Driver's a/c

[Skykingrob]

Still thinking about the diver's a/c situation. Wondering if compressor side of one of the mini splits could be coupled to my bus evaporator. My driver's a/c evaporator is by MCC in Ohio and is rated, according to Prevost at 45K a/c. What do you a/c guys think? Is it possible?

Rob
91 Prevost
Missouri

[Oonrahnjay]

Still thinking about the diver's a/c situation. Wondering if compressor side of one of the mini splits could be coupled to my bus evaporator. My driver's a/c evaporator is by MCC in Ohio and is rated, according to Prevost at 45K a/c. What do you a/c guys think? Is it possible?

Rob
91 Prevost
Missouri

     The only mini-split I've looked at is 120V (for obvious reasons), and they're rated about 12-14K.  I'd think that the mis-match would be way too much (but I don't know).

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Rob,

Even if you could hook into a mini split compressor, (your evap would have to communicate with main board)
the mini split compressor would have to be pretty large to give you any cooling in drivers area..

A standard car's a/c compressor is equivalent to 4 to 5 tons of capacity so a mini split wouldn't do much while
driving down the highway.

I would still advise you to install an engine driven compressor to match up with your drivers evaporator.

Nick-

[TomC]

I have three 13.5btu roof airs. The front one is close to the driver's seat-so it blows down right on me when driving. I also have a 12v fan on the dash that is pointed right at me. I have yet to be hot when driving. Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

I am with Nick use your factory air with the engine driven compressor you will never regret it,who knows you may be in AZ at the end of summer it's only going to be 115 here today You can always adjust a larger unit to be comfortable if to cold with a smaller unit it is what it is BTDT 

The dash air in a Prevost would cool the whole entire bus if you could get the air flow to the rear, the dash air is equal to 4 roof tops  nice

[Oonrahnjay]

I am with Nick use your factory air with the engine driven compressor you will never regret it,who knows you may be in AZ at the end of summer it's only going to be 115 here today You can always adjust a larger unit to be comfortable if to cold with a smaller unit it is what it is BTDT   

    And another advantage with factory air/engine driven A/C systems is that there is very little conversion loss in the system.  If you take power off the engine, most of that energy comes out the evaporator as cool air.  Using some kind of electrical system, you generate and distribute alternator power (power losses), then you run it through an inverter (power losses), then use the 120V (or 240V) to run your compressor (power losses). 
    A big disadvantage of factory air is that it doesn't make cool when the engine isn't running, but I'm not sitting in my driver's seat much when the engine isn't running.  You'll have to have to have other have other A/C systems (probably at least one in the center of the bus and one in the rear/bedroom area) for comfortable cooling anyway -- you can make them 120V driven systems for when you're parked.
    Also, think outside the box.  TomC has done some really smart installations using rooftop air systems *not* on top of the bus.  Something like that may be useful.
    But if you have a 40-45 BTU dash air component package just sitting there, as Nick and Clifford have said, you're better off running that off an engine-powered compressor.

[bigred]

You know Country Coach 0n their Prevost conversions uses an engine driven compressor rated at 10 tons .It is coupled with three evaporators (back,center and dash ) and this thing cools the whole coach.If this thing ever starts giving problems though,I imagine it would be an expensive endeavor.