It's hot! Shade cloth for over TOP of my AS?

[simple sanctuary]

Greetings from hot-as-hell North Carolina. My full timing self is parked till October in a spot which is loosing more and more of it's shade as the sun's angle sets up for summer. While the zip dee awnings help, I'm curious if anyone has constructed an aesthetically pleasing (read, no blue tarps) shade cloth to run a few feet above the roof.

Does not need to be rainproof, in fact seems better if it's not so i don't need to worry about water pooling. And maybe a loose weave would make it less like a sail and easier keep attached to cedar poles on four corners? Thanks for any lessons learned or links for material or design!

By the way, it's mostly from 7:30 am-noon when parts of the roof are receiving rays (the street side is always in shade as it's nestled up against a line of trees who's branches aren't quite close enough to attach a cloth or provide all day shade). Also, i'm plugged into a 20 amp circuit so not enough juice to run my AC and not able to invest in a generator just yet. Thanks!!!

[DaveFL]

I've constructed shade for my front windsheild three places, first time was for my coachhouse van, using Ace hardware shade cloth, third for airstream win shade cloth from online ebay seller, second was for the trawler both Ace and HD shade material. It works but how you can control it in your situation would be much harder than each of my projects. Ace had the best quality, ebay had the best price. With snaps and line in hem it could be mounted and survived winds, rain and sun. Trying to to it in the air without support would be impossible with ebay stuff it stretches while the non-stretching had enough give to mount on surfaces only. Also putting insulation betwen screen and window worked until I noticed it etched the glass on sitting wet for long periods. your air gap would be better, but winds go up and you would have a large sail.

[tsunami]

Harbor freight has some 12X10 and I think even bigger shade tarps (a weave that blocks 70% of the sun) that I use here at the house on my porches to block the sun and am very happy with the results. It has metal grommets on the corners and down each side to make hanging it better. The cost was very reasonable. It comes in black.

[drboyd]

No blue tarps, OK. How about a lovely silver tarp?

[TG Twinkie]

How about the material used by greenhouses to provide partial shade. Available in varying degrees of density.
A place like Gemplers will carry such an item.


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[PaulnGina]

I'm gonna give away my million dollar idea, but I've always wondered about making a retractable shade, something like a Zip-Dee awning, for the top of the trailer. I could envision something pivoting along the centerline of the front, middle, and end of the trailer, that as it deploys it unrolls some kind of shade/mesh fabric, making kind of a dome tent over the length of the trailer. One problem would be the TV antenna or satellite dish that most people call a necessity these days. But, that's the basic idea.

[Lumatic]

In Furnace Creek, Death Valley, some of the staff have extensive shade cloth. Someone must sell it.

[Zil]

mesh tarps for shade

[rodsterinfl]

In the south, sun is part of the equation but that humidity is permeating heat. Another consideration along with the mesh tarp idea is an outdoor misting strip along the awning, etc if you have water. Set it on a timer for the warm up time. It is an old fashioned way but it works to keep the air around an area cooler if shaded. I know it sounds crazy but there are even some restaurants in FL still with the misting systems in them. Heck you get a bit damp under your awning but...of course this assumes you are stationary and have water access.

[Melody Ranch]

Use your awning...it is already there from the looks in the photo. Put it out and then get an inexpensive roll up bamboo type shade attached to the outer edge. Keep the entire side shaded. Get some , or grow some, plants. Fast growing, cheap, morning glory in a trellis and pot them along the outer area too.

[kfthomas]

Shade RV - Save With Shade

[m.hony]

The roofs of newer Airstreams are painted white. That helps a little.
I bought a 2' x 25' roll of insulation at Lowe's that appears to basically be 2 layers of bubble wrap with aluminum foil on both sides. I cut a piece for every widow in the trailer, including panoramic windows, stack windows, vista view windows, the entry door window, and the skylights. It seems to help. I was more concerned with blocking out UV rays so the interior curtains and upholstery would not fade or deteriorate.

[DearCatJ]

OK -- this is redneck air conditioning......
Use a tripod sprinkler mounted on the top of your AS. Turn it on periodically throughout the day and you will immediately drop the temperature of your AS by 20 degrees. Tripod Sprinkler - White Flower Farm

[slowmover]

Reflectix. I find the five foot tall size better for the various projects. And get their tape as well. Have used it extensively and consider it a must as with "duct tape" for its GP usefulness" (NASHUA 357 is what works in that instance, not Gorilla or 3M)

[TG Twinkie]

I will assume the OP is looking for something like the fly on modern day camping tents. The fly provides an air space between the sky and tent. Providing shade as well as cutting down the condensation and heat in the tent.


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[greghoro]

Just thinking... You would want your solution to not trap the hot air being expelled by your AC unit on the roof.


Greg

[JCWDCW]

The material tsunami mentions is being used on sun facing windows on park model homes in Texas. It is basically a tight black weave that lets very little light through but still has enough open space to ventilate. It could work very nicely if the OP could rig a ridge pole along the top of the trailer. Tie off the eaves to trees and the wall mount for the awning.
Anything attached to the awning would be problematic if you need to retract the awning for high winds or storms
JCW

[tjdonahoe]

Why not just move? It might be easier, just keep it simple.

[basecamper]

We have an Airstream Basecamp. In the heat of summer, when we are parked in the sun, we strategically place three triangular shade sails (Amazon) to block the direct sunlight on the roof and sides....and it makes a huge difference. Shade sails are rain and wind permeable, so you don't have to worry about the wind getting under them/lifting them up, plus you still get breezes underneath. We attach them to the top of the Basecamp with bungees and to the ground with bungees and lightweight metal stakes. The shade sails even look "cool"....not at all like tarps.

[robwok]

Ditto on the shade sails. They're cheaper, lighter, and they should pack better.

Rob