Brother thanks for the shoutout. Definitely not necessary but I appreciate it and I’m glad others have found my random ideas useful. Safe travels and best wishes 👌
I love the setup! When I was a kid we used to take camping trips down to the Florida keys. Of course we didn’t have 2 nickels to rub together so my dad took a Ford E350 van that was probably a church bus before we bought it. Anyways he made a bracket that screwed to one of the back doors & we were able to pop out one of the windows & boom instant hotel. Our family of 4 slept in that van many many weekends over a period of 3-4 seasons. Best years of my life. What times we had!!!
As for those tailgate gaps; get a black pool noodle, cut it lengthwise and you can make custom seals to match the irregular dimensions of the gaps, and they’re reusable.
I’ve watched several of your camper shell vids and this is the best one I’ve seen, for me at least. I’ll be living out of my truck over summer when we’re at our home unit, and I’m buying a 5000 BTU window unit to keep me cool at night. Those Mississippi summer nights can be brutal. This is genius. I was planning on building out an entire back enclosure for the AC and leaving the window up and getting a little camper shell tent, tent but I love how much simpler this is. This and the angled bed platform KayakUSA1 did are the best videos I’ve seen.
Very cool. Looks like it will work out well. I feel like it is not really possible to eliminate absolutely all of the gaps and make it air tight but it will still work perfectly. I know you and I knew how you were going to do it and make it look like it is actually part of the truck. Great work!
Hello and greetings from Georgia, USA. What an amazing build! Thank you very much for sharing this. Hopefully, I can construct something similar to this for my 2006 Dodge RAM. As you mentioned, the heat is already on! I’m in my mid-40’s and will tough it out from time to time, but it seems that the heat has certainly made those trips few and far between lately. That being said, this modification gives us the opportunity to get plenty of good rest, so we can enjoy any other outdoor activities to the fullest! Also, that’s really cool that you mentioned the other content creator’s who helped inspire your build. Take care Brian, - Chris from Georgia🇺🇸 (New subscriber here)👍🏻
One thing, I like about your channel is that you finish things out like they were supposed to be there initially, with the carpeting and painting the wood black and adding your logo it really looks nice. The only problem I hate with this setup is having to crawl over the partition. I’m really surprised nobody makes like a 1 or 2k btu window unit that would fit into the sliding window space and somehow vent between cab and bed. Or maybe like a cap manufacturer that would have a dividing rear glass. Half aluminum half glass to accommodate a smaller a/c unit in the aluminum section cut to fit the unit by the customer. Idk just brain storming. The person who does invent something like that will be a rich person.
@@messagesystem333 I think if anybody will come up with something like that it will be ecoflow, they already have the wave and from what I’ve seen the wave 2 is smaller
If you get to camp with no shade to park in, consider putting a tarp over the truck or at least the part being AC'd, be sure to leave a gap and not resting the tarp on the truck. This will eliminate the direct sun and greatly reduce the work the AC has to do to keep it cool.
Really nice design Brian. You are right camping is a great way to relax from the city day to day grind during the week. You really need AC during the hot humid nights to sleep I can deal with the heat during the day but need to sleep in cool air at night. Love the tail gate board looks original to the truck, nice job enjoy the summer with this. Ottawa Ontario Canada.
@@BrianWatersOutdoors I got a buddy an Electrician that works for Nagel sign company, you know those big advertising billboards on the side of the interstate? I guess he went out there on a service-call to see why the electric bill was so high. You guessed it, a homeless guy had set up a comoflauge tent & was stealing electricity off the meter plug getting free electricity for his K-Mart air conditioner just like yours. He laughed about it & just told the guy not to do it anymore. He took the service plug out & put a blank cover over it.
That's an awesome setup, I have a bed platform in the back of my Tacoma and been thinking of something like that, I seen the same video link you shared and that got me thinking I need to get it done now. I live in Indiana and it gets hot here and humid but not like it does down where you are at but all the same it gets hot in the back of those trucks and mine is all black to so that doesn't help, lol. Good luck with your new setup, I love it, awesome work on your build.
Another good video Brian. I would have never thought about something like that but it works. I always wonder what your neighbors think about you when you are filming but I can imagine they are used to it now.
