air conditioning

[luvrbus]

Apples to Apples it all depends on the area one lives in,I have helped folks remove the mini splits and install roof tops.When the temps reach 120F here and the bus is heat soaked it takes for ever for the 2= 9000 btu splits to cool down a bus  where you can even stand to be in it,2 roof tops 30 minutes you are ok,they are power hogs though

[Van]

Coach Insulation is a big factor also, otherwise it's only an ice cube on your forehead. Was 109 here just recently, add interior climate control management to the list of things that need management or head for a cooler climate

[dtcerrato]

Have two places & love them... Opposite corners of the continent where seasons are invert of each other. IE: Alaska summers & Florida winters = no or hardly a need for air conditioning. 

[windtrader]

@Glen - don't go back! For that matter any busnut who defiles a classic bus by putting those UGLY warts on top is well ...

@Van - Mini splits work more like heat pump in that they draw so little, you can run them far more to keep things cool. The old school units are more brute force so work to cool quicker but at what cost - noise and energy drain at startup and continuous. Not sure one can compare as apples to apples. They seem pretty different except they both provide cool air to busnut

[luvrbus]

Roof top heat pumps work, the newer ones heat down to the same temps as any mini splits.Apples to apples you are not going to replace a 13 or 15,000 btu roof top with a 9000 btu split and get the same results.The 1 to 3 million coaches are still using the roof tops why ?,can you even buy a 15.000 btu split that will work on a 110 v

[Lee Bradley]

Don't know I bought 24,000 btu that runs on 220 and runs three inside units; 6,000, 9,000 and 12,000 over the driver. 220 is easy enough to get.

[ktmossman]

12K btu is the max I have ever seen on 110v.  However, as stated, 220v isn't that hard to get, either with an autotransformer, or OOTB with some of the newer inverters.

[dtcerrato]

Our little 6.5kw Onan has 240 vac at 30A or two 120 vac legs @ 30A each. It can be wired for straight 120 vac @ 60A but we like having the 240 vac resource for running the water well, welder, etc. If needed.

[freds]

Don't know I bought 24,000 btu that runs on 220 and runs three inside units; 6,000, 9,000 and 12,000 over the driver. 220 is easy enough to get.

Which unit did you get?

[Glennman]

My Pioneer is 12K btu's. I'm not afraid of it at all. If I was to add one roof top air, it would only be to get a quick cool down, then let the mini split maintain it. Maybe all that isn't necessary anyway. If I add a 9K unit in the back, that might just take care of it.

[RJ]

@Glen - don't go back! For that matter any busnut who defiles a classic bus by putting those UGLY warts on top is well ...

Don -

You're beginning to sound like Ralph Baker!

RJ

[Lee Bradley]

Which unit did you get?

Like most of the equipment I bought; the manufacture immediately got out of the market. Honda RV generator, Sanyo mini-split.

[Jim Blackwood]

I've been looking for higher capacity 110v compressors and it's been hard to find anything over 12k, even in the more efficient designs. It seems like once you pass that line in the sand everyone immediately switches over to 220 whether the amperage draw justifies it or not. And amperage draw is something I've been watching. As the compressors get more efficient the draw goes down and now we seem to be seeing some 1 ton compressors drawing about 9 amps with little or no start up surge. There seems to be nothing to prevent a 2 ton 110v compressor from being made other than the use of 15A service circuits.

In the meantime, I have a couple of local guys to talk to about custom systems and components. Working the grapevine.

One question that has come up: It was mentioned that maybe scroll compressors don't do well in parallel compressor layouts. First time I've heard that and I need to know what it means.

As it stands presently, I need four 1 ton compressors. I'd like to cut that number down by one or two.

Jim

[dtcerrato]

@Glen - don't go back! For that matter any busnut who defiles a classic bus by putting those UGLY warts on top is well ...



Our classic (antique) bus was purchased with one thing in mind - it was a Coach (GMC) before it was a bus (Greyhound) and was purchased while in commercial service for a personal diy complete restoration & RV self contained conversion - the roof top wart, the awnings, penetrations, rip outs, add ons and all - for us, wifey & I - not anyone else not commercial but personal - one & only - no other perfectly alike. We like that... 

[freds]

I don't remember who, but inquired why he had two different inverters in his bus and one of them was 240V to drive the mini-split system with two heads...