Declaring war on Interstate summer heat gain

[Mansderm161]

I grew up in and then left Texas in 1987 and now in South Carolina, I can't imagine living any further South because of the heat. My memories are being hot as hell in the car with air full blast and always arriving at your destination with BO! I just returned from Texas visiting friends and family and realized I should have gone in February. I think it's hard for any mobile vehicle to keep up with that heat. Even a limo driver brings an ice chest with cold drinks and cool rags in Houston!

[Mansderm161]

Fyi, I did get the 3m crystalline to my windows before heading to Texas and most evenings with air on, I was comfortable. It makes a difference.

[rowiebowie]

Good points Interblog and Alex AVI.

It's that time of year for many when the weather turns brutally hot. Guess I'll take it over the weather turning brutally cold since it's what I'm used to.

When we left our home on the Gulf Coast on 5/12, temps were mild with highs in the low to mid 80's (cooler than normal). Thinking A/C would be our biggest friend, it turned out we only ran the A/C twice (and we only really needed it the last night). When we returned twelve days later on 5/23, temperatures were in the high 90's (not untypical for the next 3-1/2 months).

On our way to Yellowstone and back, we mostly saw highs in the mid 50's and most nights it was high 30's to low 40's. Little did we know they had only recently opened some roads and parks from the Winter snows. Yes, we are very inexperienced campers.

Next trip, we will be more enlightened.

[Tobbun]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

Future considerations: If the big side windows and rear door windows were not so hard to re-tint due to valance & power shades, I would re-tint. But I have decided I won't go that far yet. There isn't an easy on/off & cheap & eye-pleasing product that I know of to put externally on our big/long side windows. So, I am considering a wrap package for the windows. Have an appt. with local shop that does major Vegas Strip casino work to see if a glass only wrap solution is feasible without looking tacky. The problem with this is as we also use our AI as a people mover, blocking the view is not desirable for my family.

The exterior tint/warp on those windows would be an interesting. I did the 3m on front and side doors. Those side windows are huge. Kind of like the fact that the TB doesn't have the one over the galley. While driving I was keeping the shades about half way down thinking it would help with air flow from the open side windows but probably is a net negative with extra heat from sun.

We are about to use it as a people mover once we get to Alabama coast line. Will only have 4 on trip to AL from TX but once there the plan is to use the AI as people mover for lunch/dinners... Might need to focus more on lunch on the beach and the AI for dinner trips... And get the AC going 30 minutes before departure time.

What about while driving? Are people keeping the fan on and a window cracked to help keep hot air going out or are you closing the fans and windows and just have the AC's going? Didn't really have a good test of the difference between the two in the short drive. Would prefer to start out in best mode next week when we hit the road.

[BurntAsphalt]

We used the bus as a people mover for the Indy 500 weekend events. It was sunny and low 90s...no comparison to the SW heat (Fans were dropping like flies, but alcohol may have been a contributing factor). Our genset was not starting (breather tube was plugged again, this time it was a bug) so no rear A/C. I plugged in a small fan into the TV receptacle and that provided some air movement for the passengers in the lounge. Probably more of a psychological effect than thermal, but they did say it helped. I also tried using the front A/C with cracked rear side windows. Don't think it did much.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Tobbun

And get the AC going 30 minutes before departure time.

What about while driving? Are people keeping the fan on and a window cracked to help keep hot air going out or are you closing the fans and windows and just have the AC's going? Didn't really have a good test of the difference between the two in the short drive. Would prefer to start out in best mode next week when we hit the road.

I think the strategy of getting the A/C going 30 mins before departure is a winner. Again, thinking of my high school years in Chicago, we used to pre-heat vehicles even longer than that when temps hit below 0.

Re-circulating air inside vehicle help quickly cool down AI - faster than outside fresh air pulled into cabin. Quick relief from the heat makes it my first choice. But it comes with a health risk if you run A/C system on the re-circulate mode too long.

Recirculated air means it's already been breathed in and out by occupants in AI. It's sapped of oxygen and filled with moisture. That combo can make you groggy, which can hinder safe driving ability. Plus, in the right (or wrong) conditions, it can fog up your windows (yes, even in summer, depending on humidity factors & time of day, especially with AI having indoor water sources). Fresh air is highly oxygenated with no second-hand moisture.

Better bet is to drive on the re-circulate mode until temp is reasonably comfortable, then switch to fresh air mode.

Many new cars have automatic systems with sensors that monitor in-cabin moisture and oxygen levels, switching between recirculating and fresh air modes automatically but AI does not have that. It is frustrating because I had an old 2005 low-mileage Town & Country minivan and it came with a fully Auto system

[jftompkins]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

Seriously? You think AS have engineers that actually do a heat load calculation? (no offense intended). More likely the question was "what will fit up on the roof that the genset can handle?" And even then the unit they picked was not recommended since Dometic recommends a 3.5kw genset unit for the 13,500btu AC, and it still isn't adequate to do the cooling.

OK...just giving AS benefit of the doubt; otherwise I wouldn’t own one (and a few stock shares too)...using the AS as a transport vehicle for 9 people just seemed “hot”....and not the design intent.

