The Best Air Conditioning Options for Campervans, Rooftop and Portable

Summer heat can make campervan living pretty uncomfortable, especially when you’re parked somewhere without shade or airflow. When chasing cooler weather isn’t realistic, a rooftop air conditioning unit can be one of the most effective ways to keep your van livable during hot days and warm nights.

Rooftop AC units are the most popular choice for campervans, and there are two options here: 12-volt and 120-volt.

What you choose depends largely on whether you typically stay in campgrounds hooked up to shore power, or running your air conditioner off your battery bank. 120-volt units tend to be cheaper, but need a great deal of power to run.

That said, rooftop units aren’t the only option. There are also two portable units worth taking a look at, one a traditional air conditioner, and one a swamp cooler.

The Best Campervan Air Conditioners At a Glance

If you’re in a hurry, here are our top picks. You can scroll through the rest of the article for more detailed information on each unit, and air conditioners in general.

The Best AC (120 Volt) Air Conditioning Units for a Campervan

Campervan air conditioning units that run on 120-volts – the same outlet you find in a house – are much cheaper than their 12-volt counterparts. You’ll need to plug into shore power or use a generator to keep these running for any lengthy period of time.

These are what you usually see mounted on the roofs of campervan RVs sold by Winnebago, Airstream and Storyteller Overland.

This Dometic Penguin II best air conditioner for a campervan has a low profile – only adding 9.5 inches to your van’s roofline – so you won’t have to worry about drag affecting your fuel economy.

In fact, we think this van AC unit actually looks pretty cool and will enhance any campervan’s aesthetic!

Although the Penguin II is pretty heavy, it’s fairly easy to install and comes with manual, electronic, and wall thermostat controls.

One of the best things about this best campervan air conditioner is its use of R410 refrigerant, an eco-friendly option that releases heat more efficiently than other AC units.

The Penguin II has a 3-speed blower, and although it isn’t the quietest of van air conditioners, it’ll definitely do the job of cooling down your van on the hottest days, thanks to its 11,000 BTU/hour cooling capacity.

One van lifer I spoke to on Instagram, Graeme (@nomadnom0re), said, “I mostly use my Dometic Penguin when hooked up to shore power. Otherwise, an EcoFlow portable power station could run the air conditioner for 3-4 hours, enough to cool down my Sprinter. I only used the AC unit in dire situations, when it’s way too hot to sleep.”

This Coleman Mach 15 best air conditioner for a campervan features an impressive 1/3 horsepower fan that blows cool air at an incredible 325 cubic feet per minute.

Best of all, the unit is really quiet, even when the fan is on full speed.

The Coleman Mach 15 also features a heating element, and its rugged construction, with all copper tubing, gas-flux brazed joints, and a sealed shaft to protect it from the elements means this campervan AC unit will stand the test of time.

Although the Mach 15 campervan air conditioner weighs less than similar units, installation can be quite tricky, and you’ll need at least 2 people and a few hours to get the job done.

This van AC unit is designed for ducted systems but comes with an adaptor for non-ducted setup, like what you’d have in a campervan.

The Dometic Brisk Evolution II is a sturdy, lightweight and affordable campervan air conditioner that uses aircraft-grade parts, and is really made to last.

This best air conditioner for a campervan is easy to install and comes with a gasket that fits a standard 14×14 opening.

The Dometic Brisk II is one of the quieter units on our list, thanks to its vibration-reducing technology.

The Dometic Brisk II has a 3-speed blower, washable filter, and a remote control, so you don’t even have to get out of bed if you need to adjust the temperature

The Best DC Rooftop Campervan Air Conditioning Units

These types of off-grid campervan air conditioners are on the pricey side, but run off batteries charged via your electrical system. You’ll need a significant solar system and battery bank to run these units off-grid, but it is possible. Many 12, 24, and 48-volt units weigh less than their 120-volt counterparts. Here are several options out there.

The Nomadic Innovations X3 campervan air conditioning unit comes with a hefty price tag, but that’s what you get for a truly off-grid air conditioner that runs off your van’s batteries, preferably lithium.

This campervan AC unit comes with both Eco Mode and Max Mode depending on the outdoor temperature. The default is Eco Mode and is preferred up to 85 degrees outside. You can use Maxl Mode for short bursts to really cool your van down on a hot day. Max Mode takes a lot of amps so it isn’t sustainable for the long term.

The Nomadic Innovations X3 comes with a pressure alarm, high/lower voltage alarm, motor over-current and motor temperature protection. 

You’ll need 4-6 lithium batteries to run the Nomadic Cooling unit, as well as a robust solar system.

