Thinking about camping.......in July.......in a popup.....

[phorsenuf]

........without AC!

We are considering towing our pop-up to Ft Wilderness and giving it a try. It would certainly save us alot of money!
However we do not have AC in our camper. Has anyone put AC in theirs? Could we rig up a regular window unit to use?
Aside from using AC in Florida in July, we wouldn't really need it any other time.
Any thoughts???

 

[lovethemouse]

hi phorsenuf, I noticed you posting on the the orlando hotels board, seems like you're on the same hunt we are. We came to the same conclusion and decided to camp. We have a TT with AC- a must in SC. While camping I have seen folks with pop-ups rig up regular window AC units. In Myrtle Beach last summer some tent campers across from us had even rigged it up in their tent! So I guess if there's a will there's a way! good luck

 

[LMC]

I guess it depends on your schedule and heat tolerance. Are you pretty much planning on being in the parks every day?? I could probably live with your situation for a week or so as long as I had a box fan circulating the air. My DH on the other hand thinks that 60 degrees is hot so he wouldn't make it a day. I would plan on being in the parks during the day or swimming. Spend my evenings at the pop-up. I would think that each sleeping area would need a fan at night to keep comfortable.
Just remember that it will be hot, humid, and have some rain and as long as your expectations are realistic then you should be fine.

 

[trlrboy]

Having had a popup in Texas for 8 years I would not recommend it in central Florida in July without A/C. 95 degrees is 95 degrees and about the only time you really need to be comfortable is when you are sleeping. A fan isn't going to hack it. I've seen people rig up a window A/C but it requires you to be able to duct the A/C into the popup which could be done by unlooping one of the bunk ends and using a dryer hose, some cardboard covered in plastic and a bunch of duct tape. You make look like the Beverly Hillbillies but you'll get some cool air in the camper.

Also keep in mind that most popups with A/C are either 13500 btu or 15000 btu and the typical room A/C is about 5000 btu. Basically all the cool air leaks out all over the place so you need a constant supply to keep it cool.

 

[minkydog]

I think you have lost your mind.

 

[LegoMom3]

If you've never experienced Florida in the summer, camping w/out A/C is NOT the place to start! The humidity will kill you - you'd never get comfortable enough to sleep (unless, of course, you were born and raised on some tropical island and are completely used to it!!). Highs during the day can easily reach the mid- to upper-90s and the "lows" overnight will barely dip to the lower 70s, if you're lucky. And then there's that air: soupy, soupy, soupy. A/C is just a must if you're going to camp in FL in the summer.

 

[We4mickey]

We just added air to our pop up. We went in August one year and stayed in the cabins just because we didn't have the air and because of the rain. Let's just say we didn't regret our decision for one minute. The humidity is unbelievable on some days. If you want to camp to save the money definately invest in the air. If you can't swing the air, definately stay in a hotel or cabin.

 

[etblank]

We actually installed a small window unit in our old 1976 Starcraft by cutting a hole in the back wall under where the slide out bunk would be. DH lived in Alaska for 3 years and hates heat! Thus we go to Florida in the winter! The a/c unit worked beautifully. Several times we actually had to turn the temp up because it was too cold. It was rigged up with a bracket and permanently mounted to the trailer and the bumper. Took that trailer to DW and many other places for years w/o a problem. So, adding A/C can be done, it just might not look as pretty as other trailers. If I can find a picture of how we did it, I will post it. We just don't have that trailer anymore.

 

[trlrboy]

POPUP A/C COOL

Check this out. Saw this a couple summers ago...

 

[stevenpensacola]

........without AC!

DON'T DO IT!!!

Growing up, we had a popup without AC, and our family would go camping out at Fort Pickens (near Pensacola) a lot during the summertime. I can remember lying there in the bed, wearing nothing but shorts, sweating...and praying for the slightest hint that there might be a breeze come blowing through the campground sometime during the night. A fan will not help. You've got to have something to remove the humidity from the air.

 

[stillh2o]

Had a popup for years we just took a window unit put it up too the back window put plastic around the back of the popup and the unit and just let it blow in that worked great for i live in florida don't do it without A/C you will not have a good time

 

[loriandmatt]

been there, done that - bought an AC unit for our pop up.

let me explain.....

our pop up didn't have AC, we camped in FW in october and caught a hot spell and vowed never again without AC. (figured we could hack it with just fans - NO!)

so i went on a quest. tried to figure out how to rig a window AC unit in our pop up. short of looking like a total trash heap or cutting a big hole in our camper we could not figure how to get it done. next option - one of those portable AC units. they take up so much floor space and were pretty expensive. (at least 500 bucks) We decided to go with paying the close to a grand and have a real camper AC unit installed. can i tell you that we have not regretted that purchase one minute?!?!?

We camped in FW in August - a dream. don't run that puppy while you are gone though - ice station cool is warmer than the inside of that camper if the AC runs all day. you only need to fire it up when you get back to camp and give it about 10 min. lovely.

- lori

 

[ugadog99]

Check out the site

popupexplorer.com

You'll find lots of great info about making mods to your popup.