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🥵 RVing in EXTREME HEAT! ☀️ (Full Time RV Life)
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- čas přidán 16. 08. 2024
- We recently had the misfortune to be RVing in some VERY hot weather! We're talking 120 degrees Fahrenheit kind of heat! So, we had to break out all of our tricks and invent some new ones!
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I use ice packs in my refrigerator when I go camping in hot days Put him in the freezer at night and then move into the fridge during the day
The best tip for keeping your RV cool in the summer heat is,…..’You have wheels, move to a cooler climate!’ Hehe 😜
Your video was great info and I didn’t know about the RV Shades til now. Great idea. You guys covered it all. Stay cool 😎👍.
Pretty much the whole reason to have an RV in the 1st place...
Been there, done that. A few tips I learned from camping in Phoenix, Vegas and my old home of Fontana, Ca.
Solar Screens knock out 90% of the sun and heat and are on the outside of the glass before the heat even makes it's way in.
Reflextix needs a small air gap to be really effective, 1/2" usually suffices.
Reflectix on the AC bulkhead where the motor is mounted (Coleman style units). The air is drawn in through the read and pulled through the condenser coil and blown at the bulkhead. On the other side of that bulkhead is your cool plenum. I cut sheets to fit around the motor, wire and refrigerant line entrances at the bulkhead to help block some of that heat from the bulkhead wall.
Block off your heater vent to the inside. Your cargo bays collect heat and that heat makes its way into the rig through the heater vent. I used cardboard before but reflectix this year. Want to know how much air moves through this vent, place your hand over it and open a slide with the doors and windows closed. You'll move a lot of air through here.
Easy Starts make a big difference when your compressor cycles, get busy and get them installed, they're easy to do. I'll bet part of your GoPower issue was overloads when the compressor cycled. The easy start fixes that. When you program your easy start be on shore power pass thru or the easy start will not learn properly to your compressor's detriment.
A couple of fans inside to circulate air will help too. I position one in my bedroom to move air out of that box into the hallway and one in the rear living area to circulate air around.
Open your closets and cupboards at night as well to allow the heat out. Relefectix on the outboard cupboard walls help with this but i've never subscribed to this as my outside walls never feel hot from inside the cupboard.
A FLIR camera can show hot inside areas that need to be dealt with.
Solar panels do help keep some of the sun off your roof and help keep the inside cooler.
I have one RV Airflow on my mid AC unit, my rear main unit is a whisper quiet and my bedroom unit I left in the standard config. When I get to a camp site after driving all day I can close the bedroom door and open the dumps to really cool down the bedroom in a hurry, then close the dumps and go back to ducts to assist with cooling the rest of the rig.
For power and I was going to write you about this on the solar video but here goes for this video.
I have two Victron 24/2000/70 Multiplus inverters (I went 24v for cabling size efficiency and gains from the MPPT). These inverters are each fed a leg from my shore power connection, I don't have an onboard generator because I wanted the space for blue power gear. Inverter 1 is the master and inverter 2 is the split phase slave so in this configuration I'm supplying 240v to the rig's power panel. Now the issue I found after this install was live after a few months is that leg 2 has heavier loads with 2 ACs on it vs leg 1 just has 1 AC. This makes inverter 2 work harder while inverter 1 naps. So I installed a Victron Autotransformer to load balance the output and now each inverter production is even and I have access to all of the available power. I've run all 3 ACs, residential fridge, TV and laptop off of the inverters in island mode (no shore power). Now with all of that load of course the batteries aren't going to hold out long even with 1300 watts of solar helping. So I can either plug into 50A shore power and both inverter go into power assist so if the pedestal power is weak the inverters make up the difference from the batteries/solar or 30A shore/inverter generator will supply 1 inverter on leg 1 while the second inverter takes power from the batteries. Solar and inverter 1 then charge the batteries for the new difference.
The side effect for all of this is a happy me but also heat. The Victron inverters have a output curve where the hotter they get the less current the deliver. The inverters are rated at 2400 watts All of my gear is also mounted in my forward bay below the bedroom and the floor gets toasty. To help with the power curve issue and toasty floor, plus equipment life I installed a boat bilge fan controlled by a temperature controller. The fan pulls heat from the top of the compartment and blows it out the driver side propane compartment via a dryer duct. The duct is below the propane tank deck so the heat doesn't affect the tanks. The cool (relatively) air comes from the passenger side propane compartment which I use for storage since my Jayco Northpoint 377RLBH has both main propane tanks on the driver side; the third tank for genny prep lives on the passenger side normally. You'll have the same heat issues as I do with that small compartment, before the fan I would just open the bay door completely, now I just leave it part way open, just hanging on it's hinges open.
With this system I can start the ACs about 45 minutes or so before arriving so the cool down process has already started. This will leave me plenty of battery left for any unforeseen issues that come up before or at the campground. I'm about to increase my battery capacity by going from 6 12v 105ah Lion Energy batteries (24v wired) to 6 DIY EVE battery sets at 310Ah each 12v set.