Maybe an update: https://www.airstream.com/faq/what-s...r-conditioner/

[Alex AVI]

[QUOTE=gmillerok1;2107839]And even then the unit they picked was not recommended since Dometic recommends a 3.5kw genset unit for the 13,500btu AC, and it still isn't adequate to do the cooling.[/QUOUTE]

I know - seems wrong putting an undersized gen that Dometic does not recommend. But to put another quirk in here - I live at 3,100 ft. ASL and run/test the A/C regularly at this altitude with no issues, other than give gen few minutes to stabilize. I have run it briefly (again only to test, maybe 15mins tops) at the top of Mt. Charleston ski lodge at 8,500 ft. ASL with slight hesitation during start, but neither died. I am assuming I did not damage anything since still works. Glad we are mostly 99% full hookup owners, otherwise this will drive me nuts.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

...
I've long noticed that the rear doors are one of the main heat / cold offenders in the entire van. If the sun happens to be hitting them at an adverse angle, I can barely put my hand on the inner surface. At least in much of the rest of the van, Airstream made a token effort by putting some pink panther between the body and the inner finishes. Not so on the rear doors. And they represent a large surface area, so this matters.
....

AAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHHHH!

The compass pointing toward a solution has presented itself in the form of a third-party website.

The fact is, there's no good way to insulate those bloody rear doors. They are sealed, welded shut, period. I thought about making inserts for the windows, sure - that is conventional thinking. But these guys have made and are marketing an insulating blanket *for the entire surface area of the full pair of Sprinter rear doors*.

Six hundred bucks?? I don't think so. I will get to work on my own considerably cheaper and easily stow-able design. I can improve on this.

https://www.upfittersresource.com/co...th-storage-bag

[TheCabin]

With the ease of mobility of a class B, I like this old route plan to follow the 70 degree isotherm throughout the year and avoid the need for AC:


http://us-climate.blogspot.com/2015/...road-trip.html

Might have to move everything a little further north with the warming trend.

[Lily&Me]

In spite of extreme efforts to keep Texas heat out, your Interstate is still a steel box in the Texas sun.


Maggie

[Alex AVI]

Parked in the shade right now on my driveway, 3,100ft. asl, 6pm, outside temp 100, humidity 9%, day/night shades down, windshield & front external covers on, vent fan medium - inside temp 107 and only 19 days still before summer starts. Eeek !


Going to Grand Junction & Breckenridge, CO tomorrow to chill for few weeks

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by TheCabin

With the ease of mobility of a class B, I like this old route plan to follow the 70 degree isotherm throughout the year and avoid the need for AC:


http://us-climate.blogspot.com/2015/...road-trip.html

Might have to move everything a little further north with the warming trend.

Thanks for the post.

My parents traveled extensively in a "B" Xplorer and did the same thing (avoiding the heat). Alas, I never anticipated making my own travels one day and while they were alive, I neglected to ask them how they planned their routes.

I do remember they had one motto, "follow the leaves". It was their was of saying go where Fall was and ride it back down South.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

Parked in the shade right now on my driveway, 3,100ft. asl, 6pm, outside temp 100, humidity 9%, day/night shades down, windshield & front external covers on, vent fan medium - inside temp 107 and only 19 days still before summer starts. Eeek !
Attachment 312754

Going to Grand Junction & Breckenridge, CO tomorrow to chill for few weeks

A 7 degree differential ain't bad. Your starting number is the problem.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

A 7 degree differential ain't bad. Your starting number is the problem.

Hahaha, yes, so true. Think it's hot where you are? 7:25pm 98°

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

In spite of extreme efforts to keep Texas heat out, your Interstate is still a steel box in the Texas sun.


Maggie

Quoth psychologist and Carl Rogers disciple Richard Farson:

"Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for."

From his mini-book "Management of the Absurd", which should be required reading for everyone in our current polarized society. Amazon's tag line for it reads, "An original, contrarian philosophy that challenges today's leaders to look past the quick fix and deal thoughtfully with the real complexities of managing people."

It ought to read, "...deal thoughtfully with the real complexities of managing our lives."

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

Parked in the shade right now on my driveway, 3,100ft. asl, 6pm, outside temp 100, humidity 9%, day/night shades down, windshield & front external covers on, vent fan medium - inside temp 107 and only 19 days still before summer starts. Eeek !
....

People ask me why in the hell I choose to live in Houston. One of my common retorts is, "Because I could never stand the heat in Las Vegas or Phoenix or Tucson or Bakersfield or El Paso."

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

People ask me why in the hell I choose to live in Houston. One of my common retorts is, "Because I could never stand the heat in Las Vegas or Phoenix or Tucson or Bakersfield or El Paso."

Exactly - it is all about choosing which type of heat you are able to tolerate Some think heat is heat, not realizing there are varieties. As I got older my body favored this type of heat (high desert, extreme high temps & very low humidity) vs. the other (valley or coastal, not as extreme temps but higher humidity) in minimizing spring allergies. Gulf Coast or Florida humidity will kill my outdoor activities (this from a Chicago born kid) but I have become a desert rat. I still train outdoors on our bikes even at 115 degrees though admittedly we start right at sunrise and be done by 11am. In couple weeks, I will be staring at midnight temps of 99

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

AAAAAAAAAUUUUGHHHHH!



The compass pointing toward a solution has presented itself in the form of a third-party website.



The fact is, there's no good way to insulate those bloody rear doors. They are sealed, welded shut, period. I thought about making inserts for the windows, sure - that is conventional thinking. But these guys have made and are marketing an insulating blanket *for the entire surface area of the full pair of Sprinter rear doors*.



Six hundred bucks?? I don't think so. I will get to work on my own considerably cheaper and easily stow-able design. I can improve on this.



https://www.upfittersresource.com/co...th-storage-bag

Did you notice the second photo on your linked source was in an Advanced RV - where $600 is nothing significant.

[Boxster1971]

I just noticed that https://www.upfittersresource.com/collections/sprinter is the Advanced RV web site to sell their accessories. Nice!