr. Wizard.
Thank you for your kind comments.
David, this is awesome. Thank you for starting a channel to help others. You're brilliant!
Thank you for your kind remarks. You're awesome!
Thank you so much this has been a great help thanks for patented so it can't be copied and sold to the public because prices I'm going outrageous in my opinion the tiny houses I believe people have just taken advantage of it when it was started to help may God bless and continue blessing you
Thank you for your kind comments.
As soon as you publish the video and/or the plans and instructions, you are covered by US copyright law.
You could protect yourself even for the rye believe by Publishing it under one of the Creative Content Licenses.
Information about them can be found here
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons_license
Getting a patent is expensive, time consuming, and once you do other people will have access to your work anyway. That is why a number of people have never gone to copy write their stuff as they didn't want other people to get their hands on it and use it.
Thinking about it, I think one of the nice things about the creative content license is that you can set it up so that other people can make improvements and base further work on your original ideas, but you can prevent anyone from using them commercially.
The best part is your will to serve others. I pray for you to ALMIGHTY.
Thank you for all your knowledge & testing... this sounds brilliant & I am looking forward to some of your other RV problems you have been testing & have figured out solutions for~
Thank you for liking my video.
You seem like a smart dude and a kind soul. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for kind comments
As much as this is good news for Nomads, I have found this video helpful is choosing a mini split I need for a game room! Please keep posting, you were great with the delivery of the information.
Thanks so much
If you ever found yourself in need of water for what ever reason, you could just use the solar panels to run the unit in dehumidifier mode and then collect the water it produces. This would probably collect quite a bit of water during a 24 hour cycle if you are hold up someplace where it stays quite humid. Thanks for the video and info. Thumbs up and God bless
would not recommend that at all the drain pan of full of bacteria
Thank you for the great video and I will try to find a travel trailer without an ac unit so I can use a mini split system as I want to boondock when I go back to RV'n.
Great I love the fact that your out there trying to HELP people , Its getting to be a rare thing . If a person wanted to have a inverter for only that purpose the Morning Star 500 , Is a exellent unit very dependable . Thank you very much for the exellent info , God Bless you in all that you do ...
Thank you so much. I would consider at least a 750 Watt inverter because of the losses in efficiency.
Hey David! Ke Le sent me over. If only I had gotten off to such a great start on my own channel! This is a game changer, no doubt about it. I'd be honored to have you in attendance at this years van build in Parker AZ. Just subbed. Keep up the great work! ~Jamie
Hey Jamie. I'm speechless. It is I who would be honored to be there. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Looking forward to meeting you there. -David
If don’t evacuate the air under vacuum you lose a lot of efficiency. The other point is if you do not vacuum the system no warranty. The mini split is the very best solution for any number of applications. Cheap, quiet, reliable, efficient as hell.
Now watching this wishing I was a few years younger LOL
Just thought I would mention to support the copper lines very well as vibration will crack them in and out of the fittings
Hope this help have a great day! Cheers
I've been running this for a year, still working great. 😊
Great job this can be applied to a lot of different scenarios tiny cabins homeless cabins mobile homes travel trailers excellent job
Very true! These units are used all over the world in all sorts of scenarios. Thanks for watching.
Or just 1 room in the house, ie my bedroom.
Really it’s going to be the RV roof air conditioner co that brings that inverter tech to the RV world some big panels, high efficiency inverters truly off grid comfort that’s going to make a fortune! I mean you could run 2 roof tops off one small generator
Well said. Imagine an efficient mini split that can replace an RV roof air conditioner....
Living in Thailand 20 years I've been thinking solar air conditioning in our home and in a camper that they have here..They actually import used campers from the USA and England.Dealing with temperatures above 100 is a norm plus the humidity ,,As you said the split units are the only thing available but I haven't checked into the dual voltage units yet for cost..This video gives me lots of ideas though..Thank you
You are very welcome.
... David ... What better way to discover your channel than on your first video. Since we have similar backgrounds, I think it will be interesting to hang around. Currently in between RVs and having one heck of a time making up my mind on what’s next. :(
It absolutely doesnt matter that you messed up portion of the video with portrait format. Every YT beginner is doing mistakes. Its a learning process. Just include it in the edit, we can live with it, because information is more important than the format. ;-) You will improve in the future.
