Driver jury-rigs AC unit to rear window to keep dog cool

Published 10:00 am Thursday, August 1, 2019

LONDONDERRY, N.H. – Police pulled over a New Hampshire driver with an air conditioner jutting from his car’s rear right window and the generator powering it atop the roof  — but not for the reason you might think.

The car was missing an inspection sticker, said Sgt. Chris Olson of the Londonderry Police Department. The stop occurred Tuesday night.

The driver told police he installed the AC unit and generator in order to keep his dog cool while he worked. The heat index in southern New Hampshire has hovered around 100 degrees in recent days.

Sgt. Olson said although unconventional, there’s no law prohibiting an AC unit normally inserted in the window of a home also being installed in a car window.

“It was safely secured,” Olson said. “There’s nothing we can do in a situation like that.”

Bungee cords secured the jury-rigged AC system. Plywood and a black plastic garbage bag blocked the car window’s open space to keep the cooled air inside the vehicle.

“I would not advise it as a good idea,” Olson said. “I don’t know how much it costs to fix an AC in a car, but when you look at the cost of a generator and unit, it doesn’t make sense.”

Police did not identify the driver, who was given a written warning for driving without an inspection sticker.

Breanna Edelstein is a reporter for The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass. Reach her at bedelstein@eagletribune.com.