Nice job Brian. Definitely streamlines your ac set-up when you get to your camping spot. Looks like at least 1-2 banquets of saved time per trip! Cheers my friend
I guess the next step will be rain-proofing this setup. A couple of shop rags or if you can get ahold of some of that basic gray package insulation (the kind made out of recycled rags, safe to handle with bare hands), those would be good for filling the side gaps. Neat looking build.
you did a great job on that instalation, i have been thinking about doing something like that but really didnt know how to began it gets hot down here in Alabama too. # brianwatersoutdoors #truckcamping #camping
If that’s all you have then kudos to you for creating it. I abandoned trucks years ago and started running vans. Right now I’m running a 2019 Ford Transit 350 HD w/the ecoboost. I’ll never go back to trucks.
Nice build, man. I’d like to share a tip with you if you’re interested. I did a similar build, but added a hinged door to pass through. Here’s the tip. Build a “box” or a “sleeve” to slide over the back of AC unit when it isn’t being used. I used 3/8” luan to build sleeve. It will protect your cooling fins on the back. Use a bungee or some other way to keep sleeve from falling off. Cheers!
You can’t beat window units, best cooling out there hands down, challenge is finding the lowest size and btu you can, 5000 btu seems to be the smallest. Always wondered why they didn’t make 3000 btu size units which would be even more ideal for small spaces. Btw did you see Shark Tank this week, Lavabox was on there and all the investors were interested. Seems to have great sales, I made my own for about $80, using harbor freight ammo can and sweating copper pipe. love those small form factor fire pits.
Its a great idea. I think Id insulate the windows and maybe even another layer on the roof. Use the klix together floor mats from Harbor Freight on the floor... the more you insulate the easier the ac unit can keep the temps down. Depending on where you are camping a large causality blanket/tarp with the reflective side towards the sun can also help
@@BrianWatersOutdoors Hi Brian..great video..but where does the water goes??..from your A/C?.and you mentioned you had a "Zero brezze"?..so it didn't keep you kool at night to get a decent sleep?..just curious on the information you can share before I make any money decisions..thank you sir for your time..much appreciated 🙏
@@BrianWatersOutdoorsI would get some duct bubble wrap insulation and Velcro it to the windows will help drop the need to cool a lot. And be a privacy screen too. My question is what do you do about it draining? Does it come into the cab?
If any of you are deer hunters save a few hides and sew them together so you can throw it over your camper shell and you will have easily removable insulation, I've never tested it with AC because I've never had AC in my shell but works great for heating so I bet it would work for AC to
He doesn't have to do all of that because he's NOT living in it. It's just for getaway comfort when he's out with his buddies with the beer cooler next to it & nothing more but a temporary 24 hour thing. It's like asking yourself if you need a 10'x10' piece of plush carpet for a tent. Me & I've done it before by putting the ac unit on a milk crate then a painter's drop cloth draped over the back. Petty.
Nice work. I built something similar a few years ago for the 10-14 nights we need it here in WI. Kudos to you that live in that environment. I’d never last.
@@BrianWatersOutdoors That is an awesome build. Can you drive down the road with it already in place? Im guessing not since the vibrations would be bad for a temp setup.
Very good job. I am impressed. I thought you had 4 A,C unit that set in the back seat and came through the window. Thank you for sharing. Jake McClellan The Oregon Boy 👦
Some great hillbilly inginuity! And as we edge toward the home foreclosure epidemic, a lot of folks living out of their trucks will need this rig! lol.
Thanks to Dakota and Brian Waters, I just completed my air conditioner install! Can't wait till June to camp with Brian and put the a/c units to the test at the lake!
I did something like this and installed 2 air conditioning units. When one of them is taking a break,,,the other is starting up and pumping out cool air. A con when dealing with window units. Both air-conditioning units are running off from 6000 watt hours of batteries stacked up in the back. Also put two 400watt solar panels draped across the top of camper shelI and truck roof. also used pool noodles sliced down the middle to slide on the window and the plywood to create the barrier this guy made. Works incredibly well
It is probable youve already considered it, but fixing solar panels on the roof will provide off grid power and also block a lot of the heat from the sun that causes it to heat up in there to begin with.
I like the setup with one exception. I think I'd set it up with a split "false tailgate". The window shaker in one section and make the other section easy to move to get in and out. Maybe have the A/C side braced to the siderail for sturdiness and hinge the moving side off the A/C side. Just a thought.
I just got my ARE cap installed yesterday and will be working on this AC project this week when the rain stops tonight. I'm thinking of adding a vent fan [I have one extra from another project that I decided against]. The fan will be great on those nights when just a little air flow is all I need. I'll make the AC hole so that I can close it up with a piece of plywood when I don't need AC and will just store the AC unit inside the truck bed [8 foot bed] or on the campsite picnic table. I'm looking for ideas on a double bed setup since there will be 2 of us camping - hoping to make a long trip out West from NM/AZ up to Montana.
