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.

[PAThwacker]

Tvov wrote:

RoyB wrote:
......

Never been to a Cabelas. I always figured they would be too high dollar for us...
......
Roy Ken

I always kind of thought Bass Pro and Cabela's were essentially the same thing with similar prices, possibly with Cabela's leaning just a little more towards hunting. But - I've never been in a Bass Pro.

Also, Bass Pro now owns Cabela's!

many people have reported that existing cabelas locations are like clothing department stores and death nails in the coffin for cabelas stick and brick.

[GrandpaKip]

I have installed a Fantastic Fan with a cover in every camper I’ve owned. It will move lots of air. The real key is ventilation.
For the most part, I ignore the peanut gallery and glean the information given and received.
Regardless of the nonsense about your lifestyle, I think the advice was clear.
Fans.
Hope you and yours enjoy the trip.

[2oldman]

Jesshopes wrote:
.. I probably would've gotten better answers if I had left off the part about 11 kids...which people fixated on. If I had simply said, "I'm looking for a way to run a few fans without the use of a generator while boondocking for a night" people would have focused on my actual problem...and not tried to give me solutions for my lifestyle.

Probably. Food for thought for next time.

[toedtoes]

Thanks. I have learned two things about forums:

1. When you post a question, you're going to get answers you don't like; and

2. When you respond to a question, your post may not be liked.

I try to offer a solution that I think is practical and let the OP decide if it is useful to them. I may be off in left field for what they really want, but it is given in good will. I think most of us fall under this.

Trying not to make lifestyle judgments goes a long way in remaining civil. When the lifestyle is inherent in the question, it is difficult to impossible. When the lifestyle is mentioned but not a major factor, then it is easier. But some have a hard time with this - if it is mentioned it must be judged. And those applauding the lifestyle are really just as bad because it has no bearing on the question either way and it does not need defending - just a simple "that doesn't matter, get back to the question". Defending will always bring out the offense.

And there are always a few who will comment on everything BUT the question. My sibling did this with everything - she'd be told to clean her room and she would color code her socks, hang pictures, darn a sweater, take apart a clock to see how it ticks... anything but what she was asked to do. It's a disorder and it follows us into the internet with people who will rhapsodize about the color of your sewer hose rather than help you decide on the right length.

[Jesshopes]

toedtoes wrote:

BizmarksMom wrote:
Holy mackarel! They are spending one night without air conditioning. When I was a kid, we spent weeks in a tent - where it got into the 90s. Yes, there was some complaining, but we all survived. Nobody got dehydrated. Nobody got heat stroke. We have all gone on to camp in our adult lives.

Some of you are talking like this will be the worst experience ever for the kids.

I think part of that was to the wording of the OP. The problem with forums is that you can only respond to what you read. The title "keeping cool while boondocking" and the desire to "run a couple fans" because it "will be warm" is subject to how each reader interprets "cool" and "warm". One person interprets warm as 100 degrees, another 70 degrees. One person interprets "keeping cool" as cooling the air another as moving the air around.

Also, as the majority of posters on this forum are middle age and above, they are subjecting their own ability to handle various temperatures to the situation.

I couldn't agree more. As the OP I will absolutely concede that terms like "warm" and "cool" and "hot" are relative. Which is exactly why I would expect that people would answer my question...which was do you have an advice for running a few fans while boondocking. Truly if people had stuck to that question than the purpose of the forum would have been served. That's the question I asked and it was the only question I had.

The problem is that some of the people (some answered my question very effectively) decided that it was important that I hear their opinion on everything from the size of my family to whether-or-not it was humane to boondock in warm weather with a large family.

It is completely illogical for anyone to argue that I should have given MORE information. I asked the exactly question I wanted answered. Period.

Furthermore, it is completely beyond my understand why any person in a forum such as this would take a rude and condescending tone. It certainly wasn't in response to a similar tone from me. Before I responded to any comments I was judged, talked down to, and insulted. It's part of the reason I didn't respond to the wrong assumptions that it was going to be sweltering (which still doesn't matter). I was taken aback by the way people were talking about my family and my choices. For crying outside I had my priorities questioned. Why on earth would it be anyone in this forum's job to question my priorities.

I can guarantee that my children have better manners than many of the people who responded to this post.

(I don't have a problem with your response Toedtoes...if this came across that way)

[Grit_dog]

Well after perusing through the most "viral" rvnet thread in a while, I can honestly say that a bunch of people on here really do s uck. Some of the comments are astounding!
It's beyond grump old men and just downright degrading....

