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Old 04-28-2014, 04:40 PM   #1
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Keeping Cool without an Air Conditioner

Outside of using a fan, I'm stumped.

I'd like to spend time on the Outer Banks this summer. NPS has no hookups and no generators after 9 pm. Most sites are in the open with no shade around. Daytime temperatures are in upper 80's and lows in mid 70's. Humidity is in mid 70's.

I met a guy there last week who said temperatures in his popup trailer get way over 100 degrees.

What tricks have you learned for keeping cool in the heat of summer without A/C?
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Old 04-28-2014, 04:58 PM   #2
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Drink lots of alcohol and you won't care???
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Old 04-28-2014, 05:04 PM   #3
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Big awning for shade, extreme inactivity in shade of awning, pray for breeze. Sweat a lot to make breeze more effective. Drink plenty of fluids to help me sweat, with lots of ice so I don't have to get out of chair for more. Don't cook anything.

Really during the hot part of the day we do nothing but sit and read or nap. evening and morning is when camp chores are dealt with or any other "active" endeavors. We do avoid doing any big meals, just light cold meals or snacks.
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Old 04-28-2014, 05:05 PM   #4
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Bonus is that you lose 10 pounds a weekend! People pay for that!

Oh wait. We do pay...... Lol
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Old 04-28-2014, 05:56 PM   #5
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Any method you can rig that will put shade over the trailer will help a great deal.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:08 PM   #6
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I try to avoid heat, but I also have a Ryobi fan that runs off one of their big lithium batteries. That's a good way to get a breeze when there isn't one.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:17 PM   #7
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Any method you can rig that will put shade over the trailer will help a great deal.
I've been trying to come up with an awning that would extend over the trailer. It would stake down on the hookup side and be an awning on the door side. Something that would provide shade for the trailer itself.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:27 PM   #8
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There are 12v coolers that use ice to help you cool down.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:31 PM   #9
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I try to avoid heat, but I also have a Ryobi fan that runs off one of their big lithium batteries. That's a good way to get a breeze when there isn't one.
I bought this 12v fan and it puts out a strong breeze, but only over a small area. I mounted it on a small piece of wood for extra stability.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:32 PM   #10
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There are 12v coolers that use ice to help you cool down.
But do they work in high humidity?
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:43 PM   #11
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I've been trying to come up with an awning that would extend over the trailer. It would stake down on the hookup side and be an awning on the door side. Something that would provide shade for the trailer itself.
Someplace in this forum there was a thread where the person added something to hold poles at the center of the back bumper and center of front tongue. Those two poles held up the center of a tarp that was anchored with poles and ropes on either side of the camper.

They essentially pitched an "A" shaped canopy over the top of the camper with a tarp. The tarp was a decent amount above the roof of the camper and shaded the side and front windows a good deal. The back window got some shade but less since the bumper is closer to the back wall.

If I recall they were in a warm part of the country and said it really did help keep camper cooler to get it in the shade with air still able to flow around it.

Post from Tom reminded me of it. Eventually.
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:49 PM   #12
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We spent 4.5 days in Badlands National Park in 2012, a week during which high temps got up to 110 - 112 F. We have no air conditioner. Having the tent shelter for shade was immensely helpful, and I would soak a t-shirt in cold water and put it back on, also very helpful.

Early in the morning/later in the afternoon we'd get in the car, crank the AC up, and go find animals to photograph...the trip from campground to wherever the bighorn sheep were hanging out was great for bringing core temps down a bit, lol.
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Old 04-28-2014, 08:41 PM   #13
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We just came back from the Outer Banks. It was so windy every day we couldn't spend any time on the beach and barely ride bikes. Whenever we commented about it to a local person, the answer was "this is why the Wright brothers came here". One day in the NPS campground at Oregon Inlet it got so windy it blew tents away, tipped over a popup camper, and took the roofs off a couple others. It was a few years ago that happened. When we camped there during the summer we never had the problem of being too hot.
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Old 04-28-2014, 10:46 PM   #14
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doesn't your Parkliner have fantastic or max fan? They really do help a LOT, and their energy consumption really is reasonable. If this is your concern, you need not worry too much.

They do one thing, and one thing only..and do it quite well..they move air VERY quickly. They are also quiet.
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Old 04-28-2014, 11:22 PM   #15
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The incinerator is good for cooling as well:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...one-57925.html
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Old 04-29-2014, 05:47 AM   #16
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But do they work in high humidity?
Yes, I had/have one and they work real well in high humidity. Portable air conditioning - 12 volt - air conditioners - Evaporative coolers
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Old 04-29-2014, 07:10 AM   #17
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Yes, I had/have one and they work real well in high humidity. Portable air conditioning - 12 volt - air conditioners - Evaporative coolers
It has the lowest rating I have ever seen on Amazon. It does appear the company is over promising. Another name for this is swamp cooler. Typically they work best in low humidity places like the US Southwest.

I watched a couple of youtube videos yesterday on how to make one. The problem is you need to either buy or make a lot of ice and refill the cooler every couple of hours. That would be rough if you finally get the trailer cooled down at 10 and fall asleep, and then have to get up 2 hours later to empty the ice chest of water and refill it with ice.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:03 AM   #18
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If you ran the ac on high until 9 pm, how long would you expect the trailer to stay below 75 degrees?

I know it depends on a lot of factors, but what has been your experience. Once cooled, does the trailer tend to stay cool?

I have a 5000 btu window ac in bedroom at home, and in the summer it runs all night to keep the room cool.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:10 AM   #19
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When we were last at a Dick's Sporting Goods store, they had a large pop-up tent like an EZ-Up or FirstUp that is made by Coleman and can cover vans, small trailers, etc. because of its increase height. This might be an option for finding shade. Rigging a large silver reflective tarp over the trailer could work, too.
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Old 04-29-2014, 08:32 AM   #20
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Amazon.com: White Solar Powered Room or Desk Fan: Everything Else
Mind you, with the bad reviews on that fan, this might acutally be better
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