I'm on the Texas Gulf Coast, I think about this come hurricane season every year. Would be cool for evacuation. I could just plug in where I end up. Looking forward to see how it works for you.
Very cool setup! Is there anyway you could make the right side in front of your bed into some type of door where you could still have access to he pull out drawer and easier access to get in and out without climbing over he tailgate? It may not be stable enough though if you cut it in half. Just a thought, but either way the tailgate looks great and looks like it will keep you cool on those hot days!
I thought about it, but you’re right. I think it would make it less stable. But this is really just a test. When I get it out there and start using it I’ll probably find areas to improve on.
You could, but would t last very long. Even on the large 2000 watt hour stations. You could maybe squeeze out 3-4 hours. Could potentially run it longer during the day if you add solar panels
I want to do this in a hatchback. I also need to build it out about a foot because I'm 6'3". Plywood/styrofoam walls need to be able to take apart and store on roof top or back carrier basket. I'm looking at heat pumps as they also provide heat
You might already do something like this but when I was a kid my parents got an inflatable boot that sealed the space between the sliding windows and hooked a plastic dryer hose to an a/c vent and ran it through the windows. That and a 12 volt fan kept us kids cool. Maybe you could use that on the drive to give the window unit a head start.
My grandfather put an RV a/c on top of his camper shell when I was a kid, I've been thinking about trying it with a newer style lower profile more efficient unit.
Nice work! 👍 One issue I think you may have is that rear support. Window A/C units are supposed to tilt away from the interior so that the moisture can drain, if keep it lvl you may end up with water inside campershell. I would suggest using a thinner support AND adding a drain hose or plastic sheet so that your bed rug doesn’t get wet. Just my thoughts
Not so on newer ones made after 2001 because now they go into a 1" drip pan so as to allow the splash of condensate to better cool the unit through both convection & evaporation. Hence the slinger ring on the evaporator fan making the swish noise. Lastly I'd imagine he'd just park slightly up hill because the unit only needs a 1/4" slope. Petty.
Another great idea! I wouldn't even bother plugging those gaps, unless you just want to, but I would put reflectics in your windows. Well, you usually just overnight, so it shouldn't be much of a problem, but if you did multiple days reflectics would save your bacon. You usually arrive at camp as the day starts cooling off (if ever), so set it up first thing, and take it down last thing. As my grandpa used to say," you are a fart smeller, I mean a smart feller". Lol
@@BrianWatersOutdoors sorry, I had a senior moment, totally forgot about skeeters. I may need a check up, I'm from Alabama and have been being eaten on the past two months by skeeters. Carry on, you obviously know what you're doing. BTW, I think your Texas wind escaped, come get it before my trash can relocates to Tennessee. Lol
Very impressive! You will be very comfortable in your truck bed during hot Texas summers. My thought is that you will spend most of your time inside your truck while out camping...
Neat setup! Like a few other commenters, I'm wondering about the condensation issue. Are you going to put in a tray to protect your bed liner from mold?
So, I’m not worried about mold because the BedRug is not carpet, it’s plastic fibers. But this ac unit, and most newer ones do not even have drain holes in the bottom. They reuse the water that gets condensed and have a “spinner ring” on the fan that picks up the water and throws it on the condenser to keep the unit cool. 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
Good on you thanks,the AC compressor will freeze up and be less effective set on max cold , crack it down to about 7o percent cooling just for a test ,I'd get some foil n foam insulation thin stuff n make inside window coverings,I've got similar on my boat it makes a huge difference , because U lose the green house effect off glass ,neat install though good effort thankyou
One idea I had when I saw this was just to build a; box/shroud/mount, that houses that AC and lines it up with the window of your choice. It would take up room inside, but it could just stay in there and all you have to do to use it would be open a window plug it in and turn it on. You could make underneath of it a storage cabinet.
I wonder if you could use some Star Board, it's a marine grade plastic sheeting, really heavy duty and you can get it in all sorts of thickness'. It can be lighter than wood depending on the thickness you get. Another thing you might consider is nano-ceramic/charcoal window tint. It blocks something like 95% of the infrared light that is the cause of why car interiors get hot. Normal window tint adds some shade, but the infrared light still gets through with no problem. Since it looks like your windows are tinted already, you can get a zero tint cover (they make it for windshields so they can stay clear).
