21 methods to maintain your camper cool

Are you melting in your motorhome, campervan or caravan in sizzling climate? Undecided for those who want air con or not? In case you wrestle with the recent climate in your van and need some tricks to maintain your camper cool in summer season warmth wherever you’re, these are the very best methods to take care of sizzling 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 time Van Life

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

I hate to complain about good climate, however typically it may be slightly TOO good. In ‘regular’ occasions, we choose to move to the mountains with our motorhome, somewhat than courageous the warmth and crowds of France or Spain in the course of the summer season months.

Nonetheless, it’s properly over 30 within the UK proper now and journey isn’t an choice, so we’re having to deal. Listed below are a few of our 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 may increasingly not at all times be potential, however when you have a selection of parking spots or pitches on the campsite, attempt to choose one within the shade if the climate is forecast to be sizzling. Even when it’s solely shaded for a part of the day, it’s 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 will 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. 

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

Preserve blinds closed or use a display screen

Take a tip from the Europeans and maintain your motorhome blinds or hatch screens closed. In case you have a reflective display screen or reflective insulation, use it. Simply stopping slightly 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 necessary when you have giant home windows as they will actually create a lot warmth inside your van- like residing in a greenhouse!

Keep cool in your van by holding 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 potential, attempt to cook dinner outdoors so the warmth doesn’t construct up. Some campsites have an out of doors kitchen you should use as an alternative of yours, which is at all times a terrific choice as an alternative of a sizzling van.  Alternatively, use an air fryer! 

In case you like a heat drink even on a sizzling day (weirdo 😉) then attempt to use a gasoline burner outdoors as an alternative of the hob or kettle inside. 

Don’t neglect that many campsites both don’t enable 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 aspect, so it protects the most well liked spot

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

That is particularly helpful for those who’re motorhoming in Europe and want to flee the recent air and excessive summer season temperatures. Once more, some campsites insist on you parking a sure manner, so it isn’t at all times potential BUT it’s value 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 greater 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 highway journeys might be far more bearable within the cooler air. 

A few of our favorite summer season mountain locations embody:

Park close to water for those who can- though you could get midges

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

Nonetheless, some locations have midges or mosquitos close to water. And in some locations, they’re so unhealthy they will completely damage your vacation. In case 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 amenities.

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

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

We additionally use small followers which we are able to 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. 

Bear in mind lights give off warmth 

In case you’re planning to spend any time staying off grid together with your motorhome (also called motorhome wild tenting), then we extremely suggest switching out your van lights for low energy LED ones. This may assist cut back the quantity of battery energy you employ AND they’ll give off much less heat- win win.

Set up a set motorhome air con unit

In case you’re planning to spend so much of time in nations the place it will get REALLY heat throughout summer season, you would possibly need to sacrifice a piece of your motorhome payload as a way to match a correct motorhome air con unit.

These are very efficient, however they do weigh rather a lot, 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 conveyable, 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.

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 possibly can see our overview of it right here:

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

Extra ideas to assist maintain your cool in sizzling climate

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

In case you’re travelling with canine, 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 common and bear in mind to put on solar safety! You too can get a conveyable ice maker to assist maintain your drinks cool within the warmth of the summer season. 

Do you’ve gotten some other ideas for having fun with vanlife when the climate is heat? Drop them within the feedback beneath so we are able to all profit?

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