How To Keep Your RV Cool

Whether you’re out in the wilderness boondocking or you’re at a campsite, you’re bound to encounter high temperatures that you just can’t handle in your RV. Even if you have the power hookups or propane to fuel an A/C unit in your trailer, that might not be enough to really beat the heat when temperatures are soaring towards the triple digits. Here in the Midwest, we get plenty of super-hot days with searing sunlight that can make your RV feel like an oven. If you’re trying to enjoy your vacation without sweating buckets, read this list of tips for keeping your RV cool, provided by Herold Trailer Sales of Indianola, Iowa.

Park Strategically

One easy way to lower the interior temperature in your RV is to limit its direct sun exposure by parking strategically. Park with the window-side of your RV facing away from the afternoon sun, and park under shade where you can. You might have to switch up campsites or drive around your boondock area a bit to find an ideal spot, but it’ll be worth it to have the shade when the sun is at its zenith. You can extend your RV’s awning if you have one on the sunny side to provide some shelter and a cool place to sit outside.

Ventilate The Interior

If your RV has roof vents, open these up to let air circulate. This can do a lot to lower internal temperatures even without air conditioning. Hot air rises and you can set up fans in your trailer to help push the hot air up and out of the vents. Open the windows on your RV’s shaded side to let in cool, fresh air that will take the place of all that stuffy hot air.

Cover Windows

You’ve likely seen the bubbly reflective coatings that are available for passenger car windows, meant to reflect the sun’s light off the windows so the car interior stays cool. This coating works equally well on your RV’s windows. You can also put up light-colored curtains and keep these closed to prevent sunlight from penetrating your RV and warming it up.

Cook Outside

Your trailer’s kitchen generates a great deal of heat whenever you use the oven or stove, which can make your RV feel miserable on a hot day. But you’ve still got to eat, so why not try cooking outside instead? You can get really rustic and use your campfire, or you can set up a grill and make some kebabs and burgers for dinner. If you want to prepare food inside, you can always stick with cold dishes like pasta salad or tossed green salads or sandwiches. There are plenty of dishes that involve little to no cooking so you won’t have to generate heat in your kitchen in order to eat well.

Install LEDs

The incandescent lights installed in RVs can burn hot and generate more heat than you might like. A quick and easy fix is to replace them with cooler LEDs that will save you energy and time because they last for such a long time. While they might cost more initially than standard light bulbs, LEDs are worth if they keep your RV cool inside and save you money and fuel.

In the market for a new trailer for your upcoming adventures? Visit our dealership today to see our full inventory of new and used RVs and trailers of all types. Herold Trailer Sales serves the city of Des Moines, Iowa, with our Indianola location to the south. We’re also here for our customers coming from Wichita, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri!