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Good luck and happy camping. The HVAC buddy is the way to go to know for sure what the system is doing. I can tolerate as cold as weather as you can get. Trying to sleep in a hot camper would make me sell mine.

  Thing about it, an ammeter will only tell you if the compressor is running or not, not how it’s performing. It can be pulling the correct amps, but if non-condensible gas (air) is in the system it can be showing appropriate amps but still not cool right. It’s not the same as a volt/ohm meter you said you had. Also, the thermometer method is a good indicator, but it’s assuming your ductwork is all properly sealed nice and tight. A twenty degree differential between the return air and the supply air says your unit is performing as much as it can. But, just because you might see a 10 degree temperature differential between return/supply air doesn’t necessarily mean the compressor/condenser isn’t doing it’s job. There are other things that can cause it. I like the little portable AC unit because it’s on wheels, easy to move around, and under normal camping trips we don’t even take it. But if a lot of kids involved, or expecting really hot weather....we pack it along.

Good luck convincing him then!