Tips to keep RV Cool

[ArizonaKevin]

Staying at Crazy Horse over 4th of July weekend. It's usually just my wife and I with our kiddo, but this trip we will also have her parents staying with us. With the 2 extra bodies, I'm concerned the AC won't be able to keep up and the RV will be uncomfortably warm.

We only have 30amp service and (1) AC unit, if we had 2 units for our 30ft RV I wouldn't worry about it. We have the wind machine fan that we will run all day, have the reflective window coverings cut to fit on each window, and I was planning on pulling the slides in during the day while we are on the water. Is there any other easy shit that I'm missing that will help to keep the setup more comfortable inside?

 

[HBCraig]

I had a 29'er at the Islander for a few years. When we left for the day i would pull the slides in and setup 2 oscillating fans.
Also, get a 50 amp to 30 amp pigtail for your power. We realized the 30 amp plug aline wouldn't pull enough power

 

[wallnutz]

Staying at Crazy Horse over 4th of July weekend. It's usually just my wife and I with our kiddo, but this trip we will also have her parents staying with us. With the 2 extra bodies, I'm concerned the AC won't be able to keep up and the RV will be uncomfortably warm.

We only have 30amp service and (1) AC unit, if we had 2 units for our 30ft RV I wouldn't worry about it. We have the wind machine fan that we will run all day, have the reflective window coverings cut to fit on each window, and I was planning on pulling the slides in during the day while we are on the water. Is there any other easy shit that I'm missing that will help to keep the setup more comfortable inside?

If your ac is ducted, it is better to keep the slides out. If it just has the main duct at the unit then closing the slides might help.

 

[lbhsbz]

Staying at Crazy Horse over 4th of July weekend. It's usually just my wife and I with our kiddo, but this trip we will also have her parents staying with us. With the 2 extra bodies, I'm concerned the AC won't be able to keep up and the RV will be uncomfortably warm.

We only have 30amp service and (1) AC unit, if we had 2 units for our 30ft RV I wouldn't worry about it. We have the wind machine fan that we will run all day, have the reflective window coverings cut to fit on each window, and I was planning on pulling the slides in during the day while we are on the water. Is there any other easy shit that I'm missing that will help to keep the setup more comfortable inside?

We’re a bit south at Big River, but same hot. We’ve never had more than a single A/C….works fine, started with a 24’ trailer 30 years ago, then a 39’, now I have a 34’ with 2 slides.

Keep the blinds closed. Keep the door closed unles you’re walking through it.

It’s not 70 degrees inside, but it maintains mid 80s during the day…if it’s too hot inside, walk outside for 10 minutes.

We have to turn it down at night sometimes…but rule is whoever gets up to pee after 3:00AM turns it back to MAX. It’s much easier to maintain cool than it is to start hot.

If we show up in the afternoon, it takes till the next morning to cool down. If I leave early and get the A/C running by 8:00AM, it’s below 85 in an hour

If it gets too hot…grab a hose and hose it down…that usually knocks it down 5 degrees in a hurry.

You can get a window A/C or a freestanding unit and and a power adapter and just run another cord to the 50A plug on the power center also.

 

[DLC]

Portable AC unit and duct thru a window or ceiling vent.

 

[Your ad here]

It's just gonna be hot. We had a 35' 5th wheel at Castle Rock. At dusk it was nicer to be out of the thing and in the shade or in the water. Only thing it provided was shade, warm shade. Fridge was useless all summer. I've heard not opening the door a bunch of times helps. What helped me was cold Coors Lights and the Wings from River Island Market.

 

[lbhsbz]

Portable AC unit and duct thru a window or ceiling vent.

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The problem with those is the make up air….rVs tend to have a really lousy sewer vent system….and they draw make up air through that and make the whole thing smell like shit. I prefer a window unit.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

If your ac is ducted, it is better to keep the slides out. If it just has the main duct at the unit then closing the slides might help.

So I have the option of running the air through the ducts or just opening vents at the unit. My thought is that the air is slowly warming up as it goes through the ducting since the roof is getting hammered with sunlight, and that it's more efficient to let it dump the cold air directly out and rely on fans to circulate?

