Looks like this Hisense unit is 120VAC. May be better to look at 12VDC units. Also check to see if your EcoFLow unit can support your freezer. Family member used an EcoFlow river to power a 12V DC refrigerated cooler and managed to burn out the unit--the EcoFlow owners manual specifically said not to use it with high amp draining devices, so it was not covered by warranty.

 

Thanks! Ecoflow wave 3 was the first one to consider. But it costs about 3 times and even 6 times of the 120VAC hisense if wave 3 battery is included. Anyway, the price does not match with the functions it provides, in my opinion.

My Ecoflow Delta 2 Max works with my AC and it supports 15amps output at most if I remember correctly. I tried this AC yesterday again and found it consume about 600w to 800w at top when the compressor kicks in. And it was way more comfortable to stay in the van with that AC.

And obviously, it is too big and my Ecoflow Delta 2 Max can only last 4 to 5 hours. I would say it is not bad. I will definitely get a Wave 3 once its prices comes down to a reasonable level.

 

How many BTU's is that thing?

here is a low powered option.

EcoFlow WAVE 2 Portable Air Conditioner with Heater

Stay cool anywhere with the EcoFlow Wave 2, a powerful portable air conditioner perfect for camping, RV trips, and off-grid adventures. Battery-powered and quiet.

us.ecoflow.com

 

It says this one uses 500W in cooling which is higher than he has now from what I see.

 

They do seem to dodge real world usage data... but gauging by the fact they specialize in products for off grid and RV, i'm going to wager that is the max value and not continuous runtime.

Heck my massive freezer and fridges spike to 400 watts when they fire up and run at 150 watts continuous once started.

Im going to wager its the same in this case.

get some real numbers with a kill a watt meter.

 

Maybe my memories of camping are different than your camping reality--probably also different climate. We did tent camping in Northern CA at higher elevation where temperatures during the daytime maybe hit mid 80s and lows in the high 50s low 60s--at that temperature humidity is not a problem. I would think it would be pretty uncomfortable sleeping in our van for more than a few hours--that being said, sleeping in a tent that was sitting on roots/rocks was not ultra comfy, but if I were to do it now I'd use a thin mat under the sleeping bag.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the price of the ecoflow devices to fall significantly. Typically prices fall when products become less desirable technology wise--the technology in HVAC/heat pumps have not really changed in decades.

In my mind, if one needs air conditioning in order to go camping (due to humid climate), it's a sign that camping in that locale may not be the best idea.

 

We're humans and gosh darnit we're gonna camp here anyways.

8000BTUs in a Honda Odyssey. I mean is it cold enough to use as a deep freeze? Perhaps downgrading the AC unit would help with the power consumption. They usually jump up substantially when you go higher than 5000BTU.

Do you run it off a secondary battery with an isolator?

 

I just returned from camping in the NC mountains so I'm a little late to this party. We use a tent so I have no direct experience with car camping, but tents are not particularly cool in hot weather. Strategic planning is important...if it is a warm climate you need trees/shade and preferably above 4k elevation. 60-70 degree nights are a plus but not mandatory; a small window fan or two would be sufficient for anything cooler than 75 at night, and they are much more budget friendly than AC.

What temperatures/climate are you camping in?

 

I tried several small single hose units in my 07 exl, indeed the issue was keeping it powered, as well as the space taken up. Ultimately I found that a pair of 12" air circulators in back, and a vornado "transom" window fan/blower in the moonroof that directs fresh cool air into the back was more practical. All three fans on high consume about 105 watts. I collected portable AC units I found at goodwill and other thrift stores, ultimately I7 ended up with a half dozen of them, and still have them all. Theyre not all created equal, some seem to blow colder than others. None burn less than 650 watts. I tried converting many of them to dual hose operation for efficiency, which caused them to short cycle as they wereng getting enough cooling air on the coils.The only way this was practical was when running a portable genny (2500 watt champion).

 

you need to be able to use shore power on these, they will never work off grid - there are no batteries or solar that will run AC for any length of time

 

I have 560ah of lifepo4 (2x 280ah 12v)together theyre good for at least 4-5 hours on a small portable, the problem is it takes a very long time and a lot of effort to recharge them. With a gas generator hooked up to a 75 amp power supply (which actually is good for about 60amps without overheating)I would have to run that all night to bring the batteries back to full power. And have to **** with it a lot keeping the voltage and current adjusted optimally. (Its a power supply not a charger)
A huge problem there was finding places where I could run the genny without pissing people off. Even "quiet" inverter generators make quite a racket when theyre at about 50% load. I was working on a hush box for that but it just wasnt worth the time.

 

Think only practical at a campsite with plug in power. BTW, I am referring to an Inverter A/C witch is always on unless you unplug it and it runs quiet and efficient, no start up and cut off surges. If you are in a low humidity site, battery could run an evaporative cooler.

 

Sounds like a solar generator setup is next...

 

Album with 14 images of mounted panels. The van is filthy but I think youll get the idea.




Id like it if the front were lower but the way the bracket mounts it couldnt be flipped. And the crowned roof shape means it cant hug the roof as it did on my 3rd gen. From behind its very low profile.

I drove around with it secured with safety wire for two years, was happy to finally finish the brackets. If Id had a garage where I could work on it next to my tools and machines it would look a lot slicker. I cant even pop my hood in my condo parking lot. So I had to make parts, drive to a nearby city park, make sure the park ranger wasnt there, test fit the part, go home and measure again, etc.

 

Thanks for your photos! That's really something I have been thinking and you did it even that's a lot of work! I am living in an apartment and every time when I do oil change I have to be very careful.

From the photo, it seems the panel can not be longer, or it will be too high from the roof. How long is your two panels combined ?

 

Thats my favorite thrift store BTW, their clothes suck but in the last 6 weeks I scored a harbor freight drill press for $26 and a ryobi band saw on a stand with wheels for $22. A pair of $280 definitive technologies bookshelf speakers for $8. Go a lot and look at everything!

 

Album with pictures of deck over 3rd row well. Its out while Im painting it, will upload more pics when its in and painted. Edit: just added 6 more pictures of the top of the deck and the lifepo4 batteries that go under it. Clicking on the top photo takes you to the album. Im going to add images of a window bezel I made for my 3rd gen to have intake and exhaust for the portable AC I used in it for awhile (to stay on topic)
This is another issue if youre contemplating AC in your ody. It and its hoses take up space and you need a fuss free way of venting the thing that still retains the ability of the odys factory AC to cool the vehicle when driving. I made a bezel out if plywood that allowed the window to close and seal as good as the glass did, all I had to do was remove a cover to run the AC.
(Again, my experience was that the AC was too power hungry and took up too much space. I ditched it in favor of a window fan/blower in the moonroof to pull cool air in, and 2 fans in the back to blow it around. 105 watts on high for all 3)

 

Album now includes other pics related to thread topic. Click on image.