How to Keep Cool Camping in an RV Without Air

lake mead national recreation area 14 image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com

One of the advantages of camping in an RV is that you have built-in air conditioning, but you might discover that you're camping without air. Problems with your air conditioning or a lack of electricity might turn your RV into an overheated mess that makes it difficult to sleep and hard to live. It's easy to stay cool in an RV, though, even without air conditioning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Dark curtains
Solar lights
Camping fan

Step 1

Cover your windows with dark curtains or pieces of cloth during the daylight hours. When the sun shines inside the RV, it brings additional heat inside. By blocking the sun's rays from getting inside, you'll reduce some of the heat.

Step 2

Open all the windows in the RV at night to get air flowing through the camper. Opening your windows during the day will only help if there's a breeze blowing, but at night you have a better chance of cooling off by doing this. It lets more air circulate through the RV, especially if you open the vents on the roof.

Step 3

Use solar lights instead of the lights in your RV. The traditional lights found inside an RV give off a small amount of heat. Solar lights give off just as much light but without the heat. You simply place the solar lights outside to charge up during the day and bring them inside at night.

Step 4

Reduce heat inside your RV in any way possible, especially when the temperature rises outside. An easy way to do this is by cooking the majority of your meals outside, rather than using the stove and oven inside your RV. Any time you use the appliances, it causes the temperature to rise inside the camper.

Step 5

Install a camping fan on the ceiling of your RV. Camping fans are different from regular fans because instead of relying on electricity, the fans use batteries. Placing one or two of the fans on the ceiling helps get air circulating through the camper and brings down temperatures.

Tips & Warnings

Bring in a few electric fans if you have electricity in your RV. Try positioning the fans towards the windows, which helps suck out the hot air inside your camper.

Clean out the areas behind your refrigerator, stove and other appliances. If the airflow into the appliances is blocked, it may cause the appliances to give off more heat and make it even hotter inside your RV.

Article Written By Jennifer Eblin

Jennifer Eblin has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006. Her work has appeared on several websites, including Tool Box Tales and Zonder. Eblin received a master's degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

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