 

[lbhsbz]

If I were you, I’d get the in laws a hotel room. You couldn’t pay me enough money to share an RV with my in laws. I’d make sure it was at least 100 degrees so they took me up on my offer.

 

[wallnutz]

So I have the option of running the air through the ducts or just opening vents at the unit. My thought is that the air is slowly warming up as it goes through the ducting since the roof is getting hammered with sunlight, and that it's more efficient to let it dump the cold air directly out and rely on fans to circulate?

I agree with one unit it is probably better. With multiple you are cooling the roof with the ducts. I can tell a difference with mine closed to being open. The fans are key to push the air around.

 

[wallnutz]

We are staying at the Islander next week for 4 days, I'm also looking for easy ways to keep cool, it's supposed to be near 110*

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Portable AC unit and duct thru a window or ceiling vent.

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This x1000! We put one in the back bedroom of our 30ft class c and let the rooftop one handle the rest of the motorhome. I sleep with a comforter in July/august in Parker.

 

[Happy Smitty]

Oscillating fan and a portable ac unit will do the trick. Keep the door closed and use the awning to keep the sun off one side. Hopefully the awning provides shade on the same side as the frige system.

 

[Your ad here]

If I were you, I’d get the in laws a hotel room. You couldn’t pay me enough money to share an RV with my in laws. I’d make sure it was at least 100 degrees so they took me up on my offer.

Seriously this is the best advice here.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Silly Rich folks with air conditioning and stuff. Whatever happened to banana lounge, chairs, wet towels, and a fan?

 

[ArizonaKevin]

Seriously this is the best advice here.

Yeah there will definitely we some frustrations, but having them with us means we have a chance of getting on the water before noon.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Our 40’ Bighorn 5th wheel had only 1 AC. BR was forward with a large wardrobe style closet. We purchased the largest free standing AC that would fit in that closet with the mirrored door slid closed. Cut a hole in the left wall, mounted a Heartland factory discharge/flap fitting through which we ran the AC exhaust. We were also on 30 amp park service. In the evenings we’d slide open the closet door and fire up that AC, which blew right on us as we layed in bed. We were able to run both AC on that 30 amp service, but you had to be careful - no hair dryers, toasters etc. AC was much like the one DLC previously posted.

 

[zhandfull]

Pick up a small window unit that you can set up when you arrive. They run $200-300 at Walmart. If there is a 15 amp plug at pedestal. Plug it in there bypassing the rv.

 

[Sharky]

Open the windows at night and close them mid morning when it starts to warm up.

Cook breakfast outside or early morning so you can use open windows to cool the rig back down.

Limit the use of the entry door when its hot. In & out of the rig all day when its hot makes a difference.

Keep a cooler outside for drinks and a jug of water. Can you go piss behind a tree instead of going in & out of the camper?

Park the rig in such a way that its pointed east-west so the sun hits the front and back instead of the entire side or, face the awning side west to help shade the big side.

Run the AC when it starts to warm up, close the windows and limit going in & out.

 

[Sharky]

Also, before you go on your trip, check and clean the filters on the AC. On the inside.

Crawl on the roof and take a look at the condenser coils. Are they full of dirt & leaves? Blow the condenser coils out/wash them.

 

[lbhsbz]

Yeah there will definitely we some frustrations, but having them with us means we have a chance of getting on the water before noon.

Go out on the water in peace in the morning…pick them up at the dock at noon.

 

[RiverDave]

Portable AC unit for the win..

 

[Dan Lorenze]

Spent many years at the Islander in the RV during the Summer.. My tips are... Have the AC going 24/7..Bubble wrap foil on all the windows, can be found at home depot. I had an oscillating fan on the dash that would do a great job of circulating the air. Keep the door shut as much as possible. That's pretty much it.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Portable AC unit and duct thru a window or ceiling vent.

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Thats what I did in the garage for the pups. I didnt have an ac in the garage and this took care of them. The other two acs kept the coach cool. I put a towel over the window to stop bugs from coming thru

 

[CLdrinker]

Have you tried a different RV?

 

[Done-it-again]

Staying at Crazy Horse over 4th of July weekend. It's usually just my wife and I with our kiddo, but this trip we will also have her parents staying with us. With the 2 extra bodies, I'm concerned the AC won't be able to keep up and the RV will be uncomfortably warm.

