Staying cool in the lounge while underway

[Hi Yo AG]

Newbie here. Traveled last night with guests in rear on a hot night. What can I do to keep them cool. Side window vents open? Foof vent open, how high? Roof AC running? Cold beer?

[HowieE]

Don't you have a generator? Run it and the AC. That is what most MH do.

[Ray Eklund]

You did not say where, when, temperature or humidity.... but to compare:

Mohave Desert Boondocking is wonderful during October to April. Not June, July or August. September and May are transitional. I could also include the entire Southwest and Southern States... for experiences of Hot, Humid and Miserable.. but want to have some optimism about the Summer months.

This concerns Off the Grid camping in your Airstream. I could include with full hookups and still wonder... why not head North and towards Elevations above 5,000 feet?

June 4, 2016 Boulder City, Nevada 2506 feet elevation, 10:30AM sunny

Outdoor temperature under shaded patio: 99.0 F
Outdoor temperature in sunlight: 104.0 F 7% humidity
Aluminum exterior of Airstream in sunlight: 140.5 F 1% humidity
Inside trailer while in sunlight: 96.0 F 7% humidity
Inside trailer while in sunlight with two ceiling fans at #3: 97.0 F
Inside trailer 15 minutes with fans running at #3: 99.0 F
Inside trailer 30 minutes with fans running at #3: 99.5 F

Temperature of RV Garage attached to house: 93.5 F

Inside trailer in sunlight, door open, both ceiling vents at #3 full speed: 99.5 F Trailer versus 140.5 F aluminum skin.

As expected, running the ceiling fans draws in hotter outside air during the daylight hours. With the exterior aluminum at 140.5 F, exterior temperature in the sun at 104.5 F, and in the shade 99.0 F... it is unpleasant.

Anyone expecting to Boondock hot and humid parts of the USA without hookups, this is what you can expect.

We are preparing the trailer for the Boondocking School for Greenhorns in High Colorado 'COOL' Adventure and leaving Sunday AM. Our trailer is stored in a RV Garage that is not cooled with Air Conditioning, but 46 degrees cooler than the surface of the trailer in direct sunlight. In order to flush the fresh water lines and tank... I wanted to get an idea of what extremes could be found while outside in the full sun.

I thought some comparisons of unpleasant would be good. Our humidity is under 10%... and often at 3%.

We are going to an outdoor Blues Concert in Henderson, Nevada this evening. It begins at 6PM and is finished at 10PM. This may as well be a Red Hot Chili Pepper Concert... but we find 85 F chilly around here.

For crowded Death Valley in the winter months... Glacier National Park in Montana, the Tetons of Wyoming and Yellowstone Park are quiet. (In reference to the National Park crowding.)

[Hi Yo AG]

...so can we go down the highway with roof and side window vents wide open? And not have to worry about AI parts littering the highway?

[ColoradoLady]

Ummmm! I would say probably not your best idea! I visualize your side vents....at some point, depending on speed....taking flight on their own? Same thing with the roof vent.
Seriously, You might buy a couple little fans and station on counter in front of them. Maybe secure with duct tape on base to counter. (Just a idea).

[Hi Yo AG]

Colorado Lady,
Appreciate the guidance! Will certainly do if nothing else will work. Has anyone out there lost an AI appendage?

[Protagonist]

You can go down the highway with your MaxxFan roof vent wide open, with the fan running or with it off, with no problems. I do it all the time.

I would not open the tip-out side windows on the road, however. Or at least I never have. I have always been worried that bouncing on anything but the smoothest pavement would cause the glass to shatter because the weight is concentrated where the arms hold them out.

Set your dashboard A/C to recirculate, close all the dashboard vents except the ones in the middle, aim the middle vents straight down the aisle, and turn the A/C on full blast, set to a colder temperature setting than normal.

And if that doesn't work, then running the generator to give you 120vAC power to run the rooftop air conditioner is an option, but far from quiet because your rear-seat passengers are sitting right on top of the generator. Still, better deaf than sweaty, I guess.

Avoid the cold beer, however, because even if the driver is stony sober, open container laws still apply to RVs on the highway. Ice-cold lemonade is good for cooling off, though.

[Hi Yo AG]

Got it, can tip the hat of our Hi Yo whenever, and will keep the wings in, in flight. Holding off on the suds, for the driver, never a problem. Others will have to live by the rules - thanks for the guidance, as that was not on my radar.

BTW have been following this forum for months and truly appreciate the guidance, thoughts, and humor of folks like you, "Protag," and "Lilly and Me." Places are defined by the players - Yankee Stadium, by Ruth and Gehrig - the AI Forum by you both. All of whom are on top of their game!

[cdufault]

I agree w/ Howie. Run the gen with roof air on. Dash air is OK if vents are directed at driver and passenger-mostly to help compensate for heat through the windshield. I have only one original roof AC on my 77 Argosy 28 MH, which is barely adequate here in the southwest. I'm thinking about adding a second roof or portable AC. Roof vents are very robust on my model and OK open while traveling.

