The MCI over the road air works good in my bus and I will be keeping it for now.
I also have this auxiliary AC from Welch Industries that also works, but I will probably be replacing it with a Mini Split to use in the bedroom.
I had thought to try and power the aux AC compressor with an electric motor so I could run it with shore or generator power, due to the size electric motor I would need I believe I would get more functionality for the money out of a Mini split.
I also need to pull that rear inside cap down to do the spray Foam insulation.
Does anyone have any good ideas on how to alternately power the compressor?
If I do end up replacing it with a mini split is anyone interested in this unit?
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.peterbylt.com%2FMCI96A3%2Fauxac2.jpg&hash=d03bea917198c8a516eabcd687be98ad70bcacc0)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.peterbylt.com%2FMCI96A3%2Fauxac.jpg&hash=354ecb0b756780ffbd605fd1a0b4da5f6e2e3bf3)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.peterbylt.com%2FMCI96A3%2Fauxac1.jpg&hash=dfc34477ac4efd8555aacd03247dd80260a190f2)
Peter
I looked and researched and asked questions of people and talked to Lamar Welch on the phone and the only thing I could come up with was that an electric AC was a big load on an electrical system and wouldn't put out a lot of cold without a HUGE load on the electrical system There's all the things like Red Dot that appears good for a trucker's cab (if the trucker has a huge wallet) but wildly under powered and over power-consuming for a system that would do a whole bus.
Buses have a number of problems, a big one being they're sweat boxes, absorbing heat from the sun, the road, engine/powertrain/brakes and they're very prone to having air blowing through them bringing in heat and taking away your cool. They're also big and have a large volume to cool and (esp if you have walls, rooms, dividers, etc.) they can be hard to circulate air around in.
It appears to me that mini-splits have lots of problems (fragility, low cool output, not the greatest air circulators or the ability to tie into circulation systems, etc.) but they sure do what they do on a tiny amount of amps. And the price is right and getting righter.
Like a lot of things in life, you gotta get all the pluses and minuses of things right, then add them up and figure them into what you "just gotta have" on an emotional level and figger out what's right for you. That's a tall order and a bigger problem when you have a big machine like a bus involved.
There is no free lunch with a/c. If you are looking for low power consumption and high efficiency your best bet will be a higher end mini split system from Fujitsu or Mitsubishi. I've done months and months of research on this and my father has been an A/C tech nearly all his life in Tucson and we chatted about it many times too. Those mini split units use variable speed compressors and special refrigerant to achieve amazing results with very little energy. They work. The issue with them are what was already stated above: they are somewhat fragile and some have had issues preventing Freon leaks over time on a moving bus. The outdoor unit needs a lot of air flow. Some here who have stuck it in a vented luggage bay have found that they have to leave their bay door open to keep the unit running. Not something I want to do. If you can find a place to mount the outdoor units and prevent freon leaks, you're on track. These things will also pump out heat in single digit temps
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Peter,
Should you decide to remove the Welch unit, I'd be interested in it.
Bob