The Victrons also have a low voltage cut off where they'll not accept voltage that is too low to be useful, this is where the Hughes Autoformer or a Victron Autotransformer comes in handy but iirc the low voltage is like 99 volts before shore is ignored. I've moochdocked on 15A outlets with all 3 ACs running so these inverters are very powerful in their capabilities.
I live 30 minutes NW of San Antonio in the Hill Country and would love to help you or just show my install, one of these days I'll have to film my setup but I don't have Tara to edit it so it'll just be relatively raw.
That sounds like a great setup, Jeremy! I've also been pondering how to cool that front bay as we have tripped the overtemp on our gopower a couple of times. I'm just not sure about venting into the propane compartments as I would be limited on the driver side (with the genny) to a vent higher up in the compartment. So, I'm still at the drawing board there.. My "hack" plan is just a box fan in the door...
@@ChangingLanes Thanks. Maybe a dryer duct vent and cover out the side wall of the rig or even the front bay door itself. The great thing about the bilge fans is they're sealed since they're made to vent fumes out of the boat bilge and engine compartments.
Don't forget that your batteries enjoy cool temps as well.
About how much would all this (keeping camper cool) cost? Just a ballpark figure. I want to know how much we would need to save for all this. Thank you so much.
@@cindydavis597 My setup all in all cost around 15k with the most expensive part being the batteries, i installed everything myself. You can write 26% of the costs off on your taxes with the solar credit.
@@ChangingLanes NOT SURE WHY the RV makers have not gone to the MINI-SPLITS the only need 500-800 WATTS to run 12,000 BTUs
unlike that (3) bricks you call AC-Units @ 1,300 +++ WATTS (@4,000 Watts)
I was there a few weeks ago. I cannot imagine trying to tough it out in an RV! Walking into that wall of heat when you step outside must be experienced to truly understand. Glad you all survived.
We use Micro Air Easy Starts on our Airstream and it's amazing how low the amps become with those in use and have never had an issue with our AC's starting and staying on during high heat situations. Highly recommend you get those put on your rig Chad. You won't regret it!
Chad, FYI. A good hack for low voltage problems is to run a small water line (1/4" poly flow) to a mister nozzle in front of condenser. Makes a small mess but will lower compressor amperage alot.
I've been working in 110 heat for 12 hours a day in full coveralls. You learn to adapt. Also, electrolyte packs that you put in water are great. Like gatorade but without the sugar.
Having lived in the desert for the last 57 years, you did a great job quickly figuring out good tactics for surviving the heat. Evaporation is another tool. In addition to fans wetting down towels, tea towels, pillow cases, anything that will absorb some water. If you have a drying frame, using it to hang towels in front of fans creates an evaporative cooler. Self-cooling things like wet (not dripping, but if you get your clothes wet that’ll be fine!) towels, clothes-cotton, mesh, white. Keep covered, seems odd to wear long sleeves, but very loose open ended white shirts and pants. Think about the open robe designs of the desert nomads, wide bell arms and legs (or dress like at the bottom). Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate you and your pets. I drink at least 1 gal/day in the summer heat. Glad you survived, great tips!
Well I live in Arizona.. and plan on rving full-time... Sooooo my solution was just to build my own RV. I started with a super insulated 4 inch thick floor walls and ceiling commercial refrigerated trailer.. added solar and battery Bank, 12v mini-split AC with heat pump, (PS it's way quieter) built a full recirculating shower with filtration and UV light, internet, 65 inch TV, full kitchen with sink countertop cabinetry microwave convection oven air fryer, 12-volt compressor fridge freezer, (and yes my power system can run literally everything in my RV at the same time) convertible living room bedroom.. and wallah, 72° inside when it's 120 outside on solar power! Battery bank will run everything all through the night!! If you want the ultimate boondock rig you have to build it. But mine only took eight days of my labor and $10,000 still needs cosmetics but all the functionality is there and working flawlessly! Oh and the best part yet I can pull it with a half-ton truck! 😂
You are so talented
@@cynthiaellis8041 Awh.. Thank you Cynthia😊
Hey Chad and Tara, I am stationary living full time. When the heat gets above 90 I place a 10" round fan in all just above the steps. This helps pull the cold air down the hall and pushes it into bye main living area. It also helps cool down the hallway. This keeps the5th wheel in the upper 70s. Worked in 117 degree heat. We have 3 a/c s going and it works. 2 adults and 2 toddlers. Reflects in the windows. I wanna thank you both for channel, it helps me learn how to keep are home safe and maintained.
Two things for advice. The military uses a screen type of tarp over our tents in Kuwait extreme heat for sure. They are breathable but provide shade to create air space between the inner and outer surface. Second the cover on the A/C are critical to divert air flow through the coils and condenser. Without the cover the fans just blows into the air and not through the system. White covers with additional air ports are helpful to divert more air through the system. Good luck in the heat. Drink water!!
Mini Split 3 zone compressor mounted in your Garage will use just slightly more power than 1 of your roof AC units and provide more AC or Heat to all 3 areas at a much lower decibel level. Just enclose the compressor unit and large vent to outside then remove those old roof units and seal and insulate the opening. Or at the least do 1 in the bedroom for the lower sound level.
