Let’s face the facts, when you make plans to go camping, you never know what the weather will hold for you. Some places, like Pennsylvania, the temperature change will literally be night and day. One thing I did want but didn’t get in a pop up camper was air conditioning. So what are my options for keeping cool on those very hot days and nights? There are a few options to add A/C to a pop up camper.
Fans
This option is not really an air conditioning option but it should be on the list. Fans are an easy way to keep slightly cooler on some hot days and nights. Some pop ups come with ceiling vents and small fans that plug in by the ceiling lights. Any small fan that can be plugged in can help with cooling down the pop up. Fans can help, but if it is very hot they may not be enough to get the job done.
Portable A/C Unit
The first ac system that we could use would be a portable home ac unit. The best reason to use one of these is going to be the ease of use. They do a good job cooling but there are a few things that will have to be taken into consideration. You will need to have the space for sitting the ac units on the floor but the exhaust will have to be vented outside of the camper. These use a little more juice so you would have to come up with a way to plug it in.
There is a little bit of work that will have to be done with this type of ac unit. There is a drain in the back of the unit that will have to be drained after some use. The last problem with these units will the cost. While they are be as expensive as installing a RV ac unit in the roof, these are not cheap.
Window A/C Unit
Home window AC units can be installed into a pop up. I have seen many different installation methods. They have been installed by cutting a hole in the popup in the rear or side and sliding it in. I have also seem them installed by using brackets or stands facing into the popup through a window screen. These AC units are the least expensive to purchase but some people will not want to cut a decent sized hole into their pop up. Using this kind of AC unit should not cost any more valuable floor space.
Pop Up Camper A/C Unit
RV AC units will probably cost the most when looking at the cost, parts, and installation of the unit. These can be found used for a decent price but you have to make sure you get all the parts. That would include the AC unit, the controls, and the cover. New, these go for over $500. A new seal would have to be purchased to prevent any leaks.
This install could mean cutting a hole in the roof of your pop up, if a vent is not already present. Some roof reinforcements may be necessary as well. So with all the extra work, why would you want to add an AC unit this way? It is the way the camper would have came. Many pop ups don’t have much space to begin with, so this install would cost none of the limited floor space.
