Owner guides
6 best motorhome air conditioning units
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Warm days and clear skies are perfect conditions for a motorhome holiday. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows: motorhomes can get very hot inside on summer days and can keep this temperature high at night. Installing air con in your vehicle is the answer to a more comfortable journey, but what types are available and what are the best motorhome air conditioning units? The best motorhome air conditioning units for your vehicle might be turbo, portable, or roof mounted.
Read on for an overview of motorhome air con types, plus why you need an air conditioning unit in your motorhome. We cover all you need to know about A/C for van life, including our top five motorhome air conditioners.
Do you need an air conditioning unit in a motorhome?
Air con for motorhomes hasn’t always been a top priority for many UK owners. But recent years have seen rising temperatures and frequent heat waves, making the summer months uncomfortable for many. Lots of motorhomers holiday in mainland Europe too, which typically has higher temperatures than the UK. Wherever you plan to travel, motorhome air con will provide a cool and comfy space for relaxed and hassle-free holidays.
This is especially true if you plan to hire your motorhome out in warmer months. Hirers will be on holiday to have a relaxing experience and this is much less likely to happen if they’re hot and bothered. Offer your hirers a better sleep than they would have at home – it’s win/win for both parties.
However, air conditioning units can be expensive, particularly the built-in styles. A less expensive option is a portable air con unit, which has the added advantage that you can use it elsewhere when needed. But these cut down on your motorhome’s storage space and are generally noisier than built-in models.
If you’re always going to travel/hire your motorhome out in summer, or you’re planning to spend a lot of time somewhere like Spain, a powerful built-in air con unit will be a more practical option despite its higher cost.
Types of air conditioning units for a motorhome
What types of air conditioning systems are on the market, and which will best suit your vehicle? Here are the main types of motorhome air conditioners, with pros and cons of each.
Portable air conditioner
Portable air conditioners are placed wherever you like in your motorhome and can be used at home when you’re not on the road. They come in small fan styles, slim tower fans or cube shaped, so you can easily find a portable air con unit that suits your needs. Expect to pay around £600-800 for a powerful unit that should significantly cool down your motorhome.
Portable air conditioner pros
The portability of these air con units is their biggest advantage – place them anywhere you like in the motorhome or remove them for home use. If you’re then travelling in winter, you’ll save on your motorhome’s payload weight. They’re much more cost effective than built-in or mounted air conditioning units, and can be sold on if you want to upgrade.
Portable air conditioner considerations
Portable air con units will obviously take up space that a roof-mounted unit wouldn’t. If the unit is vented through a window, the window will need to be always slightly open, which could be a security risk. They’re generally noisier than in-built units (which could annoy neighbours if you’re on a campsite with pitches close together).
Roof-mounted/built-in air conditioner
Roof-mounted or built-in are the best motorhome air conditioning units if you have the budget and are comfortable fitting them. Whether you go for roof-mounted or built-in will depend on your motorhome size and layout, as a smaller motorhome will have fewer choices for unit placement. Allow for £1,800-£2,500 and up if you’d like to install a fixed unit.
Roof-mounted/built-in air conditioner pros
This type of motorhome air con unit can be a big space saver, as you’ll either mount the unit on the roof or place it on the floor in an already designated space. This makes them more discreet too. Additionally, they’ll generally be much more powerful and quieter than portable units or fans.
Roof-mounted/built-in air conditioner considerations
A built-in system like an under-bench or under-seat air con unit is great to utilise space in the motorhome, but you might want that space for storage. With a roof-mounted unit that fits into the existing roof light space, you may lose some natural light in the motorhome. If this is an issue for you, look for a model like theDometic FreshLight, which is an air conditioner and roof light combined.
Turbo air conditioner/turbo vent
A turbo fan or turbo vent, as shown inSpud above, is the easiest way to draw cool air into your motorhome. It fits into an existing roof light space and is relatively inexpensive to buy and straightforward to install. ManufacturerFiamma has several models.
Turbo vent pros
Turbo vents are simple to use and are powerful for their size. They’re dual use, pushing hot air out of a motorhome as well as motorhome as well as pulling cool air in – this means they can quickly ventilate the motorhome, for example to get rid of cooking smells or to release smoke if you’ve burned food.
At around £150-250, turbo vents are among the least expensive ways of getting fresh air into your van. Finally, most models run on 12v power so you can use them at any time, even off-grid.
Turbo vent considerations
The main drawback of turbo fans is the noise, which can be very loud if the vent’s operating at top speed.
Best air conditioning units for motorhomes
The main two manufacturers in the motorhome air con unit market are Swiss brand Dometic and German brand Truma. We’ve included examples from each in our best motorhome air conditioning units, plus added a few extra from other brands.
1. Roof-mounted air conditioning unit: Truma Aventa Compact
£1,329
Truma describes its Aventa Compact as the lightest and quietest roof-mounted motorhome/caravan air conditioning unit on the market. If you have the budget, this is a brilliant pick for motorhome air con: it’s powerful, discreet and generates 1700 watts of cooling power to keep your motorhome fresh even on the hottest days. At a maximum size of 785 x 560 x 311mm, it’s designed to fit almost any motorhome’s roof light. It helps manage your payload too, at under 28kg.
