Certainly one of my least favourite elements of van life is being too sizzling in my van whereas sleeping, working, or worrying about leaving my canines within the van whereas I run errands.
I don’t have a roof high AC unit, which suggests I’ve needed to discover different options to maintain cool throughout the scorching summer time months by doing a mix of issues like utilizing window covers, cooking exterior, operating my followers, and planning my travels rigorously.
In the event you’re like me with out air con in your van, these 13 ideas offers you some concepts on easy methods to cool off in your van on even the most popular summer time days.
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1. Go to coastal or high-elevation areas
Though you will have at all times needed to go to Arizona, the center of summer time might be not the perfect time. When you’ve the selection, go to cooler areas alongside the ocean or at excessive elevations throughout the summer time.
I deliberately plan my route every summer time to keep away from burning sizzling climates. I’ve discovered by trial and error that my greatest wager for summer time journey is to go excessive elevation mountainous areas or stick alongside the coast. You received’t catch me wherever close to the desert or particularly sizzling and humid areas from late Might to early September.
Even for those who can not journey to the mountains or the ocean, tenting close to a physique of climate like a lake or river can have an analogous cooling impact on the realm. It’s also possible to get out on the water on a paddleboard, tube, or kayak.
Pay shut consideration to climate alerts for areas you intend to go to and keep away from locations with excessive warmth warnings or advisories. I like to recommend staying versatile throughout the summer time and adjusting your journey plans earlier than discovering your self in an disagreeable scenario.
2. Park strategically
One easy factor I do to remain cool in my van is to park in areas with shade protection each time attainable. Parking my van within the shade will help cut back the inside temperature by 15-20 levels Fahrenheit.
Typically I’ve to park in direct daylight if I would like solar energy from panels on high of my van. On this case, I attempt to place my van strategically once I park so the slider door faces away from the solar.
When attainable, camp on gravel or filth within the sizzling summer time months versus paved spots at campgrounds or parking heaps. Concrete and asphalt take in warmth, which means you’ll probably be hotter inside your van.
3. Insulate your van
Insulation doesn’t simply preserve your van heat within the cooler months – it additionally retains your van cool within the hotter months! In fact, you in all probability insulated your van throughout the constructing stage (or bought your van with insulation from an expert conversion firm). You will have 3M Thinsulate (like my Sprinter van) or wool – each are well-liked and efficient supplies to insulate vans.
You possibly can insulate your van additional with blackout curtains, shades, or reflective window covers. These can mirror the solar and preserve the within cool. A number of corporations design velcro, snap, magnetic, or stick-on suction window covers for every window of your van, or for those who’re artful, you can also make them your self.
I’ve insulating window shades from Outdoors Van to place over the entrance, driver, and passenger home windows, in addition to the home windows in my dwelling area. As quickly as I park at my campsite for the evening, I dangle up the window covers within the cab space for added insulation. I additionally like them as a result of they supply privateness at my campsite within the evenings and preserve out the brilliant morning solar.
4. Use followers
Put money into some high quality followers to enhance airflow and circulation in your van. These permit cool air to stream into your van whereas sucking out the recent air.
On the roof of your van, you’ll be able to set up a 12-volt fan that requires a small quantity of energy (like MaxxAir or Fan-tastic Fan).
Since I don’t have an AC unit in my van, I depend on my two MaxxAir followers for airflow. I’ve one close to the slider door above the galley and the opposite above the mattress, and I can’t imagine how massive of a distinction they make in cooling down my van and sustaining a cushty temperature.
A less expensive different is transportable followers, which give extra direct airflow inside your van. Even small, battery-powered followers could make a considerable distinction subsequent to a cracked window. In case you are visiting a dry space, dip a skinny fabric in water and drape it over the fan to create a DIY “air conditioner”!
With two followers, you’ll be able to cool your area much more effectively and set one fan to drag air in whereas the opposite pushes air out. It’s also possible to crack open a window to extend the circulation and cooling (as defined within the tip beneath).
5. Open home windows and doorways
You possibly can benefit from the sounds of nature and create cross air flow in your van by leaving doorways and home windows open. This works properly in case your home windows have screens to stop bugs from getting inside.
On Sprinter vans, the manufacturing unit home windows don’t open or vent. Outdoors Van changed the entrance facet manufacturing unit home windows in my Sprinter van conversion with CR Laurence Home windows.
These home windows can pop open to assist preserve my area cool on sizzling days. I even have small slider home windows on either side of the mattress that vent.
You should buy bug screens to go away your slider and again doorways open with out fretting about bugs flying in your van. Though chances are you’ll suppose opening these doorways received’t make a lot of a distinction on a sizzling day, they’ll present significantly better airflow when your van is stationary.
6. Keep hydrated
If I’m feeling sizzling in my van, I attain for my water bottle and proceed to hydrate all through the day. When attainable, I’ll add ice or chill my water bottle within the fridge earlier than ingesting it.
This will help your physique quiet down whereas making certain you don’t expertise dehydration. At evening, preserve your water bottle inside attain of your mattress so you’ll be able to proceed to take sips as wanted.
7. Get out of your van
Keep away from spending time in your van throughout the hottest elements of the day. In the event you have to be inside your van, don’t hang around longer than vital.
Go exterior within the shade. Once I’m tenting close to a water supply, I’ll spend the most popular a part of the day within the water.
I additionally think about visiting a public place like a library, espresso store, or restaurant on days it’s too sizzling to be exterior. In case you have a canine (like me) or one other pet, discover a pet-friendly place to convey them alongside, too.
