Hottest/Coldest Place your Interstate has ever been parked on/in

[Alex AVI]

After reading these threads:
- MAGGIE's Locating new-to-me Interstate (bailed on camping due to 115 °F heat)
- INTERBLOG's Declaring war on Interstate summer heat gain (her inspirational mods to incrementally reduce inside temps, taking many tips from here)
- PAHASKA's Refrigerator ventilation (how temps affect fridge performance, taking many tips from here),
- numerous window tint threads (done all tips from there)
- my own inverter meltdown experience (on-going)

I was inspired to dig up my pics of the temps I have recorded outside & inside the AI this past month when summer came with a bang. I think my local temps in Las Vegas will easily put me within the Top 10 Hottest places anyone has ever parked their Interstate. Maybe only HITTENSTIEHL & INTERBLOG can top my "heat" numbers. Since I no longer live in Chicago, I can no longer complain about the cold midwest winters, but would love to see what numbers we are talking about on the other cold extreme.

The Airstream Interstate Manual comes with very well known winterizing procedures but hardly anything is documented (other than above threads) about "summerizing" the AI. This qoute from OTRA15 in Maggie's thread yesterday struck a cord in me: "No RV is designed to be habitable in that kind of heat. " This is so true, but I wonder why that is? My stick house in Las Vegas and Chicago were built such that they would be livable & interchangeable in either extreme weather conditions experienced in either city (save for the regional aesthetic architectural difference). Shouldn't RV's be built that way, since it is clear they get transported from one extreme weather to another? And after all, most consider RV's a 2nd home, rolling home, condo-on-wheels, etc. etc.

Here are my top heat numbers so far (only 2 weeks into summer):

Dealer's parking lot, midday, exterior using MB temp sensor = 114 °F


Dealer's parking lot, midday, interior using Firefly temp display = 117 °F


Dealer's parking lot, midday, under R/S jumpseat measuring Magnum casing temp = 118.8 °F


Inside insulated garage, yesterday, 8am, TST temps on "cold" (97 °F) tire pressure with AI resting inside the past 36hrs.


Pool Kool Decking near waters edge, yesterday, midday, same identical decking extends to side of house used as a patio and AI parking when not in garage = 133 °F


Asphalt at edge of front driveway, yesterday, midday, temp reading taken same time as above Kool Decking temp was taken. Notice 27 degree difference in temp from asphalt vs. Kool Decking (Concrete driveway was only marginally cooler than asphalt) = 160.6 °F

[Titus]

I do not trust my dash temperature display. Under steady-state driving conditions on pavement it reads about 5 deg F high. It jumps up immediately after re-starting to be 20ish degrees high. I assume that is because it is an area that receives engine (radiator?) heat while it is sitting.

What has surprised/impressed me is not the air temperature, but rather the coolant temperature while under load at high air temperatures. On the Colorado Million Dollar Highway on a hot day (high 90's) the coolant temperature did not reach 250. I do chicken out a bit and turn off the AC when going up a long hill on a hot day. AC load is not all that much, but the AC heat exchanger is located in front of the radiator/intercooler and heats the air even more before the radiator gets it. Coolant temp drops about 10-15 degrees when I do that.

[InterBlog]

In one July many years ago, in order to complete an environmental inspection of a client's property, I flew from Houston to Phoenix, drove down to Tucson, did the job, and was so horrified by my surroundings that I drove straight back to Phoenix so that I could hop a plane back to Houston in order to get some relief from the heat. (In those pre-TSA days, we frequent flyers could board pretty much any Southwest flight on the spot and at will, as long as we had some sort of ticket in hand). It ended up being close to a 24-hour working day but I just wanted to get the hell out of Arizona.

In our case here in Houston, our issue is heat index moreso than absolute temperature. It's 7 a.m. as I write this and our relative humidity across various local Wunderground stations is 95 to 99 percent, with dew points between 74 and 77 degrees. Heat indices are typically well over 100 degrees in the summer.

I actually don't have the best temperature data on our Interstate because the Honeywell thermostat that we installed to replace the OEM Atwood which controls the furnace has a temperature reading that is only two digits. It pegs at 99 degrees and then I never know how much over that we are. I ought to buy a better thermometer.

Edit: Did y'all see the Australian melting roadway stories a few days ago? We actually had the same thing happen in our neighboring city of Kemah last year (something like 40 cars were disabled before they shut down traffic). Here's a link:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-0...nsland/9942800

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Titus

I do not trust my dash temperature display. Under steady-state driving conditions on pavement it reads about 5 deg F high. It jumps up immediately after re-starting to be 20ish degrees high. I assume that is because it is an area that receives engine (radiator?) heat while it is sitting.

