Aftermarket aircondition unit for RV camper

avanti

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I don't know how big the RV crowd is here, but I will give it a try.. :)

My uncle recently bought a 1991 Fiat Tabbert 660 (like the one pictured), it doesn't have AC, so I am looking for recommendations for roof mounted AC units. I am imagining that the market for this is very big in Germany, so recommendations for companies that sell /install units in Germany would be appreciated. Then the installation can be combined with a road-trip!

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Start by checking the specs and condition of the alternator, batteries and inverter. The electric compressor AC will find the weak spots if you don't get them first. Expect at least around constant 400-600W at 230V. Consider updating the onboard battery charger and inverter if they are original.

I can't give any specific recommendations but Dometic and Truma units are sure choices.
 
A cheaper route is to have a portable a/c but it is not as efficient as rooftop unit.
 
A cheaper route is to have a portable a/c but it is not as efficient as rooftop unit.

I would not want to have that in an RV, where floor space is limited to begin with. :) And they're noisy and not very powerful. Source: I have one at home.

I would be surprised if there weren't 12V rooftop units readily available. I know for a fact there are 24V ones for sleeper cab trucks. At any rate, you will probably need to upgrade your alternator with the most powerful one you can find for the Fiat 2.5D which is what this thing probably has. I think there's a 140A one that bolts straight on. I sell parts for a living and I have a customer that did just that - put a rooftop AC on his older Fiat RV. I can't remember if it's a 230V unit ran via a power inverter or a 12V one, though. He has replaced his alternator once or twice on warranty already though - I don't know if the problem is with the alternators we sell, or if drawing that kind of continous power simply is asking too much from a 12V car alternator. Cars routinely have 140A alternators and more these days since things like power steering are electrically powered rather than with a belt off of the crank, but the steering pump isn't drawing current for hours and hours at a time.

And 230V might not be a bad thing since that would make it easier to use while parked at a campsite. Running a 12V AC while parked and connected to mains power means you'll need a hugely powerful battery charger.

I find it interesting that a 1991 RV doesn't have factory air. There are plenty of 2000's and even 2010's RV's that don't have it either. These are expensive vehicles and they're mainly going to be used in summer, so why not? I bet you could get AC as a factory option on a 1991 Ducato which is what this Tabbert has underneath that bodywork. "Completely integrated" as they're called in the trade, as opposed to half-integrated, where the Fiat cab is intact from the front bumper to behind the rear doors.
 
In the US, Coleman makes(or at least brands) the majority of the readily available units.
 
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