I would, the heat wouldn’t bother me.
But I also wouldn’t care if the truck A/C worked because I wouldn’t plan on sleeping in the driver’s seat! 
Yes, I have two trucks. Actually I have 3 but I am not going to count that other one until it stays out of the shop for longer than a week! They tell me it is finally fixed but we will see when I pick it up. This one is a full size and the other a compact S-10 which can be limiting depending on the trip. Also, I go camping in the heat all the time but it isn’t fun to drive several hundred miles Missouri is blessed with clear and COLD spring fed rivers where the water is about 58-60 degrees year round. It feels chilling in the summer but warm in the winter if you touch the water. You put all your gear in a kayak and find a nice spot to camp along the river. You would never know you were going to have a high temp of over 100 when you are close to this cool clear water. An added bonus is getting out of your tent to eagles flying overhead and a family of river otters playing in the river right in front of you.
The S-10 can be limiting when transporting many or longer kayaks/canoes. My 14.5 ft is about all you want to carry in the S-10. Anything longer is best with a fullsize truck.
Either way, $300 isn’t a big deal for me if I decide to spend it. My original plan with the 1997 was to replace it but the replacement has been far more unreliable than the old beater. It ended up needing some work as well while the other truck was down during the pandemic. Parts were taking months for the other truck but were available for the 1997. I know I probably spent more than the truck was worth back then but with stupid prices and all, this was the most economical route at the time. The entire clutch kit was replaced due to a failed slave cylinder which is INSIDE the bell housing, the entire front-end was replaced, and I bought two new tires. The truck looks like crap but runs and drives great.
You don’t know, but I agree with others that it’s not likely because the compressor did not self destruct pumping debris into the system. You need to pull a vacuum any time you recharge a system to remove air and moisture.
When I went to replace a compressor a few years back the warranty was void if you did not also replace the dryer. There was no mention of the condenser or evaporator.
That is good to hear. If I decide to proceed come spring, I won’t worry about this. I guess any residual contaminants will be contained in the dryer and not be a concern. I noticed that the entire kit comes with a dryer and is barely more expensive than the compressor alone. It also has a lifetime warranty while the compressor only has only a year or two warranty. Of course the kit comes with all the O-rings as well.