May in Ontario has been a little bit of a rollercoaster ride as far as temperature is concerned. One day it is beautiful at 20C (68F) degrees then the next day we were sweating at 37C (98F)degrees. The day after that freezing at 7C (44F) degrees. Welcome to Ontario! Lol! Keeping my RV somewhat temperature controlled inside is a bit of a struggle. But as the weather warms it’s time to think about about keeping cool.
My air conditioner, which I can only use if I am plugged in has never worked. Well it worked once in February when I accidently turned it on. I have to find other ways for keeping me cool.
My insulated curtains and styrofoam inserts for the back windows not only keep out the cold but also insulates from the heat. At night when it cools down I will close all the curtains, including my skylight curtains and it helps to retain some of that coolness in the morning. Helps with the enjoyment of morning coffee! 🙂
I have a small 12 volt fan that really is a life saver. It does not draw much power but is a welcome relief of air movement when there is no breeze outside. It has a clamp attachment so can be moved or hung pretty much everywhere. It also oscillates which is very handy for keeping that air moving.
Parking somewhere you can get a cross breeze is half the battle. I love my flaps, as I call them. The small windows in the back that you can open to let the breeze flow through the back of the van. It is great for sleeping as the breeze flows right across of the top of me while I am laying in bed.
My fantastic fan on the roof is an excellent way to cool the van. Opening the front windows a little and the side door window, when you turn on the fan it draws the air from the front to the back. It is nice when you can leave your windows down but in the evening or depending on where your parked you can not always do that. Opening the flaps at the back and the fantastic fan will draw from both the front and the back helping to keep the air moving and pulling in cooler air from both directions. It really is amazing what a difference that makes.
I am curious to see this summer how much my flooring helps. In the summer especially when you are roadtripping that metal floor will get hot. Between the heat of the road and the heat of the exhaust it can get toasty on your toes. I am hoping my new flooring will help keep the heat from creeping through the floor as well as it did for the cold.
When the temperatures sore into the sweating while standing zone, where you are parked makes a huge difference. If parked in a parking lot the cement will reflect the heat and cook you. Whenever it gets that hot I go find a piece of grass under a tree if possible. Absorbing the heat not reflecting it helping to keep me and the van cool. Then all you need is a lawn chair and a great blog to read with a cold drink and you have yourself a wonderful summer afternoon.
Keeping cool while living in my Class B RV can be a challenge but with a little planning and a little knowledge, using the tools I have it is possible!
Bring on summer!!
Thanks for coming along on my Chipmunk Adventure!
See you next time!
🐿