Word of advice. The foam pillows for the vents will reflects the heat back up to the cover and side walls of the vent. We installed that on our vent and it warped the plastic frame of the vent, to the point that the fan started to touch the side wall. So, just be aware.
Bought our first RV in May in AZ! A super C w/ two ac’s. Due to new RV issues and delayed parts, we are still here! Boy did these newbies learn a lot about living in the RV in 122 heat!! I put decorative pillows in the overhead fans until I happened upon the pillow you showed in your video, at an RV store! It also took us a while to find reflective stuff as we didn’t know what it was, lol, and happened upon it in a hardware store by accident! We also did what you suggested by lowering our thermostat in the evenings and that really worked! We admire y’all and felt proud of ourselves after watching this video and realizing we did some of the easy stuff you suggested!
I grew up in Az and moved to Fl. I love when ppl say "oh, but az is a dry heat"...ya, no shit, have you ever opened an oven and get slapped in the face with that "dry" heat. That's how it feels. No thanks, I'll take the humidity and swamp ass any day over that dry heat BS. Always fun to watch you two.
Y’all. We watched this as a kind of painful nostalgia! We sold our 397 last October and rented a house with a view of Lake Mead. Even in the house we had trouble staying cool during that heat wave, but at least it didn’t go up to 90 like it did in the rig. I survived last summer wearing a ThermApparel cooling vest. I have the Extended Cool Packs plus a set to swap out. It has assisted me though 100 degree Bike Nights here as well. I hate that we didn’t get to say hi while y’all were here. Ride safe and stay cool!
Another great video. Some things we do: We run our covered fans when we’re driving to a hot area so when we get there it doesn’t take as long to get the RV cooled down. We have a Lifan 7000 generator that runs both of our ACs and because it is not onboard we don’t have to worry about any heat it produces. We added additional reflective tinting to our patio doors (huge difference) We also put reflective shades in all the other windows. Here’s to surviving the heat.
Can't wait to see yall on the RV TV show and what awesome new adventures to come your way, love yall 3000!
Could you please tell me what RV TV show it is? . We love watching shows about RVs, but they just don’t have any on Television anymore. Thank you!
RV'd in Vegas for 2 months during the summer...warning for the reflextics...we put it on all the windows and it worked great. Drawback is the TREMENDUS HEAT BUILDUP between the reflextics and window. Be careful of things that can be damaged by heat. I totally warped the window divides in the front of the coach's sliding windows. The windows had to be replaced because they could not be repaired. I recommend getting magnets and securing the reflectics on the outside of the glass!!
You can put reflectix on the back wall (ie the outside wall) of your cabinets. My spouse has fitted all of the cabinets in our class A with reflectix & has cut coverings for all the windows. Also we have made a thick rigid foam insert for the skylight in the shower, just pops out when we shower. You can gain a lot of heat from those skylights.
I was thinking similar thing with cabinets, or anyplace a where outside walls are accessible. Using Dynamat like the car upfitters use. It is for insulation/heat reflection, noise abatement (nice feature for any RV. Easy to cut, self sticking. In bulk for use with walls, should be cheaper than reflectix. Just a thought.
Hughes AutoFormer will help with voltage sag. I never plug in without it. Titan fans behind the fridge.
Another great helpful video! Ty for helping people in this way.
If I can add one thing. 104v and lower WILL damage electronics! I hope people will get something that will monitor this. I use a power watchdog. And it automatically cuts power at 104v. Even if your starting voltage is 113v or so. It can and does dip below 104v without you knowing when others around you use more power.
I just battled low voltage for 3 weeks. Starting voltage was 117v. Around dinner time, 4 to 8pm. EVERYDAY my watchdog would shut it off so much I found myself sitting in the dark watching CZcams on my phone. Thank goodness I didn't need my A/C.
I hope this helps someone.
My last RV trip to Las Vegas in the summer, I called around to the hotels and just asked “I’m in town for a six-week project, do you have any deals?” I ended up in a great room, excellent A/C, I gave my freezer & Fridge food away or carried it into my hotel room (had a small dorm fridge), and they let my park in their parking lot for free too, against a side that gave maximum shade during the day.
You guys do great vids. Thanks! Shade is critical, your comments about servicing AC are appreciated.
Just started watching your you tube channel and we love it. We had an RV that never cooled no matter what and we ended up buying a portable dual hose a/c and it worked amazing. We just cut the plastic that vents out the window and set it up in the slide by the couch. Out of the way and helped tremendously.
Welcome to our channel! 😊
Oh, I forgot. a humidifier helps the AC cool the air down as well. I rarely see condensate drip in dry hot desert environments, he AC needs humidity to fully chill the air. This will help with Tara's fire skin.
Loved the video. My first time in Vegas was in July I felt like a turkey in an oven 🔥🌶
Putting soft starts on all the AC’s may allow you to run all of them on the generator. I would think the compressor start ups may cause the amp problem.
Helps refrig: to shade driver side of RV with tarp or solar screen, open outside refrig cover, and also have heard where use of 2 computer fans to exhaust the heat. Can use frozen jugs of water & blow fan behind it to cool the air. My hubby was on our RV roof working on AC unit at 100 degrees, so 120 had to be hell. AC cleaning done before going to beach from then on. White AC covers makes more sense to reflect
We rode around the Williams AZ area on a 119°F day during that same time. It was NUTS!
