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Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Do You Have In-Car Air Conditioning? No, Ours Is On-Car!
Utah Teens Invent New Automotive A/C System

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Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
This looks like a nice, tidy install.

But they're missing the simple solution:
Drive round back of the cold storage warehouse and get them to chute in about a ton of ice through your skylight vent. Don't forget your sweater.
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Scandinavian Flick
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Great news!

I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Frigidaire!
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MushyHeirloom
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Huh, that's actually fairly classy. I can go for that.
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Elhigh
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Sorry, not noteworthy. I've been seeing things like that on the roads ever since I was old enough to know there were different kinds of cars.
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brickyard
07/29/09

@Elhigh:
Some are more spectacular in their inventive stupidity than others.
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TurboRefrigerator
07/29/09

@brickyard: Is that a japanese beginner driver sticker?
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an gucci skyline mane
07/29/09

@TurboRefrigerator: Yes, yes it is.
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Elhigh promoted this comment

Elhigh
07/29/09

@an not so happy skyline: He might be a beginner driver, but I think it's safe to say he's an advanced contraptor.
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brickyard
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van

I'm not sure there's any place on this planet hot and humid enough to justify this.
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pres
07/29/09

@brickyard: I know people obese enough to justify this.
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S3L3SC
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Is it bad that I see nothing wrong with this?

As long as it works...
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beercheck
07/29/09

@S3L3SC: Same here, as long as the installation is sound.
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Shamoononon: I shave my legs.
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
On a side note, anybody know of a good portable AC unit for a condo (not window unit)? I moved near the ocean and they don't come built with AC, but it's friggen hot out.
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Ash78 promoted this comment

Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
07/29/09

@Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: With a portable A/C unit, you'll have to keep a window or door open for the exhaust hose (like a dryer). The "exchanged air" is really hot and has to go somewhere other than back into the room.

If it's mostly just humid but not especially hot, you could always just go with a dehumidifier. It technically heats the room slightly, but the dryness more than makes up for it.
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beercheck
07/29/09

@Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: Heater core, electric fan (and an enclosure to hold both), bilge pump, big cooler, two lengths of tubing.

Fill cooler with some water and bags of ice, place pump in bottom, run hose to heater core inlet, then another from heater core inlet back to cooler. Blow air through heater core. Presto.

If you spend enough effort with the core/fan enclosure, you can also incorporate a wicking air filter for evaporative cooling.

I built a similar thing for my dog's space in the truck (except it's closed-loop instead of bilge). Works wonders.

You'll go through a surprising amount of ice, however.
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FrankGrimes
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
Growing up my family had a GMC van as the family truckster. It had a bench seat that folded down in the back into a bed and had front and rear AC units. It ruled.
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UDMan
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van

Meh, I'm rolling in this gem..... with a proper roof top unit..... I'm so white trash....
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engineerd
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van

This.
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engineerd
07/29/09

@engineerd: Not this.
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HurtsSoGood
07/29/09

@engineerd: So why does THIS cost $1200...
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HurtsSoGood
07/29/09

@engineerd: and THIS around $120 at your friendly-neighborhood Lowes. Could it be because the former is proprietary, like HP inkjet cartridges, and the latter is just a box with generic stuff in it?
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mechimike
07/29/09

@HurtsSoGood:Well, $120 plus the extra hundred or so you'll shell out for a decent enough inverter to power the thing.
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engineerd
07/29/09

@mechimike: It's $1200 because it was actually designed for that car. The house box was designed for a standard window opening and is a little more generic.

However, you need the inverter mechimike mentioned, plus a high output alternator to power this thing without draining the battery (another $180 or so). Plus all the materials and time to make it fit and work. Cheaper? Yeah. Sized properly? No. WT? Yep.
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HurtsSoGood
07/29/09

@engineerd: I doubt the technology involved varies all that much between home use and the much smaller volume inside the passenger compartment of a car.
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engineerd
07/29/09

@HurtsSoGood: Actually, it does slightly since auto a/c units use a TXV now and most window units are still just using a fixed orifice.

Also, it's not necessarily the technology, but the packaging and engineering. An auto's a/c unit is designed (by engineers) for that vehicle. Meaning they have spent time sizing it for the interior and conditions a vehicle sees, as well as designed the packaging to work in the vehicle's engine bay and dashboard. Then it is tested and verified.

It's not just a simple matter of throwing shit together. Unless you work for Chrysler.
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Scandinavian Flick
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
That's actually the free candy dispenser.
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Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
I can't even count how many times I've seen something like that. Just the other day I saw a guy with a window unit sticking out the SIDE of his truck cap window. It stuck out a good 18" on the left, leading me to wonder how he'd make it through a drive-thru.
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Edited by Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig) at 07/29/09 1:40 PM

TimTim
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
And it's got so much more class than one of those sleek RV roof units, plus it doesn't affect overhead clearance.
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
I don't even want to think about a crash scenario.

p.s: I like the "Bluff"ton university exit sign. I am pretty sure that's what I did to get my degree at UofM.
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Graverobber
07/29/09

In reply to Now That's An Air-Conditioned Van
The police indicated that, while the kids may be scarred for life by the encounter, at least they were comfortable during the ordeal.
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pauljones
07/29/09

@Graverobber: I seriously thought about going there, except with the whole rape van theme instead, but having a sister who has been raped, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
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Graverobber
07/29/09

@pauljones: Yeah, sometime humor, while well-intentioned, can hit too close to home.

I hope your sister's attacker is currently dropping the soap in a prison somewhere.
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B1663R
07/29/09

@pauljones: Rape is tough on a family.

my mom has always wished she was raped by someone else...
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pauljones
07/29/09

@B1663R: Wow...

That, sir, was self-deprecating humor at it's best. Thanks for the laugh

@Iron-Balls Minardi: I think most of us Jalops have been consigned to hell for our some of our comments. :)
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