How to Keep Your RV Cool: Essential Tips for a Comfortable Summer
Summer camping in an RV can be a fantastic experience, but the intense heat can quickly turn your recreational vehicle into an uncomfortable sweatbox.
To ensure you have a cool and enjoyable summer, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on how to keep your RV cool.
This article covers preventive measures, cooling techniques, and maintenance tips to help you beat the heat.
Preventing Your RV from Heating Up
1. Park in the Shade
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to keep your RV cool is to park in the shade. Trees, hills, and even buildings can provide much-needed relief from the sun’s direct heat.
Use Google Maps or other mapping services to scout out shady spots before reserving a campground. Full shade is ideal, but even partial shade is better than parking in direct sunlight.
2. Cover Your Roof Vents
Use a reflective vent cover to prevent the sun’s rays from entering your RV through the roof vents.
Products like the Camco RV Vent Insulator can help reflect heat and keep your RV cooler.
These foam-based vent fillers have a reflective surface that gets tucked up inside your RV’s ceiling vent, helping to insulate and reflect the sun’s rays.
3. Use Sun Shades on Windows and Doors
Reflective sun shades can block out the sun’s rays and reduce the heat entering your RV.
Options like the RV Door Window Cover Shade can be easily installed using velcro strips.
These shades not only help prevent the sun’s rays from entering through the window but also provide a degree of darkness inside your RV.
4. Use Larger Window Sun Shades
For larger windows, consider using sun shades like the Camco SunShield Reflective Window Cover.
These shades help reflect sunlight and keep your RV cooler and darker.
They are available in various sizes and can be easily attached to your RV’s windows using velcro strips.
5. Emergency Blanket as a Reflective Option
An emergency blanket can be a cost-effective alternative to dedicated sun shades. Tape it to the outside of your RV’s windows to reflect the sun’s rays and prevent heat buildup.
If you prefer a more commercial product with better insulating properties, consider using rolls of Reflectix foil reflective insulation.
6. Extend Your RV Awning
Extending your RV awning can create shade and reduce the heat absorbed by the walls and windows on the sunny side of your RV.
This simple option helps keep your RV cooler by shading both the windows and the walls.
7. Get an Awning Sun Shade
An awning sun shade, such as the CAREFREE Drop RV Awning EZ ZipBlocker, can further enhance the shade provided by your awning, making your outdoor seating area more comfortable and potentially reducing the heat inside your RV.
These shades attach to the top slot of your awning and anchor to plastic stakes in the ground, providing additional shade and UV protection.
8. Clear Your Fridge’s External Vents
Ensure that your RV fridge’s external vents are clear and unobstructed. This helps the fridge exhaust hot air efficiently, preventing heat buildup inside your RV.
An RV fridge pulls heat from the inside of the food compartment and exhausts it outside. If this external vent is dirty or obstructed, the heat will “back up” and contribute to warming up your RV.
You can purchase rack fans that attach to the external refrigerator vents to aid in the exhaust of this hot air away from your fridge to the great outdoors.
Cooling Your RV Down
9. Service Your Air Conditioner
Regularly servicing your RV’s air conditioner ensures it operates at maximum efficiency. Clean the air vents or grill to maximize airflow and reduce obstructions.
Properly functioning air conditioning is obviously a great way to cool your RV in the summer, especially if your site has electrical hookups to plug into.
10. Install a New Reversible Roof Fan
A new reversible roof fan, like the Maxxair Vent Corp Maxxfan Plus, can make a significant difference in cooling your RV.
These fans can exhaust hot air out of the RV and provide a cooling sensation by blowing air down upon you.
To improve ventilation in your RV, the roof fan will pull the hot air out the top, and you can crack a window on the shady side of your RV to let new fresh air in.
11. Use a Personal or Table Top Fan
Portable fans, such as the Koonie 10000mAh Rechargeable Battery Operated Clip-on Fan, can provide a cooling sensation and improve air circulation inside your RV.
These fans are rechargeable, portable, and can be clamped to various surfaces, making them versatile for different family members.
12. Bowl of Ice in Front of a Fan
Place a bowl of ice in front of a blowing fan to chill the air and provide better relief from the heat. This simple trick can make a noticeable difference in comfort.
If you have a portable ice maker, you can make more ice cubes and refill the bowl as needed. It likely won’t keep your entire RV cool but can help while sitting around playing cards or reading a book.
13. Portable Swamp Cooler
An evaporative cooler, like the Hessaire Evaporative Air Cooler with 2-Speed Fan, can provide some relief by using a water pump and fan to cool the air.
These devices are particularly effective when you’re sitting or standing close to them.
They work best in dry climates and can help reduce the temperature in your immediate vicinity.
14. Ryobi 18v ONE+ Bucket Top Misting Fan
The Ryobi 18v ONE+ Bucket Top Misting Fan can act as a portable patio mister, providing a cooling sensation while you sit outside your RV.
This fan can be used just as a fan or as a misting fan, making it versatile for various conditions. It is part of the Ryobi 18v ONE+ series of tools and is available with various amp-hour batteries.
Maintaining a Cool RV
15. Keep the Exterior Door Closed
Minimize frequent openings of the exterior door to prevent hot outdoor air from entering your RV. This can be tricky to implement if you have kids going in and out, but try if you can.
Opening the door repeatedly allows the hot outdoor air to enter your RV, making it harder to maintain a cool interior.
16. Avoid Using the Stove or Oven
On hot days, plan to use your outdoor kitchen or campfire to cook meals. Using the stove or oven inside your RV can contribute to the heat buildup.
Cooking inside your RV is just another way that you’d heat up the inside of your RV, so we want to minimize this.
17. Switch to LED Lights
Replace incandescent or halogen lights with LED lights, which provide light without emitting heat.
Products like the Philips Automotive Lighting 921WLED Ultinon LED Bulb are a popular and well-rated option.
LED lights are more energy-efficient and can help keep your RV cooler by reducing the heat generated by lighting.
18. Open Windows in the Cool Evening Air
Open your RV’s windows in the evening to let in the cool breeze and close them in the early morning to prevent hot air from entering during the day.
This allows the cool evening air to circulate through your RV, helping to maintain a comfortable temperature.
19. Open Up Cupboards, Cabinets, and Doors in the Evening
Opening up cupboards, cabinets, and bedroom doors in the evening allows trapped air to circulate, helping to cool down your RV.
Getting some good airflow lets that warm air escape out through the roof vent fan. Air in enclosed spaces like this may stay warm and contribute to heating your RV.
Other RV Cooling Ideas
20. Pop Up Gizmos for Bunk Ends
For pop-up campers or hybrid trailers, consider using Pop Up Gizmos to provide a reflective surface on the roof of the bunk ends, helping to keep the bedding area cooler.
These products help reflect the sun’s rays and can drop the temperature down a couple of degrees in your pop-up camper.
21. Portable Air Conditioner
If your rooftop RV air conditioner isn’t working well or if you don’t have one, consider getting a portable air conditioner like the SereneLife Small Air Conditioner Portable 10,000 BTU.
These units can effectively cool down a small area such as an RV, but they are typically better suited for stationary RVs or those parked at seasonal sites.
Portable air conditioners require venting out a window and can be quite large, making them less ideal for frequent travel.
Conclusion
Keeping your RV cool in the summer involves a combination of preventive measures, cooling techniques, and maintenance tips.
By following the strategies outlined in this article, you can ensure a comfortable and enjoyable summer camping experience. Stay cool and happy camping!
