During the renovation there were many summer days when the Scamp interior felt like a sweltering sauna, reaching the high 90’s and above. We had purchased a battery operated digital thermometer to keep track of the interior temperature. After months and months of renovating I complained to my brother about how hot and miserable it was inside. His first question was, “Why didn’t you install air conditioning right at the beginning?” THAT was a good question.
The year our Scamp was constructed the design did not include air conditioning, only a roof fire escape hatch. Later generations were built with increased structural integrity which allowed for an AC unit to be added to the rooftop. The 1984 Scamp did not have the necessary support incorporated to safely carry the weight of a rooftop AC unit. With that information we dismissed the idea of roof air conditioning and began researching alternatives.
We knew that air conditioning was going to be a necessity after having spent so much time working on the interior in warmer weather. The Scamp absorbed the sun’s heat like an insulated fiberglass tin can even on days when the temperatures outside were bearable. The large windows were stationary and any ventilation through the small sliding side windows was not sufficient without decent wind.
At this point I cannot continue explaining the AC issue without also addressing the heat source inside the Scamp. I was not fond of running propane heat in the camper so we retired the original propane furnace. Our initial travel plan was to avoid camping in extremes of cold or heat so we never had a reason to replace the furnace. While researching our options for air conditioning we found a portable electric AC/heat/dehumidifier unit that covered all the bases in the event we needed these resources. By the time we had figured all of this out, plus time for creative installation, the interior renovation was about two thirds completed.
We decided the best location to house this multipurpose apparatus was under the loft bed. The space was perfect for keeping the unit out of the way from the living space. After a bit of measuring and softening of the nerves (we were about to create a sizable hole in the back wall of the camper!) Steve cut the perfect size hole for the exhaust. After that it was simply a matter of attaching the unit venting hose through the hole and attaching a debris protector to keep out critters and dirt. This was the perfect solution!
Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”
“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” -ANTON CHEKHOV