Are you melting in your motorhome, campervan or caravan in scorching climate? Unsure in the event you want air-con or not? In the event you wrestle with the new climate in your van and need some tricks to preserve your camper cool in summer season warmth wherever you might be, these are the perfect methods to take care of scorching days!
Don’t neglect to seize your FREE motorhome journey guidelines under that can assist you keep organised earlier than you head out.
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Summer season Van Life
These summers when It’s scorching. Loopy scorching. Garments-sticking-to-your-back scorching….
I hate to complain about good climate, however typically it may be slightly TOO good. In ‘regular’ instances, I favor to go to the mountains with my motorhome, relatively than courageous the warmth and crowds of France or motorhoming in Spain through the summer season months.
Nevertheless, it might get into the 30’s within the UK some years and it may be scorching when within the motorhome. Listed below are a few of the greatest ideas for staying cool in a motorhome or campervan throughout a warmth wave, to try to make vanlife slightly extra bearable.
Keep Cool in Your Motorhome by Parking within the Shade
This will not at all times be attainable, however in case you have a alternative of parking spots or pitches on the campsite, attempt to decide 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’ll make it rather more bearable to be inside in excessive temperatures.
Open At Least Two Hatches or Home windows to Permit Airflow in Your Van
The extra airflow you may get into your van, the higher. Opening roof vents, hatches or home windows on either 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 benefit 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.
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Preserve Blinds Closed or Use a Display
Take a tip from the Europeans and preserve your motorhome blinds or hatch screens closed. When you’ve got a reflective display or reflective insulation, use it. Simply stopping slightly direct daylight utilizing window shades is an effective way to scale back the inside temperature dramatically, particularly within the hottest a part of the day.
That is much more essential in case you have giant home windows as they will actually create a lot warmth inside your van- like dwelling in a greenhouse!
Observe: Examine any warning labels in your roof skylights for closing the blind totally with out the window being open. Most advise to not totally shut the the bind within the scorching climate as this will warp the plastic skylight (attributable to warmth and never in a position to escape).
Keep Cool in Your Van by Maintaining 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 utilize as a substitute of yours, which is at all times an amazing choice as a substitute of a scorching van. Alternatively, use an air fryer!
In the event you like a heat drink even on a scorching day (weirdo ?) then attempt to use a gasoline 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 possibly can discover our favorite BBQs for motorhomes and caravans right here.
Attempt to Put Your Awning on the Sunniest Facet, so it Protects the Hottest Spot
A easy trick, however it requires slightly planning while you first park up at a website. Attempt to determine which manner is south, after which put your motorhome or rv awning on that facet if attainable. The extra solar you’ll be able to preserve off the facet of your motorhome, the cooler it’ll really feel inside, even in partial shade.
That is particularly helpful in the event 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 value a attempt the place you’ll be able to.
New to motorhome or camper journey in Europe? You may discover these posts useful:
See all our Europe motorhoming posts right here
NEED GEAR? In the event you want any equipment or necessities for motorhoming in Europe, right here’s what we advocate and the place to seek out it
For a Cooler Summer season Vanlife, Head to the Mountains
I like to go to the mountains throughout summer season, particularly now I’ve a Mac (my canine). The cool air at greater elevations is a welcome break from the intense warmth of southern Europe.
Don’t be fooled- you’ll be able to nonetheless get sunburn up a mountain, however dwelling in a van and summer season highway journeys shall be rather more bearable within the cooler air.
A few of our favorite summer season mountain locations embody:
Park Close to Water if You Can – Though You Could Get Midges
I like to park close to water as a lot as attainable. Partly for the views and partly as a result of my canine likes to swim. Being close to the water makes the whole lot 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 dangerous they will completely spoil your vacation. In the event you’re going motorhoming in Scotland, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Don’t neglect to seize your free motorhome wild tenting guidelines right here that can assist you arrange your van to remain in a single day with out electrical energy or services.
Use Transportable Followers to Preserve a Motorhome Cool in Summer season
I’ve a number of USB moveable followers within the van to assist transfer air round and preserve issues feeling cooler. These are those I’ve– they’re simple to make use of and cost, and aren’t too loud to make use of at night time.
I additionally use small followers which I can keep on with the perimeters of the van, or put within the roof vents to create a selfmade ceiling fan. Battery-powered ones are good for this.
Different moveable followers to take a look at:
When you’ve got the arrange in your van, or are primarily on campsites, then there is no such thing as a purpose you’ll be able to’t use a family ground fan, like these ones. My pal makes use of the Berssen one and swears by it!:
Bear in mind Lights Give Off Warmth
In the event you’re planning to spend any time staying off grid along with your motorhome (also called motorhome wild tenting), then I extremely advocate switching out your van lights for low energy LED ones. This can assist cut back the quantity of battery energy you employ AND they’ll give off much less heat- win win.
Set up a Mounted Motorhome Air Conditioning Unit
In the event you’re planning to spend so much of time in international locations the place it will get REALLY heat throughout summer season, you may wish to sacrifice a piece of your motorhome payload with a purpose to match a correct motorhome air-con unit.
These are very efficient, however they do weigh quite a bit, so make sure to do your analysis earlier than you select and set up one.
Purchase a 12v Transportable Air Conditioning Unit
An alternate choice to a fitted air-con unit within the van is to hold a moveable 12v air-con unit. There are many these available on the market. Some are ‘correct’ moveable air conditioner items, and a few are known as ‘swamp cooler’ or evaporative coolers.
I had used a Transcool unit a number of years in the past and it does the job pretty nicely, utilizing chilly water to chill the air down. You possibly can see our overview of it right here:
We hope you discovered the video helpful. In the event you did, why not comply with us on Youtube. We share new movies with ideas for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe weekly, plus highway journey concepts and epic locations.
Time has moved on since my overview of this Transcool mannequin, so listed here are the most recent fashions you should purchase:
As know-how advances within the motorhome / camper trade, so does the equipment you should purchase. Ecoflow now has a moveable air-conditioning unit, the Wave 3 which is particularly for all times on the highway, which is meant to be wonderful. (I swear by my Ecoflow energy station!)
If you’re primarily on campsites and utilizing electrical hook up, you should utilize 230v gadgets for air-con, however do pay attention to the facility utilization so that you don’t journey out the electrical!
Extra Tricks to Assist Preserve Your Cool in Scorching Climate
In addition to the above tricks to preserve 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.
In the event you’re travelling with canines, make sure to stroll them early/ late within the day when the climate is cooler.
For your self, make sure to drink much more than ordinary and keep in mind to put on solar safety! It’s also possible to get a conveyable ice maker to assist preserve your drinks cool within the warmth of the summer season.
Do you could have every other ideas for having fun with vanlife when the climate is heat? Drop them within the feedback under so we are able to all profit?
Need extra ideas for motorhoming?
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