What has surprised/impressed me is not the air temperature, but rather the coolant temperature while under load at high air temperatures. On the Colorado Million Dollar Highway on a hot day (high 90's) the coolant temperature did not reach 250. I do chicken out a bit and turn off the AC when going up a long hill on a hot day. AC load is not all that much, but the AC heat exchanger is located in front of the radiator/intercooler and heats the air even more before the radiator gets it. Coolant temp drops about 10-15 degrees when I do that.

TITUS - My dash gauge is pretty spot on ( +/- 1 degree) once on the move & steady state speed, basing it on local radio weather reports as I drive around town. But it is 10 degrees high during first few minutes after startup.

I do get very attentive on high heat & long hills, eagle eyes on temp gauge but have not tried turning off A/C just to test. May do that on my next trip. Hard to do when temps are this hot, unless it is really necessary. So far, my gauge is never above the hash mark between 175/250

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Edit: Did y'all see the Australian melting roadway stories a few days ago? We actually had the same thing happen in our neighboring city of Kemah last year (something like 40 cars were disabled before they shut down traffic). Here's a link:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-0...nsland/9942800

INTERBLOG - I heard about it, but did not read the reports until your posted link. I did not realize it was that bad. They did not post any temps on that report though?

About airports & flying in Las Vegas summers - they routinely stops flights taking off from McCarran when it gets too hot. Something to do with planes not getting the lift needed at certain high temps? I am not an aviation engineer, so no clue here. Sure you & LB_3 are very familiar with this phenomena.

[Pahaska]

Temperature has a big effect on aircraft takeoff performance, as does altitude. I had to wait once until very late evening to take off from Lowry AFB in Denver on a hot summer day. There was just not enough runway at that heat and altitude.

[rmkrum]

It’s called Density Altitude. It is calculated based on air pressure and temperature. Particularly critical near full gross weight and high altitude and high temps. If the density altitude works out too high for the load and power, you are not gonna fly. That’s why high altitude airfields sometimes shut down in good weather. There is a lot more to flying safely than, “Kick the tires, light the fires.”

Have had some interesting marginal takeoffs from Lake Tahoe in light, but underpowered aircraft because the command pilot didn’t do the appropriate math carefully.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Have had some interesting marginal tkeoffs from Lake Tahoe in light, but underpowered aircraft because the command pilot didn’t do the appropriate math carefully.

RMKRUM - Ugh, that's just scary. Also underscores how extreme heat/cold could ground a sophisticated x-million dollar aircraft; so I would not be too far off in thinking similar things could happen to AI systems in these conditions. McCarran & Nellis AFB are at 2,100 ft asl. I am at 3,200 and I routinely go up Mt. Charleston at 8,500. Maybe they should not have sold me an AI for use in Las Vegas heat? I still think it is the reason why my Magnum had a meltdown

[Lily&Me]

Ultimately, our Interstates are hot in the southern states because they are steel boxes baking under the hot sun.

I experienced 115 degrees picking up the new rig in Arizona last week, and have dealt with temps in the teens a half dozen times or so....neither extreme remotely pleasant, and I will continue to do my best to avoid these in the future.

Go north in the summer, and south in the winter...that’s what’s logical, and my plan.

Maggie

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I experienced 115 degrees picking up the new rig in Arizona last week, and have dealt with temps in the teens a half dozen times or so....neither extreme remotely pleasant, and I will continue to do my best to avoid these in the future.

Go north in the summer, and south in the winter...that’s what’s logical, and my plan.

Maggie

MAGGIE - you might be in a select group who have dealt with both hot/cold extremes in their AI. It has been 28 yrs since I experienced anything below 32 degrees. I plan to keep it that way. Your plan of going north in summer is excellent. Hoping to do so every chance we get coz as you say, it just ain't pleasant. Glad to read in other thread your A/C is fine. This extreme heat always makes me wonder at times if my A/C in the other cars are working at all

[Lily&Me]

We were never intentionally in temps in the teens, but experienced them both in Louisiana and in south Texas...the latter also included an ice storm.

It happens...extreme temps in places that don’t usually have them.

But, speaking from those experiences, they should be avoided if at all possible.

Maggie

[rmkrum]

I built a camping van into a 1970’s GMC van. The only heat it had was a 120 volt powered bathroom heater in one of the sidewalls. Camped out in 25 degree weather. The Ranger knocked on the door in the middle of the night to see if we were ok.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

I built a camping van into a 1970’s GMC van. The only heat it had was a 120 volt powered bathroom heater in one of the sidewalls. Camped out in 25 degree weather. The Ranger knocked on the door in the middle of the night to see if we were ok.