Born and raised Vegas here.. No where in Vegas can support your fancy rig. Lmao. We are fulltime RV as well but we never go anywhere hotter than 80 degrees now. Love seeing tourists melt. Was it worth it? Your 3 ACs knocked out my moms power for hours in the ghetto RV park across town in her 1995 18ft travel trailer. Thanks.
I saw a video a couple of years ago where he modified the AC cover to increase air flow across the condenser coil. Basically cut out the plastic vertical pieces and put in hardware cloth. Claimed with increased airflow across the coil, RV was cooling better.
8:28 do not leave the cowling off because the fans in the ac pulls air through the condenser coil the best is to alter the cowling by removing the plastic vent intake from the cowling and replace with a metal screen like stucco mesh that way the strain on the fan is less . Along with white cowlings. This is a minor improvement but every little bit helps
Being a Floridian this video really opened my eyes to things I still need to learn. Afterall I will be doing adventures with my 2 Grandchildren. AC is very important. So much to learn my heads spinning. But you really are helping people like us. From my heart thank you. Safe travels
I've found a good (emphasis on the good) swamp cooler can really be a life saver. As you know a swamp cooler is just a big fan blowing over a porous material that has water running over it. If it's a good unit it can lower the temp in a room 10 to 20 degrees in a mater of 30 minutes or less depending on the size of the room. And what makes it so beneficial is the fact that it does not use the electricity that an AC unit uses because it is just the fan that uses the electricity. There a number of swamp cooler designs that are made for use indoors. This might be something that would be handy to have when in hot weather with limited electrical capabilities.
After living in Yuma AZ for 10 years, it is so funny to hear people talk about the heat.
Right? I live in PHX
Sure, like the people in Flagstaff and Pine top AZ. They think its too hot in Phoenix in summer time yet they live in Arizona, what a surprise!
Hi Guys, Can definitely relate we have been in Quartzsite Az since June. Installed 2 Micro air easy starts in our Ac units along with RV Airflow thanks to you. We have 2020 Grand Design Reflection 29rs. Haven't thought to check the voltage at the pedestal but with the soft starts have had no problems with tripping breakers the temperatures here were as hot as Vegas if not hotter managed to get 23 to 25degrees cooler than outside. Our rig is only 31 feet but between both upgrades along with slide toppers we're hanging in there. We can relate to the hot wind too. Today is the coolest day we've had since we got back here. We alternate Ac's bedroom at night and living room during the day both if it gets to hot as our pooches need to stay cool too.
Former Nevadans from the Reno area.
Take care and try to stay cool.
D & C Hopper
A timely video for me as I happen to be in Vegas right now here in mid July. Yuk. 104° at 1am. OMG 😱. I've even done most of the tricks/hacks that you have done. I'm a 37' 5th wheel running 2 ac's. Fortunately this RV park have full hookups with 120/122v at the pole. I also had issues that had to be taken care here in Vegas at this time. Also was in the northern Ca., thinking it would be cooler but the tamarac 🔥 fires and smoke drove me out. This heat and smoke is no joke.
I can totally relate to your experience in Vegas. during my deployment to Kuwait and Iraq, the summer months were brutal, (120-130 deg) had to wear gloves to handle our weapons and open the doors on the vehicles. Stepping out into the heat was like opening the door on Thanksgiving day to check the turkey. I was fortunate to be there before the vehicles came with any AC. Praise to you guys for getting through your stay.
Thank you for your service.
I agree the post should have been as expected, but I do have a SoftStart and I’ve found it makes a HUGE difference. It requires much less power to run my AC and my AC is MUCH quieter, which means there’s much lower likelihood of blowing a breaker. I’m definitely a fan!! I also have a diagnosing surge protector that would have proven to that campground that the post was at least part of the underlying issue.
I came over here from Phil and Stacy’s channel. You’ve given us some good information. I will be checking out more of your videos especially on maintaining the AC. I’ve cleaned the inside part of the unit and changed filters but never the outside. Guessing we are overdue for that.
Been watching for some time. We plan to start our RV adventure in 7-8 years. As we empty nest. We plan to move south and start a home base home with space for our RV. And travel the country in spurts. Maybe 1-2 months at a time. Do you have a home base or always on the road?
Was looking for information on:
1- RV insurance. what is / not covered. Maybe you can cover what you carry in insurance.
2- Major repairs. Is it hard to find help on the road to address major issues. Say broken axle or problem with the hitch box.
3- What if a tree limb falls on your RV at a site and causes enough damage you can not tow. What is the plan to get assistance with those repairs?
4- Do you ever run from storms? Obviously yes to a hurricane but have you found the need to run from others?
I acted on the comments about covering floor registers to keep the cool air inside the living area from escaping into the basement. I have also covered the furnace air intake grates for the same reason. Just remember to remove all these coverings before you fire up your furnace!
I would be careful air cooling the breakers because the rest of the wiring behind it is still getting too hot and now it will get even hotter which could be dangerous.