Thanks so much. I'm posting a redo video of the mini split tomorrow (I hope) to show the specs of the unit. Thanks for watching. Happy camping.
Very true!
WOW that split AC system by Midea looks really nice. Just got my first RV, a 20 year old Class A with lots of items to repair, but this AC system that functions as a fan, de-humidifier AC cooling and heater makes this boon-docking heaven. A bargain at 460 watts. Thank you so much for sharing this great information. Cant wait to save some money to add this to my rig.
One of the biggest disappointments is the noise coming from my rooftop AC units, they are just to noisy. Please comment on the noise level you hear when this unit is running compared to the old energy hogging roof top units that every RV has.
God Bless
H
👍 coming from an HVAC guy you picked a good unit for the purpose they are very reliable and extremely energy efficient.
Thank you, it works well.
They are gree units under a different name.
Thank-you for your video, brilliant, great option, will look at retrofit my RV, thanks
The date time stamp on this (or any of your) video(s) is all the patent you need...
If it's a heat pump you can use same system to heat your rig too. Nice job.
Yes it is a heat pump. Thanks for watching my video.
David, thank you for sharing your talent to everyone. This will be a lot of help not only to the RV community but also to the tiny house community.
You are very welcome. Thank you for your kind remarks.
This is the way of the future. Solar powered A/C in a stadium would be cool.
Literally and figuratively.
Thank You For Your Sharing & Wisdom In A/C/Heat Unit! Look Forward To More of Your Sharing In Life's Journey In The Go'n Into & Cum'n Out From In Living! :-)
Absolutely amazed! Thank you for sharing!! We'll look forward to Future videos!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
You folks on UA-cam are the best. Thank you for your kind comments.
Looking forward to seeing more innovation!
Thank you for being so thorough in your explanation. What are the environmental temperature extremes you have tested the heat and cooling output?
Thank you... Very enlightening and helpful. Godspeed in all your projects and travels.
Thanks so much. We'll see you out here....
i'm considering doing this mod, the stock AC just pulls too much energy for the cooling it provides and it balls to the wall loud.
I've already deleted all the stock appliances (stove fridge oven heater pump ) and replaced them with commercial stuff, next I want to delete the stock RV AC then seal off the entire roof(e.g. with rv armour roof or competing DIY products) and upgrade its insulation. (e.g. with rv armour roof or competing DIY products).
I'm never buying another RV, the build qualities are atrocious once you start counting the numbers and inspecting the build. All the manufacturers are in on it since there is no legal recourse.
By delete you mean remove? I'm confused.
I have removed my air conditioner and 1 of my ceiling vents. Happy camping
I really dig the box that you built for the excess line set.
👍
@@GoneBoondocking YES, would really like to SEE INSIDE the box and HOW you coiled the copper WITHOUT damaging it, thank you
An absolutely fantastic explanation. Bravo and Thank You.
Awesome job for your first video. I am so interested in this system. Thank you.
Thanks so much
Great and informative video, David, thanks so much. Two questions:
1. Have you measured the inrush current (instantaneous startup amp draw) of this unit? You need a very high sampling rate meter with a peak amp value hold setting to capture that. The reason I ask is that while this unit draws under 500 Watts operating, it could easily pull 5-10 times that starting up. I know that some inverter controls have some soft start built into them, but practically every electrical device (basically anything with a capacitor in it...) spikes inrush current when it first starts. Especially motors and compressors. This is the true limiting factor in sizing a DC-AC inverter. Its not the operating wattage that kills them (or the devices you plug into them,) but the inrush current spikes, moreso on top of an existing steady load, that you need to size for and/or manage carefully. See Apollo 13 for a dramatic demonstration of the problem. Your thoughts?
2. I couldn't download wall clearance installation requirements for your outdoor unit, but these vary from a low of 2" to over 8". Most are around 4", but that assumes no side restrictions within a foot or two of the unit, which can double or triple the required minimum wall clearance. Your unit appears to be about 3" away from the back wall of the rig. Compounding that, your insulated control and coolant line routing is severely restricting airflow on the inboard side of the outdoor unit, well below any manufacturer's airflow requirements. The likelihood of chronically, albeit mildly, overheating this unit seems pretty high, and if nothing else those lines should probably be rerouted along the side of the unit to restore required wall clearance and airflow. You probably want to double-check your minimum wall clearance requirement from the installation manual as well. Is your outdoor wall clearance really adequate?