I couldn't tell to look at your camper shell interior... Did you insulate the ceiling? Or the sides (interior of shell & truck bed sidewall)? That would be a good bit of work, but I would think that that would make a huge difference to help maintain temperature difference between inside and outside, without your A/C running as much. Would save hugely on energy (if you're running it off a solar generator or battery, when shore-power isn't readily or at all available). Great idea with the false tailgate. Informative video.
Awesome job bro! I love home made crap like that! But can you plz paint those braces black as well...? My OCD was kickin with them not matching in color!
Find a used tailgate in the junkyard and install the A/C in the used tailgate. Add and remove when needed.
Now that’s a good idea
👍🏻👍🏻
👍🏻
Seriously yea, great idea. Seems obvious once you’ve said it, but I wouldn’t have thought of that. Bravo sir!
I bow down!
Brother thanks for the shoutout. Definitely not necessary but I appreciate it and I’m glad others have found my random ideas useful.
Safe travels and best wishes 👌
Thanks for the inspiration bud👍🏻👍🏻
I love the setup! When I was a kid we used to take camping trips down to the Florida keys. Of course we didn’t have 2 nickels to rub together so my dad took a Ford E350 van that was probably a church bus before we bought it. Anyways he made a bracket that screwed to one of the back doors & we were able to pop out one of the windows & boom instant hotel. Our family of 4 slept in that van many many weekends over a period of 3-4 seasons. Best years of my life. What times we had!!!
Sounds awesome! That’s what memories are all about👍🏻
As for those tailgate gaps; get a black pool noodle, cut it lengthwise and you can make custom seals to match the irregular dimensions of the gaps, and they’re reusable.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Brian, that is one sweet set up. Your gears are always turning and making something that betters your outdoor adventures. Good job!
Thank you sir👍🏻
@@BrianWatersOutdoors also I want to thank you for sharing your ideas with us. Thanks Brian.
Never seen this before. What a smart way to extend the camping season. Thanks for sharing!
👍🏻👍🏻
I built a tiny camper on a 4x 8 trailer. I have the same size ac and it gets very cold in the middle of summer. Nice build! Love it! Enjoy!
Thanks Eric👍🏻
Ha! Love your shows man. Incidentally I was just looking at AC solutions for my own truck. Perfect timing.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I’ve watched several of your camper shell vids and this is the best one I’ve seen, for me at least. I’ll be living out of my truck over summer when we’re at our home unit, and I’m buying a 5000 BTU window unit to keep me cool at night. Those Mississippi summer nights can be brutal. This is genius. I was planning on building out an entire back enclosure for the AC and leaving the window up and getting a little camper shell tent, tent but I love how much simpler this is. This and the angled bed platform KayakUSA1 did are the best videos I’ve seen.
Thanks bud👍🏻
Very cool. Looks like it will work out well. I feel like it is not really possible to eliminate absolutely all of the gaps and make it air tight but it will still work perfectly. I know you and I knew how you were going to do it and make it look like it is actually part of the truck. Great work!
Thanks bud👍🏻
Awesome design Brian! Very clean and functional. Glad you won’t be in an oven this camping season!
Thanks Brandy👍🏻
Fantastic Brian! What a great idea and great execution. Well done.
👍🏻👍🏻 thank you
Good engineering on design. Like the way it fits in and locks in place
Thank you👍🏻
Wow, really clean install! Wish I had your skills! lol thanks for sharing Brian. Cheers from Michigan.
Thanks👍🏻
Hello and greetings from Georgia, USA. What an amazing build! Thank you very much for sharing this. Hopefully, I can construct something similar to this for my 2006 Dodge RAM.
As you mentioned, the heat is already on! I’m in my mid-40’s and will tough it out from time to time, but it seems that the heat has certainly made those trips few and far between lately. That being said, this modification gives us the opportunity to get plenty of good rest, so we can enjoy any other outdoor activities to the fullest! Also, that’s really cool that you mentioned the other content creator’s who helped inspire your build.
Take care Brian,
- Chris from Georgia🇺🇸
(New subscriber here)👍🏻
Thanks👍🏻👍🏻
One thing, I like about your channel is that you finish things out like they were supposed to be there initially, with the carpeting and painting the wood black and adding your logo it really looks nice. The only problem I hate with this setup is having to crawl over the partition. I’m really surprised nobody makes like a 1 or 2k btu window unit that would fit into the sliding window space and somehow vent between cab and bed. Or maybe like a cap manufacturer that would have a dividing rear glass. Half aluminum half glass to accommodate a smaller a/c unit in the aluminum section cut to fit the unit by the customer. Idk just brain storming. The person who does invent something like that will be a rich person.
