We buy air conditioning - what should we pay attention to?

The purpose of an air conditioner in a car or trailer is not only to lower the temperature, but also to reduce humidity, which will result in a greater sense of comfort on hot, muggy days. But what should you pay attention to if you are just going to install air conditioning?

In the previous article: Air conditioning in a camper or trailer, we mentioned that it is best to consider compressor air conditioners, and this is what one of the most popular manufacturers of camping accessories - Dometic - offers.

Which air conditioning should you choose for a camper or trailer?

Among the devices designed to ensure thermal comfort, we can distinguish roof air conditioners (with or without a window) and under-bench air conditioners (placed in storage compartments in the lower part of the trailer). Individual models may differ from each other, including: efficiency and power consumption. Unfortunately, a more efficient air conditioning will usually require more electricity than one with weaker parameters.

When choosing the version of the air conditioner suitable for our vehicle, we should take into account its length (the more surface area to cool, the greater its efficiency should be), the number and size of windows (a vehicle with less glass is easier to cool), and even the presence of a balcony above the driver's cabin ( if it covers the windshield, it has a shading function).

It will also be very important what travel destinations we choose most often. If we usually use a camper or trailer on hot days, and we prefer to go to southern Europe, we will need air conditioning that is more efficient than if we prefer colder parts of the world or travel outside the summer season.

There are also some manufacturer recommendations. For example, Dometic recommends that the basic model of roof air conditioning - FreshJet 1100 - be installed in vehicles up to 5 meters long. The most powerful model - FreshJet 3200 is recommended for the longest campers and trailers (over 8 meters).

Air conditioning and electricity

However, many people may have doubts whether the purchased device will not consume too much electricity. Manufacturers are, of course, trying to reduce energy consumption. In practice - in the case of Dometic products - depending on the model, we can expect consumption (in cooling mode) from 430 W to 1300 W.

Regardless of the parameters of the purchased device, the air conditioner needs the most electricity during the start-up phase . This may be especially problematic if we want to connect the air conditioning to an external power source while camping. That is why Dometic used the SoftStart function in the FreshJet 2200 model (and higher). It allows you to run the air conditioning without any problems, even on camping sites with limited electricity limits. As the manufacturer assures, the startup phase in these devices significantly reduces the power consumption during the startup phase, spreading it over time. Air conditioners are also resistant to voltage fluctuations.

Additional accessories

In the case of poorly secured campsites, it may happen that the air conditioner will not start. To prevent this situation, you can use a device called Waeco CombiPower . It is a combination of a sine wave inverter and an automatic charger. When the device detects limited power capacity with external energy sources, it will supplement it with current from the battery. If the external source is cut off, the inverter with the UPS function will automatically turn on and supply the connected loads with sinusoidal voltage.

In order for the air conditioning to work while driving and when parked without access to the 230V network, a special DC kit must be installed, which will draw power from a 12-volt additional battery. This device is equipped with a charging current distributor, which will automatically turn off the air conditioner if there is a risk of battery discharge. An additional advantage of this set is the ability to control the charging of the main and additional batteries while driving.

A rather expensive addition, but one that can complement the happiness of having air conditioning, will be a power generator powered by gasoline, diesel oil or LPG. Thanks to it, on-board devices can be powered even when we do not have access to an external power source.

More information about air conditioning in a camper or caravan can be found at www.my-caravanning.com/pl