We only have 30amp service and (1) AC unit, if we had 2 units for our 30ft RV I wouldn't worry about it. We have the wind machine fan that we will run all day, have the reflective window coverings cut to fit on each window, and I was planning on pulling the slides in during the day while we are on the water. Is there any other easy shit that I'm missing that will help to keep the setup more comfortable inside?

I would get a standalone portable unit that you can run from the power pole from the campground. But really depends how you sleep, we need it cold no one sleeps if it’s a bit warm.

One is going to suck IMOP.

 

[Meaney77]

Spent many years at the Islander in the RV during the Summer.. My tips are... Have the AC going 24/7..Bubble wrap foil on all the windows, can be found at home depot. I had an oscillating fan on the dash that would do a great job of circulating the air. Keep the door shut as much as possible. That's pretty much it.

Same, many years at the Islander and Moabi/ Pirates. Everything Dan said I would also keep the thermostat on hi or low, not auto.

 

[Fabhouse]

Just expect a 30deg delta. If it is 120 out, 90 inside.
RV's are just not that efficient. I have owned many, 5th's, MH's, toy haulers..
Haulers are the worst, just open space with little fixtures to cool.
Motorhomes are second, better insulated but less concerned with thermo conservation.
5ths are the best, but still not great. There are some high end "winter" models that work well for summer, just better insulation.
I have personally used the stand alone A/C in our 5TH to keep things cool with 2 roof units at low fan...It was still just OK.

 

[Mcob25rg]

Buy an RV that stays cool no matter what. There's a sweet Tiffin in the RV thread, just sayin!!!!!!

 

[TripleB]

Staying at Crazy Horse over 4th of July weekend. It's usually just my wife and I with our kiddo, but this trip we will also have her parents staying with us. With the 2 extra bodies, I'm concerned the AC won't be able to keep up and the RV will be uncomfortably warm.

We only have 30amp service and (1) AC unit, if we had 2 units for our 30ft RV I wouldn't worry about it. We have the wind machine fan that we will run all day, have the reflective window coverings cut to fit on each window, and I was planning on pulling the slides in during the day while we are on the water. Is there any other easy shit that I'm missing that will help to keep the setup more comfortable inside?

When’s the last time you coated/sealed your roof?

 

[c_land]

Same situation for me. 31 foot class C with a single ducted AC unit.

I run it full tilt all day.

If the coach AC isn’t keeping up at any point, I fire up the engine and blast the coach’s dash AC for a while.

It helps a lot and no extra equipment to buy.

 

[Maestro]

I have a 24' toy hauler and man does this thing stay cool. It does have the winter package if that helps I'm not sure. But my friends always get envious when camping at cattail cove in July at how cold mine gets. Anything bigger needs dual units. It's all about extracting the heat from the air. Ain't no way a large rv with a single ac unit gonna keep up.

 

[84miller]

I only have a 24-foot, single ac unit. First improvement was to clean the ac filter. Second was an osculating fan. Good during day temps of 105, night better. My next step, which I never had to do, was to get a shower curtain pole/curtain to seal off half the trailer. Came to that last thought as during the winter to keep the inside warmer I portioned off the header/bed portion with a blanket. If I knew better, my next RV purchase would be a ducted ac with a thermostat.

 

[mjc]

It has been a long time but i ran misters on the outside to cool the air and the sides of the RV

 

[ArizonaKevin]

I like the idea of a second unit plugged into 110 in the bedroom, just not sure how I would duct it. The only window back there is the swing out fire escape, not a traditional sliding window. Can't believe I never thought about the dash AC, that's probably our stop gap solution until I figure out a way to get a second rooftop unit in the bedroom.

 

[DLC]

Just keep in mind that one AC can only do so much.

 

[Bowtiepower00]

I like the idea of a second unit plugged into 110 in the bedroom, just not sure how I would duct it. The only window back there is the swing out fire escape, not a traditional sliding window. Can't believe I never thought about the dash AC, that's probably our stop gap solution until I figure out a way to get a second rooftop unit in the bedroom.

Do you have a roof vent in the bedroom? Otherwise just put the extra unit in the main part of the trailer and use a fan to move the air toward the bedroom.