Thanks Ross👍🏻
Wish Dometic or some other company would make micro roof mounted AC's!
@@messagesystem333 I think if anybody will come up with something like that it will be ecoflow, they already have the wave and from what I’ve seen the wave 2 is smaller
Could likely add a partial door in their to get into the aisle?
If you get to camp with no shade to park in, consider putting a tarp over the truck or at least the part being AC'd, be sure to leave a gap and not resting the tarp on the truck. This will eliminate the direct sun and greatly reduce the work the AC has to do to keep it cool.
Good tip, thanks👍🏻
@BrianWatersOutdoors
The guy on TH-cam channel "5 bites" installed an RV ceiling in his truck camper shell. You should check it out.
Really nice design Brian. You are right camping is a great way to relax from the city day to day grind during the week. You really need AC during the hot humid nights to sleep I can deal with the heat during the day but need to sleep in cool air at night. Love the tail gate board looks original to the truck, nice job enjoy the summer with this. Ottawa Ontario Canada.
Thanks Tom👍🏻
I read a few comments before I wrote this. You like it? I love it. Great work man ! Enjoy using it. I couldn’t camp without an AC either.
Thanks bud👍🏻
Great job Brian it looks like it will work out well for you.
Thanks👍🏻
Awesome Brian. Always great ideas + some fun.
Thanks👍🏻
Dude, I recognized those wood shims right off the bat, you took those Lincoln Logs out of your kids playset toys!
😂
@@BrianWatersOutdoors I got a buddy an Electrician that works for Nagel sign company, you know those big advertising billboards on the side of the interstate? I guess he went out there on a service-call to see why the electric bill was so high. You guessed it, a homeless guy had set up a comoflauge tent & was stealing electricity off the meter plug getting free electricity for his K-Mart air conditioner just like yours. He laughed about it & just told the guy not to do it anymore. He took the service plug out & put a blank cover over it.
Very Nice work Brian, looks like she will work well!!
Thanks👍🏻
Looks awesome. Great idea. Thanks for the video.
Thanks👍🏻
"Double your pleasure, double your fun" with two window units. (...or just one larger window unit). 🌬️🌬️. Super cool.
👍🏻👍🏻
That's an awesome setup, I have a bed platform in the back of my Tacoma and been thinking of something like that, I seen the same video link you shared and that got me thinking I need to get it done now. I live in Indiana and it gets hot here and humid but not like it does down where you are at but all the same it gets hot in the back of those trucks and mine is all black to so that doesn't help, lol. Good luck with your new setup, I love it, awesome work on your build.
Thanks Jerry👍🏻
Nice job Brian now you can extend the camping season in comfort!
Yessir👍🏻👍🏻
Nice Brian!! Yea that’s a lot easier than your old AC setup for sure👍
So much easier👍🏻👍🏻
That’s genius! Now we know what to do to be able to camp this summer!
👍🏻👍🏻
These Texas summers usually stop us from camping too.
Another good video Brian. I would have never thought about something like that but it works. I always wonder what your neighbors think about you when you are filming but I can imagine they are used to it now.
Lol. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m special
Nice job Brian. Definitely streamlines your ac set-up when you get to your camping spot. Looks like at least 1-2 banquets of saved time per trip! Cheers my friend
Exactly👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Clean looking install, looks like it will work great.
Thank you sir👍🏻
Good information. Thanks Brian!
Thank you👍🏻
That setup is awesome! Good video 👍🏻
Thanks👍🏻
Great workmanship !
Thank you
That is WAY cool. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks Guy👍🏻
I guess the next step will be rain-proofing this setup. A couple of shop rags or if you can get ahold of some of that basic gray package insulation (the kind made out of recycled rags, safe to handle with bare hands), those would be good for filling the side gaps. Neat looking build.
👍🏻👍🏻
Well done Brian!
Thank you👍🏻
Very innovative pal. Nice job. I know you happy.
Thanks👍🏻
you did a great job on that instalation, i have been thinking about doing something like that but really didnt know how to began it gets hot down here in Alabama too. # brianwatersoutdoors #truckcamping #camping
Thanks Pete👍🏻
Very neat and clean!! Can't wait to see your summer adventures. #brianwatersoutdoors
Thanks👍🏻
That is absolutely awesome dude!!!
