Traveling without Air conditioners

[deryk]

Im thinking of adding one of these like Thom has on his ParkLiner. This way if its raining you can still have it on and running.

http://www.maxxair.com/products/maxxfan/maxxfan.php

[Mary Ann in MN]

Thanks everyone, That's what I needed to hear about traveling to the southern states in the summer heat. I've traveled to FL many times, but not in the summer. We always vacationed in the winter.

[rgrugg]

One time returning from Colorado in our pickup camper we stopped at a state park in Minnesota. No ac in the camper. So hot we slept out on the ground. Next morning we saw some people with a motor home doing the same. A personal vow: no house, no car, no RV without ac. That's what I have and have had for more than 25 years. Never again without.

[deryk]

Originally Posted by rgrugg

One time returning from Colorado in our pickup camper we stopped at a state park in Minnesota. No ac in the camper. So hot we slept out on the ground. Next morning we saw some people with a motor home doing the same. A personal vow: no house, no car, no RV without ac. That's what I have and have had for more than 25 years. Never again without.

I agree with you100%!

[Adrian W]

We did 10 yrs. with a Komfort Lite TT (it had an AC, but seldom camped with electric hookups). We kept west of Texas so we were in higher elevations and not humid. We did one summer down into Texas with it. But kept to state parks & electric sites.

Only one day & night in which we really suffered. Page, AZ, down by Lake Powell. We made it through a very hot day by swims in the lake by the beach. Taking drives in the pickup & taking a tour of the dam site. Very cool down into it by elevator. Ice cream at McD's.

Expecting it too cool off after dark (like it normally does in high desert places), but no such luck, over 100° at 10 pm in the TT. Lake Powell is classified as a "high desert" area due to it's 3,700 ft. elevation. But not high enough & more humid due to the lake, I assume. Page, perched atop Manson Mesa at an elevation of 4,300', should have cool faster (can't remember if it did or not), so the CG by the lake was in a canyon somewhat. So we took another drive in the pickup. drove up to Page & looked it over. Drove by a private campground with electric hookups. Didn't appear to have any sites left.

When back to our TT. Still really hot, but a little cooler. Many people sleeping on tables, etc around the CG. Our solution, wet T-Shirts. Kept us cool enough to get to sleep & finally it must have cool down enough.

Next morning, we left for higher ground. Closest place from checking paper roadmaps, North unit of the Grand Canyon. Yep, it was nice and cool up there. Daytime and chilly at night. In a forest service campground just outside of the park. Of course, the Park's CG was full.

Several years before we had a TT, we had a 3 tier camper shell. My wife & I, on the way to SoCal, stopped at a new AZ state park north of Tucson (Picacho Peak SP - Elevation 2,000'). It was late getting there. Found a site, setup for a nice sleep. Man it was still hot. Hadn't cool off. Somewhat low elevation. I had a very small 6 to 8 inch electric fan. The site had electric, so we ran an extension cord to the fan. It helped a lot. But a Thunder Storm helped much more, it didn't rain on us, but it did cool the night off. Only time we ever used the little fan.

[Carol Ann in TO]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

FanTastic Vent - Product - Endless Breeze will do double duty both in and out of the trailer. I don't know how it will hang off of your windows but it fits nicely on the older square style. Blows both in and out.

Here is a photo showing how we hang it off the window

[EddyEd]

I bought the Endless Breeze last winter for use this summer on our trips and I use it almost everyday. Very impressed by the air movement, noise level, and size. I run it off my solar system almost constantly and it barely makes a difference in my battery power. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a multipurpose fan for there egg.

[cpaharley2008]

I have used one of these with good success while camping without electric, it works for around 3 hours and by then you are asleep. Amazon.com: 12 Volt 12v Portable Air Conditioner for Ice Cooler Chest: Automotive

[carlkeigley]

I think our grandparents would say we've gotten soft..........ROFL.

But in the deep south, if you look at the "old" homes, they were
designed to deal with the heat. Really high ceilings, knowledge of
which direction to aim the house, etc.

I've lived without A/C. But as a kid I also spent hours sitting in front
of the window with a box fan blowing hot air. I've also worked in factories
that we had to have huge stand fans blowing hot air just to survive. They
threatened to take the fans away a few times. Naturally, "they" worked in
the air conditioned offices and would only be on the floor no longer than
absolutely necessary. They tried it once, and production fell to nothing.

Reading this thread made me imagine a trailer designed for heat with no A/C.
Hard to image a trailer with 12 foot ceilings. We could have a design where
we push a button and the roof elevates into the sky..........LOL.

When I was a kid, we were uptown. We had electric fans and a 2-holer outhouse.

I have a 8,000 BTU A/C and am looking for a 11,000 BTU solution........lol.

[cpaharley2008]

That is a lot of a/c for a 2 holer outhouse

[Cyndi B.]

