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Has anyone used a dedicated 12V AC system?

TTMotorsports

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Lucerne Valley, CA
Has anyone ran a dedicated 12v AC system on any if their rigs before? No motor mounted ac compressor would be nice for many truck applications.

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I have always wondered how good those kits are. I have a weird feeling based on the specs that they don't put out a true 11k BTUs. They are claiming that the compressor draws under 1k watts which would be like 1.5 horsepower. Seems on the light side.

Also don't think most vehicles would cool off enough with 11k BTUs unless you are in a moderate climate with low humidity. I think you would need double to triple that depending on vehicle size and glass.

That means you are in a 5k watt range worth of energy consumption which is like 7 horsepower. So I think those kits are bunk.

Also what do you have for an engine? Compressor mounts are pretty easy these days to get for almost anything.
 
The red dot ones work well, I've ridden in 2 vehicles with them. No idea on the amp draw.
 
Page 11 has the specs for the compressors.

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My work put one in a work truck. Apparently gm still made a optional in an 06 3500:laughing:

The guys say it sucks if it's actually hot out, but if it's just a little too warm it's fine.
 
I will say "but why?"



I figure you'll just about need a second alternator to power it, which messes with whatever packaging issues you're probably having that led you down this path...
 
The 12v models are a joke. That won't get you anything but a few degree drop. The 24v models have some capacity but still fall short. Unless you are in a small cab with a small amount of hear load.
 
YotaAtieToo said:
My work put one in a work truck. Apparently gm still made a optional in an 06 3500:laughing:

The guys say it sucks if it's actually hot out, but if it's just a little too warm it's fine.
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My 08 Dodge doesn't have A/C. Crank windows and rubber floor too.

Doesn't bother me though only thing I own with working A/C is my Bobcat. That's nice as the cab is pretty much an over once the hydraulics warm up a bit. Even in winter I don't use the heater much.

Friend had a Red Dot one on a firewood processor. Was a heater as well.
Ended up pulling it out and putting a 120v RV one, and just running it off an outlet or generator.
 
Yeah sorry no AC is for poor people. I only sweat my nuts off on the lake. Even the pieces of shit I drive all have ice cold AC. I have a back wall AC in my CUCV that will make ice cubes. Life is too short.

So I have two vehicle that sucked to get AC in due to compressor mounting. An 8.1 swapped square body. Only the van accessory mounts work and they are very rare. Managed to score one after looking for months.

The other was my CUCV that was 24v with two alternators. Ended up going 12v and using an A6 mount out of an ambulance. Sanden makes a scroll drop in with the same form factor.

Both work great, I'd highly recommend trying at all costs to package a compressor however possible. If not then maybe cross the bridge with an electric but I don't think a 12v will do what you think it will. I'd opt for a 120v with a small gennie before wasting money on a 12v system that doesn't do much.
 
Skinny said:
Yeah sorry no AC is for poor people. I only sweat my nuts off on the lake. Even the pieces of shit I drive all have ice cold AC. I have a back wall AC in my CUCV that will make ice cubes. Life is too short.

So I have two vehicle that sucked to get AC in due to compressor mounting. An 8.1 swapped square body. Only the van accessory mounts work and they are very rare. Managed to score one after looking for months.

The other was my CUCV that was 24v with two alternators. Ended up going 12v and using an A6 mount out of an ambulance. Sanden makes a scroll drop in with the same form factor.

Both work great, I'd highly recommend trying at all costs to package a compressor however possible. If not then maybe cross the bridge with an electric but I don't think a 12v will do what you think it will. I'd opt for a 120v with a small gennie before wasting money on a 12v system that doesn't do much.
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Not really needed here. Most years it might be in the 70s for a week or two
 
AKnate said:
Not really needed here. Most years it might be in the 70s for a week or two
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IIRC skinny is in NH, so not exactly hot either.

I say as it was in the 90s this week :flipoff2:
 
Bruh it was triple digits the other day 🤣

I still drink hot coffee cuz I'm hardcore...fuck you hippies and your smelly underbits 🤙

Yeah if you are in one of those climates I get it. Also doesn't help that my CUCV is black and the Suburban has more glass then a skyscraper. They are hot boxes regardless of temperature.
 

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Skinny said:
Bruh it was triple digits the other day 🤣

I still drink hot coffee cuz I'm hardcore...fuck you hippies and your smelly underbits 🤙

Yeah if you are in one of those climates I get it. Also doesn't help that my CUCV is black and the Suburban has more glass then a skyscraper. They are hot boxes regardless of temperature.
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Glad it was cooler on the coast :flipoff2:
 
Skinny said:
Bruh it was triple digits the other day 🤣

I still drink hot coffee cuz I'm hardcore...fuck you hippies and your smelly underbits 🤙

Yeah if you are in one of those climates I get it. Also doesn't help that my CUCV is black and the Suburban has more glass then a skyscraper. They are hot boxes regardless of temperature.
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Damn I miss Dunkin coffee. 😕
 
AC is necessary.

Electric AC on a 12VDC system likely won't be effective. Think of the heating from that 100A motor alone (plus the fans, blower, etc) to get 13k BTUs on high...

