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Mystery a/c being tested?


ChrisMI

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Interesting.  Doesn't look like a Houghton.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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https://www.truckcamperadventure.com/tca-now-testing-new-truma-aventa-air-conditioner/ "Significant noise reduction, which has always been an issue with RV air conditioners, has been achieved in the Truma Aventa by using a thick, noise absorbing EPP foamcore, while the compressor is mounted on shock absorbers to avoid vibration."

Be still my heart!

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Stephanie and Dudley from CT.  2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior.

Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4.

Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed

Where we've been RVing since 1999:

ALAZCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWYmed.jpg.b96241bad6752dec89d25af6ffbc8d99.jpg

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Feeling like a jerk for going off topic (on such a well formatted thread) sorry about that @Geronimo John.  Good chance I’ll need the data from this thread if Oliver needs extra time to fully sort out the system. I’m hopeful we’ll find out that 9.5k will be enough to keep a tandem cool. 

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@ChrisMI, I  split your post, and the related ones to a new topic. 

 

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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This is exciting information! I hope they can get this sorted out soon for everyone wanting a different option for the AC.

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Kirk and Carrie Peterson

Twin Falls, Idaho

2018 Ram 3500, with overland conversion: Rooftop tent, water, stove, Battle Born batteries, lockers, onboard air, raised air intake, Warn winch. 

2023 Elite 2, twin beds, delivered December 5, 2022 Truma package, lithium platinum package.
Hull #1305

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16 hours ago, ChrisMI said:

Feeling like a jerk for going off topic (on such a well formatted thread) sorry about that @Geronimo John.  Good chance I’ll need the data from this thread if Oliver needs extra time to fully sort out the system. I’m hopeful we’ll find out that 9.5k will be enough to keep a tandem cool. 

Chris: No apologies needed.  This new topic is on target to where I was headed.  Basically what unit and what size works where (I.E. in what temperature conditions). 

I know that our OEII's are "relatively" very well insulated.  But one must consider that the insulation level of most trailers totally stinks.  So by comparison, the double hull and a bit of double reflective "Space Age" (SIC) insulation seems like a lot.  In reality it is nowhere near that of most residential structures.  (No rocks being tossed here as I am really pleased with the OTT's thermal performance). 

As such, my WAG is that the 9,500 BTU unit could work in many long duration run temperate conditions (I.E. not cool down).  However it's ability to cool down Ollie after a long day's drive in the direct sun of the desert West, in the summer, would likely not be satisfactory to the expectations of owners.  As such, my WAG is that the unit OTT will use will be the 11,000 BTU version.  

So to now pirate your thread (ERRRRRRRR)  🙂.......    OEII owners, what's your thoughts on where OTT will land on the A/C size? 

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TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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Busted.  Per TCA, the Truma smallest is 13,500 BTU's.  Drats............

GJ

 

TCA Now Testing New Truma Aventa Air Conditioner

hallmark-RV.png

5F48C8A0-88BA-4D18-A3A0-7061136F13F9_1_2

Truma North America will soon be supplying the US RV market with premium Truma Aventa rooftop air conditioners. The Truma Aventa will be offered in two models that minimize noise and maximize comfort in a modern, energy-efficient, low-profile design. The Eco model will offer a 13,500 BTU cooling capacity, while the Comfort model offers 15,000 BTUs. As part of this release, Truck Camper Adventure is testing the Aventa Eco model for use in truck campers and vans. Both Aventa models will be offered in black and white.

Truma has been selling Aventa air conditioners in Europe and Australia for years, but the North American Aventa was designed specifically for the warmer U.S. marketplace.

Numerous partners, including Truck Camper Adventure, are testing the two air conditioner models this summer before the Fall 2021 release.

TCA is testing the Eco model using both shore power and off-grid power. The latter system found in the Truck Camper Adventure rig consists of an Expion360 360 amp hour battery, a 500 watt solar power system, and a 3,000 watt inverter. Testing is being conducted across the country, including in the dry heat of Arizona and in high humidity areas in Texas and in the Midwest.

