12/5/2023 0 Comments 12 volt rv air conditionerAnd fans can only do so much when the overnight low is still in the 80s or 90s. Lying in sweat in humid, warm air takes the joy out of camping for many, especially in a van or RV, where breezes cannot penetrate. Summer activities here typically involve being submersed in water or dodging rays in the shade.īut the limiter for extended enjoyment is the ability to sleep at night. Theoretically, 300 total amp-hours of capacity should be able to take care of overnight cooling duties with the RTX2000.īut I’m in Central Texas late summer can deliver incredible heat with crushing humidity. This equates to one lithium-ion 12V/100Ah battery for every 3 hours of use or 2 hours for a standard 12V/100Ah lead-acid battery. Estimates claim that every 5,000 BTUs of energy requires 30 Ah/hour of power for each hour of operation. Power System Vandoit used a Mastervolt 460 amp-hour lithium-ion battery to power the author’s Dometic RTX2000 (photo/Seiji Ishii)ĭometic claims that the RTX2000 draws 19 amps running in “Eco” mode. There are plenty of helpful resources, and as time goes on, more RTX2000 RV and van installation resources will surely arise.ĭometic supplies mounting hardware, a power cable kit, a roof cutout guide, and an internal trim piece with the unit. I suggest any DIY builder peruse the internet on installing air conditioners on Ford Transits, as well as how other DIYers installed the Dometic RTX2000. Once Vandoit addressed the different roof cutout and curvature, it was all systems go. Retrofitting the new 12V unit required a few extra steps.Īlso, the Ford Transit vans have a curved roof, so sealing the cutout against water wasn’t as straightforward as it could be on other vans. The RTX2000 requires a 14.5″ x 15.5″ opening, and Dometic doesn’t include an adapter. My van had a typical 110V unit and had the standard 14″ x 14″ opening. Dometic RTX2000 RV Air Conditioner Fitment (Photo/Dometic)īecause Dometic didn’t initially design the RTX2000 for RVs, the dimensions differ from a typical RV air conditioner. Vandoit successfully engineered solutions to each issue, and the system proved to be … a game-changer (sorry). The unit is also sized differently from typical camper air conditioner units, so retrofitting it into a standard-size roof cutout was also an issue. When the test unit hit the Vandoit floor, my questions were, “Can a reasonably sized lithium-ion system run the RTX2000 overnight, and if so, how effective will it be given the lower BTU rating, and would the total cost be palatable to a campervan customer?” For comparison, many RV rooftop air conditioning units claim a 13,500 BTU rating, but campers must plug them into a 110V outlet - shore power or a generator. Dometic aims at reducing fleet fuel costs by allowing cab cooling without idling, which burns about one gallon of diesel per hour.ĭometic claims the 2,000-watt unit cranks out 6,824 BTUs of cooling energy. The Dometic RTX2000 came from the commercial trucking industry in that world, it’s called a “parking cooler.” Truckers use them to cool the cab when they park overnight. I don’t even look for sites anymore I just drive, confident my kid, dog, friends, and myself will be able to have a restful night’s sleep no matter where we stop. In short, the Dometic RTX2000 12V air conditioning system untethered summer van camping for me. But after working the kinks out, it proved effective and reliable. Since a 12V DC air conditioner and the associated lithium-ion electrical system were in development stages, it wasn’t all smooth sailing initially. I don’t like to use “game-changer,” but that’s what I think the Dometic RTX2000 is for RVing, van life, and overlanding. A Vandoit 460 amp-hour lithium-ion system powered the unit. Over two summers in central Texas, I tested the Dometic RTX2000 RV air conditioner in the harshest conditions. The confluence of these factors lead me to be a test mule for a 12V air conditioning system in my VandoitFord Transit campervan. Both 12V air conditioners and battery systems have matured, however, making it much more comfortable to stay unplugged all summer long.ĭometic released a 12V air conditioner to the RV market in late 2020, and battery technology had drastically improved and become more accessible around the same time. We found the 12V Dometic RTX2000 to be an impressive option.Ī good night’s sleep while “boondocking” in southern states used to mean sweating through summer nights, or using bulky custom 12V battery systems that were iffy and outlandishly expensive. RVers, van lifers, and overlanders have longed for air conditioning without an outlet or generator.
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