Simple performance boost for Air8 air conditioner

rfuss928 · July 9

With several discussions about air conditioning (lack of) performance, I thought I'd share this...
During a very hot, humid day camping in full sun I noticed the Air8 struggling to keep up interior cooling. I also noticed warm air wafting from under the right rear of the camper. The warm air exhaust from the Air8 was hitting the ground, lingering under the trailer and being drawn into the air inlet of the air conditioner. I took the lid of a Rubbermaid container and wedged it in place under the trailer along the frame to make a barrier between the inlet and outlet vents. The Air8 output was almost immediately cooler and the system was keeping the interior much more comfortable.
I've had a similar problem with a CoolCat in the past and a simple deflector hood on the exhaust vent provided an effective solution. I was able to fabricate a simple hood out of some Plasticore material and Gorilla duct tape for the Air8 that directs the exhaust away from the inlet. It is so effective the warm air can be felt exiting from under the left rear now.
I think something similar could be added to any Air8 installation for a noticeable improvement in efficiency.