[Urbanologist]

As I read your question, you are on the road - in motion - with guests in the trailer? If this is the case, I guess their safety should/would be a concern. I'm sure it's done - BUT - a fairly unsafe idea. There are no seatbelts in the units and many jurisdictions are clear, much like carrying passengers in a truck bed, don't do it.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Urbanologist

As I read your question, you are on the road - in motion - with guests in the trailer?

In an Interstate motorhome, not a trailer. Please check the OP's profile— which shows a Grand Tour as the type of Airstream— before making inaccurate assumptions like that.

By the way, no disrespect intended. You're not the first trailer owner to mistakenly jump into a motorhome discussion with an inapplicable comment, and you won't be the last. Many things about trailers and motorhomes apply to both, and we generally welcome input from trailer owners. But this is one case where trailers and motorhomes differ widely, so we need to keep on track.

[ColoradoLady]

Urban, the interstate is not a trailer. It is a class B MOTORHOME, and does have seat belts on all passenger seats, which can include a 3 seat sofa, 2 side seats, ( all in back), as well as 1 or 2 seats behind front cabin, and depending on model layout, may seat a total of 6-9... All with appropriate seat belts. My Grand tour seats 6.

[Urbanologist]

The OP made no mention of their rig being the INTERSTATE unit. I do recall reading the post closely. Additionally, I don't check profiles to see what they're referencing. So, not being a newbie myself, I made my comment thusly, based upon what it contained - by content. They didn't declare they were in a luxury AS bus. Or, MH, as you prefer.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Urbanologist

The OP made no mention of their rig being the INTERSTATE unit.

I was mainly concerned that newcomers to the thread would pick up on your comment about passengers in a trailer, and derail the thread by discussing that instead.

Hey, at least we didn't ignore you the way we ignored Ray in his digression about off-grid camping when the rest of us were discussing on-the-road travel!

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

You did not say where, when, temperature or humidity.... but to compare:

Mohave Desert Boondocking is wonderful during October to April. Not June, July or August. September and May are transitional. I could also include the entire Southwest and Southern States... for experiences of Hot, Humid and Miserable.. but want to have some optimism about the Summer months.

This concerns Off the Grid camping in your Airstream. I could include with full hookups and still wonder... why not head North and towards Elevations above 5,000 feet?

June 4, 2016 Boulder City, Nevada 2506 feet elevation, 10:30AM sunny

Outdoor temperature under shaded patio: 99.0 F
Outdoor temperature in sunlight: 104.0 F 7% humidity
Aluminum exterior of Airstream in sunlight: 140.5 F 1% humidity
Inside trailer while in sunlight: 96.0 F 7% humidity
Inside trailer while in sunlight with two ceiling fans at #3: 97.0 F
Inside trailer 15 minutes with fans running at #3: 99.0 F
Inside trailer 30 minutes with fans running at #3: 99.5 F

Temperature of RV Garage attached to house: 93.5 F

Inside trailer in sunlight, door open, both ceiling vents at #3 full speed: 99.5 F Trailer versus 140.5 F aluminum skin.

As expected, running the ceiling fans draws in hotter outside air during the daylight hours. With the exterior aluminum at 140.5 F, exterior temperature in the sun at 104.5 F, and in the shade 99.0 F... it is unpleasant.

Anyone expecting to Boondock hot and humid parts of the USA without hookups, this is what you can expect.

We are preparing the trailer for the Boondocking School for Greenhorns in High Colorado 'COOL' Adventure and leaving Sunday AM. Our trailer is stored in a RV Garage that is not cooled with Air Conditioning, but 46 degrees cooler than the surface of the trailer in direct sunlight. In order to flush the fresh water lines and tank... I wanted to get an idea of what extremes could be found while outside in the full sun.

I thought some comparisons of unpleasant would be good. Our humidity is under 10%... and often at 3%.

We are going to an outdoor Blues Concert in Henderson, Nevada this evening. It begins at 6PM and is finished at 10PM. This may as well be a Red Hot Chili Pepper Concert... but we find 85 F chilly around here.

For crowded Death Valley in the winter months... Glacier National Park in Montana, the Tetons of Wyoming and Yellowstone Park are quiet. (In reference to the National Park crowding.)

I think the op was talking about keeping it cool in his mh while driving.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by Urbanologist

As I read your question, you are on the road - in motion - with guests in the trailer? If this is the case, I guess their safety should/would be a concern. I'm sure it's done - BUT - a fairly unsafe idea. There are no seatbelts in the units and many jurisdictions are clear, much like carrying passengers in a truck bed, don't do it.

Lounge model is a mh.

[crazylev]

In fairness to Urbanologist, I thought that the discussion was about being in a trailer too based on the OP. Wasn't aware Lounge implied the Interstate. Now I know.