It’s currently 103° here in Grand Junction Colorado and inside our RV it is 81 and we aren’t using our roof air conditioner at all. The reason is we put two window air conditioners in because we are mooch docking on 2 15 amp circuits and these are way more efficient when you compare the BTUs to the amperage draw. so we can leave those two running all day and they are four times more quiet than the rooftop air conditioner.
Then we fire up our generator for about two hours a day to add the rooftop air conditioner to the mix and that helps.
We also taped reflect decks over our skylights and put foam in one of our events but we need to do the other two. Pulling the shade curtains helps block some of the heat game and the awnings definitely help.
We also choose not to wear clothes inside our RV in the daytime as no one can see into the windows anyway. We sometimes put an oscillating fan in here to keep the air moving better also.
Another thought is that I installed solar all over the roof of our RV and because that sits a few inches above the roof, I think it actually shades our roof and helps keep it a little bit cooler while generating electricity at the same time.
Great tip about putting a fan by the circuit panel. I didn’t know they were tripped but heat. We stayed at a park in upstate New York where my EMS kept tripping due to low voltage. It showed 95 volts. The park electrician tried to convince me that there was a problem with my RV. When I showed him that my EMS worked fine with my generator he admitted that the park had power issues and that they had a 3 year plan to upgrade the electrical in the park.
If you have water, a mister (in the irrigation section) will greatly help remove the heat from the coils and make your AC more efficent. in an arid climate such as Las Vegas, the water will evaporate quickly;
Also while boondocking, a small spot cooler (12,000 btu) runs on 120 volts (less than 1000 watts)for less that $400.00. .A small quiet generator is about 67db (quiet) and will handle 2000 watts (1600 continuous). Harbor Freight has a quiet generator for less than $600.00.
Will not bother people at Harvest Host etc.
I love all the injects, lol. Especially the Raiders of the Lost Ark! Very creative.
What a great informative video. We just suffered everything you did and are newbies to RVing. I wish we would have seen this video before our tirp. But we survived and will use ALL of this info, which would have helped us, going forward. Thank you!
I have a very small fan inside the refrigerator that I bought online years ago. It is like a computer fan, along with a fan in the outside compartment to blow air across the coils. It helps tremendously in high heat.
Great video. After watching, I went out to my unit and was going to do this modification. However, I found that my plenum was built and sealed pretty well. It had a very rigid divider. This was great because the insert you showed probably would not fit anyway - there are wires and a control box in the way. Anyway, one big discovery I must thank you for is that I found my dump vent slider greatly restricted the outflow of cold air even when it was open. Fortunately, I can triple (I guess-stimate) the outbound cold air flow just by removing that half of the cover panel, which is easily done. Should make at least 15-30% air flow gain. Side comment - I built some inch thick window inserts out of common foam board and wrapped the edges. I painted one side (the non-silvered side, reflective side goes out) to match the interior of our rig. They snug-fit easily. They came out very elegant looking and even had some visitors state they thought they were an OEM option. We use them mostly at night for cold nights, and they black out the interior so you can sleep in late if you want. They would also work in the really hot days.
I have been intermittently watching your videos and now I will become a subscriber. Thanks!
The one thing that I did that made the most difference was covering my furnace ducts, I discovered this by accident one day when I got my face close to the furnace discharge and there was a cold stream of air coming out( cold air sinks, it makes sense). I went from the ac’s running all day, to them actually cycling off some.
Yes I was in AZ in my off grid house when it hit 126 one day. I only had a swamp cooler and knew it wouldn't keep the house cool, so I went and bought an inverter AC just for the bedroom. I had to switch off my solar over to running my Honda generator during the night to run the AC in the Bedroom and the Swamp cooler for the living room and kitchen. My house has vaulted ceilings and you could feel the heat radiating from the ceiling during the day. I did the same and put reflectics in all the windows which helped a ton. I had my motor-home down there to bring back to WA state but waited till we finally had a cool day of 108 to leave. Lucky for my by the time I got to Vegas they were having thunderstorms and rain so I was cool the rest of the drive. You gave the best video on dealing with the heat in an RV I have seen. Good job
Wife and I were camping in Maine this year during June when temperatures were reaching 96F. Our campsite electric hookup was cycling between 110 and 102 Volts which was blowing our surge protector and shutting off our AC/frig. I was worried that our compressor frig and AC unit might be damaged from the low voltage, so I ran them off our LiFePO4 battery bank through our inverter and used the non-surge protected low voltage campsite hookup to charge the batteries. The AC and frig saw good voltage from our inverter and the batteries stayed topped off. We ran that way for 5 days without issue. Sometime you have to MacGyver your systems when the campsite utilities are dubious.
We live in Palm Springs and we deal with Temps like these every summer!! Our a/c man says even home units are not made to work properly over 105! With the RV refrigerator I had a string of misters so I tucked one head on this line up in front of the cooling fins are and this along with fans I had previously installed that blows air up thru the cooling fins. And the fine spray of just a little water spraying made a huge difference!
Great tips guys! Thanks! We were there the same time as y’all and our dash AC (class A) went out on the drive there! Not fun! Our generator was also hating the heat too! The struggle was real! Luckily we stayed in a park (we usually boondock) and didn’t have any voltage problems running our 2 AC units. 🥵
I also used reflection on walls inside pantry and cabinets. That seems to help with our heat here in FL.
