Hot weather Classic campers?

[Zybane]

So today I've experienced the first warm day in my classic. It got up to 89F, with the sun hitting the trailer. I am a bit concerned at how the two A/C units running was barely enough to keep the trailer at 70F. I even had all the awnings deployed and it wasn't humid outside.

This summer I will be camping about half the time in a travel camp that doesn't have shade. Direct sunlight in Washington D.C. Will the unit even be livable on those 100F+ days even with 2 A/C units going?

[Rich Jenkins]

70? Wow. Good luck.

With temps that high, my 30 FC will typically not get below 78 in zone 2, even with both ACs running.

What helps:

All window shades drawn and skylights closed.
Zone 2 fan set to 'high'
Zone 1 fan set to 'low'
Zone 1 vents closed or mostly closed
Bathroom vents mostly closed

[paiceman]

It will not be livable if you need 70F inside the trailer. We have found that in direct sunlight, with both ACs running we can lower the inside temperature between 10F and 20F below the outside ambient temperature. We found this on a number of occasions, but the most glaring was at Lake Powell AZ where it was 107F from about 11:00am to 6:00pm, units never shut down and they kept the trailer at about 88F. At night when it got cooler outside the unit would cool pretty quickly and one of both would start shutting down at about mid-night.

[Jtermini30]

We have experienced similar results in all of our former RV's including a 40' coach. 10 to 20 degrees below the outside ambient temperature. The units remove a significant amount of humidity which is what your looking for relief from. I would also run the units on "auto" which has worked over the past 20 years for us to keep up with the heat.

[Rich Jenkins]

Speaking of 'auto', is anyone else seeing where this means 'turn fan on with compressor, but only at low speed'?

My dual ducted AC 2016 FC will not change fan speed with larger differential between demanded and measured temperature.

It would seem to me if the unit was not keeping up (set point 75, sensed temperature 78, say) that the thermostat would go from LOW fan speed to MEDIUM to HIGH. But it doesn't. It just keeps running at LOW.

I guess my Domestic t-stat is not that smart. I've been relegated to manually setting the fan speed to HIGH, for example, when it gets really hot outside.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by paiceman

It will not be livable if you need 70F inside the trailer. We have found that in direct sunlight, with both ACs running we can lower the inside temperature between 10F and 20F below the outside ambient temperature. We found this on a number of occasions, but the most glaring was at Lake Powell AZ where it was 107F from about 11:00am to 6:00pm, units never shut down and they kept the trailer at about 88F. At night when it got cooler outside the unit would cool pretty quickly and one of both would start shutting down at about mid-night.

Granted 107F is pretty hot, but I could not live inside anywhere at 88F. Maybe I will have to look into one of those portable air conditioners too. Crazy to think three air conditioners and like 6,000 watts of cooling to keep 240 square feet livable!

[Phoenix]

Wow, didn't realize air conditioning was this big a problem on larger models. We have a 2005 19' Bambi, and our air conditioner will freeze us out on the hottest days in Phoenix.

A couple of years ago, the heat pump on our house went out in typical 110-115 degree mid-summer weather; and we lived in our Bambi (in our driveway) for a couple of days until a new heat pump was installed. Even mid-day, in full sun, the Bambi's single air conditioner had no problem keeping us comfortable. In fact, before we got the temperature dialed in, it initially got too cold for us.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Granted 107F is pretty hot, but I could not live inside anywhere at 88F. Maybe I will have to look into one of those portable air conditioners too. Crazy to think three air conditioners and like 6,000 watts of cooling to keep 240 square feet livable!

It's all about the meager insulation in the thin exterior walls. Folks doing winter camping experience similar energy consumption, as their units guzzle propane and electricity to stay warm.

Here are the search results for "R value" -- one simple measure of insulation:

https://www.google.com/search?q=R+va...=airforums.com

The relatively poor insulation is a known commodity about these trailers, indeed most RV's, so thorough research would have indicated that temperature extremes would be difficult to deal with.

If you can get the trailer in shade, that will help a lot.

Good luck!

Peter

PS -- The best advice may be "Go North young 'uns!"

"Location, location, location . . . "

[paiceman]

Zybane: Although when we hit the 107 we only were able to achieve and inside temp of about 85-88F it was pretty comfortable and at that time we only had one Labrador with us. This past summer many days where we were got to 90F and we were able to get down to 78F inside, which felt very cool to us.

