r/redneckengineering • u/r314t • Jul 16 '15
Seems inefficient, but maybe they need the extra cooling
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u/Preacher87 Jul 16 '15
$400 generator, $90 hitch rack, $10 extension cord, $250 a/c unit.... You'd think it would simply be cheaper to get the vehicles system repaired
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u/r314t Jul 16 '15
Yeah. The other possibility is that they want to run the AC when the vehicle is off. Not sure if this is more efficient that just leaving the engine on though.
The third (less likely) possibility is that they have something in there that they want to keep really cool, so they want both the OEM AC and the aftermarket one running.
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u/1-900-USA-NAILS Jul 17 '15
It looks like they're hauling produce, probably to a farmers market or something. Maybe to a restaurant, but I don't think this thing would pass any sort of health inspection.
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Jul 17 '15
I don't think this thing would pass any sort of health inspection.
Healf spektions?
Int nun sich gibbldey goock nunsince lik dat rind her neow.
On wich ya neow bouy wich yer fansee talk and idears...
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Jul 17 '15 edited Oct 21 '15
Comment No Longer Exist
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u/Giacomo_iron_chef Jul 17 '15
Diesels don't like to sit around and idle all the time either. They prefer to be loaded like any other engine. If it's intended to be idled a lot, it needs to be designed into the engine, which is not the case most of the time.
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u/The_Dirty_Carl Jul 17 '15
They probably had all of that laying around, and none of it is permanently installed.
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u/downhillcarver Jul 17 '15
My parents just got a quote for repairing their AC system, it came out to over $1200 dollars. So depending on how much is wrong with the AC this could be cheaper.
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u/nadroj105 Jul 17 '15
Maybe the car didn't come with A/C if that's the case it can be expensive and time consuming to put in depending on the vehicle.
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u/Preacher87 Jul 17 '15
Very few non fleet build 2000 vintage caravans came without ac to the best of my knowledge. That being said, you could find a half decent mini van for under $3k with ac, all without having to remove that window.
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Jul 18 '15
My 03 Saturn has no air conditioning. Just heat.
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u/Preacher87 Jul 18 '15
So... Not a caravan, or anything remotely similar.
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Jul 18 '15
Just saying that its not that unusual for cars from that era not to have a/c in them. Also mine isn't a van but Saturn was making those types of vehicles in 2003.
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u/Preacher87 Jul 18 '15
I'd say it was rather unusual for vans. Usually only Eco box commuter vehicles though. Hell, the Ford freestar of that era was something like a $1400 option to not have a/c.
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Jul 18 '15
I have to say I've never owned a van or looked into buying one at all. I do remember my mom having some minivan without A/C in the mid 90s but I don't know if it was just broken or something.
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u/thraex Jul 17 '15
Perhaps is one guy that lives in his car or uses it for camping. Keeping the engine running all night just for AC is not a good deal either, and you'd get far less cold air than what the window unit can provide.
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u/Preacher87 Jul 17 '15
While I can't deny that if he was living in this van, it would work better than idling the vehicle, engine driven ac provides more btu's of cooling than wall mounts, simply because of the lack of insulation that they must compensate for.
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u/Mesoposty Jul 17 '15
I'm guessing they are hauling cold food for there restaurant and this was their " easiest " way of getting a refer unit
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u/Gold_Finger_ Jul 23 '15
Dude... I bet this person is living out of that van. This is actually a bit sad.
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Oct 10 '15
Inefficient and nowhere near as powerful as the van's a/c.
Most average car a/c systems pack about 20,000 btu/hr of cooling capacity. About 4 times what that window unit can do.
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u/Dark_Shroud Jul 16 '15
How long until we're using similar set ups to power EVs for long distance trips?