Lastly, a comment. High-amplitude road shock is not a trivial damage risk to these units, which simply weren't designed for it. The sharp whack of a deep pothole or hitting the lip of a roadway ground down for resurfacing at highway speed could well damage a running compressor. Don't get me wrong, I love this solution and am designing one for myself, but I won't be running it while driving. Good to have you and many others out there finding the limits of these compressors. We'll find out how long they last on the road, which could well be a very long time, but of course, your mileage my vary...
Keep up the good work, you're helping make the Internet great again...
TomA
Hi Tom. I gotta go in a few minutes but I want to reply, albeit briefly, to your very valid questions first. I retired from the robotics industry and I still happen to have my motor test equipment. This type of inverter motor has a very slow but gradual startup curve. In fact, it takes about 20 seconds for motor ramp-up. So even if the in rush current were ten times operating amps, a 20 second ramp-up would completely smooth out the in-rush current. Any remaining in-rush would be attributable to startup motor torque which actually is well below the 500 watt power needed to run it at full speed. Next, the inverter uses both frequency, not voltage regulation for speed control as well as a reluctance dc motor with extra neodymium magnets to mitigate the torque at the high pressure side of the swing compressor, which also differs from the standard a/c compressor.
Your other comments seem to both concern airflow: heat and airflow restriction. I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
Oh, as to vibration, there are plenty of examples of DC motor/compressor units that are subjected to vibration. My DC RV refrigerator, air bag system, even my water pumps are all examples of rotary pumps driven by DC motors. Historically, few ever fail due to vibration. Most failures occur due to heat, bearing failure, or seals. I hope this helps you, and others, on your Installation. Happy camping!
Awesome explanation thanks and will continue to watch for more.
Hello you are doing a wonderful job thank you for all of the hard work you put in to your videos keep them coming if possible
GREAT Video..Will YOU post the manufacturer and name OF the system you have set up.as well as the the" ball park" cost for your BUILD... planning on going off grid and building a school bus for camping. Thanks.
Great information and was very helpful in my thoughts on what setup would be best for my boxtruck project. Looking forward to seeing more videos
Thanks a bunch.
Enjoyed the video. Thinking of putting one on my Econoline van BigTomsVan. Got 500 watts solar but probably will run the AC from 2100 watt inverter generator. I got to come up with a way to mount the outside unit to the door with brackets. Thanks.chattanooga here.
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching the video.
I have the considered the same thing on my Van.
Thinking about it now I got some ideas.
The bed extendere as might work if you could screw them in to the Van door directly, alternately you could replace the back bumper with a square to bumper and use hitches as David did in the video.
Depending on the weight, I have seen folding brackets in wood working videos on UA-cam that hold a lot of weight and people have used them With the Bracket that is opened up At a 90ﾟ angle to the vertical upright. It is locked into place and stays that way with whatever tool or item that needs to be horizontal to the floor. I'm going to start looking at these myself. I wonder if you could save some money if you don't use hitches for The bed extenders and even eliminating them entirely and replace seeing them with something else.
Have been thinking some more about this and here are my latest thoughts.
If you could get a horizontal unit and put it on the roof, you would eliminate the need to build some kind of a support on the back of the vehicle. If it were mounted on the roof, you might then be able to run your copper lines Back-and-forth along the roof. You could use the heavy duty RV tape (I forgot the name) to hold them down. The
Tape might give some protection to them. Another alternative would be to run the copper lines inside of PVC pipe and fasten the pipe to the roof.
You might even be able to make yourself or have someone make for you a roof rack that the unit could sit on and you could thread the copper pipes back-and-forth through the roof rack.
Outstanding video thanks please make more. Someone who survived many hurricanes in Puerto Rico.
