It's HOT outside!

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cybercat7

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2023
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4
Location
Texas
Any ideas on how to cool down the internal temperatures inside an RV? The heat is brutal where we live (105 on a good day) and without any shade, the inside of our RV is 80ish, even with the AC on full blast. We have reflective blackout fabric on the windows and a cover on the skylight as well. Help!?
 
We have a class a. We also keep some of the slides in. We also hang a blanket to separate the front of the RV it helps because of all the big windows.
 
Moving to Canada would help. Other than that, it's basic thermal transfer. Shade at a minimum. Add reflective coatings to sun facing surfaces (white or foil). Reduce the volume of the interior so the Btu your A/C has can be more effective.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
We have one window that is full sun so DW took the sunshade out of the truck and put it between the window and blind. It makes a huge difference. We are in Maine so it is cooler.
Try a pillow in your vent fans too.
 
Watch this video, pretty much covers it. Reflectix for windows. I hope this is what you mean by blackout coverings for the windows.

 
We have unofficial rolling brownouts in addition to triple digit heat. I have two 6K BTU window type air conditioners built into my bus (one installed in 2011 and one installed in 2012 replacing a slightly smaller one, no rooftop airs). They will shut down to protect the compressor when it gets too hot. That's almost every day. Inside, it gets up to the 90's (about 10* cooler in than out).

I have interior storm windows that cover the aluminum window frames. I have additional insulation on the interior walls. I have a reflective roof coating on the roof (makes a huge difference). The front windshield and entry door are covered with a curtain "sandwich" that is comprised of (glass to interior) thermal curtain/cheap Harbor Freight packing quilt/washed canvas drop cloth or pretty quilt. I also have thick blankets hanging up between "rooms" so the air condtioners do not have to cool the whole place (40ft), just the front salon and the bedroom. The dog lays on the bed most of the day and I sit in the salon most of the day. The blankets keep the cooled rooms separate from the uncooled rooms yet the dog can wander back and forth as she needs. I open a window in the bathroom (no rooftop vent) and I turn the thru-the-wall cooktop stove vent on to help push the hot air out of the galley. The galley gets hotter because I have a residential refrigerator and an upright residential freezer pumping out warm air from the compressors (there are vents on the walls behind the appliances but the warm air tends to not want to go out when it's over 95* so it goes up instead). I have desk fans mounted to the ceiling in several places to circulate the air.


I drink lots of iced tea, take magnesium glycinate daily (for heat induced muscle cramps), take a couple luke warm showers daily (NOT COLD!) and meals are either cold or cooked in the microwave. I wear "moisture wicking" clothing as much as possible (athletic wear mostly). I hope for cloud cover to lessen the burden on my poor air conditioners.
 
105F that's really, really hot 🔥! It's a good thing that ceiling fans are on the target list for government scrutiny. Lot's of wasted energy. Some people just let them run all day long. Probably best to make them all less powerful at a higher price. Makes me sweat looking up at the snow still on our Rocky Mountains just thinking about the Texas heat. Glad that we're not there.
 
105F that's really, really hot 🔥! It's a good thing that ceiling fans are on the target list for government scrutiny. Lot's of wasted energy. Some people just let them run all day long. Probably best to make them all less powerful at a higher price. Makes me sweat looking up at the snow still on our Rocky Mountains just thinking about the Texas heat. Glad that we're not there.
It’s only in the mid to upper 90’s here today. Supposed to hit triple digits again for a few days later and then we should start gradually easing away from the inferno here. So far Oncor, except in some isolated cases has been able to keep the grid from free falling.
 
This is the coolest day we've had in about a month. The outdoor sensor says it's 97, but only 39% humidity which is pretty dry for this time of year.
 
It's in the high 80's here in Western Colorado. Unloading the first of four 2,400 pound truck bed loads of wood stove pellets today. Winter always comes.20230828_135133.jpg
 
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I would cover the windows with blackout shades as well as run table top fans along with the air conditioner. I also run a table top fan in the bedroom when I sleep and it helps a lot. The heat is brutal and has been in the triple digits in Texas where I live.
 
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Skirting can help, particularly if you're on a concrete pad. Heat rises, so if you can get more of the ground surface underneath your rig into shade, it can only help.
Ideal would be removing it at night so you get the advantage of airflow when it's cool.
 

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