Compatible with both ducted and non-ducted systems, the Truma Aventa comes standard with many advanced features, including an automatic cooling mode, a dehumidification mode, a night mode, an air circulation mode, and three manually selectable fan speeds (low, medium, high).

Significant noise reduction, which has always been an issue with RV air conditioners, has been achieved in the Truma Aventa by using a thick, noise absorbing EPP foamcore, while the compressor is mounted on shock absorbers to avoid vibration.

Based out of Elkhart, Indiana, Truma has a long history of providing high-quality solutions to the recreational vehicle market and is the manufacturer of the excellent Truma Combi water heater-furnace, Truma Varioheat furnace, and Truma AquaGo water heater.

This is a developing story. Check back for details as the results of our testing becomes available.

BF4BDA7D-2368-4178-B733-EC2D4FB97113_1_2

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TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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Interesting that the Truma previous largest version was this 2400 watt unit.  Mathematically speaking, 2400 watts cooling capacity is only 8,189 BTU's.  it also is a 230V unit. 

It would appear that Truma is "Growing" their capacity for the US market (13.5K and 15K versions) and they most likely will be 110/120V units.  Should that be the case, they IMHO are targeting trailers needing more cooling than the OEII needs.  Can't wait to see how the testing goes and learning what models are actually being produced.  If the above press release is complete, and the only options are 13.5K or 15K, then the OTT shown would most likely be a 13.5K BTU and that's oversized from at least one perspective. 

SO folks please do complete the survey over on that other thread.....

Thanks, GJ

image.png.ec8892cbcd0dd5569d978ba99b2c8235.png

TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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I wouldn't get really excited, like "hold my breath."

It's obviously  in test mode. 

Truma would make sense, as a current partner. And reliable German engineering. This unit is not, as far as I've seen,  yet readily available. 

I'm in wait and see mode.

 

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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On 12/14/2021 at 11:49 AM, Geronimo John said:

Interesting that the Truma previous largest version was this 2400 watt unit.  Mathematically speaking, 2400 watts cooling capacity is only 8,189 BTU's.

It is interesting that Truma markets their units by specifying "watts of cooling capacity" on their website instead of Btu's of cooling capacity.  Stating the input power in watts only tells you the maximum input Btu's for the unit, but tells one nothing about the output (cooling) Btu's, i.e., the maximum BTU's of heat the unit is capable of removing from the trailer over a one hour period. 

In the case of the Truma, it appears that a 2,400 watt cooling capacity corresponds to 15,000 Btu/hour of cooling capacity.  As Geronimo Joe correctly points out, 2,400 watts input is 8,189 Btu's so the Truma converts 2,400 watts of input Btu's into 15,000 Btu's of cooling.  This relationship is commonly referred to at the Coefficient of Performance, or COP.  In the case of the Truma, the COP is 15,000/8,189 = 1.83.  This is really, really inefficient. 

This past summer I installed a high efficiency Lennox unit in my home (to replace a failed air conditioner).  The unit modulates between 30% to 100% capacity based upon cooling demand.  At the minimum 30% capacity and a 15 degree differential between outside temp and inside setting (80 degrees inside and 95 degrees outside), the unit will supply 10,700 Btu of cooling while using only 730 watts of input power for a COP of 4.3.  Under the same ambient conditions at 100% power, the unit will supply 35,000 Btu's of cooling while using only 2,700 watts of power, a COP of 3.8. 

Unfortunately, one-piece RV air conditioners are already pushing the limits of achievable efficiency, given the one piece design and requirements to be ultra compact.  They must be designed with smaller heat exchangers/coils and fans due to space limitations that in turn requires high velocity fans to work well, hence the noise.  I don't expect the Truma will be all that much quieter than all the others out there today.