Thanks bud👍🏻👍🏻
This would be perfect for my Powerboost. Very good idea, thank you.
Thanks!
Brian I must admit that you did a great job.
Thank you
Looks good, good eye for details
Thank you👍🏻
Very interesting. Now you just need a small Honda generator and your good for boondocking. Great video!
Thanks👍🏻👍🏻
If that’s all you have then kudos to you for creating it. I abandoned trucks years ago and started running vans. Right now I’m running a 2019 Ford Transit 350 HD w/the ecoboost. I’ll never go back to trucks.
👍🏻👍🏻
Looks good. I need to finish mine. All I've done is make a bed frame. I really like your setup.
Thanks👍🏻
Nice build, man. I’d like to share a tip with you if you’re interested. I did a similar build, but added a hinged door to pass through. Here’s the tip. Build a “box” or a “sleeve” to slide over the back of AC unit when it isn’t being used. I used 3/8” luan to build sleeve. It will protect your cooling fins on the back. Use a bungee or some other way to keep sleeve from falling off. Cheers!
Thanks! I did notice I bent a few of the fins just moving it around. I’m assuming you’re just talking about the box for transport to protect them?
@@BrianWatersOutdoors exactly! Just for transport and storage. 👍
You can’t beat window units, best cooling out there hands down, challenge is finding the lowest size and btu you can, 5000 btu seems to be the smallest. Always wondered why they didn’t make 3000 btu size units which would be even more ideal for small spaces. Btw did you see Shark Tank this week, Lavabox was on there and all the investors were interested. Seems to have great sales, I made my own for about $80, using harbor freight ammo can and sweating copper pipe. love those small form factor fire pits.
I didn’t see that! That’s awesome. I talked to the owner several times and he seemed pretty cool👍🏻
Good deal that's going to help out alot thanks for sharing take care
👍🏻
Its a great idea. I think Id insulate the windows and maybe even another layer on the roof. Use the klix together floor mats from Harbor Freight on the floor... the more you insulate the easier the ac unit can keep the temps down. Depending on where you are camping a large causality blanket/tarp with the reflective side towards the sun can also help
👍🏻👍🏻
@@BrianWatersOutdoors Hi Brian..great video..but where does the water goes??..from your A/C?.and you mentioned you had a "Zero brezze"?..so it didn't keep you kool at night to get a decent sleep?..just curious on the information you can share before I make any money decisions..thank you sir for your time..much appreciated 🙏
@@BrianWatersOutdoorsI would get some duct bubble wrap insulation and Velcro it to the windows will help drop the need to cool a lot. And be a privacy screen too. My question is what do you do about it draining? Does it come into the cab?
If any of you are deer hunters save a few hides and sew them together so you can throw it over your camper shell and you will have easily removable insulation, I've never tested it with AC because I've never had AC in my shell but works great for heating so I bet it would work for AC to
He doesn't have to do all of that because he's NOT living in it. It's just for getaway comfort when he's out with his buddies with the beer cooler next to it & nothing more but a temporary 24 hour thing. It's like asking yourself if you need a 10'x10' piece of plush carpet for a tent. Me & I've done it before by putting the ac unit on a milk crate then a painter's drop cloth draped over the back. Petty.
Great job. Gives me an idea on how to rig something for my tailgate.
Thanks👍🏻
This is simple but awesome set up! I might copy your set up since i have only one truck to use for work and for camping.
👍🏻👍🏻
That was great thanks for all the info.
Thanks👍🏻
Nice job, love this idea.
Thanks👍🏻
Nice work. I built something similar a few years ago for the 10-14 nights we need it here in WI. Kudos to you that live in that environment. I’d never last.
👍🏻👍🏻
Nice job and it looks great!
Thank you Keith👍🏻
Very clever. Thanks for the video. :)
👍🏻👍🏻
Great job. Thanks
Thanks David👍🏻
Nicely done.
Love it
Thanks Ken👍🏻
@@BrianWatersOutdoors That is an awesome build. Can you drive down the road with it already in place?
Im guessing not since the vibrations would be bad for a temp setup.
Very good job. I am impressed. I thought you had 4 A,C unit that set in the back seat and came through the window. Thank you for sharing. Jake McClellan The Oregon Boy 👦
I did last summer Jake. I used a Zero Breeze unit, but it was quite a pain to get setup
Looks great man good job !! 🤙🤙
Thank you Justin👍🏻
Some great hillbilly inginuity! And as we edge toward the home foreclosure epidemic, a lot of folks living out of their trucks will need this rig! lol.
