Reviewer Profile
Tested Performance
Visual Highlights
Cooling Performance: The ceiling unit was powered from the 12V circuit, set to cool, and began sending noticeably cool air into the van while the shop sat in the mid-to-upper 70s.(19:19)
Noise Level: With turbo mode active, the outside of the van had an audible compressor and fan sound, but the reviewer described it as quiet enough to leave a positive first impression.(21:06)
Roof Integration: The finished roof layout placed the Glacier Pro between rack crossbars with about a quarter inch of clearance while preserving room for a 600W fixed solar array.(13:28)
Recommendation: The first install ended with a working cool mode, a working heat mode, and only manageable install caveats, making the unit a practical candidate for further van testing.(21:29)
Detailed Analysis
A Shop Van Made the Review More Useful Than a Clean Bench Test
Zach used a Sprinter shop van as the test platform because Out There Vans wanted to evaluate a newer product before treating it as something they might sell or recommend. That matters for buyers because the installer was not simply opening the box; he was cutting a real roof, solving wiring, checking fit, and judging whether the hardware behaved like something a van shop could stand behind.
The Value Case Starts With 12V Cooling, Heat Pump Heating, and a Lower Entry Price
The first reason the OutEquipPro Glacier Pro stood out was the combination of a 12V air conditioner, heat pump function.
The published ratings he discussed were 11,500 BTU of cooling capacity and 8,500 BTU of heating capacity. He treated the heating number with particular interest because an electric heat pump that can be managed off-grid would solve a difficult van comfort problem if the real-world draw and temperature limits line up.
The Box Was Mostly Complete, but Sealant and Cable Planning Still Matter
The kit included the core installation pieces: gasket material, hardware, interior support rails, a trim ring, a remote, and a template. The threaded inserts were already installed in the lower body of the unit, which removed a small step Zach is used to doing on some competing installations.
The missing and optional pieces were straightforward but important for a clean roof job:
- Sealant was still required to finish the roof penetration properly.
- A cable entry housing was recommended because the power wiring exited outside the main roof opening.
- Two AAA batteries were needed for the remote.
- Custom bolt length selection was needed because the included stud approach did not match his planned ceiling depth.
That is the real install lesson: the unit was not hard to mount, but it rewarded the installer who checked each interface before locking the roof plan in place.
The Roof Opening Decision Came Down to Serviceability and Future Replacement
The template made it clear that the body could adapt to a standard 14 x 14 inch fan opening, but the clamping design also required eight additional bolt holes. For a bare roof, Zach chose a 14 x 18 inch opening instead, which gave the unit and its fastening layout a cleaner fit.
He also noted the trade-off. A wider opening reduces the chance of simply putting a standard roof fan back in that spot later. At the same time, the larger opening is in the same general range as other van AC installations, so a future replacement with another roof AC would still be realistic if its gasketing covers the cutout.
- He marked the roof position from the interior around the van ribs.
- He drilled the four corner holes from below.
- He vacuumed metal shavings from the roof before cutting.
- He taped the cut lines to protect the paint and improve the edge.
- He connected the corner holes and cut the rectangle from the exterior.
The External Wiring Loom Was the Main Install Caveat
The wiring exited the rear exterior corner of the unit instead of landing inside the roof cutout. Zach compared that with installations where the wiring drops through the main opening and called this the one detail he would prefer to see engineered differently.
His workaround was clean and familiar to anyone who has routed solar through a van roof. He used a cable entry housing, checked the wire diameter with digital calipers, removed the preinstalled terminal ends that would not pass through the glands, stripped away the plastic cable housing, and threaded the conductors through the waterproof entry point. The approach added about half an hour, but it avoided a messier gasket notch or rubber gland packed with sealant.
- Cleaner roof seal: the gland compresses around the cable instead of relying only on surface sealant.
- Better service habit: the wiring route stays separate and inspectable.
- Small labor penalty: the extra roof penetration is manageable but should be planned before final placement.
The Final Roof Layout Kept AC and Solar in the Same Build
The rooftop result was tight but workable: the AC unit sat on the Sprinter roof with 600 watts of fixed solar panels around it. The roof rack allowed the crossbars to be pushed far enough forward and rearward to preserve usable space despite the Glacier Pro being a physically large unit.
Zach estimated the body was likely larger than a Dometic RTX 2000 and definitely larger than a Nomadic unit. The important detail is not that the unit is compact; it is that the rack and panel layout still made a full power-oriented roof package possible. In one spot, the clearance between the AC and rack crossbars was about a quarter inch, which is the kind of measurement that matters before a buyer assumes any large rooftop unit will simply coexist with solar.
The Electrical Side Was Simpler Than Some Familiar 12V AC Installs
The unit ran from one 12V circuit using a positive and ground conductor in six gauge wiring. Zach contrasted that with another common unit that uses a heavier main circuit plus a separate smaller control circuit. Fewer circuit paths made the wiring concept easier to follow once the roof-entry issue was solved.
Before final routing, he also pointed out the prewired inline 100 amp fuse. That factory-provided fuse and cable assembly helped make the electrical package feel complete, though the terminal ends still had to be removed for his preferred cable-entry method.
Startup Confirmed Cooling, Heat, Turbo, Swing, and Remote Control
Once powered, the display showed battery status, temperature, fan speed, and cool mode. The first functional result was immediate: cool air came out quickly in a shop that was not especially hot, which made the airflow and compressor response easy to feel.
The remote became the main control interface. Zach changed the remote from Celsius to Fahrenheit by holding turbo and swing, then used the remote to access turbo mode and the swing function. The motorized fin moved the air side to side, while the adjustable outlet fins allowed forward, rearward, or downward air direction.
- Cool mode: pushed cool air immediately after startup.
- Heat mode: produced warm air during a short warm-day check.
- Turbo mode: increased airflow without making the exterior noise objectionable.
- Swing mode: moved the outlet fins side to side for better cabin air movement.
The First Impression Was Positive, With Long-Term Testing Still Open
After about one hour of runtime, the unit was still blowing cool air. The heat pump also produced heat when commanded, even though the day was warm enough that it was only a functional check rather than a cold-weather stress test.
Zach's first install conclusion was practical: the unit was fairly straightforward compared with the wide variety of AC units his shop has installed, and the caveats were workable rather than disqualifying. The exterior wiring location deserves planning, the large rooftop footprint deserves measurement, and the heat pump still deserves a real cold-weather trial. For van owners shopping around the lower-cost end of the 12V roof AC market, those are useful limits instead of reasons to ignore the unit.
