A/C in camper canvas ?

[maestro7879]

I have a Wellcraft 232fl that has the small "cabin" if you can call it that has a camper canvas with isinglass that covers the whole boat. My daughter, wife and I usually sleep in the boat on the weekends but it gets hot and stuffy even with fans and opening up the canvas. My daughter sleeps in the cabin and my wife on the back motor bench and me on the fold down seats. So my question is what are my options for A/C ? In the cabin the floor comes up with plenty of room underneath. I was thinking that I would be able to do something with that space. I don't want to spend much because we will probably only have this boat one more season. This is in Pa. and running off 110v from the dock.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[Windykid]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

They make portable hatch units for the cabin.

 

[maestro7879]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

They make portable hatch units for the cabin.

The cabin is not really a cabin or even a cuddy but just a very small area. It's hard to explain unless you have actually seen a 232fl. No hatch on this small hole in the wall.

I'm thinking of putting an small window A/C Unit under the false floor in the cabin/cuddy ( whatever you want to call it ) and attaching a cover with ducts to the inside of the of the boat. The hot air from the A/C unit then would only circulate under the floor and not come into the inside the boat. There is alot of room underneath the false floor and it stays very dry. I could even turn on the bilge blowers to pull the air out from under the floor if needed.

Thoughts ? I know it's quite a rig to do this but I just need to get through the upcoming season.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

those small a\c units are designed to cool a fixed volume of air. that said it is impossible to weather seal a camper canvas all you will probably do is turn the overloaded unit into a block of ice. you could look into a marine reverse cycle unit but they are spendy and it still will only cool your cuddy area.

 

[maestro7879]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

those small a\c units are designed to cool a fixed volume of air. that said it is impossible to weather seal a camper canvas all you will probably do is turn the overloaded unit into a block of ice. you could look into a marine reverse cycle unit but they are spendy and it still will only cool your cuddy area.

Why is this any different then a pop-up camper ? Same canvas with thinner isinglass from what I have found. I've been in pop-up campers with A/C on top and it was very cool inside. I guess i'll just try it being that I already have a unit to test with.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

Here is what I did for my AC. I took a window unit and removed the condenser coil. I then replaced the air over coil with a water cooled heat exchanger in its place. I added a water pump to circulate the lake water through that heat exchanger. The evaporator and fan was then mounted inside the cabin while the compressor and condenser is mounted in the bilge. It works fantastic for my boat and has really made spending time on the boat more enjoyable.

Another guy at the dock tried the same thing as you. He put the air cooled condenser into his bilge area. His bilge blowers just couldn't keep up with the excess heat that came off the condenser coil. He saw how I did mine and did the same. He now is happy with his rigging. If the heat from the condenser coil goes above 95*, you will create other problems with your boat as well as the unit not putting out any cool air. Hope this gave you a few ideas.

 

[Adjuster]

Re: A/C in camper canvas ?

Rig a portable. They have gotten very inexpensive.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_g...d-keywords=portable+air+conditioner&x=12&y=16

Walmart, Target, Home Depot all have them.