Keeping cool while boondocking

[Jesshopes]

We leave for a 2 week trip on Friday. Our first night we are boondocking in a Cabela's parking lot. The problem is that it's going to be warm...and there are 13 of us in a TT. I keep thinking that there has to be a reasonable way to run a couple of fans for one night...anybody have an great ideas? We do not have a generator and I don't want to buy/take one for this one night.

[2oldman]

GrandpaKip wrote:
What you don’t know, you can’t miss.

When did you get indoor plumbing?

[mike-s]

BCSnob wrote:
Houses were designed and sighted on the land for managing heat before ac
High ceilings and vents at the highest points in the house
Rooms with tall windows
Rooms and or halls that spanned the house front to back
Wide porches to shade the windows from direct sunlight
House placement to catch the prevailing breezes
If rich, you had a summer home in cooler climates

So in summary, no better than an RV with vent fans.

BTW, your sarcasm detector is borken.

[GrandpaKip]

2oldman wrote:

mike-s wrote:
How did people live in the southern US before the advent of air conditioning in the 20th century?

Uncomfortably.

Oh, pshaw. Born and raised very comfortably in the Deep South. What you don’t know, you can’t miss.
Our present house doesn’t have A/C. Been here near on to 30 years.

Fans work very well.

[BCSnob]

Houses were designed and sighted on the land for managing heat before ac
High ceilings and vents at the highest points in the house
Rooms with tall windows
Rooms and or halls that spanned the house front to back
Wide porches to shade the windows from direct sunlight
House placement to catch the prevailing breezes
If rich, you had a summer home in cooler climates

[2oldman]

mike-s wrote:
How did people live in the southern US before the advent of air conditioning in the 20th century?

Uncomfortably.

[mike-s]

valhalla360 wrote:
What crow? I still think it's punishing the kids for no good reason.

Punishment? How did people live in the southern US before the advent of air conditioning in the 20th century?

Jesshopes, you might try calling a few local (non-chain) motels in the area. You might be able to find one which would let you park and draw power overnight for a reasonable fee. Also, you said Madison, WI. Token Creek County Park is right next to I90/94 so isn't out of your way, and has electric sites (but also has a 6 person limit, so check on that).

[valhalla360]

2012Coleman wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:
Gosh, thanks for judging my priorities but I actually never said why we were boondocking. It's an assumption that we are doing it to save $.

So what is the purpose of punishing the wife and kids?

I'm the wife. I'm not being punished...neither are the kids. Avoiding a campground is just quicker. It's a short overnight stay on the first night of a 16 day trip. We leave after my husband gets off of work so we only get about 6 hours in the first evening. Boondocking is quicker because most campgrounds are further off of the main route. We've done it plenty of times before. It works well for us.

How's that crow tasting?

What crow? I still think it's punishing the kids for no good reason.

[valhalla360]

Jesshopes wrote:

I'm the wife. I'm not being punished...neither are the kids. Avoiding a campground is just quicker. It's a short overnight stay on the first night of a 16 day trip. We leave after my husband gets off of work so we only get about 6 hours in the first evening. Boondocking is quicker because most campgrounds are further off of the main route. We've done it plenty of times before. It works well for us.

Do some scoping out, you probably can find a campground near your route. If it's cool, you can stop at the parking lot but if hot, you don't lose much time going to a campground and not punishing the kids.

Or consider trading off driving and just blast out the next days's drive over the night and rest the next day while the kids play at the campground.

[2012Coleman]

Jesshopes wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:
Gosh, thanks for judging my priorities but I actually never said why we were boondocking. It's an assumption that we are doing it to save $.

So what is the purpose of punishing the wife and kids?

I'm the wife. I'm not being punished...neither are the kids. Avoiding a campground is just quicker. It's a short overnight stay on the first night of a 16 day trip. We leave after my husband gets off of work so we only get about 6 hours in the first evening. Boondocking is quicker because most campgrounds are further off of the main route. We've done it plenty of times before. It works well for us.

How's that crow tasting?

[Jesshopes]

LarryJM wrote:

copsey wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:


Thanks for the CB tip. I didn't know that!

Where are your travels taking you? I have a hookup at my home you would be welcome to use if it is close to your route. Please send me a PM.

Excellent question and if we knew which Cabelas they were looking at any other options might be easier to suggest.

Super kind offer! We are headed West. Boondocking in Madison Wisconsin

[LarryJM]

copsey wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:


Thanks for the CB tip. I didn't know that!

Where are your travels taking you? I have a hookup at my home you would be welcome to use if it is close to your route. Please send me a PM.

Excellent question and if we knew which Cabelas they were looking at any other options might be easier to suggest.

[copsey]

Jesshopes wrote:


Thanks for the CB tip. I didn't know that!

Where are your travels taking you? I have a hookup at my home you would be welcome to use if it is close to your route. Please send me a PM.

[toedtoes]

Jesshopes wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:
Gosh, thanks for judging my priorities but I actually never said why we were boondocking. It's an assumption that we are doing it to save $.

So what is the purpose of punishing the wife and kids?

PS: I'm the youngest of 10 and we covered a lot of ground in an even smaller camper as a kid, so no objections to your lifestyle.

I'm the wife. I'm not being punished...neither are the kids. Avoiding a campground is just quicker. It's a short overnight stay on the first night of a 16 day trip. We leave after my husband gets off of work so we only get about 6 hours in the first evening. Boondocking is quicker because most campgrounds are further off of the main route. We've done it plenty of times before. It works well for us.

Since you mention this is the first night of the trip, then just get the small fans and go with it. Make sure the kids get well rested the night before. They'll be eager and excited about the trip so a less than perfect night will fade quickly (different if it were in the middle or end of a trip and the kids are cranky and tired and been running on high for a while).

[2oldman]

Jesshopes wrote:
Why would I come on here and post a fake situation?

You'd be surprised how often it happens. Some college student comes on here, or young couple who make a desperate plea about housing and how "fulltiming" will solve all their problems, then disappears.

And 11 kids camping? That's something I've never seen before, let alone in hot weather in a parking lot. Decades ago people used to have that many kids, but I think it's pretty rare now.

Maybe that will help explain some skepticism.

[RedRocket204]

Jesshopes wrote:
Why would I come on here and post a fake situation?

This is by no means directed at you, but I think the quote from Ghostbusters by Peter Venkman says it best about some who post on this forum...

Some are people who just want attention. Others, just nutballs who come in off the street.

There are no better moments than spending quality time with the family. My most memorable moments from my childhood were the family camping trips where we were gone up to 3 weeks at a time. Chances are if you end up sweating all night, you'll look back on this trip and laugh. Enjoy your trip to the fullest!