So I bought my 1993 Tow Lite without an A/C unit. The previous owner removed it as the roof had buckled and there was major water damage to the upper lip. I got the damage all repaired but thought a big roof A/C wasn't the way to go. My trailer is only a 21' which means the inside is about 7' x 15' x 6 1/2' high. A rooftop unit adds stress to the structure, adds aerodynamic drag, costs a lot, and won't run on a small quiet generator.
So I bought a Koldfront Ultracool 8000 BTU portable from Compact Appliance for $252 including shipping. I was well rated and really quiet.
Then I was going to just leave it on the floor but it didn't leave room for the couch to make a bed so I made a small shelf for it. I have to move it up when camping and take it down to lower but it seems out of the way.
I cut a 6" round hole in the side for a vent, and another in the inside wall and added a latching door for when not in use. Outside I added a simple louvered cover and sealed it with foam but may switch it to a watertight RV compartment door it too much moisture gets in there when towing in the rain.
This cools the trailer pretty easily and runs great on my new Westinghouse 2000iLXT inverter generator I picked up for $528 shipped. It's as quiet as the similar Honda (Which is almost $1000) but has a bigger gas tank and a 10 hour run time. The AC running is only 1000 watts but when that compressor first starts it loads the generator pretty well but doesn't trip it.
Now I'm going to start working on a locking box on the back bumper for the generator and a gas can. The generator is 43 pounds and the AC is about 65 pounds.
Some pics
Added portable air-conditioning.
Linear Mode
