21 tips to maintain your camper cool

Are you melting in your motorhome, campervan or caravan in scorching climate? Undecided in case you want air con or not? Should you battle with the new climate in your van and wish some tricks to maintain your camper cool in summer season warmth wherever you’re, these are the most effective methods to cope with scorching days!

Don’t neglect to seize your FREE motorhome journey guidelines beneath that can assist you keep organised earlier than you head out.

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Summer season Van Life

It’s scorching. Loopy scorching. Garments-sticking-to-your-back scorching. And sure, we’re at the moment in a motorhome within the UK. Thank goodness we’re not motorhoming in Spain!

I hate to complain about good climate, however generally it may be just a little TOO good. In ‘regular’ instances, we want to go to the mountains with our motorhome, fairly than courageous the warmth and crowds of France or Spain in the course of the summer season months.

Nevertheless, it’s properly over 30 within the UK proper now and journey isn’t an possibility, so we’re having to deal. Listed below are a few of our greatest suggestions for staying cool in a motorhome or campervan throughout a warmth wave, to try to make vanlife just a little extra bearable.

Keep cool in your motorhome by parking within the shade

This may occasionally not at all times be attainable, however you probably have a alternative of parking spots or pitches on the campsite, attempt to choose one within the shade if the climate is forecast to be scorching. Even when it’s solely shaded for a part of the day, it is going to make it far more bearable to be inside in excessive temperatures. 

Open at the very least two hatches or home windows to permit airflow in your camper

The extra airflow you may get into your van, the higher. Opening roof vents, hatches or home windows on each side helps to create airflow, which in flip helps your motorhome really feel cooler. 

Attempt to open them on reverse sides or ends to encourage much more air motion. One other additional advantage to an open window and permitting contemporary air in is that it helps cease condensation and mildew in your van from the nice and cozy air. 

We hope you discovered the video helpful. Should you did, we’d adore it if you followed us on Youtube. New movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe are launched weekly.

Maintain blinds closed or use a display

Take a tip from the Europeans and maintain your motorhome blinds or hatch screens closed. When you’ve got a reflective display or reflective insulation, use it. Simply stopping just a little direct daylight utilizing window shades is an effective way to cut back the inside temperature dramatically, particularly within the hottest a part of the day. 

That is much more vital you probably have giant home windows as they’ll actually create a lot warmth inside your van- like residing in a greenhouse!

Keep cool in your van by conserving indoor cooking to a minimal

Utilizing a hob, grill or oven in your motorhome is simply going to make issues even hotter inside. As a lot as attainable, attempt to prepare dinner outdoors so the warmth doesn’t construct up. Some campsites have an out of doors kitchen you should use as a substitute of yours, which is at all times an incredible possibility as a substitute of a scorching van.  Alternatively, use an air fryer! 

Should you like a heat drink even on a scorching day (weirdo 😉) then attempt to use a fuel burner outdoors as a substitute of the hob or kettle inside. 

Don’t neglect that many campsites both don’t permit BBQs or they insist they’re stored off the ground. You may discover our favorite BBQs for motorhomes and caravans right here. 

Attempt to put your awning on the sunniest aspect, so it protects the most well liked spot

A easy trick, nevertheless it requires just a little planning while you first park up at a web site. Strive to determine which manner is south, after which put your motorhome or rv awning on that aspect if attainable. The extra solar you may maintain off the aspect of your motorhome, the cooler it is going to really feel inside, even in partial shade. 

That is particularly helpful in case you’re motorhoming in Europe and want to flee the new air and excessive summer season temperatures. Once more, some campsites insist on you parking a sure manner, so it isn’t at all times attainable BUT it’s price a attempt the place you may.

For cooler summer season van life, head to the mountains

We like to go to the mountains throughout summer season, particularly now we now have a canine. The cool air at larger elevations is a welcome break from the acute warmth of southern Europe. 

Don’t be fooled- you may nonetheless get sunburn up a mountain, however residing in a van and summer season street journeys will likely be far more bearable within the cooler air. 

A few of our favorite summer season mountain locations embody:

Park close to water in case you can- though chances are you’ll get midges

We like to park close to water as a lot as attainable. Partly for the views and partly as a result of our canine likes to swim. Being close to the water makes every thing really feel just a bit bit cooler than it does inland.

Nevertheless, some locations have midges or mosquitos close to water. And in some locations, they’re so unhealthy they’ll completely wreck your vacation. Should you’re going motorhoming in Scotland, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Don’t neglect to seize your free motorhome wild camping checklist here that can assist you arrange your van to remain in a single day with out electrical energy or services.

Use 12v Transportable Followers to maintain a motorhome cool in summer season

We’ve a number of 12v moveable followers within the van to assist transfer air round and maintain issues feeling cooler. These are the ones we have– they’re straightforward to make use of and cost, and aren’t too loud to make use of at night time.

We additionally use small followers which we will stick with the edges of the van, or put within the roof vents to create a selfmade ceiling fan. Battery-powered ones are good for this. 

Bear in mind lights give off warmth 

Should you’re planning to spend any time staying off grid together with your motorhome (also referred to as motorhome wild tenting), then we extremely advocate switching out your van lights for low energy LED ones. It will assist scale back the quantity of battery energy you utilize AND they’ll give off much less heat- win win.

Set up a hard and fast motorhome air con unit

Should you’re planning to spend so much of time in international locations the place it will get REALLY heat throughout summer season, you may need to sacrifice a bit of your motorhome payload so as to match a correct motorhome air con unit.

These are very efficient, however they do weigh so much, so be sure you do your analysis earlier than you select and set up one.

Purchase a 12v Transportable air con Unit

Another choice to a fitted air-con unit within the van is to hold a transportable, 12v air con unit. There are many these in the marketplace. Some are ‘correct’ moveable air conditioner items, and a few are referred to as ‘swamp cooler’ or evaporative coolers.

We purchased a Transcool unit a number of years in the past and it does the job pretty properly, utilizing chilly water to chill the air down. You may see our overview of it right here:

We hope you discovered the video helpful. Should you did, we’d adore it if you followed us on Youtube. New movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe are launched weekly.

Extra suggestions to assist maintain your cool in scorching climate

In addition to the above tricks to maintain your van or motorhome as cool and welcoming as attainable in heat climate, there are some issues you are able to do to guard your self.

Should you’re travelling with canines, be sure you stroll them early/ late within the day when the climate is cooler.

For your self, be sure you drink much more than traditional and bear in mind to put on solar safety! You too can get a transportable ice maker to assist maintain your drinks cool within the warmth of the summer season. 

Do you might have another suggestions for having fun with vanlife when the climate is heat? Drop them within the feedback beneath so we will all profit?

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