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.

[BarabooBob]

I commend you for taking the entire family camping. We only had 4 daughters and we loved the time together. Here in Wisconsin, the state parks have the policy of 6 unrelated people or one directly related family without limit to the number of people.
"A site may be occupied by a parent or parents with their dependent children and not more than two guests or a group of not more than six persons, regardless of age."
I am surprised that the national parks discriminate against large families. I looked at several park web pages and there is a 6 person limit. I suggest talking to the park management about getting around that rule.

[BarabooBob]

I commend you for taking the entire family camping. We only had 4 daughters and we loved the time together. Here in Wisconsin, the state parks have the policy of 6 unrelated people or one directly related family without limit to the number of people.
"A site may be occupied by a parent or parents with their dependent children and not more than two guests or a group of not more than six persons, regardless of age."
I am surprised that the national parks discriminate against large families. I looked at several park web pages and there is a 6 person limit. I suggest talking to the park management about getting around that rule.

[Jesshopes]

shelbyfv wrote:

2oldman wrote:
13 people would require 2, maybe 3 spaces.

Yes, it seems most Fed and state campgrounds are 6 per site. That could make it hard to find a campground if you wanted adjacent sites. I expect OP knows all this....

Most campgrounds are understanding of the fact that we are one nuclear family sharing one camper. Occasionally we are charged extra for extra people but for the most part, especially in state and fed parks, there are no extra fees. It's funny that this is of such interest or concern to people. I see campsites with too many tents and what is obviously more than one family all of the time. It doesn't concern me.

[352]

Males on one side, females on the other will help.

[2oldman]

shelbyfv wrote:
..s most Fed and state campgrounds are 6 per site. ..

I just don't know how you feed and sleep 13! Outside I guess.

[shelbyfv]

2oldman wrote:
13 people would require 2, maybe 3 spaces.

Yes, it seems most Fed and state campgrounds are 6 per site. That could make it hard to find a campground if you wanted adjacent sites. I expect OP knows all this....

[Jesshopes]

LarryJM wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
Kids might be slightly less but the average human generates about 75w of heat just sitting around...you are going to try and sleep on an already hot night with the equivalent of a 1000w heater running all night.

Just buck up and pay the $30 for an RV site.

My thoughts too and I can't envision 11 unhappy hot little ones in a confined trailer just to save a few $$$. I think a reordering of priorities might be called for.

Larry

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 $.

[LarryJM]

valhalla360 wrote:
Kids might be slightly less but the average human generates about 75w of heat just sitting around...you are going to try and sleep on an already hot night with the equivalent of a 1000w heater running all night.

Just buck up and pay the $30 for an RV site.

My thoughts too and I can't envision 11 unhappy hot little ones in a confined trailer just to save a few $$$. I think a reordering of priorities might be called for.

Larry

[RedRocket204]

I know the local tool rental place near my house rents Yamaha inverter generators. Maybe you could find a rental shop near where you'll be and arrange to pick it up before they close and drop it off when they open?

Just a thought and good luck!

[Jesshopes]

time2roll wrote:
These table fans just circulate the hot air. You need a quality vent fan to move some hot air out of the trailer and pull in the cool evening/night air.

I swapped in a Fantastic brand and it is wonderful. Any of these should work well for you: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Powered-RV-Vent-Fans

Took me less than two hours for self install into the bathroom vent where the original fan was just a miserable noise maker.

Thanks for the feedback! Our bathroom fan is broken anyhow so this would be a good idea!

[Jesshopes]

jarata1 wrote:
How would you like to camp next to 13 people

Is that some kind of a joke? You can't be serious...

[2oldman]

13 people would require 2, maybe 3 spaces.

[toedtoes]

jarata1 wrote:
How would you like to camp next to 13 people

What does this have anything to do with cooling down a trailer. The OP has a life he is happy with - it's none of our business and certainly not for us to knock him for.

[F1bNorm]

F1bNorm wrote:
We’ve had good luck with the 5” battery powered O2Cool fans. They are quiet and will run several nights on 2 D cells on the low setting. Get one for each person so there is no fighting over where it’s pointed. https://www.amazon.com/O2COOL-Portable-Desktop-Circulation-Battery/dp/B001B16VT6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1535506811&sr=8-4&keywords=o2cool%2Bfan&th=1

Norm

We just finished a July/ August trip in the Midwest. We had AC available and ran it in the daytime. The AC was too noisy to run at night and preferred to open windows and use the little fans. We used to use very quiet 12v computer muffin fans but the O2Cools were just as quiet, energy efficient and stable enough to sit on the bed next to your pillow.

Works for us!

Norm

[2oldman]

I think OP is just going to find power.