We camped in the extreme heat without using our air conditioning. We are at a permanent campsite with only 30 amp power. We open windows in the late evening/early am. We close the blinds where the sun would hit, we keep our awning out to help keep the rv cooler. I keep a small bucket filled with water and soak my feet in it when I get too hot. I also wear a neck scarf that you soak in colder water and wear around your neck. It makes a HUGE difference. Also keep lots of cold water in the fridge, get any physical work/exercise done in the early am. We also invested in a dyson hot/cold fan and we use the fan at night. Also if we were hot and sticky we would have a quick shower a couple of times a day. Open your fridge/fridges as little as possible to keep the heat out. Do your hot cooking/baking late at night or early in the am. We turn our fantastic fans throughout the day, we have 3, to help draw the hot air out.
Thank you for mentioning Daisy’s feet!! Too many pet owners don’t realize how hot the ground gets. I always test with my bare feet or hands to make sure it’s safe for my doggo! Thanks for all that you guys do to share your story, p.s. I’m the WORST when I’m woken up from a nap!😂
INSTALL the soft starts last week in VIRGINIA IT WAS 90 plus all week ran my 2 AC units in my KZ Durango gold on a predator 3500 watt inverter generator 30 amps. Best thing only took 30 minutes to install.
I installed mine soft starts last year. Been a life saver in this Texas heat. I made my own airflow system from a CZcams video. My 4500 watt generator purrs like a kitten and keeps me cool.
We spent a month in Boulder City where the temp was 116 every day. Previously I had installed reflexit in every cabinet and had cut outs for every window and windshield. I went to Ace Hardware and bought a Patio Water Mister Kit like the ones used at Disney World. I installed them on top of each air conditioner and pointed them toward the cooling fins. I also ran a line down the middle of the roof. Water Misters, reflexit, clean ac units helped us maintain 80 inside. Make sure you have soft water to avoid mineral stains on the side of the rv. We have one and most of the time the water never came off the roof. We have a 2011 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40'. Another solution would be a Soaker Hose for the roof and Water Mister for the ac cooling fins.
I had an old 85 class A that had no insulation at all and had to survive 114 in Nevada with a 30 amp service. I had wired that back AC so that I could switch it and plug into the 20 amp service using it to just supply the rear AC and then picked up a 6 head mist kit and split it so that it was to 3 heads and used it to make a mist in front of the condenser coil. I was the only one in the campground that had an interior in the 70s. I also was an early adopter of the reflex and had it in very window and where the vents where. Try making up a mist kit that you can use. I am sure that 2 heads per would be enough. I did the same thing with the mist kit for home this year and it made a huge difference. Used a 24 volt auto sprinkler valve using the 24 volt in the AC compressor to open it and mist the condenser which in the north Texas heat with the sun baking down on it.
We stayed at Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon and it too had line volts around 103v during the summer. My Victron Inverters didn't care though, they'll run down to 96v. The hybrid function came in handy as we could run both our AC units on a 30amp breaker by simply supplementing with solar and turning down the shore power limiter. Though that won't help the main RV breaker over-heating problem as the "assist" feature just boosts up some DC to match the incoming line voltage at whatever level is coming in.
Glad y’all made it through. Definitely not any fun. Tara, you by far out did yourself with the movie clip inserts this time! Appropriate would be an understatement. Looking forward to the fun stuff with Phil and Stacy- especially zip lining over the downtown area. I get the “stunts” shirt now, Tara. You’ve earned that one. Thanks for the tips, guys. Troy
I put 1-1/2" of foam board on top of refrigerator under slideout roof. Made a big difference. The temp we were in was 88 degrees and slideout roof was just over 100 degrees. So protected the top of freezer from extreme heat. Put in aux fans in bottom vent and top vent to push air then pull out. Haven't had a need to use them yet.
One thing that I have noticed on our aluminum frame 5th wheel is the amount of heat transfer around the slides through the frame. I used the reflective materials around the inside 4” of the slides. You can not see this when the slides are open and it does make a big difference. I measured (with thermal gun) the walls around the slides at 115 degrees on the inside when it was 95 degrees outside. Doing this really made a difference for us.
Big thank you to all you “old salts” for outstanding videos.
Eric Newland USNR.
I've been to Vegas in the Summer with 120 deg heat. Trust me NEVER WILL I EVER GO TO VEGAS AGAIN IN THE SUMMER MONTHS ESPECIALLY IN A 5TH WHEEL!!! 🤣😅🤣 EVER AGAIN!!
glad all of you survived ESPECIALLY the puppies
The new small swamp coolers work great in Vegas, it adds humidity
Hello from Fresno. We use about 4 frozen 1 gallon jugs to help keep the fridge cold in summer. I have 6 I always keep at home in the freezer, they stay mostly frozen for about 4 days. They definitely help keep it cooler too, most the time we are dry camping so it is only running on propane.
Hi. My Name is Joe. In high heat if you have sufficient water supply. A spray water on the condenser will help the air conditioner run cooler. Good luck next time.
