12V A/C anyone?

The dometic website states 19 amps, but only in eco mode.

When you get to the manual



Small unit, 570 watts is 47.5 amps at 12v. (Plated to 50)
Large unit, 650 watts is 54.1 amps at 12v. (Plated to 58)

These are max inputs, so presumably thats on the max settings.

I stated originally that a likely draw would be near 40 amps. Dometic seems to agree.

If all you want is eco mode, by all means, a single 200 ah capacity is plenty.

But its not arizona im worrying about, its the muggy states in june and july.

 

Perhaps you meant domestic as in household unit instead of name brand dometic.

(CoolingBtus/seer)/12 =12v draw in amps

(9000 btu unit/ 23 seer rating)/ 12 = is 32 amp draw. (Watts/voltage)


With all due respect, i just dont beleive that the home units people are *actually installing* now are only drawing 17 amps..., they absolutely can be better than the 12v versions, but theres also the step up conversion losses to account for.

To get to 17 amp operation, you need to drop to 6000 btus, but that will also require a seer rating near 29.5. They exist, but 19 to 23 is still the norm.

And if you WERE at 17 amps, then no need for 2x 200 amp hour batteries, just go for a single 200, that will get you 10 HRS no problem

 

1st I have that same generator and I just added a wireless remote start/stop so yes I can just lay in bed and start and stop it.

2nd the ac/heat pump just a little rubber in the mount takes care of the vibration... and dirt isn't much of a problem... I've known people using them for years...myself I use a portable ac

 

I'm starting to see more of these units about..

Air Conditioner Truck Parking Cooler 12V Quiet, Longer Run Time Treeligo | eBay

With a couple of extra Lithium Batteries, & One of theses battery Isolators
140A 12V Dual Battery System Isolator Voltage Sensitive Relay VSR + Cables Kits | eBay

. & occasionally some flexible solar Panels sikaflexed on the Sleeper Roof

 

Amazon prices are better unless the aud is just really really weak to the usd

 

I have two 9k btu 120VAC 22 seer Pioneer mini-splits. The max power demand on the spec sheet for cooling is 750W. At 12.0V that's 62.5A, actually a few more due to inverter loss.

My inverter displays watts. It has to really be blazing hot and sunny for the hvac to go to max. Might be a concern for some, I don't see that consistently as I run east of I-35. On a real hot day mine might go to max for 5-10 minutes to get to set temp, then usually runs around 500-550W until the sun sets. Then it drops to 250-300W, even as low as 100W for just fan if the compressor isn't running.

So actually 62.5A max, 40-50A sunny day use, 20-25A at night.

IMO the reason the 120VAC mini-splits are better than the 12V units strictly on efficiency. They have a much more complex compressor unit and infinitely variable fan control.

When I bought these, I also considered the Dometic (and similar) 12V systems. The spec sheets were unimpressive, not really efficient, and they're gold plated price-wise. Chinesium brands will save a few bucks, but at the expense of a generic, probably not well supported unit. The only thing the Dometic setup that was favorable was the super thin, cleaner install. Evap case, compressor, and fan under the bunk piped into the bunk vents, and a small condenser bolted to the back or under the cab. Just like an apu without the engine. Mini-splits are made to go into a house, so not so small. Small-ish LOL. You got to be a bit more creative hanging the evap unit inside, and the compressor outside.

One minor concession: my mini-splits are heat pumps but we never use them for heat. My trucks have Webasto diesel heaters that are a lot more efficient and battery friendly. However, if I did run on heat, the max consumption is higher than max cool. Right at 1,000W if memory serves. If someone were sizing a house battery set and planned to use heat, it would need to be considered.

 

Looks like the Aussies are printing money just as fast as we are. Exchange is about the same as always, about $1.50AU to $1.00US.

That said, if you can find an Aussie dealer willing to ship to the US you can get better products easier. The market for off-grid, RV related gear there is much better than what we have in the US due to demand. I have Dometic refrigerator coolers, and there are a few wear parts I just can't get in the US without buying whole assemblies. @haycarter don't laugh - my last cooler latches came from Broome WA, halfway around the globe from here. $50 for 3, shipped including import duties. Here I have to buy the entire lid assembly for over $100. For one. Speaking of which, I'm getting about due for some more spare parts. Hope that dude in Broome is still in business and has what I need in stock LOL.

 

I have split system installed on my truck in 2017. Nothing can be better.

 

These Aussie Made Lithium Powered APU's are earning an awesome reputation..

https://www.coolabahdcac.com/

About the same Price as a Diesel Powered APU but virtually silent..

 

This seems to be what the makers of these electric powered kits are shooting for. I guess they have to, in order to recoup the R&D work, custom manufacturing overhead, warranty and whatnot.

That said, the system you linked is the most appealing "purpose-built for trucking" e-APU I've seen so far.