My 12 Volt RV Air Conditioner (Part 3) - Support Frame Re-Design | RV With Tito
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2023
- Building a solid steel frame to hold the 12 volt RV Air Conditioner. Find out why my first support frame design was a failure and what I am doing to fix It. Mounting the components of this custom 12 volt RV Air Conditioner in my 2003 Winnebago Motorhome has been a challenge. But I'm moving on with a new Plan B. It just might just work...fingers crossed.
This is not your typical mini split air conditioner. Learn more about the 12 Volt A/C unit I'm installing here from Cruise and Comfort DC Powered Air Conditioners
cruisencomfortusa.com
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Having a welder and knowing how to weld opens up a whole new dimension of possibilities. Love the innovation along the way. Great job, Brian!
Glad you're enjoying it. I've really enjoyed getting into welding (still learning). You're right...so many new possibilities.
Brian, I need you as my neighbor. Your shop is more than adequate. This project is getting exciting now. Keep the videos coming.
I think the RV industry is watching this....or should be! Great set up using "off the shelf" components and a little fabrication! Great Job and as usual a great to the point video!
Wow, thanks! Appreciate the feedback.
Brian, on the final segment of this repair, tell us why you did this setup instead of a mini split unit. Explain your reasoning and ideas. Thanks, excellent work putting your project together.
Will do. There are several reasons.
Brian you are quite the fabricator and very determined on this 12v system . I hope that it works out. Can't wait for the next update you can give us. Keep up the good video content 👌.
Found the channel because of a sticker on a sign left at Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway Lol.
Yesss! We went through there last year and stayed overnight at the Walmart before pushing north up to Dawson City and all through Alaska. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I absolutely love the way you have updated an old class A into a functionaly sweet rig. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks! Still a lot to do, but worn out equipment has definitely affected the to do list.
As far as the angle of your fan unit goes, many short city busses and long haul busses, have their units mounted at angles near the ground. Make sure your rear tires have mud flaps
Yeah. We're good to go there. I might also add something in front.
Curses UA-cam!!! I thought I told you to put all RV with Tito vids to the FRONT of my queue! Why have you presented this TWO WEEKS late!?!?! ARGGG! Now I gotta catch up! 😊😂
This is getting really intense 😂. You’d never find anyone else to make this work. Nice job 👍🏼
Tell me about it :) I'm learning a ton throughout this process, but I'm also itching to get it wrapped up soon.
I had an experience driving down a gravel road where the dust kicked up and covered anything exposed.
The original house air only has a pan on the bottom that had a little drain tube. It clogged with dust and the pan filled up and eventually broke thru the thick dust and poured out. I thought my freshwater tank was leaking. Glad it was just a dirty drain tube.
But this also means the design you have will be caked with dust and dirt and water that spashes and gets into everything. That house ac design seems easy to clean, and works. You should consider sheet metal enclosure around the unit so it can be protected from dust. The condensers might need to be smaller to fit the door vent size you originally thought about
Very creatively designed and well executed.. Well done my friend.
Thank you! Cheers!
Looking forward to the next part. Great job and creative thinking.
Thank you very much!
Very impressive Brian.!!!!! I love the way you think on the fly with not having all the tools needed to do a spectacular job. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! It's been a lot of trial-and-error, but I'm glad to see it coming together. 👍
Thinking about the noise made by loose stabilizer links on vehicles like your rig that have loose connections... Where the all thread has nuts and a rubber bushing, I would consider tightening them a bit compressing the rubber. Stabilizer links use the rubber bushings on both sides of the connection for best results. Their inexpensive as well coming with all of the rubber and washers for one connection. ( you would have a part number for replacement parts... Could use the part from a pickup)
Good point! Thanks for the suggestions.
Love your tenacity on this project! looking forward to seeing how it works in the end.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel :)
Hope youtube doesn;t give you a strike for the zip tie 'gun'.
Geeze. No kidding. A few years ago I did a heat gun video and was careful not to use that word in the title.
I respect all of the effort that is going into this task.
However, I personally would have done everything in my power to try and package a mini-split instead. I agree in theory sticking with a 12v system avoids an Inverter that comes with a cost, packaging challenges, and conversion inefficiencies. However, I predict the vastly superior average energy efficiency of the mini-split, lower NVH, and heat pump functionality would more than make up for the cons.
Yeah. I get that. Aside from the DC powered part there are a few other reasons why I didn't go with a traditional mini split for my rig though. Thanks for the comment.
On your all thread support rods, I’d recommend adding extra nuts so that you can double nut everything to lock it into place. May not hurt to also add non permanent locktite. Nice work.
Oh. I will. Probably an extra bolt under the support bolt and blue loctite in a couple other spots. 👍
love your humble and methodical and humorous posts and determination;
i’d love to see what you and james and stephanie ( fit rv?) could do!!!