8. Gown comfortably
It’s also possible to preserve cool by carrying gentle and breathable clothes. On sizzling days, ditch the suffocating cotton shirts and attain for garments made with polyester, spandex, or different sweat-wicking materials.
I additionally prefer to put my hair as much as get it off my neck on sizzling days. I keep away from carrying socks and stroll round barefoot inside my van to maintain my toes from getting too sweaty.
9. Use an awning
When circumstances permit, I exploit an awning or shade construction to get extra shade close to my van. This additionally gives a cooler exterior area the place I can arrange a chair to loosen up with a chilly drink or work remotely with out sweating.
In the event you don’t have an awning on your van, think about investing in a single that may face up to repeated use. They connect to your roof rack or the facet of your van, sometimes over the facet with the sliding door. Bear in mind to not use it if it’s too windy exterior as they’ll snap and break simply.
The Moonshade awning is a superb transportable choice that you need to use at festivals and sunny campsites. It’s light-weight, compact, and straightforward to arrange. You possibly can learn extra about it in my Moonshade awning evaluation.
10. Take a cool bathe or go for a swim
In case your van has an inside bathe or exterior spray station, think about taking a chilly bathe to chill down your physique. Even when I don’t wish to take a whole bathe, getting my hair moist earlier than going to mattress on a sizzling evening will help me really feel cool sufficient to go to sleep.
It’s also possible to use public showers or leap in a pure physique of water to chill down. These are handy when you’ve the choice as a result of they let you preserve water in your van.
11. Modify your sleeping circumstances
You may make some easy modifications to your mattress to make it really feel cooler for sleeping. One thought is to buy breathable bedding or a conveyable fan to level immediately at you when you sleep.
Most just lately Ryan and I removed our high sheet to cut back the quantity of covers we sleep below in our van.
It’s also possible to get a cooling gel-infused pad for the highest of your mattress to assist your physique keep cool at evening.
12. Prepare dinner exterior
Utilizing your induction or propane range inside your van on a sizzling day emits extra warmth into your dwelling space. If attainable, cook dinner exterior with a conveyable camp range or over a hearth.
I exploit the Eureka Ignite Plus. It has a push-button ignite (which is tremendous handy), plus a sturdy design with massive burners that may accommodate my greater pans.
Don’t really feel like cooking? Relying in your proximity to city, a sizzling day may be a great excuse to seize a meal at an area restaurant with air-conditioning.
13. Set up an air conditioner
In the event you’ve tried the following pointers and nonetheless really feel unbearably sizzling in your van, think about putting in an air con unit. A 12-volt AC unit cools your area even when the van isn’t operating. The trade-off is that it requires a considerable amount of cash and energy.
In the event you set up an AC unit, you need to additionally spend money on a generator, a strong energy system, or stick round campsites with shore energy. You received’t be capable to run the air conditioner nonstop, however you’ll be able to run it for just a few hours to chill down your area to a nice temperature.
Whereas I didn’t set up an AC unit in my newest Sprinter Van, if I had been going to construct out one other camper, I’d undoubtedly think about it, particularly now that my son must nap in the course of the day. An AC can also be good you probably have pets and wish to do actions that they’ll’t at all times be a part of you on.
A transportable AC choice is the Zero Breeze Mark 2 AC, a conveyable air conditioner designed for compact areas. It runs for 3-5 hours on a single cost or can be utilized with a 24-volt battery provide.
In comparison with different air conditioners, the Zero Breeze Mark 2 makes use of solely one-fifth of the ability (240 watts). It may possibly drop the temperature by 30 levels Fahrenheit in 10 minutes. It does must be vented to the skin of your van, however it doesn’t require everlasting set up like a rooftop AC. I obtained to attempt it on the Overland Expo, and I used to be impressed with how efficient it was.
Continuously Requested Questions
If you wish to depart your canine within the van to run an errand and fear about them getting too sizzling, it’s necessary to chill down your van (and preserve it cool) when you’re gone. Crank the automobile’s AC so the ambient temperature begins off as cool as attainable earlier than you permit them in there. Then run the followers on max and crank the home windows.
Along with following the tips about this listing, you may also get a cooling mat or damp towels on your canine to put on, which will help decrease their physique temperature. In the event you aren’t ready to do that, you can put frozen water bottles or ice packs wrapped in towels on your canine to lean in opposition to.
Lastly guarantee they’ve loads of water, and keep away from leaving them alone within the hottest elements of the day. In addition they make RV temperature screens so you’ll be able to monitor the temp in your van when you’re away for those who’re anxious about your canine turning into too heat. For extra ideas, go to my submit on van life with canines.
There are numerous issues you are able to do to maintain your camper van cool throughout the day when temperatures are at their highest and the solar is out in full pressure. A couple of of my fundamental ideas are to make use of reflective window covers to dam out the solar, park within the shade, insulate your van, and activate followers whereas the home windows are open to enhance air flow. By doing these, your van ought to keep cool throughout the day!
Ceiling followers and window screens can work collectively to enhance airflow and circulation in your van. In case you have two ceiling vans, you’ll be able to set one to drag air in and the opposite to push air out. Maintain the home windows all the best way open and set up screens to maintain bugs out. I’ve discovered that the mixture of followers and home windows retains the inside of my van snug normally, which is why I’ve by no means wanted air con!
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How do you keep cool in your van? Add your greatest tip to beat the warmth within the feedback beneath.