FREE SHIPPING FOR THE MONTH OF MAY - GET THE GEAR YOU WANT WITH FREE SHIPPING
AllSpark Slimline 24V 100ah High Performance Slim lifepo4 lithium battery
$2,299.00
Need help?
(08) 6205 6868
Date Posted: 0000-00-00 00:00:00
We get asked this question a lot. If you have a generator, sure you can run your air conditioner. But if you're like us and prefer not to have the constant hum in the background, then the answer is...
Yes.
Maybe.
It depends.
Most caravan van air conditioners use 1400-1700w. Starting from a hot van, it will draw 115A - 155A from your batteries and will run pretty much flat out for the first hour before the temp is low enough and it then starts to cycle on and off. After this, it will drop to around 50-70A per hour. But this all depends on the outside temperature.
To run for 6 hours you can expect to use as much as 450ah. Which means you need between 1500 and 1700w of solar to keep up with this in good solar conditions charging LiFePO4 batteries, or more again for AGM (being that lithium batteries are more efficient when charging compared to lead acid batteries). You would also need substantial battery storage.
Keep in mind this is only for running the aircon, so you need more solar and batteries again for the rest of your loads. Fridge, kettle, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, laptops, TV, lights, pumps, fans etc.
As you can see, for most this is simply not feasible for long durations.
However, if you only want to run for say 2 hours a day, just to cool things down before going to sleep, then expect to use 150-200ah and 650-860w of solar to recharge it next day.
If you're like us and can't get to sleep when it is hot, running the aircon on a timer as you fall asleep can ensure you still wake up with the ability to make coffee.
We here at Offroad Living were obviously in a fairly unique situation when we were travelling. We had the very large flat roof space on the truck with 900w of solar and 480w on the van.
You'll also need an inverter to convert the 12V power to 240V.
Our AllSpark 2000w inverter (or AllSpark 2500W Pro Series) will run any caravan air conditioner on the market as long as your batteries can power it and solar can keep up. Not all 2000W inverters can guarantee this, so best to check with the manufacturer before hand.
On top of the batteries, the solar and the inverters, then there is the DCDC chargers. These keep your batteries topped up whilst driving.
You will need one for the van and one for your vehicle at least. We opted for the RedArc Manager 30, paralleled with a RedArc 1250D, running through the RedArc Redvision TVMS for our truck (450W running through each).
In the van we ran an Enerdrive ENCDC40+ for charging whilst driving. A Victron Smartsolar controlled the 480W of solar on the roof.
While it may seem cost prohibitive for most, running an air conditioner off grid can be achievable, it just depends on how long you want to run for, how hot it is inside and outside and how much roof space you have.
If you were like us, travelling full time (especially with kids) park fees to make it through hot days (or even cold, for heating) can add up quickly. Take where we were in South Australia in 2019, we had 5 days above 40C, there was a mass exodus to nearby caravan parks, as people sought out power to plug into.
As always, every situation and set up is unique. If you need a hand working out your set up drop us a line, we can work out a solution to suit your needs.
Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Offroad Living’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.
The term ‘Offroad Living’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Unit 2/29 Prestige Parade, Wangara WA 6065. Our ABN is 61 161 507 106. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.
The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:
This privacy policy sets out how we uses and protects any information that you give us when you use this website. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
What we collect
We may collect the following information:
What we do with the information we gather
We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
Controlling your personal information
You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:
We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen. If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.