# Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?



## raodie97 (Oct 8, 2008)

I just bought a 97 roadtrek and have a big concern. I am planning to be in it a lot and the air conditioning is apparently only setup to run off the generators power. I was wondering if theres a way to run it off the marine batteries or even add a solar panel system. Will that support it for 12+ hours at a time? If theres no way to do it, how hard is it to install a home style portable a/c unit in a roadtrek and will that drain the battery fast?


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## mauser98 (Oct 8, 2008)

RE: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

you will need a 12v dc ac, and even then it will drain the batts  fast. so plan on eather  gen or tie in  to a rv power at park   .


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## C Nash (Oct 8, 2008)

Re: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

You will have to run the ac from the generator or shore power. No need even thinking about runing off batteries IMO.  A house ac will be the same.


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## TexasClodhopper (Oct 8, 2008)

Re: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

Batteries or solar are out!


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## Kirk (Oct 8, 2008)

Re: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

A room air conditioner large enough to cool your RV will require about the same amount of power to operate as will the roof unit that you have now. I have never heard of any air conditioner that will operate from 12V-dc power. Even though the dash air conditioner does operate while traveling, it does so because the engine that pulls the RV also turns the compressor of the air conditioner. 

To operate even a very small air conditioner will require at least 8A of 120V-ac power to work and that means at least 85A of 12V-dc power to the inverter large enough to supply it.  To supply that much current you would need a bank of 8 or so batteries to last through the night if you operate nothing else from them. In the real world, it would be more likely to require more than that. 

As far as solar, even the largest of RVs are not nearly large enough to support  enough solar cells to operate the smallest of air conditioners, and you would need enough to also charge the batteries while the sun is up in order for them to last through the night. Air conditioners must have a source of power either from a generator set or from a power pedestal in an RV park.


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## raodie97 (Oct 9, 2008)

Re: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

Ok good to know. So if I am at an RV park I can plug that power cord in and the a/c will operate on that right? Still an RV park virgin. Anyone know about how many gallons/hour the roadtrek onan generators burn to run an ac unit? Like is it worth leaving the ac on all night or is it expensive enough for me to sweat a little instead


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## Towman1 (Oct 10, 2008)

Re: Air conditioning question in 97 roadtrek, does it have to run on the generator?

My understanding is that in general a gen set uses between 1/4 to 1 gallon per hour depending on load i.e AC lights TV etc.


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