😂👍🏻👍🏻
Really cool brother, nice job
Thanks🍻👍🏻
Great job looks great 👍
Thanks👍🏻
Thanks to Dakota and Brian Waters, I just completed my air conditioner install! Can't wait till June to camp with Brian and put the a/c units to the test at the lake!
👍🏻👍🏻
I did something like this and installed 2 air conditioning units. When one of them is taking a break,,,the other is starting up and pumping out cool air. A con when dealing with window units. Both air-conditioning units are running off from 6000 watt hours of batteries stacked up in the back. Also put two 400watt solar panels draped across the top of camper shelI and truck roof. also used pool noodles sliced down the middle to slide on the window and the plywood to create the barrier this guy made. Works incredibly well
Sounds awesome👍🏻👍🏻
It is probable youve already considered it, but fixing solar panels on the roof will provide off grid power and also block a lot of the heat from the sun that causes it to heat up in there to begin with.
👍🏻👍🏻
I like the setup with one exception. I think I'd set it up with a split "false tailgate". The window shaker in one section and make the other section easy to move to get in and out. Maybe have the A/C side braced to the siderail for sturdiness and hinge the moving side off the A/C side. Just a thought.
👍🏻👍🏻
I just got my ARE cap installed yesterday and will be working on this AC project this week when the rain stops tonight. I'm thinking of adding a vent fan [I have one extra from another project that I decided against]. The fan will be great on those nights when just a little air flow is all I need. I'll make the AC hole so that I can close it up with a piece of plywood when I don't need AC and will just store the AC unit inside the truck bed [8 foot bed] or on the campsite picnic table. I'm looking for ideas on a double bed setup since there will be 2 of us camping - hoping to make a long trip out West from NM/AZ up to Montana.
👍🏻👍🏻
I'm on the Texas Gulf Coast, I think about this come hurricane season every year. Would be cool for evacuation. I could just plug in where I end up. Looking forward to see how it works for you.
👍🏻👍🏻
Nice job, thanks!
Thank you Rod👍🏻
Absolutely love it! One question. If you don’t have shore power, how do power the AC?
I’ve used a small generator and a 300ah battery with a 1000 watt inverter
Adding window covers will help even more
Yeah. I’ll be cutting out some reflectix for sure to keep in here for the windows.
Awesome job.
Thanks Gary
you can also DIY a stove jack for the cold weather and put a small stove for hot tents in there. i would put it right next to the door of bed
👍🏻👍🏻
Very cool setup! Is there anyway you could make the right side in front of your bed into some type of door where you could still have access to he pull out drawer and easier access to get in and out without climbing over he tailgate? It may not be stable enough though if you cut it in half. Just a thought, but either way the tailgate looks great and looks like it will keep you cool on those hot days!
I thought about it, but you’re right. I think it would make it less stable. But this is really just a test. When I get it out there and start using it I’ll probably find areas to improve on.
I'd add a Reflectix roof cover so I could hide under it from the sun! Nice addition!!
👍🏻👍🏻
Great idea.!
Thanks Denise👍🏻
Nice work.
Cut it in half and add hinges in the middle. then you can store it, and open it into place easily from both sides.
👍🏻
Fantastic!! have you thought of using a solar power gen like Jackery?
You could, but would t last very long. Even on the large 2000 watt hour stations. You could maybe squeeze out 3-4 hours. Could potentially run it longer during the day if you add solar panels
I want to do this in a hatchback. I also need to build it out about a foot because I'm 6'3". Plywood/styrofoam walls need to be able to take apart and store on roof top or back carrier basket. I'm looking at heat pumps as they also provide heat
👍🏻👍🏻
You might already do something like this but when I was a kid my parents got an inflatable boot that sealed the space between the sliding windows and hooked a plastic dryer hose to an a/c vent and ran it through the windows. That and a 12 volt fan kept us kids cool. Maybe you could use that on the drive to give the window unit a head start.
I ended up using a bicycle tube👍🏻👍🏻
great setup. my dream is to live in on the road in something like this making videos
👍🏻👍🏻
My grandfather put an RV a/c on top of his camper shell when I was a kid, I've been thinking about trying it with a newer style lower profile more efficient unit.
👍🏻👍🏻
Excellent!
Thank you👍🏻
Nice work! 👍
One issue I think you may have is that rear support.
