|
|
|
|
05-07-2011, 08:07 PM
|
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 287
|
|
Redneck Air Conditioning?
1983 Ranger
Single/Regular cab.
NO AC/Power steering/power brakes from factory
I want AC! Today it was 85* out and the temp gauge inside the truck said 102*!
SOOOOO. What are my options?
Option 1: Junkyard hunt for another 2.3L Ranger with A/C, take the compressor, condensor, lines, bracket etc. Rig it up/ probably take some trial and error, figure out how to route lines to heater core, etc.
Sounds expensive, and time consuming and Effective
Option 2: Invest in a sliding rear window, roll down both windows, and deal with it.
CHEAP, But not effective
Option 3: Now hear me out on this: Cannabalize either an old RV's rooftop AC unit (12V, easy), OR a tiny window airconditioner (120V, I have big inverter). Mount the unit in the bed *(7ft bed, already have a 15" longX 30" wide transfer tank in bed, so I have a nice corner it could fit in about 15"X18")*, and route a piece of cheap ducting into the cab from behind (there's already a small hole from someone elses stupid ideas so I'm not concerned about cutting a hole in my cab)
Sounds cheap ( I have window AC unit, and power inverter), effective, and very powerful to cool my truck down in a heart beat.
And yes I'm absolutely serious about option 3, seriously in a month it'll be 100* out and my truck is toooooasty now.
Taking Votes!!!!
Saul
__________________
'83 Ford Ranger 2.3L 4Spd, Dual Tanks, 195/60R15's, Welded Rear End TOTALLED AT 483,211 MILES
|
|
|
|
Register and never see these ads again. |
|
05-07-2011, 08:17 PM
|
Like the Forums
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 38
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
My truck is a regular cab, with a sliding rear window and it keeps me fairly cool. I also have air-conditioning but i don't ever use it.
__________________
1996 Ford Ranger 2wd 2.3L, 407,000 miles of fury
2008 Ford F-150 4wd 4.6L
1987 Honda 250r quad
|
05-07-2011, 08:41 PM
|
|
Just zip-tie it
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,004
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
go with option 1, but dont open any ac lines with the refrigerant in them, its a couple thousand dollar fine.....
__________________
SOLD:'05 2wd Ranger xl with the 3.0
MODS-Alpine head unit, throttle cable mod, Black Rock wheels, FX4 lvl II axle swap, pooleo's camo painted bezel and mustang dome, painted/aftermarket headlights/tails fold-a-cover and over 100 hp in stickers
'86 AMC Eagle and '01 Grand Prix GTP
|
05-07-2011, 08:49 PM
|
|
Ban Survivor. (x2)
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 6,764
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
|
05-07-2011, 08:51 PM
|
|
TRUCK SOLD!
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,025
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Haha ...that PIC above is Hilarious !
Ive seen old skool Mercs and VWs use
Dry ice in a window hung " Cool box"
It works ! It's not that expensive,
And it won't look like the car above!
__________________
1999 Ford Ranger XL
Vulcan V6, K&N 33-2106 Filter, 3:73 Gears,
FRONT 3'' Susp Lift/REAR 3'' susp.+ 3" blocks,06 Mirrors
31"/10.5"-15" BFG on AR-172 Polished Rims,Smitybilt Console
95 Mustang Saleen Seats,Alternating Blinker MOD
Pioneer CD/iPod/GPS,6.5 Polk Audio/6.5 Sub-Woofers,
Stainless Bed Extender,Throttle and Dome Light MOD,
12" Tool Box,Billet Grille,NightShade Tint,Projector Headlamps
6000K H.I.D. so i can see at night! LOL
JESUS is LORD!
Last edited by Christianguy; 05-07-2011 at 09:13 PM.
|
05-07-2011, 09:11 PM
|
|
Ford Ranger Owner
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 51
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Your going to laugh, but, back in the day when I drove semis with no a/c in central California, I would get a block of ice and a 12v fan blowing across it toward me. It worked decent.
__________________
2004 Ranger XLT 4dr. 2wd
3.0 Auto
I put in a radio and a tool box
so it aint stock no more.
|
05-07-2011, 09:15 PM
|
|
TRUCK SOLD!
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,025
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Those spray mist bottles with the fan on it work too
__________________
1999 Ford Ranger XL
Vulcan V6, K&N 33-2106 Filter, 3:73 Gears,
FRONT 3'' Susp Lift/REAR 3'' susp.+ 3" blocks,06 Mirrors
31"/10.5"-15" BFG on AR-172 Polished Rims,Smitybilt Console
95 Mustang Saleen Seats,Alternating Blinker MOD
Pioneer CD/iPod/GPS,6.5 Polk Audio/6.5 Sub-Woofers,
Stainless Bed Extender,Throttle and Dome Light MOD,
12" Tool Box,Billet Grille,NightShade Tint,Projector Headlamps
6000K H.I.D. so i can see at night! LOL
JESUS is LORD!
|
05-07-2011, 09:16 PM
|
|
Ford Ranger Owner
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 51
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
I forgot to add, the ice was in a styrofoam cooler.