Ricki Hoffman (@rickiontheroad) uses this A/C unit in her converted Ford Transit campervan. In regards to her experience with it, she says, “Overall, it’s a great unit. I like the 360 swivel of the vents and its low profile. It also comes with a remote!”

She lives in her van full-time with her dog and uses the A/C often: “When it gets above 80, I have to turn it on, and when I’m leaving my dog in my van, I set it to 70, which helps keep the van at a constant temp. I’d say I use it 3-4 times a week.”

The only con Ricki has found with this unit is the power draw – “As far as the biggest con, it’s just the energy draw when using it in full power.”

The Dometic RTX has been around for over 10 years in Europe, and it’s finally available in North America! 

This might just be the best camper van air conditioner for living off-grid, thanks to its remarkably low power consumption. This is achieved through the use of a variable-speed inverted compressor which provides awesome cooling performance and super-efficient and quiet operation. 

When it’s running in eco mode, the Dometic RTX only draws around 19 amps, which means a lot when you’re running it off your van batteries. There’s also a turbo mode for quick cooling in short blasts. This camper van air conditioner comes with everything you need for installation, plus a neat little remote control.

Rachel from @TrioinaVan lives in her RAM ProMaster conversion with her two dogs and uses the RTX2000 while traveling around the U.S. and Canada. She likes how it “runs on 12V and uses surprisingly little power. I’ve made sure to stay in campgrounds during the Alberta heatwave this week, though, so we could run it 24/7 without worrying about battery levels.”

The Velit 2000R is a DC-powered rooftop air conditioner designed specifically for campervans and off-grid builds. Unlike traditional RV AC units that require a large inverter and shore power, this one runs directly on 12V, 24V, or 48V systems. It uses an efficient inverter compressor and can operate on as little as 20 amps at 12V, making it a realistic option for vans with lithium batteries and solar. With a low-profile height of just over 7 inches, it also keeps roof clearance and wind drag to a minimum.

Power consumption is impressively flexible, which is what makes this unit appealing for van life. In Eco mode, it uses roughly 250 to 300 watts, while Turbo mode tops out around 680 watts when you need fast cooling. That range makes it much easier to manage power usage overnight or during hot afternoons without instantly draining your batteries.

Noise levels are also reasonable for a rooftop unit, staying quiet enough in Eco mode that it will not dominate your living space.

At 66 pounds, the Velit 2000R is lighter than many traditional RV air conditioners and fits standard 14×14 roof cutouts. The kit includes everything needed for installation, including mounting hardware, interior trim, and a wiring harness.

Portable Air Conditioners for a Campervan

If you don’t like the concept of putting a heavy air conditioner on top of your campervan like us, you might want to consider a portable unit.

The Zero Breeze is a lightweight, small compressor AC unit that you can set up anywhere in your van. However, it’s low BTU rating means it won’t cool your entire van. You’ll have to position the unit so it blows directly on your body, or you can hang a sheet to separate your sleeping area from your living area.

Although the Zero Breeze does require ventilation, the small exhaust pipe could easily be fit through a window. We tried this out by venting the Zero Breeze through the two back windows of our Sprinter van, stuffing clothes around the hoses to create a seal. It worked, but the exhaust pipe gets very hot.

You can also drill holes in your van to create a more permanent mounting system.

The Zero Breeze is definitely on the expensive side, but if you’re looking for an innovative solution to your van air conditioner needs, this could be the unit for you!

The ideal cooling area for a Zero Breeze is 24-40 square feet.

The EvaSmart Evapolar evaporative cooler has been just what we need in our van. The unit is tiny, draws barely any power, and is great for sleeping or working. As it’s very small, this unit is meant as a personal air conditioner, and only works if the fan is pointed directly on you.

I often use this cooler when sitting at the table working in the van, and Tom uses it during hot nights to blow cold air over his body.

If you don’t have a robust solar or battery system in your van, this unit is for you. Only drawing 12.5 watts, it can run off a cigarette lighter for a long time.

The main downside of the Evapolar is that it is a swamp cooler, won’t work in humid environments and needs a filter replacement fairly often.

We Hope One of These Units Helps You Stay Cool!

Everyone has different tolerance levels when it comes to heat, and while some will be loving the feel of a hot day, others will be reaching for the air conditioner on switch.

If you’re traveling with pets or children, a campervan AC unit is a must, especially during the hottest months.

Whether you’re using a powerful rooftop air conditioner, or a small, portable unit, taking the edge off the heat will make living in your van much more bearable.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below!