Then consider that car AC systems noticeably drag down a 2+L engine with 4+hp (3-ish kw) and are often over 24k BTUs... :flipoff2:



Before anyone says "why would you need a 2 ton to cool a car down when that cools a small house?" Think of how fucking hot your car is when you get in it on a hot day. Then add the radiant heat from the explosions less than a foot away. Then add the additional heat from the car's AC system running blowing waste heat AT the cab and the rest of the AC components. Then think of the refrigerant lines running next to exhaust headers and shit. Then think of how much you'd bitch if it took 30 minutes to cool down like your house. Then...

You get the idea. :flipoff2:
 
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Rockwood said:
AC is necessary.

Electric AC on a 12VDC system likely won't be effective. Think of the heating from that 100A motor alone (plus the fans, blower, etc) to get 13k BTUs on high...

Then consider that car AC systems noticeably drag down a 2+L engine with 4+hp (3-ish kw) and are often over 24k BTUs... :flipoff2:



Before anyone says "why would you need a 2 ton to cool a car down when that cools a small house?" Think of how fucking hot your car is when you get in it on a hot day. Then add the radiant heat from the explosions less than a foot away. Then add the additional heat from the car's AC system running blowing waste heat AT the cab and the rest of the AC components. Then think of the refrigerant lines running next to exhaust headers and shit. Then think of how much you'd bitch if it took 30 minutes to cool down like your house. Then...

You get the idea. :flipoff2:
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All of this, but I just looked at it more like, if AC puts down roughly 7hp load, and an alternator at full field pulls down roughly 7hp load, how are you going to convert that to make cold and have enough left for the spark plugs.

Unless you put in a second alternator, but then just put a compressor on there...
 
So most vehicles are going to have a 20,000 BTU system which on a house is like 5 tons. That is roughly 6000 watts of power to make that run.

Sure there are efficiency losses in conversion, system efficiency, etc. but there are only so many ways to skin a cat.

There is no way you are getting 6000 watts of power from a 12v to run an AC compressor.

An alternator isn't pulling 7 horsepower but a compressor would. 1 horse is like 700ish watts so a 100 amps is almost 2 horsepower. Not even close to the compressor.

This is what happens when I get all jacked up on Dunks on a hot day....

Do not underestimate heat load in a car. Zero insulation, shit ton of glass, everything is heat soaked when its been in the sun all day. The only way a 12v AC system will do anything is if you duct it into your underpants.
 
I drive concrete mixers. Older ones(2009+) have AC. It is just enough to give you hope in an uninsulated,one man cab. Point is if the "cool" air could be concentrated like a spot cooler.....
 
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Rockwood said:
Okay, now I think I need to add this system to my Jeep. :flipoff2:
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That's why they give you the little ball vent under the steering wheel. Or you hang your leg out with no doors. Anything to get a good wind swirl on your grundle...

Also forgot to mention that nothing I own has carpet or padding, headliner, and the exhaust is fucked up high with no heat shields. Probably doesn't help either.
 
Ooh baby

Another issue is most small framed alternators are not going to be happy with a 100a continuous load trying to power it.
 
I am interested in one for my elcamino.
a 370 amp alternator is just a click away....
 
Skinny said:
So most vehicles are going to have a 20,000 BTU system which on a house is like 5 tons. That is roughly 6000 watts of power to make that run.

Sure there are efficiency losses in conversion, system efficiency, etc. but there are only so many ways to skin a cat.

There is no way you are getting 6000 watts of power from a 12v to run an AC compressor.

An alternator isn't pulling 7 horsepower but a compressor would. 1 horse is like 700ish watts so a 100 amps is almost 2 horsepower. Not even close to the compressor.

This is what happens when I get all jacked up on Dunks on a hot day....

Do not underestimate heat load in a car. Zero insulation, shit ton of glass, everything is heat soaked when its been in the sun all day. The only way a 12v AC system will do anything is if you duct it into your underpants.
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I don't disagree but isn't this kind of how mini splits work, I mean they are more efficient than conventional compressor units because they can modulate the compressor speed to control the flow vs just banging a 3 hp compressor WFO ON and OFF.
 
Skinny said:
Yeah if you are in one of those climates I get it. Also doesn't help that my CUCV is black
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Can you paint its roof white?

It was easily the best single shit paint job I did to my black XJ. No more intense heat inside the jeep from the sun.

I used white traffic marking paint from Lowes for this. You should try it if you hate painting, don't mind the lack of gloss, require zero prep job (yes, just pour paint on roof and spready right over dirt and rust :eek::smokin:) and dry to touch in like 15 minutes and ready for use in like 30 minutes.
 
TrailTamer said:
Can you paint its roof white?

It was easily the best single shit paint job I did to my black XJ. No more intense heat inside the jeep from the sun.

I used white traffic marking paint from Lowes for this. You should try it if you hate painting, don't mind the lack of gloss, require zero prep job (yes, just pour paint on roof and spready right over dirt and rust :eek::smokin:) and dry to touch in like 15 minutes and ready for use in like 30 minutes.
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Got a picture of this disaster? :flipoff2:
 
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