When boondocking and it's hot out, what do you do to stay cool? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

When boondocking and it's hot out, what do you do to stay cool?

LifeBeganInaWinnebago · RV-Dreams Family Member

I also wondered about a swamp cooler. As a kid we had a portable swamp cooler about the size of a small window AC. It seems it would hold around 3 to 5 gallons of water. I would dump the water in before going to bed and it was always dry by morning. It was very simply built, just a box with one fan motor that also pumped the water from the bottom up the the pads on the back. I would think in a very dry climate it could consume a lot of water.

Mark

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

There's the Turbokool www.turbokool.com/ that's suitable for RVs, but I'm sure their biggest weakness like you say is water use. I looked all over their website and I can't find any water consumption specs listed. It looks like they are trying to down play that part. I can recharge by batteries easily enough with big enough solar panels, but water may not be so easily replaced out in the desert - which is where they would do the most good. And if camping on the east or south cost (like here in muggy, sticky Louisiana) where 70% humidity is a dry day, it's useless.

Chip

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

http://macandchris.net/technical-and-projects/dry-camping/rv-air-conditioning-swamp-cooler/ is old info, but they used one.

"Water usage was about 10 to 15 gallons a day max"

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 30th of August 2015 07:57:26 PM

jimindenver · RV-Dreams Family Member

We go up to somewhere between 9000 and 10,000 ft. The warmest it gets at night is maybe 50f. It can get quite hot in the day time though. we have a 5000 BTU window air conditioner that will run directly off of our solar mid day while the batteries sit in float. I have also run it off of our 675 Ah bank for hours while it was cloudy. It has it limitations but up there it's wonderful.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Could one use an evaporative cooler like the Turbokool and a small AC together for increased cooling or would they be working against each other?

Chip

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

Stay at high elevations on the east or south end of the lake and let the breeze take care of it. Portable screened rooms and Citronella candles and cots keep the bugs at bay! Then there are Ocean breezes!

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Trailerking, that looks like a plan, especially in the adult beverages I have in mind. They may not have sufficient BTUs of refrigeration power to actually drop one's body temperature by a significant amount, but after consuming said beverage, who cares? Plus, water made into ice cubes will stretch quite a bit further than water poured into an evaporative cooler. Besides isn't perspiration your body's natural evaporative cooling mechanism? And doesn't consumption of alcohol (at least in excess quantities) contribute to one's sweat production creating a natural swamp cooler effect?

I'm just sayin'... If you need an excuse to imbibe, that sounds like as good a one as any! I guess there's a reason that southern ladies and gentlemen sipped a cool mint julep to shake off the summer swelter. Of course who could argue with one, who for variety in one's diet, chooses to expand their repertoire with an occasional Mojito or Margarita, purely for their medicinal value, of course. And surely it would be irresponsible to overlook the combined cooling properties and nutritional value of an ice cold

I like the way you think, Trailerking. We need to share a campfire some time.

Chip

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Nothing like the entertainment value of dropping ice cubes down someone's back.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've done a combo of all of the above. If it we need to run the A/C while boondocking for more than a couple nights - then it's definitely time to seek alternate plans (electricity or a different climate).

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

We added awnings over each window plus the large patio awning; these are all deployed. The mini blinds inside are down and turned so no sun comes in. The windows are open and the Fantastic fan up front is set to exhaust, the Fantastic fan at the rear is set to draw air in. All vents are opened to the max. The entrance door is open with the screen door closed. This provides the maximum air flow in the RV.

We have two Ryobi 18v Battery operated portable fans each one of us use these to direct a breeze where ever we are sitting. Each of us has a spray bottle filled with water that we use to mist ourselves. This setup keeps us fairly comfortable to 80 degrees inside temps.

Any hotter than that..... we kick on the generator and air conditioner.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

one word.... Margarita's biggrin

Someday · RV-Dreams Family Member

We park the RV with the two bedroom windows open at night to get the cross breeze where possible. Also a bowl of ice in front of the fan breeze nearby helps keep us cooler. When out walking/biking/theme park, a dampened neck scarf/light towel from being in the freezer helps, as well wearing a flexi-type ice pack in it's own sleeve works wonders on our wrists and ankles (extremities). Hubby puts a mini one in his baseball cap or if forgets wets it with ice cold water and wears. All these methods in different circumstances have helped.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the interesting and unique responses, all!

I guess a brief cold shower would help too, if seriously overheated. Then there's always skinny dippin' (or in our case chubby dippin') in a nearby stream or lake. biggrin

Along the same lines has anyone visited a clothing optional resort to get cool? I'm afraid some of the "scenery" may make me warm up instead.

Chip