I expect what is needed to achieve a breakthrough in much quieter operation (and much higher efficiency) would be the development of a two piece rooftop air conditioner for RV's, much like home air conditioners (and heat pumps) that have an outside compressor unit and an inside air handler and coil.  The same size inside unit as installed in the Oliver today could then have the space freed up to use a larger coil and  a quiet, low velocity, high volume fan, gaining higher efficiency and much quieter operation..  The compressor itself could be mounted on the roof immediately behind the existing inside unit and be connected to the internal air handler (inside unit) with small refrigerant lines, just like today's outdoor units designed for the home.  The result would be a quiet, more powerful and more efficient air conditioner (or heat pump) that could be easily run with an 1,800 watt generator or battery power.

Of course, it would also probably cost a lot more than today's units but my guess is there is a large, untapped market for a truly quiet, higher performing two piece unit, even at a significantly higher price. 

 

 

 

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Steve and Lornie

LE II Standard  Hull #657  2004 4Runner 4.7 L V8

Oregon

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1 hour ago, Chukarhunter said:

 

Of course, it would also probably cost a lot more than today's units but my guess is there is a large, untapped market for a truly quiet, higher performing two piece unit, even at a significantly higher price. 

Yes, it would. Take a look at ac units in the marine field.

I'm really lucky/happy we've rarely needed ac in our camping years.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

I'm really lucky/happy we've rarely needed ac in our camping years.

Funny, I'd forgotten until rereading that topic above that I was at one point seriously considering deleting the AC all together on my trailer.  And after four years, I kind of wonder why I didn't.  It's been nice when we've used it, but we could have gotten by.

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13 minutes ago, Overland said:

Funny, I'd forgotten until rereading that topic above that I was at one point seriously considering deleting the AC all together on my trailer.  And after four years, I kind of wonder why I didn't.  It's been nice when we've used it, but we could have gotten by.

Yes. I totally understand.  We could have replaced our old Dometic with a vent, and probably been perfectly happy. We avoid camping in areas of high heat.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Overland said:

I've seen large overland vehicles that use residential mini-split AC units, and their owners do rave about the efficiency and quiet.  

Our sprinter van uses a residential Mimi-split and I can attest to both its efficiency and the quiet it provides. I’ll miss both. The flip side is that the insulation wasn’t the best in the van and it was a big black heat sink, so you had no choice BUT to run the a/c especially if the dogs were with us. I’m hoping that won’t be the case with our Ollie. 

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MaryBeth
Boulder, CO

2022 Elite II #953
TV: 2021 Ford Expedition Max Platinum, Max Tow Package

COKSMONESDTNUTWYmed.jpg

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I actually looked into a residential minisplit system. We've already installed one in our garage, several years ago,  which is really,  really nice in the summer months, when we're working on bench projects.  

I don't think there's a great place for the compressor unit, in a smallish travel trailer. My opinion, only. 

A smaller marine system,  under bench, might possibly be an option,  but, when I was looking,  was ridiculously expensive,  and, still probably noisy .

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Overland said:

Funny, I'd forgotten until rereading that topic above that I was at one point seriously considering deleting the AC all together on my trailer.  And after four years, I kind of wonder why I didn't.  It's been nice when we've used it, but we could have gotten by.

Thank you for bringing this back.

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Apparently Winnebago is installing the Truma air conditioners on their Micro Minnie FLX trailers. Quote from a review: "Enter the German-engineered Truma Aventa air conditioner. The Aventa is an extremely quiet and very efficient air conditioner. Based on specs on the Truma site, that unit consumes just 4.2 amps in cooling mode. That is literally less than one-third the power consumption of a Coleman Mach 13,500 BTU air conditioner."

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Stephanie and Dudley from CT.  2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior.

Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4.

Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed

Where we've been RVing since 1999:

ALAZCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWYmed.jpg.b96241bad6752dec89d25af6ffbc8d99.jpg

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That is impressive Steph and Dud B! Fingers crossed!  🤞 

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Kirk and Carrie Peterson

Twin Falls, Idaho

2018 Ram 3500, with overland conversion: Rooftop tent, water, stove, Battle Born batteries, lockers, onboard air, raised air intake, Warn winch. 

2023 Elite 2, twin beds, delivered December 5, 2022 Truma package, lithium platinum package.
Hull #1305

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