I've read that mini split systems work really well . Like any A/C it requires power.
Portable A/C unit
- Thread starter highboy4x4
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Influencer II
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- Mike
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I went down the Eco Wave 3 rabbit hole a few years ago and came out lighter in the wallet and heavier in opinions. This thing is wildly expensive. My logic at the time was simple and probably flawed. If it actually did what it claimed to do, heat and air conditioning in one unit running on power instead of propane or diesel, then maybe it was not completely insane.
Here is the good news. The air conditioning works. It works extremely well. During an unholy Phoenix summer when my home unit died and the repair took two long miserable days, this little beast sat next to my bed like a loyal mechanical dog and kept me alive. I am only half joking. It earned its keep right there.
Now for the bad news. I took it on the CDT trip and immediately became grateful for proper sleeping bags and real gear. The heater was a disaster. Random at best. It felt less like a dependable system and more like a suggestion. Enough so that I would never take it out again, let alone trust it to live up to the hype when it actually mattered.
I have camped in ninety degree humidity and arid Texas wasteland and discovered that a simple USB powered fan provides enough breeze to survive, provided you also drink water like a camel with anxiety. Because of that, air conditioning is not a priority for me.
Cold is another story. I have camped in ten degree snow in the Sierras, and while my negative twenty sleeping bag and three layers of clothing kept me alive, a heater would have been very welcome. Survival is one thing. Comfort is another.
Good luck on your search. Choose wisely.
Here is the good news. The air conditioning works. It works extremely well. During an unholy Phoenix summer when my home unit died and the repair took two long miserable days, this little beast sat next to my bed like a loyal mechanical dog and kept me alive. I am only half joking. It earned its keep right there.
Now for the bad news. I took it on the CDT trip and immediately became grateful for proper sleeping bags and real gear. The heater was a disaster. Random at best. It felt less like a dependable system and more like a suggestion. Enough so that I would never take it out again, let alone trust it to live up to the hype when it actually mattered.
I have camped in ninety degree humidity and arid Texas wasteland and discovered that a simple USB powered fan provides enough breeze to survive, provided you also drink water like a camel with anxiety. Because of that, air conditioning is not a priority for me.
Cold is another story. I have camped in ten degree snow in the Sierras, and while my negative twenty sleeping bag and three layers of clothing kept me alive, a heater would have been very welcome. Survival is one thing. Comfort is another.
Good luck on your search. Choose wisely.
Member III
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While googling best portable Air Conditioners for camping I found this at Home Depot, the few reviews it has are good! Might have to give it a try!
Educator I
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Educator I
- 10,890
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- Bro
- Member #
12989
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- USAF DAV
What? I NEED IT! LOL Better man than me, even if I have not used my new a/c unit camping YET.
Jim
Antique Overlander
Rank III
Off-Road Ranger I
Advocate II
I hope you all get a portable tent unit that actually works. I am reminded about the “delta” temp difference when thinking about AC efficiency. In the RV world, we use 20* delta from outside ambient temp. If it’s 90* outside, the RV 15k btu AC will reasonably get to 70* at the vent, not 10 feet from the vent either.
I think that my gaze is still turned towards a fixed unit on my truck cap. Power consumption is still an unknown variable at this moment.
I think that my gaze is still turned towards a fixed unit on my truck cap. Power consumption is still an unknown variable at this moment.
Advocate II
Antique Overlander
Rank III
Off-Road Ranger I
I camped for a week in Kentucky during a heat wave. It was during the Scrambler Owners Association National event. Attached is an IG reel I made. Anyway I covered my tent with tarps to keep the Sun off me. No shade. There was electricity, though, and I brought our household AC unit. It saved me big time. I think I was suffering from heat exhaustion tbh. That actually cost me the carnage award as I was nauseous and in pain from tipping my CJ8 over on its side. I know, ironic 
But the AC did its job. I'm currently shopping for AC for my Jeep as now I sleep in it with the full soft top on. Until then I'm going to experiment with a generator/100ah lithium deep cell/solar/inverter setups on a small gear trailer I'm making.
You may wonder why that cost me the carnage award. I wasn't present as I was in pain, ill etc & wasn't present. No one even asked why but were quick to point out I lost out on the Karnage welder. They gave it to someone that busted a hub I heard; an SOA Officer no less..
LMK if the reels don't load for you, even though it says broken link it worked for me
Once things start coming together I'll start a thread with field tests
But the AC did its job. I'm currently shopping for AC for my Jeep as now I sleep in it with the full soft top on. Until then I'm going to experiment with a generator/100ah lithium deep cell/solar/inverter setups on a small gear trailer I'm making.You may wonder why that cost me the carnage award. I wasn't present as I was in pain, ill etc & wasn't present. No one even asked why but were quick to point out I lost out on the Karnage welder. They gave it to someone that busted a hub I heard; an SOA Officer no less..
LMK if the reels don't load for you, even though it says broken link it worked for me
Once things start coming together I'll start a thread with field tests
Last edited:
Enthusiast III
thanks to all of you that provided great information and insight to these units. i was actually looking at the bougerv unit, but my gut was telling me that they would probably not live up to the mental expectations. this helps fill in the questions and doubts i had, so its saving me a good amount of money. i think i'm just going to figure out a better fan setup.
we've been hitting triple digit heat down here in the swamps...
went out to the camp trailer midday and it was 115 degrees inside sitting in the driveway. as mentioned earlier, an a/c unit cooling 20 degrees below ambient is considered good. at 115 degrees, "good" would get me down to 95 degrees. pretty hard to sleep in that.
I have a domestic 13,000 BTU roof mount unit I'm just going to install and run it off a generator whenever we camp in hot weather.
fans work better out west...where I'm at, the humidity is so high even a fan doesn't help cool and it just makes you feel like you're in a convection oven.
NASA said they ran a small battery a/c unit in the spacesuits when they were on the moon. in direct sun, they said it was 250 degrees and the small a/c unit in the suit kept the astronots comfortable. that was nearly 60 yrs ago...where is a good battery a/c unit? wish NASA and Temu would team up on that...
went out to the camp trailer midday and it was 115 degrees inside sitting in the driveway. as mentioned earlier, an a/c unit cooling 20 degrees below ambient is considered good. at 115 degrees, "good" would get me down to 95 degrees. pretty hard to sleep in that.
I have a domestic 13,000 BTU roof mount unit I'm just going to install and run it off a generator whenever we camp in hot weather.
fans work better out west...where I'm at, the humidity is so high even a fan doesn't help cool and it just makes you feel like you're in a convection oven.
NASA said they ran a small battery a/c unit in the spacesuits when they were on the moon. in direct sun, they said it was 250 degrees and the small a/c unit in the suit kept the astronots comfortable. that was nearly 60 yrs ago...where is a good battery a/c unit? wish NASA and Temu would team up on that...
