Question: A few summers ago, the air conditioner on my 1993 Dodge Caravan went out. The cost to fix it (from two different sources) is $1,700 to $2,000. The car is not worth that much, so I have not fixed it. Last week, while walking through a Home Depot I saw a portable, stand-alone air conditioner on sale for $595 (you can see where I'm going with this). The unit requires a 115-volt connection to operate it. Can I get an adapter at Radio Shack, buy the rolling air conditioner and plug it into my cigarette lighter? I know other appliances can be plugged into the lighter, but I'm not sure the car can accommodate the demands of an air conditioner. Ignoring the fact that I will look like a hillbilly, what do you think? JohnTom: Well, at least you'd be one cool hillbilly, John.Ray: It can be done, John. But there are a number of conditions. The first is: Forget about the cigarette lighter. That'll give you enough juice to power your cell phone or your glow-in-the-dark Parker Posey dashboard ornament.

But you'll melt it if you try to run a major appliance through it.Tom: You need a device called an "inverter," which is a box that converts DC power into AC power. You'd have to run special wires from the inverter to the car's battery., and he recommends finding a small, efficient, 5,000 BTU air conditioner. Fedders and Daewoo make them, and they cost about $100 at home centers.Tom: And even though those units use only 575 watts of continuous power, they do "surge" when they kick in, demanding nearly twice that much power. So Don recommends that you go with an inverter that provides 2,000 watts continuous/4,000 watts peak power. That'll run you about $250.Ray: I believe the V-6 Caravans came with either a 90- or 120-amp alternator, which should be sufficient. Anything less than 90 amps, though, and you'd have to spend a few hundred bucks to have a heavy-duty alternator installed. Otherwise, you'd be stopping for gas, an oil check and a new alternator every 200 miles.Tom: And then the final question is how to install the AC.

If it were me, I'd just pop it in the passenger window. You know, hold it at the top and roll up the window until the unit is good and tight. carrier ac unit serviceIt'd provide a good laugh for other drivers on the road!ac unit power wireRay: No, you can't do that, for safety reasons. electric hvac unitYou'll have to find a way to install it permanently. The hot air and condensation need to escape, and fresh air needs to be drawn in. Plus, it needs to be secure. A crash could turn it into a 50-pound projectile.Tom: So, you might sign up for a course in "Working with Plywood and Lexan." But it can be done. And if you go ahead with it, send us pictures.I'm going back to school, and the stuff I need/want to take won't all fit into my car. My friends say I should rent a trailer.

I'm concerned that my car will be ruined by the effort of towing a trailer across, first, the Sierra Nevada, then the Rockies. My car is a 1997 Honda Civic, with 155,000 miles on it. I live in the San Francisco Bay area, and I'm going to Indiana University in Bloomington. What do you suggest? DavidRay: Engines and transmissions have to work hard to get over mountains -- especially small engines. And when you add 1,000 pounds of weight for them to pull, not to mention the additional wind resistance of a big, pizza-box-fronted trailer, you're just asking for the engine or tranny to overheat or fail. And a compact Honda Civic was not built to tow trailers over multiple mountain ranges.Tom: So, my suggestion would be to throw some of your stuff overboard (i.e., get rid of it). If you can't bear to do that, you can always ship some of it to school. Send the stuff by UPS, and let them drag it over the mountains and cook their transmissions.Ray: Or, if you must take a ton of stuff with you, you can rent a truck and tow your car.

But I'd say, just take some clothes, your laptop and a coffee maker, and when you need other stuff, do what all college students do; bum it off your roommates. Lottery results for Powerball, Florida LottoLottery results for Powerball, Florida LottoDo your homework before painting or sealing cool deckPuerto Rico birth certificates: How to get a new oneLottery results for Powerball, Florida LottoLottery results for Powerball, Florida Lotto Cooling, Heating And Climate Control Having a faulty air conditioning system when you are on a long summer road trip, or even just a hot daily commute, is a nuisance. Reduce those interior temperatures with replacement AC parts from AutoZone. We can help make those hot days more comfortable by pumping cold air through your vehicle once again. Not only does a broken air conditioning unit make for an uncomfortable ride, it also allows dust and airborne particles into your vehicle. Breathe at ease with a new auto air conditioning system by purchasing all the necessary parts from AutoZone.

With your newly restored air conditioning, not only will you be happier, but your passengers will thank you too. Along with a cooler ride, you also will increase your fuel economy when driving on the freeway compared to the drag you were creating by having the windows down. And, when your windows are fogged over, having fully functioning AC speeds up defrost time. Whether you need improved air conditioning for Toyota Camry, or maybe a Ford F150 ac unit, AutoZone has you covered. Benefit from our Free Shipping on orders $75 or more or choose our Same Day Store Pickup option. Use our Loan-A-Tool Program to make sure you have all the tools to get the job done fast.Whether you have a flat tire or are getting ready to paint a room with a paint sprayer, you need an air compressor to operate your tools. Portable air compressors can be anything from small, 12-volt battery-operated systems to those with large 5.5 horsepower motors and up. Portable air compressors are electric or gas-powered and there are pros and cons to both types.