</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by pmontero:
<strong>Did you really need an AC unit with 12,000 btu's to condition the cab of that pickup? Just curious if you could have used something around 5k.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Most factory automotive air conditioners are anywhere from 15 to 30 KBTU, so it's definitely not oversized. Basically, I picked the largest size that would comfortably fit through the cab wall.

However, the larger exaporator size of a window unit is less prone to iceing over, so it doesn't cycle on and off like a dash unit (thermostat has been bypassed, so it runs full blast unless the compressor is manually shut off ). Takes longer to cool down than a dash air unit, but after it gets rolling, seems entirely adequate.

Tag, the generator is $729 at Home Depot. It's one of the few electric-start models in its size or price class. After being used for half of last summer and this spring, it has less than 50 hours on it.

The generator section also supplies 12 volts DC, which provides a fail-safe method of powering an electric fuel pump connected to the pickup's tank û if the generator dies for any reason, there's no chance of the fuel pump continuing to run. A Holley fuel pressure regulator reduces pressure to just a fraction of 1 PSI (to simulate the original gravity-fed fuel tank).