Wow, that asphalt reflects a lot of heat when it's 113 F outside!
I keep a food pantry in the storage compartment nearest the entry door. I use a shop light in winter to keep the canned goods above 45 degrees.
In the summer, it's shaded by the awning and I've never seen it above 75 degrees, so I've been comfortable using it for "kitchen overflow" with soups, tuna, sodas, and shelf-storage items like Velveeta & olive oil, etc.
The wheels really came off the wagon last week, coming across the desert from Bakersfield thru Las Vegas and into Utah. 113 in the shade, asphalt shimmering hot, and after super-nova sunlight on the coach and reflected road heat, my pantry measured 110F. Ouch.
According to several web sites, everything except the dry goods is toast. For my next trip in such conditions, I'll bring the tubs inside. But this has got me wondering... All the basement compartments on all the Class A's travel in the heat, and many contain food and other things that shouldn't be stored at 110 degrees (spray paint? charcoal lighter fluid? beer?).
In the combined wisdom of the forum, and short of hanging a window air conditioner on the compartment door, are there some tricks you've learned to keep water from boiling in your storages?
We learn from our mistakes that many things hate extreme heat. I left a laptop in the car in Las Vegas for just a few hours. The screen became fried, and data could only be displayed as fuzzy white on a fingerpaint red background. Took it for repair, it was toast. I've had a can of tomato paste pop, and crayons melt. Things attached with glue slip. When I store my MH here in SoCal I always leave two fans, attached to portable timers, in operation. They go on at dawn, and are set to stop at about 9pm. I also leave the roof vent ajar, allowing for heat release. Even with these precautions when I check the MH, it is not uncommon for the inside temp to be between 90 and 100+. Such is life in the desert.
This has me concerned. I have a beautiful Celestron CPC 800 telepscope in a Pelican case. Is that thing safe to put under the coach? What about Canon 500 and 600 lenses? While I am asking, are those doors secure enough to put these items down below? Thanks all!
"If you think you can when you can't, you just might!"
No RV yet but getting closer! We are too old for this tent stuff!
Cliff and Michele (Humans)
Toby and Bailey (Bichons)
I remember people saying "don't store your little propane canisters for your BBQ inside your rv while traveling". Hmmmm....obviously much safer to store them inside under the bed than in the basement bay!!! But then you have to remember to take them out when you get home....I went to get something out of the RV the other day (during the week long 100 degree temps) and it was like walking into an oven!! glad after the last trip I removed all of the canned goods!
Snowhawkwoman Big Owl dogs Xena,Phoebe,Spooker,Skippy,Zoe,PJ,Taz Punky - the amazing insane Rving Squirrel 1997 Fleetwood Jamboree 29' The traveling Zoo!
kalynzoo wrote: We learn from our mistakes that many things hate extreme heat. I left a laptop in the car in Las Vegas for just a few hours. The screen became fried, and data could only be displayed as fuzzy white on a fingerpaint red background. Took it for repair, it was toast. I've had a can of tomato paste pop, and crayons melt. Things attached with glue slip. When I store my MH here in SoCal I always leave two fans, attached to portable timers, in operation. They go on at dawn, and are set to stop at about 9pm. I also leave the roof vent ajar, allowing for heat release. Even with these precautions when I check the MH, it is not uncommon for the inside temp to be between 90 and 100+. Such is life in the desert.
DId you know that the fans will not cool the RV? All they will do is circulate the warm air (and actually warm it up a bit). Having an exhaust fan running is a better idea. You also need to supply fresh air also.
Fans for cooling work on the principle of wind chill. If there are no humans, animals, or plants in there (stuff with moisture) then inanimate objects will not feel the cooling effects of the fan.
Let's rethink this whole "I hope I die before I get old" thing.
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