It’s been said the simplest ideas work best, so it’s no surprise that a cooler full of ice hooked to an electric fan will get the job done for a fraction of the price of factory-installed air conditioning. Starting at $299, the B-Kool portable cooling system takes this concept one step further by keeping the cabin surprisingly cool even on the hottest of days. The secret is the use of an internal heat exchanger and high-volume ducted fan that pumps out not just cool air, but downright cold air, down to about 40 degrees F.
Available in 12- or 24-volt versions, the unit is simple to set up and requires just a few ice packs or bags of ice to work its magic. We tried it on a warm summer day and came away convinced that you can go ahead and save the $30,000 you might spend on factory air conditioning to put toward other options. The cooler fits on the floor behind the pilot seats and provides cold air for an hour or so using about 10 pounds of ice. The top-of-the-line version ($399) even comes with a handy remote that lets you control it without reaching behind you. www.b-kool.net
