Traveling in a caravan is getting extremely common these days. People accessorize their caravans based on their needs and travel experiences. For example, if you have traveled around states in your caravan, you must have felt the need for the air conditioner in your RV. Caravan air conditioners are important assets to be installed in caravans. It is more of a requirement than a luxury.
The air conditioners you use in caravans are different from the ones installed at your home. Therefore, it would help if you had a thorough understanding of their work. In this, we will mention the important things you should know while picking the air conditioners for your RV.
Table Of Contents
Why Caravan Air Conditioner?
Caravan sir conditioners are specifically designed to fit in caravans as against the regular house ACs. The fittings and mountings are designed to cope with the continuous vibrations of caravans. The caravan ACs keep the water out when you are traveling. It is designed to take up the least space and maintain the needed temperatures without hindering your traveling. The caravan ACs are available in two options; rooftop and built-in air conditioners.
Roof Top Air-Conditioners
Rooftop air-conditioners are mounted on the roof of your RV. They are available in two variables; 400 X 400mm and 360 X 360mm. People often like to use rooftop air conditioners in their caravans as they are easier to install and do not take up ample space. They can also be put into a 400mm X 400mm with the use of an adapter. Also, as sir drops down when it is cold, rooftop air conditioners tend to be more efficient than their counterparts. However, it would help to be cautious with rooftop ACs while entering garages and parking because some are wider and taller.
Built-In Air Conditioners
If you have a single skin roof caravan, then built-in ACs are the perfect choice for you. Built-in air conditioners are ducted units or split systems mounted in cupboards or bunks in your caravans. They provide efficient working as they are installed at a lower level where the air is already cool. Another benefit of using built-in ACs is that they make lesser noise than rooftops.
The system used for Cooling and Heating
While picking your choice of air conditioner, you need to check the working of the cooling and heating system. Some ACs use heat exchange formulas to cool the air and electric heating element to heat the caravan. In contrast, others use a reverse cycle unit system where a compressor does both cooling and heating the caravan. The reverse cycle unit is energy efficient and is preferred by most caravan owners. However, if you mostly travel to cold areas, a heating element system will be the best for you.
Installation
You need to check the installation type of the air conditioner unit that you are choosing. While most ACs come with the required tools and instructions to install them by yourself. In contrast, if you need to get a split-system unit installed in your caravan, you will need professional help to do that for you. You can choose to buy some additional gears such as adapters and H-frame that provide added stability to the units.
Capacity
If you search for ‘best caravans Australia 2021’, you will find that the displayed options also mention the kind of Ac used with the heating & cooling capacity. The heating capacity is nothing but the system’s capacity to transfer heat inside the RV. On the other hand, cooling capacity refers to the ability to remove heat from inside your RV. The cooling capacity is available between 2.0 to 3.2 kW. At the same time, the heating capacity is between 1.0 to 3.2 kW. Ideally, if your caravan is 5meters in length, elect an AC between 2-2.5 kW and if it is 7 meters, go for any unit above 3kW.
Power Consumption
Power consumption is a major point to think over and consider while choosing the air conditioner for your caravan. AC is the most power-consuming appliance installed in a caravan. Ideally, a single unit of AC consumes are 2000W of electricity as compared to 50w consumed by a refrigerator. Power consumption will not be an issue if you plan to camp at a caravan site because they have power units there. However, if you plan to camp at other places, you need to make sure that your generator can handle the power needs of your air conditioner. Solar power and large batteries are options, but they are not the most long-lasting and cost-effective options. With that in mind, you may want to consider buying an appropriate power generator from your trusted local generator franchise shop to make sure that you can enjoy your AC whenever you are on-the-go.
A caravan air conditioner is a necessity in caravans as it improves the camping experience. Therefore, you need to pick the best air-conditioner for your RV. We hope the tips mentioned above will be useful for you in deciding on the AC. Happy Camping!