 

[Boatymcboatface]

The other added benefit to the portable AC plugged into the 120v outlet is it being on a separate breaker. We got a dog that stays in the motorhome when we go on longer boat trips. If one unit shuts off or breaker trips on coach it’s nice to know you’ve got backup. It’s happened a couple times camping at pirates den on the 30mp there. I’ve put my volt meter in there on some of the hotter days and it’s not even close to the correct voltage. I’ve even had the maintenance guy come to verify. Told the front office and they said camp somewhere else if you don’t like it!? So that’s what we do now!

 

[Icky]

Do you have a roof vent in the bedroom? Otherwise just put the extra unit in the main part of the trailer and use a fan to move the air toward the bedroom.

We removed one of our vents to add our third ac unit .

 

[RiverDave]

The other added benefit to the portable AC plugged into the 120v outlet is it being on a separate breaker. We got a dog that stays in the motorhome when we go on longer boat trips. If one unit shuts off or breaker trips on coach it’s nice to know you’ve got backup. It’s happened a couple times camping at pirates den on the 30mp there. I’ve put my volt meter in there on some of the hotter days and it’s not even close to the correct voltage. I’ve even had the maintenance guy come to verify. Told the front office and they said camp somewhere else if you don’t like it!? So that’s what we do now!

They make some kinda voltage deal you can put inline.. I have seen them before, but never really looked into it?

RD

 

[Boatymcboatface]

They make some kinda voltage deal you can put inline.. I have seen them before, but never really looked into it?

RD

Yeah we got one from spankys the work great!! Haven’t had an issue since we added these to items to our set up. One of the problems is we have two slide outs so the gaps let in a lot of heat.

 

[77charger]

Was just at Parker my 21ft toy hauler has a 13.5 roof top and during heat of day best it can do is about 20-25 degrees under outside temp. Once dark it really begins to cool down though.

This time I took a portable unit and vented out one of the side floor vents and it really helped during the day.

But like said if your going in and out often it will get hit fast. Also the foil bubble stuff on windows helps out. I can run my ac all night be 66 in the morning inside temp and that’s a good boost to the day if you manage keeping the doors closed then I might peak at 83 on a 110 degree day.

 

[Icky]

They make some kinda voltage deal you can put inline.. I have seen them before, but never really looked into it?

RD

Voltage Boosters - Hughes Autoformers

hughesautoformers.com

I use one on my trailer, I never pay attention to it to know if it's boosting or not.

 

[Mikes56]

Cancel your reservation and all 4 of you stay in a hotel. Sorry, been there done that, and never again will I stay in a RV at Crazyhorse in the summer. I was a complete dick because I couldn’t sleep from it being too hot.

 

[riverroyal]

I didn't read all the replies. 1 ac? Youre screwed.
Unless the trailer is 20ft.
I have 3 that are 15k each and 50 amp and it will get to 70 in July.
When we had just 2 units it wouldn't.

 

[Racedirt]

I would clean/service the AC prior to going. Clean filter and condenser at the minimum.

 

[JB in so cal]

I'd invest in a room at the heat or the holiday inn instead of an extra ac. More privacy for rumpy bumpy and everyone's happy

 

[28Eliminator]

So we just took our trailer out and set it up this weekend. AC is a big concern. Mine only has 1 15k btu unit. I put the RV airflow kit in it and that made a big difference. I also had to relocate the temp sensor (Furrion unit) down to the thermostat which also made a huge difference. I added a WiFi thermostat and WiFi so I. A monitor it and change it before we head out for the weekend.. so far so good, but it was only 102 this weekend.

I have a couple phone numbers of places out there I’m gonna call this week to get pricing for adding a second AC unit to the bedroom. I know it’s gonna have to be done.

 

[Nosocks]

Have a 27 with a single 15k unit. No chance of the single unit keeping up past 90.

Got a 14k portable unit venting out the window. Mostly problem solved but we'll see now that things are heating up.

Bedroom doesn't stay cool enough during the day but I've got a thermometer saying the living area is 65 in the middle of the day.

Eyeballing an upgrade on the toy hauler now since I think I'll do the RV again next year.

 

[DWC]

Take the parents RV. That thing has everything