I have a wave 3 that has 6800 btu of cooling. And while it can cool my van in direct sun with high 90s day. It has to use max mode to keep it comfortable. I cant imagine this would make a dent in anything over 80.
Thank you for the honest reply! I mailed ours back today--we need ones for our doggies in the van and no way was that cutting it. We had bought a 12V rooftop AC unit but I was hesitant to have to completely rehaul our van to install it and get a proper battery bank (We power everything off of our Goal Zero right now), but looks like we are going to go that way now. Will be a big van project for this year! Thanks again!!
Only use a two hose air con with the hoses properly insulated and exhausted. I'd strongly recommend the EcoFlow Wave 3 if you want to go with a portable option but for a cheap option an RV air con installed in the roof is the way to go, I would recommend at least 8K BTU and an extraction fan. If you're staying in Las Vegas neither of those will be sufficient, you'd need 'real' air con, which is undermounted and very expensive. Source: used to use the Wave 2 now have an 11K BTU undermounted system
Budget?
I'm generally not a fan of installing window ACs on vans; the lack of vertical support always seemed sketchy to me, and van bodies lack the space to install a proper support bracket like on a house. However if you are 100% sure that you will be parked and not moving the van at all for 4 months, maybe you can build a bracket to support it on the ground. Make sure to get an inverter unit, otherwise the constant bang-bang-bang-bang of it turning on and off will keep you awake at night.
Alternatively, get one of Midea's hose-in-hose portable units, preferably the smaller 10,000 BTU/hr one. Use the hose outline to make a cardboard template, then cut an adapter template out of plywood and install it in a window. There might be someone on Etsy who sells one already.
The most vanlife friendly (and most expensive) option would be to buy an EcoFlow Wave 3. Sure it's only 6100 BTU/hr, but it does have an inverter, can be mounted outside, and there are plenty of hose adapters available for van windows.
I tested it, and it's only really good for a specific set of people, like folks who want an easy, all-in-one off-grid heating/cooling solution and can afford it. Feel free to check out my serious, no-BS review if you want more details: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0SSbIZn45s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0SSbIZn45s)
I got mine a few weeks ago and I am struggling to see its worth, and very much contemplating returning it. It is set in a 2500 Sprinter Van, and I've got the vents connected, and it runs of the EcoFlow 5kw battery via the power hub, all that is fine. It just doesn't cool anything. I am testing it as we speak, it's been 1h, and the temperature inside the van is HOTTER than the temp outside (81F in the van, while it's about 70F outside). Wave 3 exhaust pipe is SO hot, I think it's solely responsible for heating up the space around it more than it's cooling it off. I am worried that if I take it anywhere actually hot, it won't do a thing. Maybe EcoFlow support can chime in?
Glad I could help. EcoFlow makes it nearly impossible to find this on their own website, but this what I use in the van.
[https://us.ecoflow.com/products/power-kits-5kva-48v-power-system](https://us.ecoflow.com/products/power-kits-5kva-48v-power-system)
We started with a 5kw battery, and while we used for 2-3 years, I thought it was not enough. I wanted second battery, just didn't want to spend the money, and didn't have enough space inside. However, once I connected the Alternator Charger cable, it is plenty of charge for us now.
For reference, I have solar panels on the roof, doing about 200 watts per hour while we don't move.
Alternator adds about 500 watts per hour while driving.
You can crank up the current through the alternator to do about 800 watts, but I don't need it atm.
We have a Starlink that consumes maybe 100-150 watts in peak performance, and a power hungry fridge that does another 50 to 200, depending on how hot it is.
Between solar and driving our battery stays charged almost always. The only downside is cold nights; I have a diesel heater, but I prefer a quiet electric oil heater. Those can drain the battery 50% overnight easily. That's when I either drive around to recharger, or find a plugin site.
All this to say that if you get only one 5kw battery, you will probably have enough, as long as you plan accordingly, and definitely use the alternator cord. The cord, by the way, connects to your van's 12V battery, and NOT to the alternator. The power kit then regulates current to make sure it all works together.
Okay, hope that helps.
p.s. I forgot to mention the obvious. Now that I am running a household AC in the van, it pulls a lot. 1kw at peak times, and then slows down. I also use it for the dog, when we leave her in the van. While it does drain the battery, the compromise seems fine to me. When I need the AC the most, the van stays in the sun, pulling solar, so at least part of the AC demand gets cancelled by the incoming charge.
Constant_Spite_1476
