How do I stay cool during the summer

[CaptP]

Hey everyone I am new to full time travel trailer it is a East to west silver lake. What things can I do to help keep inside cool during the summer and not over work my a/c? Thanks!!! Safe travels

[frank4711]

we make every effort to book shady spots ....

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by CaptP

Hey everyone I am new to full time travel trailer it is a East to west silver lake. What things can I do to help keep inside cool during the summer and not over work my a/c? Thanks!!! Safe travels

Some ideas:

Park in the shade
If no shade make some using sun screen material suspended from overhead clothesline like supports.

Add awnings to windows.

Most RV's get hot from direct sun more so than stick and brick houses due to lesser insulation.

If you are in an RV park with water hookup, and in a low humidity area, a "Patio Mister" set up on the roof will create some cooling over the roof area. Mist should be fine enough it all evaporates and little or none flows off roof from gutters.

A sun screen from your main awning to the ground helps a lot too if that side is facing mid to late day sun.

That said, i prefer to camp in the woods during hot summer months. Rarely need AC.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Once you get camping, you'll soon figure out where your greatest heat gain is. You may have a large window that just absorbs the sun. In that case, go to your local hardware store and get some reflective shade https://www.campingworld.com/reflect...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
or pulldown blackout shade.
They also make 'pillow' type blocks for vents.
Cool down the trailer in the early morning before the sun gets too hot.
Buy a fan to circulate the air within the trailer. That will make it 'feel' cooler.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

In our old trailer. We tinted the windows in the bunk house. Since the view was not important when you sleep. You could tint more windows.



Also got a shade to hang off the awning. These are also nice for privacy.



I discovered that the "sky lites" are really a big source of heat in direct sun light. I never did figure out a good answer for that. Our new trailer does not have one.


Good luck

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyVeteran

In our old trailer. We tinted the windows in the bunk house. Since the view was not important when you sleep. You could tint more windows.



Also got a shade to hang off the awning. These are also nice for privacy.



I discovered that the "sky lites" are really a big source of heat in direct sun light. I never did figure out a good answer for that. Our new trailer does not have one.


Good luck

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Insulat.../dp/B0024E6QX0

[CaptP]

Thanks everyone

[dbledan]

A few more additions.

Shade is the best. Here are a few morenfrom the humid midwest.

Make sure you don't close the dump vents for the AC when hot outside or during initial cooling. My compressor freezes up if I do that and it will slowly stop cooling until the ice clears.

Remove the filter maybe the cover and look up into the AC unit. Make sure there is a divider that touches between the vent and the return. Add tape to actually seal off a clear area from the return.Your AC will cycle too much if the air just recirculates right back into the AC without going out into the trailer.

Make sure your roof vents have good flow. If low or no flow look for threads on how to open them up or check them with a boroscope.

Let your ac cool the unit down a bit (about 10 degrees from abient) at a time and then let the compressor chill a bit with the fan on. I do this by just turning down the air in 10 degree increments amd waiting to hear it stop...then turn the fan on for 5min and set it another 10 degrees lower. This will prevent icing of the compressor.

Happy camping!

[rockfordroo]

Herk pimped his AC:

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...-ac-42280.html

[ppine]

In the West, we gain elevation.
Low elevation deserts in the winter.
High elevation mountains in the summer.

[pgandw]

In the East, latitude substitutes for altitude.

[dahagen]

We in Arizona use double bubble reflective foil. You cut to fit windows.
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Bubble...6720779&sr=8-3

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by CaptP

Hey everyone I am new to full time travel trailer it is a East to west silver lake. What things can I do to help keep inside cool during the summer and not over work my a/c? Thanks!!! Safe travels

Get a roll of Reflectix, and make shads for all windows with cardboard !!!

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Insulat.../dp/B0024E6QX0

Thanks, I saw those before. I was a little concerned about extreme heat building up between the plastic sky-lite and that insulator in the extreme southern heat. And possibly warping the plastic. Any experience with that?


Thanks again.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by U.S.ArmyVeteran

Thanks, I saw those before. I was a little concerned about extreme heat building up between the plastic sky-lite and that insulator in the extreme southern heat. And possibly warping the plastic. Any experience with that?


Thanks again.

We have used those for years. We are frequently in Scottsdale during the 110° days. Never warped anything, but sure cut down on the heat.

[str8t six]

i painted my skylight white. that way it allows in some sun but keeps the heat from penetrating as much.

[whj469]

I spend my summers in the UP of MI and it is never to hot. I also have three ACs in my 42 ft fiver.

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by str8t six

i painted my skylight white. that way it allows in some sun but keeps the heat from penetrating as much.

I used a high quality primer, then 4 coats high quality white paint !!!
Should also make the plastic last longer !!!

[ben31]

Also, don't let your A/C decide the fan setting for itself. Set in on High during the day, to keep the air flowing. If you have two A/Cs, set them both to, at least, Medium. If you only have one speed, set it to on, instead of auto. You want the air to keep circulating. It helps our quite a bit.



If we leave the A/C on auto, it warms up quite a bit. As soon as we set the fan to high, it drops the temperature by at least 7 degrees.

[tonyz1]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Insulat.../dp/B0024E6QX0

We have one of the vent pillows in our regular vent that seems to help a lot, although it doesn't have the reflective back. It won't fit in either of our two skylights and haven't been able to find any the right size so far. Been thinking seriously about trying to just make a couple up myself, but me and sewing machine might not be a pretty picture. Just in case anyone knows of some made for the skylights, please let me know.