We are looking at all the cooling options available. Hit me up with all your recommendations. We want it to be as flush to the ceiling as possible of course. Our Van is a Sprinter 170 year 2017.
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Greetings!
Personally I have had much better luck with swamp coolers than air conditioners, even in extremely humid areas. They only use a fraction of the power, and if used correctly they’re faster & more efficient than any A/C.
Cheers!
"Failures are merely a learning oportunity." ~ Rubber Tramp
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Thank you for that. We live in a climate in CA where it can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Swamp coolers don’t work too well in those high-heat scenarios. I appreciate the input! Something to think about as we only get those temps for a month or so at low elevations.
Greetings!
Typically, a swamp cooler can lower the temperature by 40°F-50°F. The indirect type like I use will even work in high humdity, and actually lower the humidity.
The biggest problem with swamp cooler is people don’t understand how to use them correctly. Unlike an A/C, a swamp cooler works by replacing the indoor air, not cooling it. So you need a window open on the opposite end of your van or house before they’ll work correctly, so the hot air can be pushed out & replaced with cooler air.
Cheers!
"Failures are merely a learning oportunity." ~ Rubber Tramp
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Thank you for that input. Yes! That is correct. We use one in our garage/shop and leave the door open. Works like a charm til temps reach over 100 degrees F. We may choose to put a cooler in…thanks for your reply!! 
Greetings!
Mine kept my van in the lower 70’s at 120°F outside. The trick seems to be adjusting the water flow right. Sometimes less water flow will actually lower the temperature. Go figure… 
Cheers!
"Failures are merely a learning oportunity." ~ Rubber Tramp
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Thanks for the info!
Basic physics says an indirect swamp cooler cannot work if the relative humidity outdoors is close to 100% - as it might be during and after rain or fog, near water or wet vegetation, perhaps some other conditions. Because there will be no evaporation.
But it’s a “cool” idea, that I wasn’t familiar with. Sounds like it could have a wider range of practical applicability than direct swamp coolers.
I’m not an engineer, but suspect a big, massive swamp cooler could be developed that works during the part of the day with low relative humidity (assuming there is one), and stores the cold for the rest of the day. I don’t know if that is practical for a van the size of Sprinter. You need a big thermal reservoir.
BTW, there exist solar powered ACs and refrigerators using Ammonia cycle cooling, that (only) work in bright sunlight. They have an important role in some countries in some climates. But there are significant safety issues: Ammonia is toxic. I do not know whether there are comparable units using a non-toxic working material. Perhaps alcohol - but it is flammable.
Not to sound flippant, but parking your vehicle (hopefully white!) in the shade could help a lot too.
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Greetings!
Physics is theory, not facts. The art of explaining what is, and convincing others that you’re right. It is only accurate until disproven.
Evaporation only ceases in a closed container. Humdity can slow it, but not stop it, and it takes very lttle evaporaton to cool the water in the reservoir, much less than what it takes to cool the surrounding air, due to the lesser overall volume. Water flow rate seems to play a big part in the cooling effciency.
Airflow is more important than physical size.
Seeking shade or creating shade is always good advice & practice whenever feasible.
Cheers!
"It has been said that the secret to success is
learning how to do more with less and in the
simplest way possible." ~ Wise Words Wiki
learning how to do more with less and in the
simplest way possible." ~ Wise Words Wiki
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