KGordon

So if I decide to spring for a roof mounted AC in the pre-wired main vent, can I also have a fantasticvent fan on another part of the roof, and if so where? Replacing the bathroom vent, replacing the useless crank-up antenna?

I do have a cabinet mounted junction box labeled AC, but I think I'd like to keep the 12v and 110 clearly differentiated. A bit of tidy channel on the ceiling sounds like the way to go. I'll have to weigh the unit when my mechanic's done playing with her. Since I still work a few days a week, we'll mostly be taking short trips....easy to see whether the weather calls for AC.

The main vent is wired for a 120v air conditioner, so if I were to use that opening for a 12v fan I'd have to run wires from a nearby light or some such. In an idea world, I'd love both. AC for stinky hot weather and a fan for nice cool evenings.

Thanks for the tip....and I'm sure he'll know what that means. His specialty is restoring quirky old cars and trucks.

You're right Linda, that seam and the wood behind it will need some attention. But I figured I should treat the cause before the symptoms. One step at a time. And I will post pictures of the roof as soon as my mechanic gives it back to me. He's replacing the 17 yr old tires and all the other rubber stuff, and doing some other necessary maintenance.

Thanks for that! Actually I was wondering about relocating the current unit from the dinette to the area between the cab seats. I would need to make a stand for it that contains some kind of catch basin for the condensation, but that shouldn't be too difficult! The rig already has Reflectix on the front cab over windows and a gray tinting film on all of the coach windows. Both probably need cleaning and refreshing, but that's fairly straightforward. And I like the idea of a solar panel to run a Fantasticvent and otherwise trickle charge the battery. But relocating the AC, which apparently does a good job of cooling the coach in its present location would be simple and effective. Can't wait for my mechanic to finish replacing the tires and doing the other necessary maintenance jobs so I can start to play!

My new to me '87 Mini-Cruiser "Mosey", does not have any powered ventilation or a generator. The folks I bought it from kept the roof vent clear and mounted a portable AC unit on one of the seats (it vents out the window and drains to the outside through the bottom of the rig). That's not a long-term solution for us, so I am researching alternatives. We live in northern New Jersey and our house is not air conditioned, I keep the house cool with fans and light control, and I'm not a fan of sleeping in AC. On the other hand, we don't want to fry, and we'd like to be able to safely leave our terrier mutt in the rig if we have to run into a store or some such. I'm wondering if solar powered vent fans would make more sense than a heavy AC that needs shore power or a generator to run. Thoughts and recommendations will be much appreciated.

I am the excited new owner of an '87 Mini-Cruiser ("Mosey", 21', rear kitchen & bath layout) and am grateful to all the great info I found on this site to make an informed decision. But of course, I still have questions, which I will try to put in the proper category. My first question regards the roof. The unit has been kept under cover most of its life, but when I went up and looked at the roof, it looked like it was time to reseal around the vents and seams, and recoat the roof. Is this something I can do myself. And if so, can you point me to the most reliable guides and best products. I am debating whether to install an AC or powered vent fans (a debate for a separate thread), but before doing anything like that, I want to make sure the roof stays tight.

Don't knock baby Subarus. My husband once outran the local police one dark and snowy night. He was putting along thinking his own thoughts in our 3-cylinder Justy, and they were driving the usual souped up Caprice. When he finally came out of his brown study and pulled over, the trooper was flabbergasted, said he'd been trying to catch up with him for the last 3 miles. He wasn't speeding or anything, just put put putting along through the snow in the sort of conditions that make big over-torqued V8's go sideways (our previous Buick LeSabre had the same problem). Apparently they were looking for someone driving a small white hatchback, who wasn't him, so they wished him goodnight and sent him on his way. But we all had a good laugh, cause that little baby didn't have enough power to pull the skin off a milk pudding.