RMKRUM - you did not say if you slept in the bathroom or not? That was thoughtful of ranger to check on you.

[rmkrum]

Yeah, he was real concerned because it got colder than usual that night. Although we told him we had heat, he was a really nice guy, and I'm sure he was worried about the ONLY fools out there camping that night on our shakedown trip. I had so much insulation stuffed under the interior skins we were quite comfortable.

Only bathroom in that rig was a Sears porta-pottie.

It was a decent setup, with a compressor refrigerator, a three-burner stovetop, a nice kitchen sink, and a nice interior with big windows by the back sofa/bed. I built the whole interior using a set of templates I found in an RV supply catalog. Fancy seats and couch custom from Steelcase, nice carpet with padding on the floor that could be slept on in bad weather. 30 gallon propane tank and 20 gallon fresh water tank. Evaporative cooler on the roof that worked great out in the desert as well. Made a fancy lined custom set of curtains for it all around with my 'manly sewing machine skills' as well.
Went a lot of neat places with it.

It traveled nice, but had no dash air, so we sold it when we moved to Alabama...

[RVDreamer]

Outside Phoenix Arizona in early August (125 degrees +)

In my driveway at 8000 feet in Durango, CO in January (-40 degrees)

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by RVDreamer

Outside Phoenix Arizona in early August (125 degrees +)

In my driveway at 8000 feet in Durango, CO in January (-40 degrees)

RVDREAMER - Yes, I have friends with rv's whose main residences are in Palm Springs, Indio, & Yuma. I think they are the only ones that could come close to your 125 degrees but they don't stay there in summers (smart) so they don't count

But boy, oh boy. (-40 degrees) is St. Paul MN type cold. Didn't realize it can get that cold in Durango. I assume you were not using the AI in that cold. Coz obviously you can't have any water in the plumbing system. I don't think I plan to venture anywhere remotely close to that cold.

You probably get the prize for largest temp differential = 165 degrees!

[Sebtown]

We've been in the 120's in Palm Springs and Death Valley. Fortunately density altitude doesn't affect the AI as we are still on the ground, even at altitude! We still "take off" early while the air is cooler.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Sebtown

We've been in the 120's in Palm Springs and Death Valley. Fortunately density altitude really doesn't affect the AI but we still "take off" early while the air is cooler.

SEBTOWN - Since Death Valley is only 2-hrs. from LV, we go there a lot but only from Nov to Mar. Almost same with Palm Springs. Both areas are wonderful in late fall, winter, & early spring. But soooo hot in summer. Las Vegas heat does not bother me much anymore. But DV & PS is at a different level all together.

[Lotus54]

I drove through part of the Majave after leaving Hualapai Mt park (World Observed moto trial) in August. It was late afternoon and around 120 I think. I stopped at a rest area and about colapsed when I got out of the van. At least it stayed fairly comfy inside and no engine overheating issues in the slightest.

Back when I was a Helicopter manager (dealing directly with Heli contractors for specific work), I had to do load calculations for the worst conditions we would see that day. Always needed to consider air density.
For the crashes we had to learn about- it seemed along with mechanical failures, ‘Hot and Heavy’ was the biggest issue. Mostly they talked about the hot heavy ones, since mechanical failures are mostly out of our control. Except shutting the operation down if anything at all has an issue.

The coldest may have been wintertime right on the ocean here in Washington state. Yeah, temps were really not that cold (maybe 25-28ºf) but with the damp, cold wind off the ocean in the thinly insulated AI... Of course, a bad house battery didn’t help. I’d have to run the generator or engine to charge it up enough to run the propane furnace.

I’m a wimp, it is 75º with 50% humidity right now, and seem too hot. (Might be ok outside in the shade, sipping on a bitter)

Mark

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

I drove through part of the Majave after leaving Hualapai Mt park (World Observed moto trial) in August. It was late afternoon and around 120 I think. I stopped at a rest area and about colapsed when I got out of the van.

I’m a wimp, it is 75º with 50% humidity right now, and seem too hot. (Might be ok outside in the shade, sipping on a bitter)

Mark

MARK - Yep, know that desert area well, 120 but it's dry heat it's my team's training grounds. We have also ridden up Hualapai (not on moto, but on road racing bikes, we spend many winters riding/training around Kingman, Oatman). Hard climb up that mtn. but screamin' downhill.

I could only dream of a beautiful 75º with 50% humidity right now as we shake & bake in LV