I can feel your pain. When I was in Iraq and Kuwait, it was so hot that we couldn't touch the helicopters without gloves. Also, using the portable toilets, it was probably over 140 degrees inside. :-(
All good tips. We do mostly dog shows and try to avoid summer but sometimes we get surprised by 110-115 degrees. One thing we added was window awnings to our class A and they help a lot. We have the Hughes Autoformer and it has been a life saver. At the dog shows you have a parking lot full of 200-300 RV's all running the AC in the heat of the day via a very stretched thin electrical distribution system of spider boexs and 20A circuits to duplex receptacles all in the hot sun. Again, without the Hughes we would be stuck do to low voltage.
Hi Tara, Unrelated to the subject at hand, but I've been wondering how you find snippets of movies or T.V. you insert that are relative to the subject at hand. They always seem to be the perfect clip for the video and generally humorous. You are such a pro in your editing. Thanx, -keith
Some we just grab off youtube and some we cut from movies we own. Our brains are full of useless 80's movie clips! LOL
I don't like when folks use snippets.
@@johneddy9083 Can't please everyone:-)
We just brought our new 5th wheel home and for craps and giggles we tried the A/C and it ran for at least 45 minutes then the house circuit blew. Its only plugged into 110 but we had the house ac going, lights on etc. Its one of those Whisper Quiet A/C's so not sure if it has a soft start but our Rockwood just had a regular RV A/C and it would pop a circuit in a second. It's been hot and humid here too in the NE, put a coat of wax on the new rig and swear I lost like 10lbs, its 43ft long so it took me a bit. Seems like you guys did everything you could possibly do. One thing I love about this new rig is residential fridge/freezer! No more stupid rv fridge getting into the 40's.
Re the Hughes Autoformers: they don't create power - they basically convert amps to give you more volts - VERY important to protect your RV appliances with good voltage. And if you pay for a 50 Amp site, an autoformer WON'T give you more amps than you paid for. What you WILL get, is better voltage to run your equipment and, often overlooked, will help protect your appliances from damage by low voltage.
Important: don't let campgrounds with low voltage prevent you from running your appliances properly or, worse, it ruining your expensive equipment. /end of service announcement. :)
My solution is the altitude/latitude solution. If it's too hot go up in altitude or latitude, if it's too cold do the opposite. That said, I'm retired to it's easier for me. Ya know you guys were right on the edge of human survivability which I think is sustained 126 deg. Glad you guys survived. Keep the good stuff coming.
I am a travel nurse that was in ridgecrest last year that was 122 at the fair grounds with no shade. I had to do the fans to the fridge (I did dryer louvers so when not in use stayed covered), the airflow ac hack, reflectix in the windows made 15 degree difference, reflectix in all the cabinets that touch the outside (this included my closet), black covers for the maxi air and bathroom fans, relectix in the shower as well with ivy tape.. you could tell in the evening when the sun heat let up cause it would start to get cool again.. I bought booties for the pup as well.. the coldest place was the spot that went to the crate for pup and the bathroom after covering fan/skylight. I have a reflection. I saw in bakerfield ca a nurse who had the sunshade and said it worked. In bakersfield many of them put in a window unit that ran better than the rv ac. This year I am in fresno with 110 ish and with shade, soooo it's a tad better cause hot shade is still hot. the 120 plus days the rv did get to low 90 in rv and with a fan was tolerable but no way fun at all... I am going to get me a ice maker this year to put ice in bins in fridge to help.. I am doing water bottles but the freezer take a few days to freeze them..
A little late to the comments lol
We've spent 3 summers in AZ! 122° is cool lol. Our first 2 summers were in a 2016 coleman 296rkwe with ONE ac we almost died. Now we're in a 2021 jayco 34rsbs with 2 ac's. Still have reflectix in all but 1 window "gets shade all day" and sun screen on the back half of the rig. 110°+- and we're can keep it in the mid 70s
Wish you guys had put this video out 3 years ago 😂🤣😂🤣
The soft starts will work great with the 5500 watt generator. I was amazed at the difference they make on my 5th wheel.
I have taken vitamin E for years to limit my migraine headaches. I may get a mild one once or twice a year now. The next time you have to be in Vegas during the heat, try to get a spot up near Mount Charleston. It is nearly 2,000 feet higher and cooler. We have gone there a couple of times to get away from the heat.
Y’all need to put a “mini split” in somehow. They are 30seer and can run on your new solar system.
Yep, went to Vegas one 4th of July. Never again. Glad you survived. That being said, I have a good friend who lives in GIlbert, AZ and we go visit him for Labor Day. So we still suffer the 106 at night with days at 117 degrees. Fortunately we park in his driveway and have use of the house A/C.
If the ac noise is an issue for you, like it is for me, look for an rv that has the “whisper quiet” system. My 2021 JAYCO Pinnacle 37mdqs has it in the bedroom and it’s wonderful. We can stay cool and still be able to sleep without hearing that intake noise.
Also love all the information you guys supply. Before I picked up my rig I would watch your channel nonstop to make sure I knew all I needed before hitting the road! If you’re ever in central NC, you’ll have a friend there.
