Best ways to keep RV cool inside in desert climate

Few years ago we camped around Zion and temps were 105, and down around Kanab they were approaching 118. Driving we had the dash AC, generator along with both house ACs on full blast - it was still warm.

While parked I used our awning screen to hang over the main slide out. During the heat of the day we brought in the main slide to reduce the volume of air the AC units had to cool. While parked the dual ACs did just fine keeping the RV cool. The key was to keep it cool all day, once it's hot it's difficult to recover from the heat.

The best way to handle desert heat is higher elevations! It is cooler up there!

Or travel at night, that is what my great aunt did when they came out to California in 1942. No air conditioning in those days, and the cars overheat on a long drive when it is over 85F outside!

Reflex insulation is on my south side windows while driving on a hot day. I also will run the rooftop A/C and generator, in addition to the dash air when not climbing a mountain grade. Mountain grades, and I normally turn off the dash air, as it prewarms the air into the radiator, as well as add an additional 5-8 HP load to the engine.

Good luck,

Fred.

FYI

Van size sunshades from Walmart. Palm trees makes it look a whole lot less tacky from the outside.:W


This is what the RV vent pillow looks like. Try and get the ones with the reflective material on one side, material on the other side.

What are some best practices to keep your coach cool inside

when traveling

in extreme heat during the summer months?

I travel with dogs and the most frustrating part of RV'ing in 90+ degree heat for me was keeping the coach cool enough for the dogs to be safe and comfortable.

Cover all your roof vents! Buy those RV vent pillow inserts from any camping store. You will be amazed how that cuts down the heat while traveling.

And if you have a skylight dome in your shower cover that with removable window tint. THAT changed how hot the coach was mid ship by several degrees.

I also ended up putting window tint on all the windows AND while traveling I slid van sized sunshades behind the day night shades. They fit and stay put without having to put up nasty velcro on my coach windows. And when not in use the fold up nice and flat for storage.

Adding just hose 3 things made it real nice and cool in the coach area. I actually did not have to run the coach air either. The engine ac and those insulating factors kept the pups cool.

BTW: About how dark that makes the coach? I would only put the sunshades on the side of the MH that the afternoon sun would be coming thru as I was traveling. Giving the dogs a little more light.:W

Step one comes when you order/choose the RV, avoid black like the plague, In fact all dark colors

Make sure you have awnings, epically on south and west sides,

SHADE, even if you have to provide it artifically.

Refletx (Silver stuff) on the widows, Outside is better but inside is easier and lasts longer (outside the first stiff breeze and away it blows).

And make sure you are on a full power site and run the A/C.. About all i can advise.

One thing I did that helped, or seemed to... I had a portable swamp cooler,, Now these are, well, humidifiers, (Evaporation of water sucks up a lot of heat).. this increased the humidity (Good for me, I need a bit more than Arizonia (QZ) in Jan) and also it seems it made the Roof top units work better,

However, frankly I do not suggest it, too much bulk for the benefit.

Living in Nevada I had solar screens made to attach to the outside of all our windows which seems to help somewhat as all windows except the windshield are dual pane.

To those talking about dark coaches, please keep in mind that the roofs are always white no matter what color the coach is. Granted, the sides heat up as well, but the roof is the big factor.

Now to the original question. Here's what I did on my old coach. I added a second AC in the master bedroom, I tinted all the windows except the windshield, I added the foam paddings to all the fantastic fan vents and I attached some reflectix to the shower skylight (I used snap clips in the installation to easily remove it while showering). I always put out the awning, looked for shady spots to park and tried to park the windshield away from the sun.

Had I owned the coach longer, I would consider the outside windshield covers. If things really get out of hand, you could always go outside and spray down your coach with water to cool it down. Of course most of these suggestions apply only if you are stationary.

I once had to put up the dividing curtain behind my drivers seat when the roof AC gave up the ghost.

Stay north of I-90 in the summer!
Shade and awnings!

mpfireman wrote:
Interesting ideas, BUT why are we seeing more DARK COLORED RV units today? Years back they were mostly white with colored graphics. You would think that the majority of RV use is in the summer months, so why are we seeing these dark colors. They are heat sinks. They look sharp, but are not practical. Even if you head to the sun belt in the winter, It still is hot most of the time.
Just my thoughts.

X2 - we prefer a white or very light colored coach for that reason.

Drive at night.