EricTyrrell
Expo God
What do you think? Is air conditioning really necessary on expedition vehicles?
Vehicle air conditioning really necessary?
- Thread starter EricTyrrell
- Start date
Buliwyf
Viking with a Hammer
Windows and roof? YES! Absolutely. Without AC your carpet and seats get moist and foggy. AC dries out a truck nicely. We only wheel and camp when the weather is nasty. When the weather is actually nice, I do completely other things. My seat time, when I travel, should be a vacation not a sweaty mess. That's for when I get to the trail head.
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Useless on a Jeep soft top.
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Useless on a Jeep soft top.
EricTyrrell
Expo God
How about considering options such as in cab fans, moisture wicking fabrics, shaded roofs, or the fact that there was a time before AC was available?
getlost4x4
Expedition Leader
I will never give up AC again, unless I lived in a much more mild climate.
EricTyrrell
Expo God
I'm really curious how old (pre-ac) expeditions across jungles and deserts dealt with this.
UK4X4
Expedition Leader
"I'm really curious how old (pre-ac) expeditions across jungles and deserts dealt with this"
Below the window direct venting to the cabin - landrover "Tropical Roofs" which illiminate radiant heat
Oh and a people that usually understood what work and hard labor actually was..........
Not a bunch of cubicle heads who use a mouse for a living
AC is not required, it just makes you sweat less !
Hell early exploration was on foot- then horseback and hundreds of years later cars,,,,then AC was discovered and we all became softies
Below the window direct venting to the cabin - landrover "Tropical Roofs" which illiminate radiant heat
Oh and a people that usually understood what work and hard labor actually was..........
Not a bunch of cubicle heads who use a mouse for a living
AC is not required, it just makes you sweat less !
Hell early exploration was on foot- then horseback and hundreds of years later cars,,,,then AC was discovered and we all became softies
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
Comfort....Allows the body and mind to use it's energy on more productive things than trying to keep comfortable and you usually end up at the destination with much more energy. Necessary? Of course not. Nice? Absolutely!
Oh, and "air conditioning" includes heat in the winter....
Oh, and "air conditioning" includes heat in the winter....
getlost4x4
Expedition Leader
well, go ahead and remove all your AC. If your are on such a real expedition and don't need it. who here has been on a real expedition.
my vehicles have it, i'm not going to remove it so I can claim to be "cool" (pun intended)
my vehicles have it, i'm not going to remove it so I can claim to be "cool" (pun intended)
Semantics?
Hello Eric:
No, air conditioning is not "really" necessary on expedition vehicles - whether you mean cooling or heating. Most dual sport bikes lack cooling and the majority lack heating, for example. As you mention there was a time when cooling wasn't available and an earlier time when heating wasn't available. However, would I want a modern enclosed-cab expedition vehicle without heating? Absolutely not. Would I want one without cooling? Most likely not, unless I knew I'd only be spending time at really high latitudes and or elevations.
I suspect we all appreciate the advantages of heating and probably don't need much discussion about it.
For me the advantages of modern cooling systems far outweigh the disadvantages. Aside from the obvious comfort others have mentioned, I like cooling for the dust control it provides. While I have fond memories of long Baja trips in my 1967 Ford Bronco w/o cooling, I also remember inches of dust over everything.
I guess the main disadvantages of a cooling system on an expedition vehicle are increased complexity, decreased fuel efficiency, and more stress on the vehicle's engine cooling system. There are times when making long, steep off-pavement climbs during summer trips when we watch our engine temperature and turn off the cab cooling to keep engine coolant temperature reasonable. I'm convinced that modern vehicles have the systems well enough in hand that the increased complexity of cooling systems isn't an issue.
Howard
Hello Eric:
No, air conditioning is not "really" necessary on expedition vehicles - whether you mean cooling or heating. Most dual sport bikes lack cooling and the majority lack heating, for example. As you mention there was a time when cooling wasn't available and an earlier time when heating wasn't available. However, would I want a modern enclosed-cab expedition vehicle without heating? Absolutely not. Would I want one without cooling? Most likely not, unless I knew I'd only be spending time at really high latitudes and or elevations.
I suspect we all appreciate the advantages of heating and probably don't need much discussion about it.
For me the advantages of modern cooling systems far outweigh the disadvantages. Aside from the obvious comfort others have mentioned, I like cooling for the dust control it provides. While I have fond memories of long Baja trips in my 1967 Ford Bronco w/o cooling, I also remember inches of dust over everything.
I guess the main disadvantages of a cooling system on an expedition vehicle are increased complexity, decreased fuel efficiency, and more stress on the vehicle's engine cooling system. There are times when making long, steep off-pavement climbs during summer trips when we watch our engine temperature and turn off the cab cooling to keep engine coolant temperature reasonable. I'm convinced that modern vehicles have the systems well enough in hand that the increased complexity of cooling systems isn't an issue.
Howard
Have you smelled people on dual sport bikes? The smell alone can be daunting.
I won't have a car without AC. Sorry. been there, done that, and.. it sucks. Can you do it? Sure. but if you sweat, your interior will smell up.. badly. Even with the windows open. It will smell. Moisture wicking isn't all that effective. Will still smell. Plus, excessive heat + long hours, =more stressful.
I won't have a car without AC. Sorry. been there, done that, and.. it sucks. Can you do it? Sure. but if you sweat, your interior will smell up.. badly. Even with the windows open. It will smell. Moisture wicking isn't all that effective. Will still smell. Plus, excessive heat + long hours, =more stressful.
Desert Dan
Explorer
I have AC but don't use it much on dirt roads or rough trails as I like to have the windows open and also hear what is going on outside the truck.
I have seen people driving with the AC on and didn't know they had a flat tire from a sidewall cut because they couldn't hear the air coming out of the tire with the windows up and blowing.
AC also put more stress on the cooling system.
I do use the ac if on a dusty road when with a group and on the highway when hot.
I have seen people driving with the AC on and didn't know they had a flat tire from a sidewall cut because they couldn't hear the air coming out of the tire with the windows up and blowing.
AC also put more stress on the cooling system.
I do use the ac if on a dusty road when with a group and on the highway when hot.
bfdiesel
Explorer
There was also a time before heat, metal wheels, tooth paste, soap, fire, and the wheel in general.
I run the ac to keep engine temps up. It is amazing how cool my old 6.2 can run crawling around.
Jr_Explorer
Explorer
Mine is a modest rig but I never understood why people would put 10's of thousands of dollars into a vehicle and then put up with being uncomfortable even for one day.