Ice chest cooler air conditioning unit

Sister's A/C went out on her van and I just threw together a portable air conditioner for her to keep in the car running throughout the day. Just toss a bag of ice on top every 4 or so hours and it will keep the van cool even when sitting in the hot sun. Perfect for camping and road trips this summer as it can be connected to a portable power supply and last 12 hours on one charge.

Old cooler with a 6" hole drilled in the top for the DC (cigarette lighter) fan mounted with zip ties and four 3" holes cut in the top with a 3" electrical conduit coupler hammered in tight for the black elbows to swivel 360 degrees.

The 20 gallon cooler I used was on its last leg anyway with a lid that had busted hinges so I replaced them with 1/4" rubber strips screwed into the plastic.

Took four 1 gallon milk containers and a few one quart energy drink bottles and filled them with water and keep them in the freezer ready for placement on the bottom . Toss a bag of cubes on top and she drops the temp a good 20+ degrees.

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Comedy

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• SSPX0042

[mredsayshi]

It's not meant to cool the cab. It's meant to direct a cool breeze locally and pointed at your face and torso. The directional ports to blow the cooler but not frigid air are to create a chilling effect.

You can further this with the use of a flexible hose on the exit ports to place under your shirt.

While this one model which works just fine for me you can create one with one or several exit ports that could be closed if you want to increase the output of the others.

[bubber25]

i wonder if dry ice would work better as its natural temp is -109 farenheit

[mredsayshi]

@bubber25

Can you actually suffocate from dry ice?

Dry ice can be a very serious hazard in a small space that isn't well-ventilated. As dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide gas. In a small space, this gas can build up. If enough carbon dioxide gas is present, a person can become unconscious, and in some cases, die.

In short... I wouldn't use it... ;)

[Flashvette]

I made an ice cooler ac unit like the one you see. I use about 6- 2 liter bottles of water frozen and it lasts for hours. When they melt, I just put them back in the freezer and use them again. It works well cooling the rear of my Chevy Express cargo van. Its not like an ice box but does remove a lot of humidity.

[wduane2807]

@bubber25 NO! Never use dry ice. It is very dangerous. When it melts it produces carbon dioxide, just as poisonous and dangerous as carbon monoxide. Even in a totally sealed container, never use dry ice.

[wduane2807]

I tried that in a pickup truck with no a/c and I got a cool breeze but not enough to cool the cab. I ended up turning it off and rolling the windows back down after about 30 minutes.

[Flashvette]

Great invention. Do you have good air flow from all 4 vents? I was going to make a system for the rear of my Cargo van when making deliveries this summer. Passenger vans have rear air. Cargo vans do not. Thanks for posting.

[ludehead]

Does that thing cool off the van very well? That looks pretty cool and easy, good idea.