a/c in tents

[eagles]

i just have a quick question for you tent campers or anyone that knows the answer.

is there any reason why an air conditioner could not go inside a tent?

i know that an a/c will probably leak water from the back and that is one reason to have 1/2 of it hanging outside. but as far as fumes goes or anything hazardous if what i am looking at.

i just bought a small window air on sale, and i want to bring it to the fort when we go, just to cool off at night inside our tent. i dont' want to buy the boot yet, and will probably be getting a new tent later anyway. so i will be using the one tent i have been using, but will bring the a/c. i can fix it on a small table inside the tent with a bucket to catch any water drippings.

so does anyone know if that is safe?

 

[hobogary]

Safe, but the back end will pump out the heat, so you really need to have it thru the tent somehow.

 

[YodaGirl]

Safe, I guess, but I'm not sure how practical it would be?

Like the pp said, the back part gives off heat, so unless you have that half outside and sealed off, it may just defeat the purpose. But then again, I'm not really an expert.

We just use a fan that we bought from Wal-Mart. It's small and it does surprisingly well. That's all we used when we tent camped in FW in July a few years back.

 

[clkelley]

Yep, it is best to have the back end on the outside. If you have a spare door, just zip up the door around the AC with the back half outside. If you don't have a spare door, maybe put the whole thing outside with the front up against a window.

Or if you are getting a new tent later anyway, make your own "boot" by cutting a hole in the tent and using some material and duct tape.

 

[ntsammy5]

Yeah, what Carol said. We've seen people cut holes in the tent and seal the unit in with diuct tape -- works really well.

 

[eagles]

thank you all for the replies. i did not consider the hot out being pumped out. and i agree, that would defeat the purpose.

ok, so i guess i will have to cut this tent and make my own boot. at least this is an old tent and i can experiment with it.

 

[medic9016]

Here is a boot you can get for your tent. ACBOOT

 

[GoSox50]

I had to laugh when I saw this thread. We were at the Fort last year during the first week of July and the site next to us was empty. We were in the 1900 loop and sitting on the bench at the comfort station one afternoon waiting for our laundry to be finished and a car pulled into the empty site. It was a couple and the woman started decorating the site by putting things on the trees and flowers on the table and the guy was trying to figure out how to set the tent up. It was amusing just watching them set up. All they had was a car so everything came out of their trunk that never seemed to have a bottom. They had like a 3 man tent and whenever they pulled out the air conditioner and had it sticking out of the tent, I think my dh was going to have a coronary laughing so hard. Maybe other people have done that, but that was the first time we had even seen it in our 30 yrs of camping. And they only stayed for one night. We started our camping life in a tent but we considered that roughing it.

 

[eagles]

i laugh at the thought also. i have been camping also for 41 yrs and only going durning spring and fall. but after reading threads and seeing the a/c boot, i started thinking maybe we could start going during the summer now also. so that is where my head is right now. would love to still do the good ole tent, but i want coolness at least at night to sleep. so if this works i for one will not be laughing anymore.

although i may end up with those portable a/c's since all i have to do is stick the hose out of the tent. no cutting. but they are sort of expensive.

we are going to williamsburg va for 3 nights over labor day, that will be the test for this a/c and this good old tent.

i guess i better get to the store and stock up on duct tape!

 

[ColleenFL]

Here is an idea, I was thinking back to my days as a young teen when our drive in movies were air conditioned in Ft Lauderdale. If you can figure out a way to leave the AC unit outside your tent and run a hose like a corrigated large plastic tube and run it into your tent. You could some how duct tape something that could connect to the tube and run it in the tent.
I know Home Depot makes an inside ac unit for around $250 or at least they did about 2 years ago I guess it has some kind of cooling fan for the motor and a drip hose to leave outside not real sure though how it worked.
If I camped in a tent in FL you would bet I would have AC pretty much 9 months out of the year.

 

[eagles]

i set up our tents today to seam seal and just to make sure every is ready for our labor day trip. this is the first and only camping trip we are making this year.

but i sat there trying to figure out how to get this a/c in the tent. i really hate to cut the tent. plus the spot where the cool air blows out, is on top. so i am going to go to lowes/home depot and find some kind of tube/hose and give that a try.

but right now we are thinking of just putting it into the door somehow.

if we figure this out, i will be taking pics and i will show you.

thanks so much for the ideas and suggestions!

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

Try a piece of 3" or 4" dryer vent hose. Get about a 6' to 8' piece, cut it in half to make two hoses, duct tape them to the outlet vents on the AC and run them in through the door or window. Cover the controls of the AC with plastic to keep the rain out.

 

[RustManFan]

I can't be bothered with all this a/c stuff and I wouldn't feel like I was camping. Don't use a/c at home (NJ) anyway. Camped at FW twice in August. Next time I will bring a small fan.

Been camping almost 50 years now so maybe I am just acclimated for roughing it !!

 

[PixieDust32]

We used an AC Window, we put it outside on the tent window, and covered with a tarp, it worked perfect.

 

[Murrlene]

We camped in July in a tent with a AC twice. Our tent had 2 doors and my hubby just duct taped around the opening.

We have since bought a new tent and we will cut and boot it. We do not need air here in NY but Florida in July oh ya. I was 7 months pregnant the first time. Let me tell you it saved my marriage.

 

[FairWeather]

I've seen this done already. Just duct-tape the tent opening around the enclosure. As for keeping the back portion outside the tent, it's not only a good idea, but a necessity. The A/C must be properly ventilated else it'll overheat and fail. The newer window units circulate the condensation to aid in cooling, so there should be little or no water pooling outside your tent.

 

[Bell30012]

They make portable air conditioners now. They vent out of a hose sort of like the one on your dryer. Go to the Home Depot site, type in your zip code and search for portable air conditioner and you'll find several models.

I was unfortunately selected to be the paymaster officer at my unit and payday fell while we were in the field. Since it was well over a hundred degrees outside and even hotter inside we used one of these to cool the tent down. Worked excellent.

 

[geishagirl81]

So I am totally convinced on trying rig up our window a/c to our tent. But I know my dh will not let me cut the tent to boot it. It is brand new and he can be anal. Anyone hae any luck with it just hanging out the tent door? I think I'll have dh make a stand from PVC and tarp it over. We have a cabin tent with a closet though, so it'd be nice to out the a/c in there.

Any pics? TIA SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am planning a mid August trip, and I am from the north were anything above 85 degrees makes me squirm.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

So I am totally convinced on trying rig up our window a/c to our tent. But I know my dh will not let me cut the tent to boot it. It is brand new and he can be anal. Anyone hae any luck with it just hanging out the tent door? I think I'll have dh make a stand from PVC and tarp it over. We have a cabin tent with a closet though, so it'd be nice to out the a/c in there.

Any pics? TIA SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am planning a mid August trip, and I am from the north were anything above 85 degrees makes me squirm.

Here is a photo of a camper who rigged his AC up through the tent door. Looks like this would work fine:

If you have not had the pleasure of visiting Florida in August, I have to tell you that you should not plan on camping without the AC. It will be hot enough that it will be unpleasant for you at times even with the AC.

TCD

 

[geishagirl81]

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is what i wanted to see! yes I have been to florida in august, that is why i need to figure out the tent a/c. awesome pic.