cooling your tent or van

Swamp Coolers, Cooler Management, Dry Ice, Misting Systems, and just plain how to beat the heat.
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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:27 pm

Success! I completed my bucket cooler today. All systems go.. the fan blows, the pump pumps. The splicing of the wires wasn't as hard as I was anticipating it to be. Woohoo!! New skills = good...
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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Canoe
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by Canoe » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:42 pm

Photo of your bucket cooler?
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That's one word I regret googling during breakfast.
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unjonharley
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by unjonharley » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:44 pm

sadie wrote:Success! I completed my bucket cooler today. All systems go.. the fan blows, the pump pumps. The splicing of the wires wasn't as hard as I was anticipating it to be. Woohoo!! New skills = good...
God on ya..Fig Jam's coolers rock

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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:56 pm

Canoe wrote:Photo of your bucket cooler?
I can't figure out how to post a picture... :oops:
I read in faq that pics need to have a url, and I'm not sure how to go about that. I have a really old computer at home, but a great one at work, so if there is a secret way to post, I can try from work on Monday...

And yes, Unjohn, Figjam's cooler design is most excellent. He's a very patient and helpful guy!
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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Canoe
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by Canoe » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:01 pm

You can upload an attachment.
Although it will only show it to people who are logged in.
4.669
.
That's one word I regret googling during breakfast.
.
Video games are giving kids unrealistic expectations on how many swords they can carry.
.
, but don't harm the red dragon that frequents the area from time to time. He and I have an agreement.

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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:03 pm

Canoe wrote:You can upload an attachment.
Although it will only show it to people who are logged in.
Oh! ok, thanks. I will give it a shot.
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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Elorrum
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by Elorrum » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:06 pm

sadie wrote:I can't figure out how to post a picture... :oops:
I read in faq that pics need to have a url, and I'm not sure how to go about that. I have a really old computer at home, but a great one at work, so if there is a secret way to post, I can try from work on Monday...
The only way I have figured to post a photo is to open a photobucket account, upload to photobucket, and then copy and paste the IMG link to your reply, and make sure it has [IMG] brackets on both ends of it. If it's working, in your eplaya reply, you can see it in preview before you submit.
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unjonharley
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by unjonharley » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:10 pm

You guy start talking dirty.. trying to teach me how to post a picture..

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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:17 pm

Thanks Elorrum. That sounds like something I could figure out.
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:59 pm

here it is..maybe?? or maybe just a link??

[img][IMG]http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314 ... eff690.jpg[/img][/img]
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:00 am

TMI in the link, but your getting closer!!! 8)
sadie wrote:here it is..maybe?? or maybe just a link??

Image
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unjonharley
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by unjonharley » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:03 am

cool cooler and yeah on the pic..

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Roundabout
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by Roundabout » Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:53 pm

While checking the fluid levels in my Cosco deep cycle battery, I noticed the fluid was a little cloudy in a couple of cells. I am assuming that some playa dust blasted its way in. So for this year, I bought a $8 battery box from Bass Pro to better shelter the battery. Then I decided to customize the box. I use the battery/solar charger to run a swamp cooler and 12v lighting throughout a Costco carport and community shade structure. Installed a digital voltmeter w on/off switch, a panel of 4 Anderson connectors w on/off switches, a12v accessory plug, external terminals, and a solar controller on the box. In hindsight, I see a couple of problems w the design, but overall, I think I am happy w it.
image.jpg
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image.jpg
All of the connections are run through a fuse panel except the voltmeter.
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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:39 pm

Sometimes the new blue pads will shed little flecks when they're first installed and plug the holes in the drip line, so cut a little piece of pad and wire it over the intake on the pump.

Image

Image

This will act as a filter while being pours enough to not plug up.

I like the label on the new buckets!!! 8)

Image
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

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sadie
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by sadie » Tue Mar 04, 2014 2:35 pm

oh hey! Thanks FIGJAM!! You fixed it! :D
If I've told you once, I've told you ten thousand times..jazz hands goddammit....JAZZ HANDS!!!

