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Old 03-29-2020, 11:20 PM   #1
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How do you keep your RV cool without A/C?

Curious if anyone knows good ways to keep the RV cool without A/C?

Wasn't sure if there were better options than

- Moving it under shade.
- Putting reflective insulation in the windows.
- Putting reflective insulation in the cabinets.
- Keeping the doors closed.
- Using the awning to block sun light.

...

Seems like these Rvs aren't really built to hold up against hot WEATHER especially without A/C.. I notice the compartments doors aren't fully sealed and there's many ways for air to leak out the RV.

I have been wondering about doing the following..

- DIY A/C. I highly doubt it would be a long term solution.
- Upgrading the bathroom vent fan..
- Reflective material on the roof?


Also seems like solar panels help with the direct sunlight hitting the roof. I noticed a difference installing the reflectix in the skylights. Still retains a good amount of heat in this thing.

Running out of ideas.. I just question how it would be if I didn't have shore power and I was going without electricity to deal with extreme heat. I'm trying to find alternative ways instead of depending on the A/C.
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Old 03-30-2020, 12:21 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ethan1 View Post
Curious if anyone knows good ways to keep the RV cool without A/C?

Wasn't sure if there were better options than

- Moving it under shade.
- Putting reflective insulation in the windows.
- Putting reflective insulation in the cabinets.
- Keeping the doors closed.
- Using the awning to block sun light.

...

Seems like these Rvs aren't really built to hold up against hot WEATHER especially without A/C.. I notice the compartments doors aren't fully sealed and there's many ways for air to leak out the RV.

I have been wondering about doing the following..

- DIY A/C. I highly doubt it would be a long term solution.
- Upgrading the bathroom vent fan..
- Reflective material on the roof?


Also seems like solar panels help with the direct sunlight hitting the roof. I noticed a difference installing the reflectix in the skylights. Still retains a good amount of heat in this thing.

Running out of ideas.. I just question how it would be if I didn't have shore power and I was going without electricity to deal with extreme heat. I'm trying to find alternative ways instead of depending on the A/C.
Thinking about the physics of what's going on when you're talking about the inside of an unrefrigerated "box" that is called an RV that is sitting in outside air:

- Without refrigeration (an air conditioner or a swamp cooler), the coolest you will be able to get the air inside of your RV is whatever temperature the outside air is. You do this by turning on a good high volume roof vent fan on one end of the coach so as to rapidly pull outside air through the coach that enters through an open window on the other end of the coach.

- When inside your RV, your can get the surface of your skin to feel cooler than what the air inside of your RV is by moving that air against yourself using fans that blow directly on you.

Keep heat gain into this "RV box" as small as possible using double pane windows, covered roof vents to shade the vents from the sun, and the outside awning set up to help reduce heat gain on one sidewall of the RV.

When camping without hookups, of course the fans have to be either 12 volt fans powered by the RV batteries or solar panels ... or 120V fans powered by a generator.

We don't have solar in our small RV, so we do the air circulation procedure using a high volume 12V roof vent fan, and a 12V high volume portable fan to blow directly on us wherever we're at inside of the RV.

We have two different generators that keep our RV batteries charged up if needed while using these fans.

(However, we also have a good built-in rooftop air conditioner powered by one of those generators, and a powerful cab air conditioning system that can also cool the coach area powered by idling the main engine. We had to use both of these air conditioners once in August in the scorching heat of the Texas Panhandle when in our little 24 foot motorhome!)
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Old 03-30-2020, 02:20 AM   #3
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Some of the heat-related fixes I did to my older 28' C when I first got it:

- cleaned and Dichor'd the EDPM roof. Much whiter, more reflection of direct sunlight;
- replaced the two 14" plain roof vents with 12v Fantastic fans. They move a lot of air;
- Oscillating 12v fan mounted in upper corner of bedroom;
- replaced all inside-the-glass insulating shields with outside-the-glass ones.
- made the cab-to-cabin curtain more sealed, heavier - that engine stays hot for hours after use, so this keeps the cabin much cooler if we do drive that day.
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Old 03-30-2020, 09:18 AM   #4
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Mesh sun shade sails. Can be put over and or on sunny side of RV

Sun Shade Sails
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Old 03-30-2020, 11:52 AM   #5
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Run the generator to power the AC during the day. Fans in the evening.

I have a fan that sits in a bedroom window to pull cool outside air in and then a celling fan in the living area pulling hot air from the RV out.

Those that use fixed solar have to choose shade, but less or no solar, or sun with lots of solar and heat. I guess if you are going to run the generator for a few hours of AC then the solar is not as important....
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Old 03-30-2020, 11:58 AM   #6
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Not at all intended to be a smart @$$ remark, but do you have to be where you are right now? These things have wheels, and what we do to camp without running the a/c is pick places where the nights are cool.

If you have to be where you are right now, you've covered most of the things we do when in a hot area. Open a window or two on each end, and then use the ceiling vent to exhaust the hot air out.

It is possible to run a/c off solar, if you have enough solar and enough batteries.
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Old 03-30-2020, 11:59 AM   #7
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Elevation is the key! We boondocked all summer without AC. Go above 6500' EL; best is around 8,000'.
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Old 03-30-2020, 01:49 PM   #8
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There's one more thing to try, given that the OP lists Alabama as home and so humidity is likely a factor.

(I'm in Minnesota, where high humidity is likewise a problem. (Our state motto is Land of 10,000 Lakes, which is a nice way of saying It's a Big Swamp.))

Once you've got the RV down to ambient temp with fans in the evening, a small dehumidifier running inside the now-closed RV makes a huge difference in comfort level.
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Old 03-31-2020, 11:25 AM   #9
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Drive real fast with the windows open?

Sorry
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Old 04-01-2020, 07:40 AM   #10
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Honestly, I try not to camp where it's hot. Sorry, I've lived and worked in heat the first half of my life and I work pretty hard to go camping where it's not overly hot. 90-95 is fine if there is shade. Higher than that I'll be plugged in and the A/C running if I'm even there. I definitely do everything I can to not go camping in humid/hot weather.
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Old 04-02-2020, 03:06 PM   #11
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I use a swamp cooler I bought from lowes. They call it an evaporative cooler. Works great in the south west. Humidity below 60 percent. Cost $ 170, runs perfect off a pure sine wave inverter. 100 watts. Keep the MH livable in 90 degrees.
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Old 04-02-2020, 07:08 PM   #12
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Quote:
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Honestly, I try not to camp where it's hot. Sorry, I've lived and worked in heat the first half of my life and I work pretty hard to go camping where it's not overly hot. 90-95 is fine if there is shade. Higher than that I'll be plugged in and the A/C running if I'm even there. I definitely do everything I can to not go camping in humid/hot weather.

Funny we are just the opposite. Lived in Colorado at 9000’ and finally got sick and tired of the cold. Moved to Florida panhandle in November last year. Kept the house so the plan is to eventually snowbird back and forth.
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Old 04-02-2020, 07:21 PM   #13
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Camp at higher altitudes. Ie. Eagle Nest NM in July has 30-40° nights.
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Old 04-02-2020, 07:39 PM   #14
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We are in South Texas in the RGV and have been in the mid 90's for 2 weeks now. The reflex in the windows really helps our AC handle the heat easier. Another RV in the park had their AC quite and they put a window AC unit through the exit window and taped it off for a temp solution.
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