12 volt air conditioner

[Tulecreeper]

Considering your current setup with one battery and a 100-watt solar panel, it's unlikely to provide enough power to run a 12-volt air conditioner continuously. A single battery typically has a capacity of around 100-150 Ah, which might not be sufficient for your needs. The 100-watt solar panel can help recharge your battery, but it may not fully compensate for the power consumed by the air conditioner.

Pretty beefy battery. Your standard lead-acid Group 29 or 31 12V DC (Deep Cycle) battery runs in the 85-90 Ah range.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I gotta believe the AC unit has unacceptable conversion losses.

But that may be justified by the ability to alternatively plug into a 120v outlet, which some modern truck stops provide.

 

[John From Detroit]

Near as I can tell there are a couple of designs. One is a 12V compressor motor and one "dresses up fancily" what is basically an AC motor and inverter.

I gotta believe the AC unit has unacceptable conversion losses.

I once wondered about the efficiency of PSW v/s MSW inverters.. Turns out they are about 90% efficient.. Don't matter which. peak efficiency is 90%. Motors are not that efficient.
Neither are alternators or generators (Though I suspect alternators are a touch better than generators but I've not compared)

 

[BrunoMTP]

In Use application in a smaller van. On a larger Class B you'll easily be using 2-4 times the running amps (~20 per hour) shown in the video.

 

[Lou Schneider]

I bought a Midea U-shaped "smart inverter" 120 volt window air conditioner to cool my shop. It's essentially a mini-split in a single package that keeps the compressor noise isolated on the outside. 12000 BTU on sale for $310 at Costco. It's meant to go in a double hung window but only requires the construction of an insulated panel to fill the U-channel to mount in a regular cutout. It's remarkably quiet and efficient with a Energy Star 15 SEER rating, the highest I've seen. It has a measured draw of 650 watts at it's maximum setting, less than half as much power as a rooftop RV air conditioner that produces about the same amount of cooling.

12,000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner

If you run this on a 90% efficient inverter it will draw about 48 amps at 12 volts, the same power as the 12 volt "mini-split" in the video that only provides 8000 BTU.