To Jess, who's already on the trip I presume, doesn't your 37' TT have at least 2 fans in the roof? Crank those up, windows open.
Open windows while driving to cool down the camper. It'll be late and cooled off some by the time you stop.
Then if it's still too warm, each person gets an ad hoc swamp cooler. Take a towel or wash rag, wet it and use it like a blanket. If there's air moving, it will cool a body down.
We don't have AC at home and that's standard issue in the summer. Fan and a wet towel.

[profdant139]

This thread presents a perfect opportunity to begin a group-wide "gut check" -- what are we trying to accomplish by participating in this forum?

Gosh, do we really want to discourage folks from posting questions unless they are brilliantly well-worded? Do we want to attack folks who don't follow our advice or whose lifestyles are different from our own? Those are not good strategies for promoting a full and free discussion of interesting issues, which is at the heart of this forum. (Isn't it??)

When I was young (a long, long time ago), being rude or unkind to other people was something to be ashamed of. Now, it is clear that incivility has become fashionable. I understand that it is fun to make fun of other people (that's why it is called "making fun," I guess), but when did this become permissible in a public setting?

Yes, we can say to each other, "Just sit there and take it, ignore it, turn the other cheek," and that works on an ad hoc basis. But how much more pleasant it would be if the tone were to change into something more cooperative and less confrontational. I'm not against good-humored ribbing or kidding. But that is not what I am talking about, and the difference is pretty obvious.

I can tell you, as a long-time and active participant in this forum, that things have changed over the last decade or more. The prevailing spirit was "let's see what we can do to help each other," taking advantage of the collective wisdom of the participants.

Now, at least for some people, it has become "let's see how I can harass or humiliate the other posters." Why? Why? I just do not get it.

Not a very satisfying end to a Sunday sermon, but it'll have to do for now.

[valhalla360]

Poorly worded question. The implication to the question was it was going to be miserable hot...then when challenged, it was clarified that it wasn't going to be particularly hot. If it wasn't going to be uncomfortably hot, there wasn't a point to asking the question in the first place.

PS: I grew up in a house without air/con and yes, when it only got down to the mid 80's, you survived but it sure wasn't fun.

[Farm_Camp]

Jesshopes wrote:

Thanks . I appreciate a thoughtful and kind response. It baffles me that people even waste their time with a rude or cranky response. There were several thoughtful and kind and helpful responses. For those I am very grateful. I was thinking I probably wouldn't be back to the forum. I just wanted help with a specific question...didn't think that was such an odd idea. Or that people here would make snyde comments or negative assumptions about my family.

Ahh, but this is the internet where everybody is an expert and nobody else can be right except me!!!!

I can't offer much that has not already been said... Written communication is full of potential for mis-understanding in both directions. It IS the internet full of loose nuts and bolts... People can't look you in the eye to get the human feel of your intent - this is very hard to write out...


I believe most people are mostly good, most of the time... shrug off the negative and take the helpful ideas. And have a great trip. Stay Cool! 🙂

[FF286]

2oldman wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
One person interprets warm as 100 degrees, another 70 degrees.

And it only took 9 pages to get that information.

Good point. Why didn’t you ask that earlier instead of gripping about the number of kids in the camper.

[rbpru]

The fact is, if you do not like camping that way, do not do it. Also, do not judge those who think it is fine.

When our snow bird friends leave for the winter, I tell them they will be missing some good snowshoeing.

We all have our distortions.

[Jesshopes]

Jay Coe wrote:

Jesshopes wrote:


In third grade math class we learned that the most effective way to get the answer to a story problem is to eliminate the unnecessary information.

It doesn't matter how you spin it or how many years you've been on forums. Several people in this forum proved my point by providing useful information without knowing any of the details that you deem necessary. None of them had to mention their level of expertise by telling me they've been involved in more forums than me for more years than me.

Apparently the charge and strings attached to this advice is that I have to endure condescending, rude comments from people who don't actually have to comment at all if they don't think there is enough information for them to be helpful.

This ain't math honey. Just trying to help you out down the road. You're not interested /willing to learn. I'm done.

Alright sweetie. Thanks a bunch.

[Jay_Coe]

Jesshopes wrote:


In third grade math class we learned that the most effective way to get the answer to a story problem is to eliminate the unnecessary information.

It doesn't matter how you spin it or how many years you've been on forums. Several people in this forum proved my point by providing useful information without knowing any of the details that you deem necessary. None of them had to mention their level of expertise by telling me they've been involved in more forums than me for more years than me.

Apparently the charge and strings attached to this advice is that I have to endure condescending, rude comments from people who don't actually have to comment at all if they don't think there is enough information for them to be helpful.

This ain't math honey. Just trying to help you out down the road. You're not interested /willing to learn. I'm done.

[2oldman]

toedtoes wrote:
One person interprets warm as 100 degrees, another 70 degrees.

And it only took 9 pages to get that information.