mr_andyj
Georgia
Senior Member
Joined: 11/13/2004
View Profile
|
Keep in mind that, unlike humans, dogs do not use evaporative cooling (we sweat) to keep cool. They pant through their tongue or find a cool spot to lay on. SO, humid air does not matter, just the temp of the air. You CAN use evaporative cooling like those that blow air out of an ice-filled cooler and the dogs will be happy.
You are talking major battery usage to run any AC (powered by A/C or DC doesnt matter), so it will be cheaper to run a generator than to do such damage to batteries. Anytime you deplete or use a battery it is damage. There are only so many "cycles" any battery can do and running an A/C unit will surly induce a deep discharge. Solar is of not much use unless you have a big roof covered completely with panels.
You will spend more on batteries due to short life than you will on gasoline.
I would look more into the personal cooling contraptions. The room does not need to be cooled, only the air blowing on the dogs. They will be happy sitting in that one cool spot all day long.
|
JRscooby
Indepmo
Senior Member
Joined: 06/10/2019
View Profile
 Offline
|
Most of the power used in a AC unit is used by the compressor. I'm not sure I understand why RVers think it is good to run a engine to turn a generator to run a motor to turn a compressor. Every time you change from mechanical to electrical and back energy is lost. Why not use the engine to drive the compressor? Then a much smaller alternator would take care of the rest of load.
BTW, years back I heard there was a battery powered AC unit for truck sleeper. When I checked in it was only available as accessory on new truck so I didn't much look into it, but the technology is out there.
Take the coils out of 12V fridge, build dog bed around them...
|
Kayteg1
California > Nevada
Senior Member
Joined: 06/18/2015
View Profile
Offline
|
Suddenly from "Lithium batteries will give you all the power you might want" topic we landed "you will not have enough power"
12 or 24V AC are used more than some can imagine.
Obviously they are not for climate where you need 15k BTU running 24 hr a day,
but with 3-400W of solar and good battery bank, smaller unit will do 50% duty just fine.
|
otrfun
On The Road
Senior Member
Joined: 09/08/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
Kayteg1 wrote:KINGTEC makes DC air conditioners.
Did not hear about combos The Kingtec 9800 BTU a/c will run on 48a of 12vdc. Pretty cool. That's roughly half the current you'd need to run a 120vac 10k a/c unit (9-10a) via inverter.
|
KKELLER14K
BEAVERTON OREGON
Senior Member
Joined: 12/15/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I bought my first one when it was Back in Black...still works today!!
|
|
|
Rscconrad
Illinois
New Member
Joined: 02/21/2021
View Profile
Offline
|
Seems to me someone should make a 12volt thermoelectric peltier style dog bed.
Put on of these on a dog crate.
thermoelectric Cooler, 12V 6TEC1-1270 420W 6-Chip Thermoelectric Semiconductor Cooler Air Cooling Device for Small Space Cooling,Pet Bed Cooling
Brand: Yanmis
|
Rscconrad
Illinois
New Member
Joined: 02/21/2021
View Profile
Offline
|
Komfortpets.com sell them as crates prebuilt
|
theoldwizard1
SE MI
Senior Member
Joined: 09/07/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
Rscconrad wrote:Seems to me someone should make a 12volt thermoelectric peltier style dog bed.
Peltier cooler are very energy inefficient.
|
mkirsch
Rochester, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 04/09/2004
View Profile
|
theoldwizard1 wrote:Rscconrad wrote:Seems to me someone should make a 12volt thermoelectric peltier style dog bed.
Peltier cooler are very energy inefficient.
Plus all they do is make one side of the device hot and the other side of the device about 30F cooler than ambient. What heat the cool side pulls out is expelled right back into the camper by the hot side. Overall you end up making it HOTTER inside the camper through the addition of the energy used to operate the device. You'd have to have a way to expel the heat out of the camper cabin in order to make it work, such as installing the device through the wall. I've never seen a peltier device that had the two sides mounted any distance from each other.
Cooling is one of those things that just doesn't translate efficiently to DC.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
|
bobbolotune
Chicago Area
Full Member
Joined: 04/26/2015
View Profile
Offline
|
It concerns me leaving a dog in the camper with the A/C running, even if you have shore power. What if the A/C fails, or there is a shore power outage? Then the dog is locked in a camper with the windows closed and no A/C. I would rather leave him in the camper with a window open and the fantastic fan running. Then if the fan failed there would still at least be ventilation. Unless it is really hot the fantastic fan is enough. If it is too hot for that it's just too bad I can't leave him in the camper.
Lance 850 truck camper
2016 Ram 3500 regular cab long bed 4x4 DRW 6.4L HEMI gas
|
|
|