Haha. Thanks!
Awesome job as usual!!
Thanks! I appreciate that.
Good job.
Great job! Thanks for the video.
You bet! Thanks.
Super job Brian it’s coming together looking forward to seeing the finished work thanks ☺️
Thanks! Me too.
That is some fantastic work, from the idea, fabricating parts working towards the final piece. It looks nice and professionally done.
Very nice work Brian! You have done an outstanding job with the tools that You had to work with. When its all said and done with it will look and be far better than anything factory Winnebago could have ever have done that's for sure. Keep up the great ingenuity my friend! Looking forward to the next video! Stay safe and God Bless.👍
Thanks! I appreciate your feedback. Making good progress and can't wait to be done with this one.
Awesome fabrication, will be an amazing refit when your all done, you’ve invested a lot of time an effort for sure, and I enjoy following along, thanks for sharing all your hard work. 👍
Thanks! It's been a rewarding and highly educational summer project for sure.
You do great work . I keep old stuff to can always use it somewhere else.
Every time I think about tossing stuff, I find a use for it :)
I thought I was the only one who needed plan B. Oh, who am I kidding ... I've gone to plan Z on several projects. Lol.
But I have to say, your skill set is amazing.
Nice fabrication! For bending sheet metal a few pieces of angle iron clamped on an edge makes a good poor man's sheet metal brake.
Thanks for the tip. Yeah, I've watched all the DIY bender videos on YT :) I have a harbor freight bender, but this stuff was too thick. I'll use it to make the ducts.
So many adjustments. I'll call you Mr. Fabrication.
Or Mr. Wing It
I think you should plan on an expanded metal grate to shield the coils that will be facing down. Otherwise rocks will soon put an end to it since it will be trailing your rear tires.
Ingenious design, but the compressor will live on a slight incline. I wonder how that angle will work out. Great work sir.
Nope. The compressor is level. The condenser is on an angle.
Oddly enough, while automotive ac compessors seem to live on a level surface, vehicles dont remain on level surfaces in their travels. It shouldn't be a problem.
I'd probably stick some sound deadening mat underneath that modified pan and the two vertical side pieces to keep them from vibrating when underway or while the AC is operational.
For sure. I have some stuff already planned for that. Everything will be insulated and sealed up when I'm done.
Now that I've seen more of the video, I see you have expanded metal in the design, but It looks like you're placing the fans on the bottom. I think they will get damaged there.
Could you relocate the connection to the air outlet - looks like the duct curves up anyway?
I probably could with more work. There's also a wall in the way. Definitely something I can tweak later.
Excellent craftsmanship. How did you gain your experience? Any risk of debris being thrown into the fans?
Thanks. Just learning as I go. The fans are supposed to be auto grade. So everything is sealed up. Of course, a good hosing down every one in a while will probably be helpful.
Brian, I know I'm late in asking this, but in your previous video you showed the condenser exterior as the grid side with the fans pulling in. Doesn't that mean you have it mounted upside down in this new config? If so, might you have an airflow restriction trying to pull air down due to the plate and components above?
No. This is actually the manufacture recommended orientation. Yes. It will pull air down and there is ample space for it to do that...We'll see. 🤞
Brian, what’s the weight difference between the old system and your new 12V A/C? Just curious.
👍👍👍😎🦅🇺🇸
It's been quite some time since I watched parts one and two, so I really don't remember why you decided to get rid of the original basement air unit, but did you investigate the cost of just adding more solar and batteries and keeping the original heat pump? It seems like you are spending a large amount of money and time for a little bit of energy savings.
The old unit died. It's been scrapped.
Are you at all concerned with the downward angle of the condenser that the downward direction of the blowers will create a cloud of dust when you camp on anything but gravel or concrete?
Yeah. We're parked on dirt a lot. That was one reason why I was hoping to mount the condenser vertically. The old heat pump condenser fan vented downward too and it wasn't an issue. Fingers crossed 🤞
Will that 12V unit provide heat also?
No. Just cooling.
If you don’t mind, what is the exact welder and model ❤you use?
So, this unit will cost around 7k to 10k and pull nearly 100 amps when complete, correct? On that shock mount I would suggest doing away with the old rubber gromets and use springs.
Closer to 7K. I'm thinking around 50-70A, but we will see. The compressors are variable speed. So they'll run more efficiently to maintain the temp. Looking forward to the testing phase :) I'm hoping the leaf springs plus air bags will do most of the shock absorbing. Plus...the new compressors also have shock mounts.
@@RVwithTito thanks for the reply.
Is it small enough to mount on the door, with long flex lines?
He addressed that. It would hang down below the door.
Nope. It's bigger that it looks :) There is a smaller condenser that may have worked for that, but the larger one should provide better cooling.