Will the AC in a cargo van be enough to sleep in the back?

[hotbottom]

This year I'll be sleeping in the back of a U-Haul cargo van and I'm planning to start the engine in order to run the AC during the day if necessary. I'm bringing a 5-gal gas in case I ran out.

Now the van will be under a carport tall enough to allow air to flow in-between. I'm also planning to use some reflective bubble wrap to cover the windows from the outside. I'm wondering if the AC will be strong enough to sleep past 10:00 am

[Elorrum]

To sleep and never wake up, it might be just the trick. Somebody died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a van from a nearby generator in 2019. Sleeping in a closed vehicle above the exhaust doesn’t seem any safer. How can you be certain there are no leaks?Seriously. Using the vehicle engine while you sleep each day is also a shitty use of fuel, pollutes the near air, and would be very rude to your camp mates and neighbors. If you don’t care about anybody but yourself, at least insure you don’t die, have a CO monitor. Also, please consider an open camping area with a lot of space around you.

[hotbottom]

To sleep and never wake up, it might be just the trick. Somebody died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a van from a nearby generator in 2019. Sleeping in a closed vehicle above the exhaust doesn’t seem any safer. How can you be certain there are no leaks?Seriously. Using the vehicle engine while you sleep each day is also a shitty use of fuel, pollutes the near air, and would be very rude to your camp mates and neighbors. If you don’t care about anybody but yourself, at least insure you don’t die, have a CO monitor. Also, please consider an open camping area with a lot of space around you.

Thanks for the recommendation. Yeah, I was planning to have a CO monitor in the van and also park far away from camp mates and neighbors. I agree it's not the best use of gas but my guess is that it'll just consume a bit more than a generator powering an electric AC.

[some seeing eye]

Frankly, if you have full shade, a breeze can blow through, a mask for dust storms, and you have an eye mask, it is better to sleep outside. The sweat will blow off keeping you cool. So you might set that up and try it.

[Elorrum]

Frankly, if you have full shade, a breeze can blow through, a mask for dust storms, and you have an eye mask, it is better to sleep outside. The sweat will blow off keeping you cool. So you might set that up and try it.

This is true. You may find a nap in the shade with a breeze less stuffy, and very good quality rest. A mist sprayer or a dampened sheet can be nice. I guess my main concern is that you behave safely, and don’t force your neighbors to listen to your running car and breathe your exhaust. Ymmv.

[Token]

Sheesh, you have a carport and you’re gonna put a rented cargo van in it?

Why not just park the right way, have the cargo van block the sunrise, have your carport on the shade side and bring a cot and sleep all day?

My best jaded burnier than thou self sayz: “You’re doing it wrong”! There’s wrong, wrong, and then this.

[ygmir]

well, AC does not work as well when sitting still. I remember a thread long ago, about this, and getting some flexible exhaust pipe and running it up like 8 or more feet, attached to a pole or some such to help not gassing neighbors.
5 extra gallons of gas is not a lot. even idling, your engine will probably use close to 1 gal./hr. depending on engine size, of course. I can't imagine you'll find, in general camping, enough space to just let it sit and idle,(especially if the exhaust is standard configuration) and not really really bug anyone downwind. Newer rigs are pretty quiet, I don't think that'd be an issue during the day. Be ready to get chastised by some, for wasting fuel/carbon footprint (Ironic, since everyone going is wasting energy/making extra carbon just to be there).
and yeah, as Elorrum says and implies: "don't die or kill someone else".

just a few random thoughts. good luck.

[HarryN]

Probably will work if you can block out enough sunlight. The wind shield is a large spot to block off.

In conversion vans (which is what I do) just adding a modest amount of insulation helps a great deal. Can be very simple - for example some 1/2 inch thick poly iso boards on the inside and floor.

Usually in idle mode the fuel use about 1 gallon / 3 - 4 hrs of running.

Depending on the exact set up, the main problem will be if the alternator will generate enough power to run the radiator and air conditioner fans with the engine at idle. Some vans have such a low idle that the alternator is producing very little power.

It might be useful to bring along a small solar charger in case the starter battery runs low.