How to cope with the heat

I'm for the portable vented A/C unit. You only need it a few times during the year, but when you need it, it is really handy. Very easy to vent and you can run the drain into the shower area. New they are pretty pricey, I got mine on Craigslist, one year old, for $175.00. 12,000 btu and it works great.

We do alot of camping in the Smoky Mtns Natl park and almost everyone there throws a large tarp over their trailers mainly for water dripping from the heavy tree foliage after it rains. Water will drip for days after a rain storm. Its almost like a rain forest haha...

I do the same with my off-road POPUP setup where my 20x30 TARP has holes cutout in to allow the air conditioner and fantastic fan to be opened up. The back side goes to the ground anchors at a long angle the front comes out even with the end of the awning but covers the whole front of the trailer including the the tent bed areas. I have two additional tent poles (WALMART) installed on this end and all of this is anchored to the ground in front and side of the awning. Makes a great shade area for the entire trailer and a great place to sit out font under the awning and the extended tarp... The 20x30 foot tarp also shades the trailer roof as well...

Roy Ken

It's the high humidity we are going through here in Iowa. My husband came for the weekend from his job in Montana at 4 am Friday morning and thought he was breathing water. Well, sorta.

Turning your AC down at least as low as 68 and leaving the fan on "ON" vs "Auto" will help tremendously. We were in the full sun at the coast (Port Aransas, TX) on a recent trip and this is what we had to do. It would get very cold at night but an extra blanket on the bed made for awesome sleeping conditions as well the cold trailer in the morning made it easier for the AC to keep things cooler in the afternoon. Our inside temps during the day still rose to 74 even though set at 68 but we were pleased with that. I'd rather be cold at night than miserable hot so this works for us and helps our dog when we go out somewhere that she can't go with us. We also do this when staying at one of the lakes nearby. Seems TX weather is always hot in the summer. This is why our longer trips are usually to Colorado...our escape from the heat!

pigdoc wrote:
Has anyone tried a 'portable' air conditioner? Good/bad points?
Pigdoc

Portable units come in two flavors, Vented and non vented. If it vents to the outside using TWO tubes it will work well but is rather expensive for the amount of cooling you get.

If it's not vented it works to cool a small space in front of it at the cost of heating the rest of the room, Way more than it cools.

In sort, bad idea.

I'm thinking this summer is a good time for that vacation to the north end of the Yukon you have always been wanting to take.

We have never camped in full sun but when we camp with high temperatures we sit outside with fans blowing on each of us. The cat's chair had to be right in front of a fan.
Last year the temperatures reached 110 while we were camping and our TT air conditioning kept the TT down in the 70s.

On previous trips to Las Vegas with temps around 115 we did the following:
Used the silver wrapped windshield sun reflectors on all the windows. Cut some Styrofoam and wedged it in the ceiling vents. Used a couple of room fans in addition to the MHs a/c. Still the inside temp was only reduced to the very high 80's. Now, when traveling to Las Vegas in the summer we generally stay in hotels.

stetwood wrote:
Good insulation not only keeps the cold out, but also keeps the cool in. A well insulated RV is important. 14 or better in floor and roof, and minimum 7 in the sidewalls should be the standard for ALL RVs.

So how does that info help the OP now?..:S..:R

~

pigdoc wrote:
Has anyone tried a 'portable' air conditioner? Good/bad points?
Pigdoc

Your initial question - Google the YouTube video for "EZ Snap Exterior RV Shades".
You see lots of RVs with these or similar brands in AZ.

Reflectix or similar on *inside*

~

The portable AC question.
They work well (have one at my S&B - but never used in my RV)
Good: You can take it home with you and use it there.
Move it wherever you want in your RV.

Bad: All require a hot air exhaust. So you need to run some kind of tube out a window - or somehow/someway to the exterior of the RV.
Also, most require a condensation drain - either to a catch pan or
a drain to the exterior.
Note: a catch pan is completely inadequate! You will end up with a wet floor.

BTW - Some brands claim they somehow "eliminate" the need for a drain.
IMO - very, very doubtful.

~

Good insulation not only keeps the cold out, but also keeps the cool in. A well insulated RV is important. 14 or better in floor and roof, and minimum 7 in the sidewalls should be the standard for ALL RVs.