I have been boondocking 100 to 120 for the past couple of months. No AC. Blackout curtains are my best friend. I leave the windows open and stay out if my RV noon to 7.
Try paiting the roof of your RV with barium sulfate (super-white) paint. It radiates infra-red heat at a wavelength that goes out to space.
I used a 120 volt apartment AC to also help when I live in Vegas. Really helped a lot.
Another tip is to take a look at your doors! Both external and internal, they all should have some sort of gasket, although lately, with the cost cutting going on with RV companies, there are alot being sold without them. If your gasket material is old or compressed enough where you're not getting a good seal, or are non-existent, have them replaced. In a pinch you can use towels to put in-between the door and the frame when shut. You can test whether you're getting a good seal by shaking the door while closed, if you can see/feel lateral movement you're not sealed. Also with internal doors, I've seen some very well gasketed seals but with a huge gap under the door. You really want to seal that gap with towels or blankets to keep that (hopefully) cold air from leaving that room you're in. Stay cool!
Glad to see you back, hope everything is going well for you and yours.
We were on a trip in June, just before the heatwaves started, now with it staying so hot we're not going anyplace. We used to live in the desert in California and have previous experience with hot weather camping, not fun! Now we're in North Idaho and have had temps hotter than the temperature in our old area, like 111 on June 30th. Hottest temperature EVER for this area, 30-miles from Canada! We have soft starts on both of our 15,000 btu A/C units, they work great and we'll worth the money. Very easy to install too.
By the way, went to Ventura Beach RV last weekend, it was only in the 70s. I had watched your water system cleanout video and used the knowledge I gained. Thanks. Keep them coming.
This was really insightful! We love Vegas, but have only ever flown there. We've looked at planning a cross country trip there, but never considered it being "too hot" to comfortably camp. Vegas in the winter, here we come!
Many years ago an employer used to put a sprinkler on the roof to help cool during hot weather. As the water evaporated it helped cool the building. It did help. I'm going to try it myself, and, paint my dark AC covers white.
One of your best videos so far! Great information on a serious subject. Thanks!
Curious if you have tested the results of closing off your garage and running the back a/c. Have you noticed a positive difference?
A few things to think about:
1. That a/c is pulling return air from the closed off space in the back. That space will be significantly hotter than the rest of your coach, easily 100+ degrees in that climate. You can expect a 20 degree temp drop across your evaporator coil of the a/c. So you may actually be heating up your common supply duct by running that a/c.
2. Since the return is pulled from the garage, you need to give air a way to get back to that a/c’s return, otherwise it will likely pull even hotter air from outside through any cracks it can find.
3. Of you run that a/c on low, you will likely benefit in two ways: lower airflow means higher temp drop across the coil AND less air that needs to find its way back to the a/c.
Very good points. 👍🏼
Oh, forgot we used cheap clip fans through out RV to move the AC air. Work really well & decrease AC working so hard.
I put misters spraying directly on the A/C fins.
We have the pillows for years love them when all the black out shades down and the pillows in the Vents and door it is total darkness
Since you have solar you can always set your inverter to assist just like you would if you mooch dock, same thing happen to me at a KOA low voltage down to 96 volts. PS Love you guys and Phil and Stacy
Just wanted to talk about the Hughes unit. We own a wonderful spot in a campground in North Georgia unfortunately low voltage is a issue in there and it would cause our surge protector to shut down. The electrician told me to just take it off it would be ok. I know that’s what most people do but, because it has absolutely saved our camper and destroyed one next us we didn’t like that option. We bought the Hughes and no more problem. We in addition to it bought their Watchdog surge protector for extra protection and I like the fact you can see your voltage on your phone with it. Their support staff has been great and buying direct for us worked because they matched Amazon price and they have a record of you in the system and you can talk with a human. Love the company and products. I understand the heat issues but I shoot competition Skeet and traveling throughout the S.E. United States in summer is just a fact for us. Thanks for all of y’all’s videos and hopefully will meet y’all on the road someday. 🔥
The park will probably not like it but you can use a splitter on the water (which we all have anyway), run another hose, and spray the rv down to take away some of the heat. Really works well at or around sundown. I spoke to a man one time that said it was 72 degrees or below wherever he was. Go North in the summer and South in the winter. Lucky man.
We made the mistake 3 years ago of being down there in the 115 degree heatwave, and it was miserable. It was even worse because we were out at the Famcamp, and when the winds came through they were 100mph gusts that were tearing awning off rigs if they were extended, so in the day you put it out, but as soon as it got dark you brought them back in. Not one of our better RV camping memories to be sure! We also put our solar shade on the outside of our front windshield, plus covers on the inside to help keep the heat away from the front end as much as possible.
If you add the RV Air Silencer in conjunction with the RV Air Flow, it drastically reduces the noise. I installed the Air Flow system based on your video and had the silencer already. What a difference the combination makes.
RV Air Silencer? I also got 3 RV air flow. 2 installed .Being lazy on the last one in the bedroom. It is a little quieter but not sure on the flow. I dont have the tools the boss has. lol
@@scottl4124 yes google rvairsilen cer. It reduced my sound by about 6 dB per unit. I don't even hardly hear our front unit.
@@danasweet4961 Thank you. I will.