[brokeboater]

Tough choice. We were driven out of our last two Airstreams, mostly due to cold, but they don't do well in heat either. We currently have an Arctic Fox for our high desert winter adventures. Certainly not as groovy, and it doesn't make my heart go pitter patter when I look at it, but it beats the snot out of an Airstream in all areas of functionality, with a slight edge to the Airstream on towing.

[jayseejay]

We had 3M Crystalline heat rejection film applied to the interior of all glass surfaces, which helps keep internal heat down. The lightest tint is barely noticeable and is claimed to reject 60% of the solar energy and 95+% of infrared. The installed cost was about $700, as I recall, and the installer came to our location. That, plus two ACs, awnings all around, and cooling the camper in the morning before it gets super-heated, has so far kept us below 80 degrees during our summer camping in Florida. Joe

[Kyet]

Hey, are you here in DC yet? I am buying a classic and would love to meet others in the area.

[dames7]

We live in AZ and we go north America for cooler weather, are preferred camping weather is between 55° to 85°.

Camping is no fun over 90° unless you have lots of shaded camping spots, and lots of BEER.

[m.hony]

Remember that the number on the thermostat is basically arbitrary- not calibrated to anything- and the sensors are behind the LCD TV and refrigerator.
The actual inside temperature in the trailer is 2-5 degrees cooler than the number displayed on the CCC2 thermostat.
Even 76 or 78 degrees will feel great when it is 96 degrees outside.

[kendrick.l.j]

Chiming in....yup. My '17 Classic can get pretty hot sitting in the direct Florida sun so I keep both AC on all the time, awnings deployed and all shades closed until the sun goes down. I was told the best to expect is 20 degrees cooler than outside which is why I will be rolling down the road soon looking for cooler temps....I think I hear Montana calling me.

[m.hony]

I wonder if the mouse fur in my 2013 Classic 30 has any real R value.
We camp often in 96 degrees and 100% humidity and the inside temperature is comfortable.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Llando88

Speaking of 'auto', is anyone else seeing where this means 'turn fan on with compressor, but only at low speed'?

My dual ducted AC 2016 FC will not change fan speed with larger differential between demanded and measured temperature.

It would seem to me if the unit was not keeping up (set point 75, sensed temperature 78, say) that the thermostat would go from LOW fan speed to MEDIUM to HIGH. But it doesn't. It just keeps running at LOW.

I guess my Domestic t-stat is not that smart. I've been relegated to manually setting the fan speed to HIGH, for example, when it gets really hot outside.

I have our Fan set at Auto which runs at High speed when the AC turns on.
I have experimented with setting the Fan on High just to make sure its the same speed and it is.
What I did find is that setting the fan on High will keep the fan running in the constant on mode even after the AC shuts down.

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

I have our Fan set at Auto which runs at High speed when the AC turns on.

I have experimented with setting the Fan on High just to make sure its the same speed and it is.

What I did find is that setting the fan on High will keep the fan running in the constant on mode even after the AC shuts down.

Interesting, thanks. Same experiment with me, fan runs on LOW. Hmmmm...

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by dames7

We live in AZ and we go north America for cooler weather, are preferred camping weather is between 55° to 85°.

Camping is no fun over 90° unless you have lots of shaded camping spots, and lots of BEER.

Hey, we have some very nice 'campspots' in Ontario, Canada; even if our gas prices are twice of yours(*), and our traffic lights are always timed 'red-to-red-to-red.
But many of our campspots are superb, and our temperatures are usually cooler than yours.
*(And WE supply much of your gas.)
(Fishing is great ;in Kawartha Lakes area.)
And you must already know about Canadian Beer.

[Doc Foster]

You should be able to do better than that. I had my 30' International in the Arizona sun last summer (July-August) and with both A/C's running full blast it would get down right chilly inside, to the point we would turn off one A/C for a while in the evening. That was with temperatures exceeding 100 during the day, and often barely getting below 85-90 at night. When out exploring during the day, we usually just left one A/C running. Since we were gone most of the day, we did not have the awnings out, only deploying them from about dinnertime until sunset.
This is why we moved up from a 25' flying cloud with only 1 A/C, it was unbearably warm in the bedroom on many nights.