Window A/C units are supposed to tilt away from the interior so that the moisture can drain, if keep it lvl you may end up with water inside campershell.
I would suggest using a thinner support AND adding a drain hose or plastic sheet so that your bed rug doesn’t get wet.
Just my thoughts
👍🏻👍🏻
Yes enough tilt to drain condensate out. . Is that a 5000 ? That is all you need I need one for my very small Toyota motor home
I had the same thought. However, I believe many of the newer units are actually using retained condensate for additional cooling to gain efficiency.
Not so on newer ones made after 2001 because now they go into a 1" drip pan so as to allow the splash of condensate to better cool the unit through both convection & evaporation. Hence the slinger ring on the evaporator fan making the swish noise. Lastly I'd imagine he'd just park slightly up hill because the unit only needs a 1/4" slope. Petty.
Another great idea! I wouldn't even bother plugging those gaps, unless you just want to, but I would put reflectics in your windows. Well, you usually just overnight, so it shouldn't be much of a problem, but if you did multiple days reflectics would save your bacon. You usually arrive at camp as the day starts cooling off (if ever), so set it up first thing, and take it down last thing.
As my grandpa used to say," you are a fart smeller, I mean a smart feller". Lol
Only reason I’m going to work on the gaps is to try and stop easy access to my skin with these devilish Texas skeeters
@@BrianWatersOutdoors sorry, I had a senior moment, totally forgot about skeeters. I may need a check up, I'm from Alabama and have been being eaten on the past two months by skeeters. Carry on, you obviously know what you're doing.
BTW, I think your Texas wind escaped, come get it before my trash can relocates to Tennessee. Lol
Very impressive! You will be very comfortable in your truck bed during hot Texas summers. My thought is that you will spend most of your time inside your truck while out camping...
It might be a good escape after out there slaying the fish😉👍🏻
Sweet idea!
👍🏻👍🏻
Neat setup! Like a few other commenters, I'm wondering about the condensation issue. Are you going to put in a tray to protect your bed liner from mold?
So, I’m not worried about mold because the BedRug is not carpet, it’s plastic fibers. But this ac unit, and most newer ones do not even have drain holes in the bottom. They reuse the water that gets condensed and have a “spinner ring” on the fan that picks up the water and throws it on the condenser to keep the unit cool. 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
@@BrianWatersOutdoors yeah what little will go out there will evaporate and if it ever became a problem a man could engineer something.
Good on you thanks,the AC compressor will freeze up and be less effective set on max cold , crack it down to about 7o percent cooling just for a test ,I'd get some foil n foam insulation thin stuff n make inside window coverings,I've got similar on my boat it makes a huge difference , because U lose the green house effect off glass ,neat install though good effort thankyou
Thanks for the tip👍🏻👍🏻
One idea I had when I saw this was just to build a; box/shroud/mount, that houses that AC and lines it up with the window of your choice. It would take up room inside, but it could just stay in there and all you have to do to use it would be open a window plug it in and turn it on. You could make underneath of it a storage cabinet.
thanks
A pop up canopy or umbrella (or park in the shade), and you’ll drop it another 5 to 10 degrees.
👍🏻👍🏻
I wonder if you could use some Star Board, it's a marine grade plastic sheeting, really heavy duty and you can get it in all sorts of thickness'. It can be lighter than wood depending on the thickness you get.
Another thing you might consider is nano-ceramic/charcoal window tint. It blocks something like 95% of the infrared light that is the cause of why car interiors get hot. Normal window tint adds some shade, but the infrared light still gets through with no problem. Since it looks like your windows are tinted already, you can get a zero tint cover (they make it for windshields so they can stay clear).
👍🏻👍🏻
Good job, engineering 😎👍
👍🏻
I couldn't tell to look at your camper shell interior... Did you insulate the ceiling? Or the sides (interior of shell & truck bed sidewall)? That would be a good bit of work, but I would think that that would make a huge difference to help maintain temperature difference between inside and outside, without your A/C running as much. Would save hugely on energy (if you're running it off a solar generator or battery, when shore-power isn't readily or at all available).
Great idea with the false tailgate. Informative video.
It’s not insulated, just carpeted
Awesome job bro! I love home made crap like that! But can you plz paint those braces black as well...? My OCD was kickin with them not matching in color!
lol👍🏻👍🏻
I would look at putting a tarp with a solar backing over top the cab to help keep Temps down.
👍🏻👍🏻