Hit The Road Jack
Treasure Coast of Florida
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Joined: 10/20/2005
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Please share your road travel tricks with others...
How do you prepare your 'B' for a cooler living environment...
Jacks tricks to keep your 'B' cool...
1...Park in the shade and choose shady campsites whenever possible.
2...Use your awnings and window coverings to keep the sun out and the cool air in.
3...Do your cooking outside and avoid opening and closing the door as much as you can.
4...Clean air conditioning filters monthly.
What're yours...
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trop-a-cal
Palm Coast Fl
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Joined: 09/24/2007
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Yes, that's about it, but always leave a roof vent or window open a little for fresh air. There's and old saying to B or not to B, maybe they knew something about the cooling. I like the Canadians sayings A. That's cool, C you later.
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BAD
Los Gatos, CA
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Joined: 05/23/2002
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We have a 12-volt Fantastic Fan that really helps keeping our B cool! Also, if you open the two rear side windows and turn on the roof mounted Fantastic fan you create a good breeze.
Barbara
2005 Chevy Roadtrek 210Popular
Los Gatos, CA
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juliev
Minnesota
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Joined: 07/29/2004
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We do all of the above. We made some window covers out of Reflectivix insulation and they go a long way in keeping the interior of our van much, much cooler. They also work well in the winter to keep the inside warmer at night. There must be an awful lot of heat transfer through those windows.
Julie
_____________________________________________________________________
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu
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mockturtle
Northwest
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Joined: 05/31/2005
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We don't have a B, but years of RV experience have taught us that, when traveling, it's best to keep the windows closed and covered with blinds, or whatever you've got. The interior stays much cooler that way. You can ventilate once you get to your stop.
Husband: Derek
Dog: Bucky
RV: 2000 Aerolite 19RB TT
TV: 1996 Chevrolet Blazer 6 cyl. 4WD
This car used to be our toad, now is our TV!
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GizmosMom
Central Texas
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Joined: 02/18/2002
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We keep the windows covered.
We have a windshield cover and that goes on after all of the inside shades and curtains are closed.
Our AC is a window unit in the back, over the bed. The air flows out toward the front to the van. So we open the long closet doors and use them to block the air and keep it coming back to the bed area.
Parking in the shade is a must!
The fantastic fan with windows open is great for when it is "warm" out but in the south you need that AC to keep cool in the summer! IMHO
Marilyn w/ Joe, 2000 Xplorer Class B van, usually pulling a Ranger bass boat.
Smudge, (in photo) a Shih Tzu/Yorkie Mix and Gizmo is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge
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VE3ESN
Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 03/08/2002
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Our daughter-in-law sewed on "sun-block" material to each curtain in the Roadtrek which makes a world of difference. It faces out towards the windows.
We also use the Fantastic Fan and modified it to run in the reverse direction as well as its original direction. Now, we can get a nice breeze that cools the person standing under it in the galley area. It also doesn't suck in smoke from other camper's fires. Of course, we still use the normal position to expel the hot air out the top.
Jerry & Susie
1996 Roadtrek 190 Versatile (Dodge 5.2 L)
FMCA F390585
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Heathertee2002
Connecticut
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Joined: 07/18/2003
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The only A/C in my Ford Sportsmobile is the one that came with the van, and I never have had to use it while camping, even in Florida or Baja.
My primary methods of keeping cool:
1. Pick your travels according to the climate; ie: don't plan a Mexico trip in August! North in summer, south in winter.
2. Yes, shade parking always.
3. And awnings, always!! These help so much, I'm thinking of having a second awning installed on the driver side of the van.
4. I always use a windshield sunblocker. This alone can lower the indoor temp by 10*.
5. Always keep the ceiling fan open at least a little, with a side window open for cross-ventilation. I run it at night with the bunk slider open and have always been able to sleep well.
When there's a sudden heatwave, you usually can plan an afternoon trip in the hottest part of the day and cool the van down with your engine a/c. If you dry-camp as I usually do, this serves the added purpose of keeping the batteries well-charged. Needless to say, running the fridge AND the fan in hot weather puts a lot more demand on them.
Heather
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Remember that travel will cause the 'stuff' (frame, tanks, etc.) underneath to heat-soak. A lot of that heat's going to rise into the interior eventually. In hot weather, try opening the hood for a few hours after parking to allow some of the heat to freely escape.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
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