Get an empty spray bottle and fill it with water and "mist" the inside of your camper while the A/C is running. In extremely dry air, A/Cs are very ineffectual because they require moisture to remove in order to facilitate cooling. A swap cooler in conjunction with the A/C would increase your cool down.
CBChannel 17Space Ghost '1991.5Dodge W-250 Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed V8 5.9L 4spd H.D Auto 4x4 4.10 Gears '1974KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in '1987Pullman Mini Camper '2004Bi-Mart 4x8 Cargo Trailer
What is a swamp cooler? Hadn't thought of the low humidity problem though it would be pretty easy to look like an alligator skin out here.
CB antenna is safely in the cab of the truck. We use the CB mostly for finding out why traffic is stopped. Out here you can see so far, you could probably see for yourself. Besides, it got in the way in the photos.
June 17 - North Rim of Grand Canyon and Monument Valley
Up early to head for the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Our instinct was to skip the south rim and the crowds and glad we did. The road into the north rim is over 40 miles long and vast stretches of it still show thousands of acres of forest fire damage. This was a fire in 2000 and parts of the forest look like it happened yesterday. We saw one memorial to a firefighter who died. I also kept wondering how
many animals died in that blaze. The undergrowth is slowly coming back unlike the Yellowstone fire damage of 1988 where the new trees are thick and probably 10 feet tall.
Very few people at north rim when we got there. Parked the TC next to an Earthroamer but never caught up with the owners. Those things are massive and I can only imagine the fuel cost. The Host looked dwarfed.
Knew we were not going to walk down a long trail into the canyon as it was already hot and we are just not agile enough anymore to come back up. Down I could probably do. Up I doubted so didn't try. Make these trips when you are YOUNG folks. Since we thought we were going to take a short hike, didn't take the pack with water, etc. Really dumb, BAD move as we ended up walking a couple of miles and were quite dehydrated and hot when we got back to the TC. We walked out to Bright Angel Point and spent about two hours in all on that short, steep trail just in awe of the canyon. I kept thinking of the pioneers who had crossed the great plains, pulled wagons over mountains and probably thought they were home free for getting west. Wrong! Here suddenly is this massive canyon in the way that they had to go around.
No way to describe the light, the depth or the sheer size of the Grand
Canyon. It is truly awesome. After drinking about a gallon of water each and cooling down some, we walked back to the Lodge, had another drink and sat out on a stone veranda and just looked at the canyon.
Finally on towards Monument Valley to see if John Wayne was still riding around making movies.
But??? what is that noise? We didn't like a transmission noise so called our Ford dealer in Maine. After describing the noise, he basically said it was okay but to stop at a local dealer if we wanted and have them do a courtesy inspection. Of course we wanted since we get back into some pretty remote areas. Basically it sounds like it is going into overdrive beyond tow haul and has to be kicked out to get the whining noise to stop. We think it is totally associated with tow haul since no noise ever when not using tow haul.
It has now happened three times, mostly after a very steep, long grade in hot temps at 6,500 to 8,000 feet altitude. No warning lights or error messages come on. Detoured to Page, AZ to a dealer but they couldn't take a look for days. We'll call ahead to an Albuquerque Ford place and make an appointment for a look see plus an oil change. 2005 F-350,3.0 Powerstroke engine if anyone has a clue. Did stop at Glen Canyon Dam in Page while there so not a wasted stop.
From Page, took 98 to 160 to 163 in Monument Valley. The sight distances are vast.
Tonight we are in a Navajo campground which blessedly has electricity for air conditioning. It was 97 in the TC when we opened her up. Got to get a MaxAir vent cover but it was so hot today, doubt the vent while driving would really help any. It's now down to 80 in the TC so we will be able to sleep. Tomorrow we are thinking of taking a jeep tour with a guide out into the valley - this time with hats, water, sun screen, etc. etc.
* This post was
edited 06/17/08 10:02pm by TwoMaineiacs *
2008 Host Rainier 9'6" dual slide on a 2005 Ford F-350 Diesel DRW
On the Road Again from Rural Maine Our travel blog with photos
TwoMaineiacs wrote: What is a swamp cooler? Hadn't thought of the low humidity problem though it would be pretty easy to look like an alligator skin out here. ....
A swamp cooler is something used in place of an A/C, mostly in the arid southwest. It works on the principle of "evaporative cooling" and consists of a water reservoir from which a pump draws water to flow over some type of pad material. Air is then drawn through the wet pads by a fan and directed into the living area.
* This post was
edited 06/17/08 10:07pm by Steve_in_29 *
2007 F350,SC,LB,4x4,6.0/Auto,35" tires,16.5 Warn,Buckstop bumpers
2007 Outfitter Apex9.5,270W solar,SolarBoost2000e,2 H2K's,2KW inverter,2 20lb LP on slide out tray,4 Lifeline AGM bats,Tundra fridge
95 Bounder 28' ClassA sold
91 Jamboree 21' ClassC sold
JoeChiOhki wrote: Get an empty spray bottle and fill it with water and "mist" the inside of your camper while the A/C is running. In extremely dry air, A/Cs are very ineffectual because they require moisture to remove in order to facilitate cooling.
I agree with your suggestion to add moisture to the air as it will lower the perceived temperature and make breathing easier.
However an A/C does not work by removing moisture from the air. It works by removing heat. My A/C units (both on my TC as well as my house) work just fine out here in the desert where the humidity routinely gets into the single digits.
a few years back I bought a mid 70's class c for 200$ just for the appliances and the manchester propane tank, it also had a 12V turbo kool evap. cooler installed. I used it to kool my quonset hut ran it off a solar panel so it only ran while the sun was out and needed the most.
They work good out here in the desert and the amp draw isnt all that bad, the vent in my TC is smaller then standard so it wont fit without some altering to the TC, future project I guess.
The transmission noise might be the fan especially when you say it is always when climbing a hill on a hot day. The fan noise from a diesel can be loud and can sound like a whine as the fan is usually not engaged.
'05 Dodge Cummins 4x4 dually 3500 white quadcab auto long bed airbags overload springs bumpers
'00 Elkhorn 10V w/basement
To my knowledge, and from what I read, A/C remove the heat from the air by removing the primary vessel of the heat storage, which is moisture, when the freon is in its gaseous state. When the air is extremely dry, like the arid southwest, A/C units do not perform as well without the addition of a humidifier in the HVAC system.
Least, that's what I was always told....
Also discovered that if one wants to improve their cooling efficency, make foam board inserts for your roof vents and pop them in when heating/cooling. You get alot of heat transfer through those plastic things.
I've got to remember not to open this post while eating lunch at work!
Yeah, that is a real problem isn't it, but it sits there like a big juicy apple just tempting me to take a little taste.
I agree Arghhh!
FarcticOx
"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." Yogi Berra
2003 F350 Diesel DRW.
2005 Arctic Fox B1150 solar powered dry camper.
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