Reddit mentions: The best rv air conditioners

I wanted these features:

• reversisble - blow out in the heat and pull in gently in the cold
  
• 10-speed rather than three for finer control and the ability to access a very low speed. Allows for minimal power use and constant use in all seasons for humidity control
  
• thermostat for varying fan speed automagically. I actually don't use this much because it can turn the fan off when it's cool and I want continuous operation
  
• built-in hood so I could run it in the rain without a ginormous doghouse cover on the roof. My van is already 8.5' tall.
  
• remote because my fan and bed are on opposite ends of the 12' living space. I keep it in the console when driving in case I forget to lower it before departure (safe, but noisy).
  
  This led me to the MaxxFan deluxe. It was expensive but completely worth it IMO.
  
  It has a design feature I didn't realize when I bought it. The fan sits down into a mount which is fixed to the roof and sealed. If you need to remove the fan for any reason you can lift it out of the mount and repair/replace/whatever in minutes. This would make repairs or warranty replacement much less of a hassle. I don't know if Fantastic does this or not. Perhaps a FF owner can chime in.
  
  I saved money on this kind of thing by starting camelcamelcamel watchlists on items I knew I'd need for the build. In this example, the fan I bought has varied by $51 dollars in the past year. CCC will alert you when the price drops to a point you specifiy.
  
  I also saved more than $40 on a foam mattress I wanted this way.
  
  Edited to add: I think the Maxx or FF are both excellent fans. Folks in smaller vans could probably do fine with a 3spd manual fan with no cover. There are also marine style mushroom and flat-ish vents with fans in them. There are also wind-powered vents that require no electrons at all. These latter types might fit under solar panels for a neat install.

Hey, good write-up thanks for sharing! I like the comparison chart you did with all the models.

I'd like to give a mention to Ventline fans because no one seems to know about them. They're less "RV" and more "food truck" style, but to someone on a budget, a fan is a fan, right?
Here's the one I have. They can be found as little as $60 shipped on Amazon (I only linked the more expensive one because it had a nicer picture) or $50 shipped on eBay. It's a much smaller fan than the Maxxairs or Fantastic Fans, but definitely worth consideration if you have a smaller space, have a slim power supply (I think it draws 0.5A), or are on a budget (heck, you could install TWO for less than some other brands!) They have other models too, but I think this is the best one of theirs for vandwellers.

You'd have to get creative to get it to stay in the window. There are some premade ducted ones for exterior mounting here (2nd picture): https://www.wayfair.com/ClimateRight-5-000-BTU-Portable-Air-Conditioner-with-Remote-CR5000ACH-L6229-K~CRGT1001.html

You'd need a trailer hitch secure storage rack but it could hold a generator and extra gas too: https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Cargo-Carrier/Carpod/M2205-01-02.html

I like the idea of a rooftop unit better but then you're cutting a big hole: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VZ547WG/

Well I went ahead and ignored everyones advice. :) I ended up contacting the owner through the website and found out they also have some charcoal infused filters as well that are the same template as the white ones. So I got one of each, our Travel Supreme has two AC units so I got one for filtering and one for cutting down on cooking and dog oder. So far so good. They were really easy to install and the fit is perfect, smells better too. We'll see how they hold up, but feeling optimistic. I guess if they don't work out I will try cutting up some other filters, I'm just lazy I guess didn't want to spend about the same amount of money and have to go to the trouble of cutting it out. If anyone is interested this is the one I picked up for our Fifth Wheel. https://www.amazon.com/AC-105G-RV-Air-Filter/dp/B071GRY6RL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500566044&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+air+105+g

The control and ducted vs non-ducted is determined by the "ADB" (Air Distribution Box). So, in addition to the roof box you'd have to buy something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-Air-Conditioners-3314851-000-Control/dp/B00HJQ86UO/Or for Coleman/Airxcel, this: https://www.amazon.com/AIRXCEL-Standard-08-0059-Deluxe-Non-Ducted/dp/B00RQSP400/


Probably worth seeing if the pre-wiring involves wires running to a thermostat that could control both units. If so, just match the brand/model of the one you already have.

Sure. Seems the price went up on the solar panel since I bought it. Now they're $60. Here's an amazon link to that.

And the price went down on the charge controller! Here's the link to that.

Also if you're going to buy that charge controller, look in the mail for those "valpak" coupons. There's usually one for 20% off at Harbor Freight.

Swamp cooler if you're in a hot dry region. They don't work as well in hot humid weather.
Roof vents.
Lots of open windows, mosquito netting if needed.
Shore power and a 110v air conditioner.
Cool neck wraps