We completely love touring in our RV all yr lengthy. This in fact means coping with some excessive temperatures every now and then, one thing that’s simple sufficient to do in summer season so long as now we have energy hookups and may run the air conditioner. That stated, boondocking is certainly one of my favourite methods to camp, which means we don’t all the time have entry to energy.
The excellent news? There are methods to maintain your rig comparatively cool even when you’ll be able to’t run the AC. Listed here are a few of the DIY cooling options now we have discovered through the years.
Understanding RV Warmth Achieve
First, let’s take a minute to speak about why it’s that RVs warmth up so rapidly. Understanding this may provide help to when in search of methods to remain cool.
Mainly, RVs are insulated very poorly. This implies cool air escapes simply and warmth enters simply as simply. Direct daylight hits the skinny partitions and roof and seeps proper in, and the home windows of your RV can act like magnifying glasses, directing warmth into your residing area. Add some folks and electronics into your tiny area and your RV goes to get actually heat actually rapidly.
Due to this, your technique shouldn’t simply be about cooling the air down—it ought to be about stopping warmth from increase within the first place. Each diploma of warmth you block, mirror, or vent means much less work in your A/C (and your sweat glands).
Window Options: Mirror, Block, and Shade
Let’s begin with the home windows. When you can block warmth from getting into by means of the home windows, you can be effectively in your technique to conserving your rig as cool as potential.
Reflective Window Covers
In my expertise, sun-facing home windows are the worst culprits for warmth acquire. One of many easiest, best methods to treatment that is slicing reflective insulation (like Reflectix) to suit your home windows.
Merely:
- Purchase a roll of Reflectix from a ironmongery store.
- Measure and lower to dimension for every window.
- Safe with Velcro strips, magnets, or stress rods.
This can be a tremendous low-cost answer and may decrease inside temps by 10°F in excessive warmth.
Blackout Curtains with Thermal Liners
I’ve discovered that common curtains don’t do a lot to combat towards warmth. That stated, blackout curtains provide a thermal liner that can completely assist maintain warmth at bay. Placing up some blackout curtains along with Reflectix is a wonderful manner to make sure your home windows aren’t letting in any extra warmth.
Exterior Shade
An alternative choice? Connect shades to the outsides of your home windows. These work as sun shades in your RV, guaranteeing daylight by no means even shines on the exteriors of your home windows, which means it positively isn’t going to sneak inside.
Air flow: Let Scorching Air Out, Pull Cool Air In
Air flow is tremendous essential relating to conserving your RV cool. As boondockers, we like our vent followers and roof vents and use them frequently.
DIY Vent Followers
Your roof vents are pure escape hatches for rising scorching air, and including a vent fan turns them into cooling powerhouses. We like our MaxxAir vent followers, however these may be expensive. Fortunately, you’ll be able to construct a finances model utilizing nothing greater than a 12-volt pc fan or USB-powered fan mounted within the vent opening.
To construct the fan:
- Take away the inside vent cowl.
- Connect a fan utilizing zip ties or a light-weight body.
- Wire it to your RV’s 12V system or run it through USB/battery pack.
You may most likely put this venture collectively for lower than $40 and it actually does work for getting air transferring.
Cross-Breeze Magic
We like to make use of our roof vents to successfully create wind tunnels, that are wonderful for conserving the RV cool. That stated, you’ll be able to really use transportable followers to create a fair stronger and simpler breeze. Merely place a fan so it’s blowing out of 1 window whereas one other pulls air in. We now have battery operated followers to make use of for this whereas boondocking.
Swamp Cooler (Evaporative Cooling)
Normally, we discover ourselves in humid locations in the course of the summer season. That stated, for those who’re tenting in a dry local weather, a DIY swamp cooler could be a game-changer. Mainly, that is only a fan that blows air throughout moist materials, cooling it as water evaporates.
You may make your personal by doing the next:
- Use a 5-gallon bucket.
- Reduce holes within the facet for PVC elbows (air shops).
- Add a small submersible pump and a pad of wicking materials.
- Run a 12-volt or USB fan throughout the moist pad.
The price of this venture is barely about $50 and it might probably cool an RV by 10 or extra levels in the suitable atmosphere.
Roof Hacks: Beat the Solar from the High Down
Discovering methods to maintain warmth from absorbing into the roof of your rig may even assist maintain issues good and funky inside. Listed here are some methods to go about that.
White or Reflective Roof Coating
The roof of your RV sees nearly all of the daylight that beats down in your home-on-wheels, and a darkish coloured roof goes to soak up that warmth. Fight this by portray your RV roof with white roof coating.
DIY Steps:
- Clear the roof completely.
- Apply the coating with a curler or sprayer.
- Let it remedy for twenty-four hours.
This may value about $100 to do, however it’s a venture that’s effectively worthwhile.
DIY Shade Awning
We actually like to make use of our awning to dam the solar when there’s no shade in our web site. It’s efficient and straightforward sufficient to make use of. When you don’t have an awning of your personal, you’ll be able to construct a easy DIY model utilizing PVC pipe and tarp cloth. Prolong it off the sunny facet of your RV to shade partitions and home windows.
Insulation Upgrades: Cease Warmth on the Supply
Including extra insulation may even assist maintain chilly air in and maintain heat air out. There are just a few methods to do that which are easy sufficient.
Underneath-Mattress and Compartment Insulation
I’ve observed a number of scorching air creeping in by means of storage bays and under-bed compartments. You can line these areas with foam board so as to add some insulation to the bed room.
Door Draft Fixes
Our RV doorways have some small gaps round them. I be sure so as to add weatherstripping or foam tape round edges, and set up a door sweep on the underside to maintain heat air out.
Slideout Covers
Our slideout heats up earlier than the remainder of the RV and it might probably get actually toasty. I beloved the slide toppers on our earlier motorhome as a result of they helped with this. That stated, slide toppers are costly. As a substitute, think about making your personal topper from UV-resistant cloth to dam direct solar and maintain the inside of your rig cooler.
Shade The place You Park: Nature’s Free Cooling System
Clearly, discovering the suitable parking spot may help maintain issues cool, too. We all the time, all the time search for shade, as this makes an infinite distinction. I additionally advocate situating the smallest facet of your RV so it faces the solar in the course of the hottest a part of the day.
Low-Tech Cooling Tips That Truly Work
In search of less difficult DIY methods to maintain cool when tenting with out air-con? Listed here are a few of my favourite tips.
Frozen Water Bottles
Freeze a bunch of water bottles and place them in entrance of followers. Because the ice melts, the fan blows cooler air round. As soon as the ice melts, drink the water to remain hydrated.
Damp Towel Curtain
Cling a moist towel throughout an open window or vent. Because the air passes by means of, it cools, creating an excellent easy swamp cooler. Clearly, this works greatest in dry climates.
Nighttime Air Trade
If nights are cooler, open each window and vent to flush scorching air out. Within the morning, shut all the pieces as much as entice the coolness inside. I like doing this once we’re camped within the desert as a result of the nights are so cool and refreshing.
Cooking Exterior
We all the time skip the range and oven on scorching days as a result of each add main warmth inside. As a substitute we use a propane grill, a camp range, or perhaps a photo voltaic oven outdoors—or simply follow chilly meals.
As you’ll be able to see, there are many methods to maintain your home-on-wheels cool even when you’ll be able to’t flip the A/C on. Through the use of these tips and planning your route strategically—the additional north you may be throughout hotter months, the higher—it is best to be capable to keep cool all yr lengthy!
