Desert heat

[Tjuice]

Hello,
Will be heading out the SW portion of the US in a couple weeks. Some of the places we'll be staying will be 100+ degrees for the highs.
What do I need to take into consideration with my TT to avoid a total meltdown?
Thanks in advance for any tips.

[2gypsies1]

Juice0000: Thanks for coming back with your update. Glad you had a good trip and good luck staying cool next summer!

[LuckeyUs]

After our last excruciatingly hot trip we came home & bought a 48"x25' roll of Reflectix Insulation for $38 in Lowes. It was easy to cut & fit on the windows, no tape needed, just push it in the window grooves. I also made a box shaped section to fit into the ceiling skylight. We just returned from another trip to Georgia & the temperature stayed down in the tt. The A/C worked so well that we didn't even need a fan. What a difference!!!

[Tjuice]

Hello, I'm back!

The trip went extremely well, even in Mesa. We had no issues with the a/c keeping up or anything else. I am very pleased with the performance of or TT in the extremes.

We tried to get shade when possible, kept the a/c on when parked, kept the window blinds closed...and just played it by ear as to whether we needed to get the window covering silver reflective stuff, additional fans, etc.

But....next summer we're heading North!

[BubbaChris]

pnichols wrote:
What is the insulation in the roof vents intended to be for ... to 1) keep the cool air conditioned air from escaping the living area, or to 2) keep the hot air from the outside from getting into the living area, or to 3) keep the sun from heating up the vent and thus heating the air in the living area?

It it's 1) ... cool air doesn't rise anyway. If it's 2) ... how can hot outside air get in a closed vent regardless of any insulation? If it's 3), will vent covers shade the vents such that the sun can't heat up the vent?

We have vent covers over all vents, and I'm wondering if and why the vent insulation is needed.

#2 - For the reason you mentioned, insulation. In the same way that dual and triple pane windows are more efficient than single pane ones. Even with the vent cover, the hot outside air is making contact with the fairly plastic of your cover. Adding 2" of foam makes a noticeable difference.

In our case, a secondary benefit is eliminating a potential source of night-time light right over our bed.

[down_home]

I have wondered if anyone, parked long term has constructed a light frame that covers most of the roof area and about 6 or 8 inches from the air conditioners skylights etc.
Not sure schedule 80 3/4 pvc would not warp from heat but several little standoffs along the length might work. Some aluminum sheet secured with ties, after sizing to frame would reflect a lot of heat through the roof, much like a mini poll building. Secure it with bungees or something. Then again with winds maybe not such a good ideas unless a lot of refinement.
perhaps someone has ideas that are more practical for transport apperrcne etc.
thing that would make the most sense is ordering RVs with cold weather package, meaning a lot more insulation. If it can keep out the cold it can keep out the heat.
I noticed in Big Bend area some RVs parked for a long time went with a semi pole barn roof with porch area covered too. Brain dead now for better description. It could be tastefully done.
A thousand dollars for the summer or less?

[2gypsies1]

pnichols: You can definitely feel a big difference if putting you hand up to a vent cover and one with insulation in it. Those covers let in a lot of heat.

[rondeb]

This may sound strange, but get a few rolls of the reflective aluminum stuff and put it on your roof. Put a few things on it to keep it from blowing off. It will reflect the heat back off the roof which is the biggest problem you will have. It will help you keep a 20% lower temp inside.

[pnichols]

What is the insulation in the roof vents intended to be for ... to 1) keep the cool air conditioned air from escaping the living area, or to 2) keep the hot air from the outside from getting into the living area, or to 3) keep the sun from heating up the vent and thus heating the air in the living area?

It it's 1) ... cool air doesn't rise anyway. If it's 2) ... how can hot outside air get in a closed vent regardless of any insulation? If it's 3), will vent covers shade the vents such that the sun can't heat up the vent?

We have vent covers over all vents, and I'm wondering if and why the vent insulation is needed.

[TechWriter]

GoPackGo wrote:
It seems to be hot everywhere in the SW right now. I am currently just outside Carson City, Nv at 4500 ft and it's 100 right now. So much for temp moderation due to altitude.

You ain't high enough . . .

Kingman, AZ (3500 ft elevation) -- 100 degrees
Hualapai Mountain Park (6500 ft elevation) -- 86 degrees
Kingman & the park are only 13 miles from each other.


Another comparison where I'm near . . .

Bishop, CA (4150 ft elevation) -- 103 degrees
Mammoth Lakes, CA (7880 ft elevation) -- 79 degrees
Bishop & Mammoth are only 42 miles apart.

You should be looking for a place at 6500 feet plus.

[BubbaChris]

GoPackGo wrote:
It seems to be hot everywhere in the SW right now. I am currently just outside Carson City, Nv at 4500 ft and it's 100 right now. So much for temp moderation due to altitude.

Going towards Yosemite next week and the CG I have targeted (30 miles west of Yosemite) is having 100 degree temps now.

Talked to my insurance agent in Portland Oregon yesterday and she told me it was 100 there.

Tim

Yup, I've got the high pressure practically parked overhead. We received some product at the store this week packed in a Reflectix-type material. I'm taking it home and putting what I can into my TT's windows for a trial run before buying the real stuff.

[GoPackGo]

It seems to be hot everywhere in the SW right now. I am currently just outside Carson City, Nv at 4500 ft and it's 100 right now. So much for temp moderation due to altitude.

Going towards Yosemite next week and the CG I have targeted (30 miles west of Yosemite) is having 100 degree temps now.

Talked to my insurance agent in Portland Oregon yesterday and she told me it was 100 there.

Tim

[tpi]

I've read through the thread and not much I can add at this point-everything is covered. Brief summary..

Shade. (!!!!! if possible)
Elevation -worth 3-5 degrees per thousand feet typically.
Get AC started early in day.
Insulating pads for skylights and vents
Reflectex I prefer it on outside of windows-does more good and helps keep window seals cooler. Secure with Velcro heavy duty.
Longer RV-add second air conditioner for far better performance in very hot weather.

[Drew_K]

Roy&Lynne wrote:
We went to Lowe/Home Depot and purchased a roll of that silver reflecting stuff and cut it to fix the windows on the sun side. It helped a lot.

+1. The brand you typically see at Home Depot/Lowes is Reflectix. Buy a roll and cut pieces to fit in the windows. It's a HUGE help.

You can also buy square insulation for the vents.

[BubbaChris]

dkreuzen wrote:
Something that is missing from the Desert heat discussion is nighttime temperatures. In the Desert area from Phoenix to Las Vegas the lows may be in the 90's... so don't expect a cool breeze just because it's dark. Here in Havasu it's not unusual to see 100 for the low.

Yup, that will be part of the advantage in Bryce. The overnight low should be more than 30-degrees cooler than the day's high.