__________________
2004 Ranger XLT 4dr. 2wd
3.0 Auto
I put in a radio and a tool box
so it aint stock no more.
|
05-07-2011, 09:44 PM
|
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 287
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Yea I've seen the pic above. Not quite THAT redneck, but close lol.
I REALLY don't want to deal with the headache of swapping an A/C compressor/lines/condensor from another Ranger as it will definitely mean down time which I can't afford.
Sliding rear window is a definite, just easier on the freeway/quieter and much better airflow.
Maybe rig up a small cooler with ice/fan, Ive seen cheap little inserts for coolers on ebay with a 12V fan built in for like $35
What's this about a "cool box" with dry ice?
__________________
'83 Ford Ranger 2.3L 4Spd, Dual Tanks, 195/60R15's, Welded Rear End TOTALLED AT 483,211 MILES
|
05-08-2011, 05:01 AM
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 240
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Don't think any roof top RV units are 12 v. Just looked up a 12,000 btu that draws 15.2 amps at 115 v. That's equivalent to 145 amps at 12 v plus inverter losses.
|
05-08-2011, 08:25 AM
|
|
rockin' a fleet truck
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 16
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumcrew2
Option 2: Invest in a sliding rear window, roll down both windows, and deal with it.
CHEAP, But not effective
|
When I had an un-airconditioned 1971 VW beetle in the Texas heat I found a spray bottle to mist myself was very helpful.
Probably not a longterm solution for you, but a $2 spraybottle might help increase your comfort until you reach a better solution.
__________________
2003 Ranger: 2.3L, 5spd, 2wd. Ex-fleet white standard cab truck, stock. 200k+.
pics, webpage
AddOns: UltraGauge, AVS vents, $25 craigslist topper, camping/cargo deck.
|
|
|
|
05-08-2011, 10:25 AM
|
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 287
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
I'm going urban-engineering::
I'm building a miniature swamp cooler out of a regular cooler.
Parts List:
1996 Chevy Tahoe Fan/Blower Motor
1995 Volvo 750 Windshield Washer Sprayer Solenoid
Coleman cooler
2" thick styrafoam (to make a new top)
Spare/Leftover Swamp cooler pad (the blue stuff)
If I take the styrafoam and mount the blower motor to it, with some 3" vent tubing I have to suck air in/blow it through.
Put swamp cooler pad on all 4 sides of coller inside
Mount washer fluid solenoid to cooler side, with pickup at bottom, and 4-way spray nozzle at top to spray all 4 sides.
I figure I can run the fan and the solenoid on the same little circuit/switch and make a cigarette lighter plug for it. I'm not too worried about burning up the solenoid, using it always-on, for short times, as I got 10 at the junkyard.
I can't think of a better better/cheap way to make a portable AC unit
__________________
'83 Ford Ranger 2.3L 4Spd, Dual Tanks, 195/60R15's, Welded Rear End TOTALLED AT 483,211 MILES
|
|
|
|
05-08-2011, 02:28 PM
|
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 287
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Ok: it's ghetto but it actually works
In that cooler there is a small 12V fan sucking in with the washer sprayer and 2 nozzles spraying water onto the fan blades showering droplets onto all 4 sides
I turn the HEAT on high, and DAMN does it blow alot of volume out. Right now it's 84* out and the room-temp water in the cooler send 70* air out. 14 degree drop isn't much but it's not bad.
I'm going to add the blue-filter-swamp cooler mesh to it and hopefully that'll help bring it down a bit.
__________________
'83 Ford Ranger 2.3L 4Spd, Dual Tanks, 195/60R15's, Welded Rear End TOTALLED AT 483,211 MILES
|
05-08-2011, 02:43 PM
|
|
TRUCK SOLD!
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,025
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
__________________
1999 Ford Ranger XL
Vulcan V6, K&N 33-2106 Filter, 3:73 Gears,
FRONT 3'' Susp Lift/REAR 3'' susp.+ 3" blocks,06 Mirrors
31"/10.5"-15" BFG on AR-172 Polished Rims,Smitybilt Console
95 Mustang Saleen Seats,Alternating Blinker MOD
Pioneer CD/iPod/GPS,6.5 Polk Audio/6.5 Sub-Woofers,
Stainless Bed Extender,Throttle and Dome Light MOD,
12" Tool Box,Billet Grille,NightShade Tint,Projector Headlamps
6000K H.I.D. so i can see at night! LOL
JESUS is LORD!
|
05-08-2011, 03:10 PM
|
|
Ford Tough
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 287
|
|
Re: Redneck Air Conditioning?
Inside:;
__________________
'83 Ford Ranger 2.3L 4Spd, Dual Tanks, 195/60R15's, Welded Rear End TOTALLED AT 483,211 MILES
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
|