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McStrangle
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by McStrangle » Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:56 pm

Ok so....in theory these bucket coolers LOOK relatively easy to put together, but realistically, for someone absolutely no technically minded (IE. me) how much of a job would this be? I'm running under the assumption that it's not TOO time consuming but again, I'm pretty crap when it comes to stuff like this.

My partner had the idea of buying a generator and a portable air conditioner to cool the back of a uHaul, but this doesn't seem very sensible to me.
Something Pithy

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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:59 pm

The hardest part is to start!!!

Stop thinking and start DOING!!!

Follow the directions, and if you have issues, PM me and I'll get you through it. 8)
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

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McStrangle
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by McStrangle » Fri Mar 07, 2014 6:08 pm

I'm going to make a practice go of it over here actually, but I'll get my wood/metalshop teaching, housebuilding, car restoring father to help I'm thinking, as it's always fun to see him laugh at my complete lack of understanding when it comes to things like that.
Thanks :)
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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:12 pm

YOU do this, but let him supervise.

You may learn that it's great to try new things even if you fail.

Unless someone taught you that that is not ok.

Shame on them!!! 8)
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

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TT120
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by TT120 » Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:38 pm

They're easy to build and they work surprisingly well. Do it!! It'll be fun!
Life's a bitch, then you go to Burning Man - Unjonharley
We welcome the stranger, but that doesn't mean we have to like them, nor they us, and that's alright. - AntiM

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McStrangle
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by McStrangle » Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:01 pm

FIGJAM wrote:YOU do this, but let him supervise.

You may learn that it's great to try new things even if you fail.

Unless someone taught you that that is not ok.

Shame on them!!! 8)
Oh yah, that was the plan. There's no point just getting him to do it, I'd just get bored and vague out
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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:25 pm

At this point you know more about it than he does.......................doesn't that feel nice!!! 8)
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

keves
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by keves » Sat Mar 15, 2014 12:15 pm

Hello :)

I am looking into building a Swamp Cooler myself now that me and a friend have decided to built a Yurt. After all, whats a yurt without a cooler? :P
I looked at the guide on page 51 - is that the most suitable one for a Hexayurt? If so, I didn't notice any mentioning of spacing the durapad from the bucket. From my reading I understood thats necessary otherwise air would only flow from the holes in the bucket and not benefit from all the surface area of the pad. Is that correct?
If it is, how would one go about the spacing?

Thanks and a cool burn to y'all 8)

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unjonharley
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by unjonharley » Sat Mar 15, 2014 12:24 pm

The pads stand up pretty good without spacers.. Plastic coated chicken wire if you feel the need..

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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:01 pm

If you cut the pad 29"x14" and form a tube (I staple the seam), it won't touch the sides of the bucket. 8)
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

keves
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by keves » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:02 pm

Sweet. Thanks!

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TT120
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by TT120 » Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:09 pm

Pro tip:

Rinse your new swamp cooler pad out well before you use it. There is a lot of particles in a new pad that might plug the holes on your halo tube. Duracool pads have a LOT of blue dust that comes out.
Life's a bitch, then you go to Burning Man - Unjonharley
We welcome the stranger, but that doesn't mean we have to like them, nor they us, and that's alright. - AntiM

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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:36 pm

I wired a small piece of pad over the intake on the pump to stop that. 8)
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

keves
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by keves » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:40 pm

... and another question. Is this a good pad (and a decent price): http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?lan ... cId=detail ?
Thanks again (:

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FIGJAM
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Re: cooling your tent or van

Post by FIGJAM » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:56 pm

That's the stuff!!! 8)

Image
"Don't buy ur Burn...........Build ur Burn!"

"If I can't find an answer, I'll create one!!!"

Fuck Im Good Just Ask Me

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