Coach color affects interior temps.

[brobox]

Duane, on the front temperature sensor move it away from the wall, it will really help with perfect temperature control.
I used 3/4 inch pieces of plastic plastic tubing then spray painted them black. Longer screws and insulation in the hole. I used some walnut stain on a Q tip to stain the hole when I finished.

[DeeGee]

Back in the Olden Times(TM) when coaches were white, it was typically a gel coat with decals for stripes (or swooshes, for the avant garde). When full body paint came along, everyone painted with dark colors so the plebes would know you had a High End Rig. That still sticks... someday, perhaps we'll get something other than dark colors and swoopy swishes.

[dp7]

We ordered a custom light color scheme rather than standard black for three reasons:

1. Cooler interior temps
2. Doesn't show the dirt as easily
3. Paint longevity

It is common for coaches that are a few years old to have peeling clear coat over the dark areas but not on the light areas. The elevated temps in black areas cook the clear coat.

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by DeeGee

Back in the Olden Times(TM) when coaches were white, it was typically a gel coat with decals for stripes (or swooshes, for the avant garde). When full body paint came along, everyone painted with dark colors so the plebes would know you had a High End Rig. That still sticks... someday, perhaps we'll get something other than dark colors and swoopy swishes.

Not sure how old is old but my 2000 Mountain Aire is full body paint with White and desert colors.........
19 yrs old this year, and like mentioned in another thread, Sherwin Williams paint back then was bullet proof......

[mrfix]

We just went from a black Holiday rambler to a white American Coach, there is a world of difference in hot weather, I can stay cool in strong sun running the center a.c. unit on low cool to keep circulation and the front and rear units on auto set 1 degree higher than the center unit, most of the day only one or two of them will be running. In the holiday, both units would run as long as the sun was on the coach. After owning this coach for just over a year I have decided no more dark coaches for me.

[1doodadd]

Black is the NEW color it seams now. Look at all the paint schemes the manufactures are using now. What happened to Earth tones?

[KennyGolub]

Tiffin has some light colors. While the top portion on our Allegro bus is darker, it is covered by the roof mounted awnings. The lower portion is almost all white. Not difficult to keep this coach cool.


Just my 2-cents

[Hit_the_Rhod]

It is simple physics. Dark colors absorb heat, lighter colors reflect, or absorb to a much lesser extent.

Dark color schemes are probably much of the reason newer coaches come with 3 or even FOUR AC units! They are needed just to counteract the heat sink paint jobs.

Another "option" that has gained popularity lately is the black rooftop Air Conditioner shrouds . . . Same thing, black absorbs heat, causing the AC unit to work harder for the same cooling gain . . .

Style wins! Dark color schemes are in vogue.

Item to think about, as previous poster mentioned, with measured surface temp of dark color of 160 degrees while lighter color was 120 degrees, what is that temperature transfer (conduction) doing to the underlying adhesives, insulation, etc behind the outer panel over time? Most adhesives and man made materials break down faster with higher temps . . .

Personally I prefer "passive" energy and heat management (light color schemes, open windows, reflective bubble wrap in windows, parking with shade, tail to the sun, etc) whenever possible rather than massive brute force temperature corrections (Mach 4, amp eating, multiple AC units, etc)

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by plasma800

Wow!

Best Answer Yet! Nice shot, Eagle Man!

[JohnBoyToo]

of course black is hotter - color is defined by the light spectrum it reflects and black doesn't reflect any - it absorbs it all - that's why it's hotter !

first rule is get it cool and keep it cool - i.e. stay ahead of the heat

my wife is constantly saying she's freezing in our mostly black coach !!!

So we run the genny while running down the road to not let it get hot.

on our previous redwood 5'er, they were infamous for poor installation of the ac's and venting so it was very bad in the efficiency department... if your ac does not cool, bring it back and/or get the venting checked out and ensure the baffles in the ac between intake and exhaust are in place.

[Smitty77]

Originally Posted by brobox

Duane, on the front temperature sensor move it away from the wall, it will really help with perfect temperature control.
I used 3/4 inch pieces of plastic plastic tubing then spray painted them black. Longer screws and insulation in the hole. I used some walnut stain on a Q tip to stain the hole when I finished.

Another tip, to build on Chuck's suggestion, was given to me by a fellow CC owner. He bought about $15 extra temp sensors, and just cut the wire feed from the internal sensor of the thermostat control, and spliced into it. He has his tucked up in the middle of the roof, under a piece of trim. Two AC unit coach, and he's done this for both back and front zones. He reports much more realistic relations between set temperatures, and actual control of the AC and or Heating units.

Best to all,
Smitty

[lowejug]

I agree with dark color absorbing more heat... but not sure to the point it’s a areal issue... my anthem is 80 % dark brown to almost black in color and I live in the western desert where it’s as hot as it gets.. upward 105 to 112 daily in the summer.
When we use the coach and it’s cooling systems they seem to keep it plenty comfortable.. definitely not where I would not have a dark color..
Now I did paint the ac shrouds white over the black to help them not work so hard..
But overall it’s fine.. jmo

[Unicorn Driver]

My coach is an Itasca and not an Entega. We specifically wanted a light colour but full body paint. We have had it in over 100f temps with no shade and did not fry.

[ATTACH]

[brobox]

We have owned both. A light color coach with 2 AC's and the dark color Entegra with 3 AC's. The Entegra with it's insulation is much cooler.