I just put a fan on him. Keeps his Crisco from completely melting. Otherwise, when we are home the college here in town put up this wind turbine that blows over the town and is suppose to decrease my electric bill from the excess electricity it produces. My electric bill went up since they put this wonder eye sore up and all my appliances are gas except the frig and the furnace is hot water. No A/C so we do like the dog did. Sit in the creek.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN

Thanks everyone, That's what I needed to hear about traveling to the southern states in the summer heat. I've traveled to FL many times, but not in the summer. We always vacationed in the winter.

Per summer travel:
I don't know what temps you can expect wherever it is you're going, but when planning do bear in mind that RV A/C will only cool the air around twenty degrees below incoming air temp. They're really sort of heat pumps in reverse.

That having been said:

Like many Northwesterners, I don't have A/C- but I rarely camp with electricity either. I always depend on Mother Nature to provide what cooling she can...ideally by way of a camp spot so close to a stream that the cool air therefrom flows right through the trailer.

As you can see by the pic, the old girl really came through for me on my recent trip to the (low nineties) Sinlahekin Valley!

Francesca

[Adrian W]

Originally Posted by Adrian W

We did 10 yrs. with a Komfort Lite TT (it had an AC, but seldom camped with electric hookups). We kept west of Texas so we were in higher elevations and not humid. We did one summer down into Texas with it. But kept to state parks & electric sites.

Only one day & night in which we really suffered. Page, AZ, down by Lake Powell. We made it through a very hot day by swims in the lake by the beach. Taking drives in the pickup & taking a tour of the dam site. Very cool down into it by elevator. Ice cream at McD's.

Expecting it too cool off after dark (like it normally does in high desert places), but no such luck, over 100° at 10 pm in the TT. Lake Powell is classified as a "high desert" area due to it's 3,700 ft. elevation. But not high enough & more humid due to the lake, I assume. Page, perched atop Manson Mesa at an elevation of 4,300', should have cool faster (can't remember if it did or not), so the CG by the lake was in a canyon somewhat. So we took another drive in the pickup. drove up to Page & looked it over. Drove by a private campground with electric hookups. Didn't appear to have any sites left.

When back to our TT. Still really hot, but a little cooler. Many people sleeping on tables, etc around the CG. Our solution, wet T-Shirts. Kept us cool enough to get to sleep & finally it must have cool down enough.

Next morning, we left for higher ground. Closest place from checking paper roadmaps, North unit of the Grand Canyon. Yep, it was nice and cool up there. Daytime and chilly at night. In a forest service campground just outside of the park. Of course, the Park's CG was full.

Several years before we had a TT, we had a 3 tier camper shell. My wife & I, on the way to SoCal, stopped at a new AZ state park north of Tucson (Picacho Peak SP - Elevation 2,000'). It was late getting there. Found a site, setup for a nice sleep. Man it was still hot. Hadn't cool off. Somewhat low elevation. I had a very small 6 to 8 inch electric fan. The site had electric, so we ran an extension cord to the fan. It helped a lot. But a Thunder Storm helped much more, it didn't rain on us, but it did cool the night off. Only time we ever used the little fan.

Living in the Desert SouthWest, besides looking for high elevations. one soon learns to appreciate Shade. A little shade can make all the deference in staying somewhat cool on hot days.

Well insulated habitat (a home, trailer or a nice cozy cave) can keep temperatures much cooler during hot days. Insulated ceilings & walls help greatly. Dual pane windows can be great & insulated window coverings can also keep much of the heat out. Even with AC & a generator, we always travel and park with the windows covers over the windows.

Some have mentioned (I believe) having 12v fans, some in the ceilings, some in windows. Yes, fans can really make all the difference in between suffering and keeping somewhat cool.

If you can get a good cross ventilating breeze going, one will not need a TT with 12' windows. Add a nice shady place to park & it can really increase the cool factor without AC.

Never tried this, but if one would add wet towels over a few of the 'intake' windows to allow evaporation to happen with the warm/hot air coming through the wet towels & cool air crossing the inside of the trailer & exiting out another window(s). The Fan or Fans would have to be on exhaust setting.

Often green houses are cooled with this principle. Wet pads on one side of the building and fans on the other side to pull the air across the interior space.

Works well in dry climates, less well in humid areas.

Just have to keep wetting the towels or build a dripping system with pads instead of the towels.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

... bear in mind that RV A/C will only cool the air around twenty degrees below incoming air temp.

Is there a reason why RV air conditioners would be any different from home air conditioners?

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

They're really sort of heat pumps in reverse.

Exactly like every air conditioner, right? Just like some home units, some are set up to pump heat either way: out for air conditioning, in for heat.

[Francesca Knowles]

No nit too small to pick, eh, Brian?

Francesca