More videos on the way! :)
Thank you for sharing this story with us on your split unit
Thank you for watching my video. Happy camping to you
A great idea and thanks so much for sharing! Our RV unit is 3 years old, the ac on it I think is junk! I had to add an easy start device to get it to work on a 3500w inverter generator because of the high amp startup on this unit! The mini split is a fantastic idea, it would be great if you showed more detail on how you mounted the Inside component, from this video I can really see any detail of that.. How big of an RV AC unit did you have originally on your motor home, and how does this split compare to it in cooling performance?? Thanks again for sharing your great ideas with us!!! W
Originally, the RV had a 13.5kbtu air conditioner but this 9kbtu AC can easily freeze me out.
Thank you for the video I've had the same idea myself they should use this technology as an oem
This is great to know! Thank you! I plan on staying in an RV for a long time, and thinking of getting a smaller Van type one day closer to retirement, so this is good stuff! Nice job with the video, and I'm looking forward to watching more!
HAPPY CAMPING!!!
Thank You for your time on this. Great job...it worked!
rather than hiring an HVAC tech to come out and evacuate the air in your system for $300 like you say, you could buy a vacuum pump and manifold gauge set for around $100 on amazon and evacuate the system yourself.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and video. You did a great job for your first time posting a video. Looking forward to your next video and pondering a mini split for my specific application.
Awesome!
Glad I just happened upon this video and your channel. Subscribed! Thanks for the great info. I see we are in the same part of the country - I''m in Nashville. I'm looking at coverting a cargo van into an RV and this AC system looks like it might be a great fit for me. Thanks again.
Thank you for this information! Sounds like an impressive system!
You are welcome, thank you for watching
Thank you for watching
Very nicely done. Ty sir for your time and experience. One of the best info videos I've seen. Much appreciation.
Thank you, appreciate you watching my videos.
Hello, sir to your wife and you! Good luck! Greetings from Greece! (Mobile Traveller introduced you to me).🇬🇷
ευχαριστώ
Interesting Idea, and nice job, Condenser coils seems a little close to the R.V., but if it aint broke dont fix it
I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
We put these in our home. Stellar money savings. O fist thought we need one in the fifth
wheel. Rv units suck from the factory
Yes and very loud. Works great in the RV. Happy camping to you
God Bless You!
Look forward to your videos!
Thank you for liking my video and helping me get the word out.
I'm amazed that you're able to say the system works so well considering how your mounting location of the condenser is literally starving to death from how close it is to the back of the R/V. These units need at least 12" of free space from behind the unit for proper airflow. Nonetheless, congrats on how well the system works for you.
Thank you for watching, yeah works great.
Ozzie Alarcon actually, many factory wall mount brackets allow 1” of grill clearance. Keep in mind the condenser fan is a multi blade design and airflow is tremendous even at low RPM.
Thanks for this very informative video. Looking forward to the next one.
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed. Happy camping
FIRST YT clip? Then do did a great job, Very comfortable temps MEANS ????? and would LOVE to see the wound up copper pipe in your cover box and HOW you did it without damage, Thank You for your info & time to do this !
Interestingly informative keep producing.
The information you are providing is so very valuable. I am curious how you managed to coil the extra length of copper lines without crimping. Could you share that effort?
It seems pretty close to the rv ... if you have the space you should move it away a couple of inches in order to help with the airflow.. your seer rating will drop of you do not have sufficient air flow. I believe the manual for those units stats it should be 12" away from any wall
I simply measured the fan's airspeed with an anemometer and then multiplied it by the area of the exhaust fan's plenum. That gave me the absolute maximum airflow possible for the intake air of the condenser. I simply doubled that number, just because of the air pressure at sea level, and calculated the distance from the wall divided by the area of the horizon gap at the intake, minus the area on the left side of the unit that is not facing the wall.
@@GoneBoondocking I believe by doing that, you are just ensuring you are not getting a pressure drop from the intake side to the exhaust side. The issue I see, is you will not be getting laminar flow through the entire coil. Air will always take the path of least resistance, which means it will be moving a lot more air through the sides of the condenser coil than it will through the back/center.. . Either way, if it's doing what you want, than its fine. If you are constantly leaving it on and close to the same temp, it most likely does not have a large amount of demand on it
Wow perfect light
Good stuff David. Thanks!
Great job! Thank you for sharing ❤️👍🏻
Thank you for your kind remarks.