Key benefits:
Lightest and quietest roof-mounted motorhome air conditioning unit on the market
Cools faster than any other roof-mounted air conditioner
Working range of 16 to 40° C
Convenient adjustment using remote control
Control air conditioner and ACC using the app (optional with Truma iNet Box)
Considerations:
On the higher price end of the market
Needs to be installed
2. Roof-mounted: Dometic FreshJet 1700
From £1,849
We’ve included two roof-mounted models on our best motorhome air conditioning units – the Truma Aventa above and this model from Dometic, the FreshJet 1700. Retailing at around £2,000, the FreshJet also replaces the roof light space. Dometic says this model is the smallest air conditioner on the market, in a compact design that still leaves space for solar panels or a satellite dish on the motorhome roof. It weighs 30kg and has a cooling capacity of 1,080w.
Key benefits:
The smallest motorhome air conditioning unit on the market
Adjustable flow: air flow can be individually adjusted up or down, left or right
Comes with remote control
Ambient LED lighting fitted in the air distribution box
Considerations:
The highest-priced unit on our list
Must be installed by a Dometic engineer to keep the warranty valid
Suitable only for motorhomes up to 6m in length
3. Under-bench air conditioning unit: Dometic FreshWell 3000
£1,695
Also from Dometic is the FreshWell 3000, our pick for under-bench air conditioning in a motorhome. It can be fitted under a bed or under bench seats, so is ideal if you don’t want the additional weight of a roof-mounted air conditioning unit or if you want to keep the roof clear for solar panels, a TV aerial or a satellite dish. The unit’s air diffuser system distributes cool air evenly over three air outlets, which you can position as required, and can be used for heating as well as cooling air. It also comes with a 12v DC adaptor kit, so can be used while driving. The Freshwell 3000 weighs 22kg.
Key benefits:
Powerful but compact
Space saving: can be used under benches or beds
Can be used as a heater: perfect for year-round motorhoming
Cooling capacity of 2,700w
Remote control
Dimmable LED lights
Considerations:
Needs to be ducted around the motorhome
Ducting not included
4. Under-seat air conditioning unit: Truma Saphir Comfort RC
£1,350
The Saphir Comfort RC from Truma is our second pick for under-bench/under-seat best motorhome air conditioning units. Like the Dometic Freshwell, it’s lighter than a roof-mounted unit and has a much lower centre of gravity when fitted to a vehicle. It can also be used as a heater. Both functions can be set by remote control, unit timer or via the Truma app and iNet.
The Truma Saphir Comfort RC is 23.5kg in weight and has a cooling capacity of 2,400w.
Key benefits:
Four operating modes: cooling, heating, automatic and air circulation
Three fan speeds
Fluff and particle filters
Timer and remote control
Sleep setting for noiseless air circulation
Considerations:
Needs to be ducted around the motorhome
High power start-up: may trip electric hook-up at some campsites
5. Portable air conditioning unit: Pro Breeze 4-in-1 7000
£850
Buy online
This powerful portable air conditioner provides strong and effective cooling down to 15°C with a choice of four modes –air cooling, dehumidifying, fan only and energy saving sleep mode to keep users cool overnight while also reducing energy consumption. The unit comes with a built-in 24 hour on/off timer and an adjustable thermostat temperature control in both °C & °F. At just under 24kg and retailing at around £850, this is an excellent and relatively lightweight air con unit to suit all motorhomes.
Key benefits:
Designed to be energy efficient
Easy-to-use digital LED display and remote control
Built-in timer with 1- to 24-hour turn-on and turn-off functions
Can be controlled via app, Alexa and Google Home
Two easy-to-install window venting kits included
Considerations:
Won’t fit all window heights unless another hose is purchased
6. 12v air conditioning unit: Viesa Holiday llls
From £1,440
There’s no point buying the best motorhome air conditioning units if you don’t have electric hook-up or a generator to power it! Get around this by using a unit powered by yourmotorhome electrics 12v system, such as this model from Viesa. As an evaporative cooler, it’s directly connected to the vehicle’s water system, producing filtered, refreshed air through four adjustable diffusers.
Easy and economical to run, the Viesa can also be operated while the vehicle is in motion, and has silent operation via an advanced centrifugal pump. This is the perfect pick for off-grid camping and energy saving.
Key benefits:
Eco-friendly and energy-efficient air con solution for off-grid camping
Economical to run with low power absorption
Ecologically-friendly: no oil, gases or chemical additives
Purifies air through a system of filters
Considerations:
For motorhome maximum length of 8m
Designed to cool a space with a maximum of four people on board
Cover the costs of your motorhome air conditioning unit
Air conditioning for a motorhome is a must these days as UK summers get hotter. Having a cool and air conditioned space can make the difference between an average and an amazing holiday, either for you or for guests. This makes motorhome air conditioning a worthwhile investment!
Remember you can make back the costs of your motorhome air con unit (and much more!) by hiring your motorhome out on Camplify. With thousands of pounds in hire costs available per year, it’s a simple way to earn a steady income from your motorhome.
Why Camplify?
Camplify connects owners like you with local and international holidaymakers - all of whom are verified to maximise the safety when you hire out your motorhome. Discover more of our advantages for owners below:
It's free to list your van.
If you don’t have all-risk insurance, we can provide you with it when you sign up.
We give your van a 24/7 RAC breakdown cover.
You have complete freedom to approve or reject guests interested in hiring your van. Your wheels, your rules.
We provide you with tips and step-by-step guides on how to improve your service and your vehicle to get more and more bookings!
The sooner you set up your listing, the sooner it will start to receive visits and bookings! See how much you could earn if you hire out your van with ourfree income calculator or sign up now to start enjoying the above advantages today.
If you still have questions, want to discuss your income potential with an expert or get more information on how to list your vehicle, call us on ☎ 0330 808 1811 or visit www.camplify.co.uk. We’ll be happy to help you with anything you need!