RE: CONFUSED ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATNG

[Mex-Busnut]

Dear Friends:

I am still in the "pre-purchase-but-learning-and-planning-like-a-maniac" stage of our already-sellected bus.  

My wife, new baby and I lived in a 32-foot Nuwa Hitchkiker fifth-wheel trailer for the first five years (1980-1985) of our still-great marriage. Full-timing is nothing new to us. We lived in it from southern Mexico all the way to Ontario, Canada.

Our bus is longer than the Hitchhiker:

    --Exterior length: 11.235 meters = 36.86 feet
    --Exterior width: 2.520 meters = 8.27 feet.

The Hitchhiker had a 40,000 BTU Dometic central heating and a 13,500 BTU Duotherm roof A/C. Both worked fine, even in the Texas extreme cold and heat. (The Hitchhiker was VERY well built and well insulated!)

What specs are you guys and gals reccomending for heat and A/C? Consider we are now in grand-parenthood. Maybe we will travelling with children and the most awesome grandkids in this entire galaxy . Possibly up to ten people on a given trip, but only two when full-timing.

Also: RV-type roof air conditioners are scarcer than honest politicians down here (central old Mexico). Split home A/C units are plentyfull and about U.S.$500 for a brand new unit (LG, Carrier, etc.). Has anybody adapted such an animal to a bus? I am thinking the compressor part could be in a cargo bay, with a screen for breathing. Or would the vibration destroy it?

Thanks in advance!

Dr. Steve

[TomC]

I have a 40ft x 102" wide with large lightly tinted Penn windows along with the entire bus walls and ceiling spray insulated 2.25" thick.  I have 3-13,500btu/hr Coleman roof top airs that in 108 degree weather, just the front and rear running will keep the bus in the 70's going down the road.
Yes, you are right that home units would not last well in a bus-especially in Mexico.  Dometic makes both the roof top Duotherm Briskair and Penquins, and also makes the very tough basement airs that truckers use.  Cruiseair also makes mobile designed basement air with a 14,000btu/hr condensing unit and numerous choices for condensing units (can use one 14,000 or two 7000).
I know there are many that have used household type refrigerators, air conditioners, etc in their buses with great success.  But-I prefer something that was designed for its' use.  Good Luck, TomC

[buswarrior]

Be careful thinking you will have more "space" in your coach than in the old 5th.

The driver's position consumes a lot of single use space, and depending on coach model, there may be drivetrain intrusion that steals some more.

I like your questions!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Bill B /bus]

Dr Steve,

Insulation? That's a big part of the equation.
DT (delta temperature)? In other words where are you going to be located and at what time of year.
Windows? Single pane, thermal pane and how many?
Split units for AC take space in bay and house. Also they require a way to cool condenser. Which is counter to need to maintain integrity of bay for heat concerns in cold weather.
Its a matter of trade offs but first you need to set the parameters. That's why engineering and sales are always at logger heads. Sales says to the customer sure we can do X. Engineering says sure we can but it is going to cost a lot.

I know more questions . But the answers begin to set the problem boundaries. With boundaries solutions present themselves. Then 

Thanks for stirring my brain this AM.
Bill

[buswarrior]

As far as your spec's...

The 40K BTU heating goal is a popular size for busnuts.
However, this Canadian might suggest that Texas does NOT have extreme cold....

Many, many coaches have two roof airs, so some assumptions may be made about that.
Texas, on the other hand, can get quite HOT, so three would not be unreasonable, nobody much complains they have too much AC capacity....especially if you pack a bunch of hot bodies in there.

The amount of AC needed while driving is highly dependent on the amount of air intrusion while moving at highway speed. That is up to the coach's design, the condition of the dampers and seals in the defrost/windows/door/stock HVAC openings.

Other busnuts have used household split systems, perhaps they will chime in?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Jerry32]

I installed a 1 rton 120 volt split system in my bus three years ago and still working fine. I also have a rooftop AC unit for the bedroom and with bothwill cool the bus nicely.  The split system is a heat pump so aids inheating bus I have two diesel fired hot air heaters tha do most of the heating. Jerry