How to Keep Cool When Not Plugged In

RV Life

Summer is here, and so is the hot weather that comes with it. Fortunately, most of us have air conditioners in our RVs to keep cool while camping in the summer heat. That said, that RV A/C unit isn’t very helpful if you aren’t plugged into shorepower.

If you plan on camping without electric hookups this summer, you may be wondering how to keep cool. Here are some of the ways our family has managed to stay comfortable while boondocking in summer.

Park in the Shade

First and foremost, it’s important to choose your parking spot carefully. If you have the option, park your rig in the shade. The more shade your site has, the better off you’re going to be. If the shade is sparse, park so that your rig is shaded during the hot afternoon hours.

…or Create Your Own Shade

If there is no shade, create your own! Simply deploy your RV awning! Just make sure to bring it in if it gets windy or rainy.

It also helps to cover your windows during the hottest parts of the day. Using Reflectix to do this is especially effective. That said, you will want to make sure to remove the covers and open the windows in the evening and morning in order to take advantage of cool air flow.

Make Use of Vent Fans

Speaking of air flow, I was surprised at how well RV rooftop vent fans work when trying to keep cool. They pull air throughout the rig, creating a nice, cool breeze that you’re sure to appreciate.

This works especially well if you have two vent fans on opposite sides of the RV. It’s even better if you can run one as a fan and the other as a vacuum. That said, even just opening windows and running a single vent fan can make an enormous difference. This is our main solution for keeping cool at night while boondocking in summer.

Set Up Battery-Operated Fans

In addition to the fans in your roof, you may also want to invest in a few battery-operated fans that you can point in any direction you see fit, and can be moved around the RV and even taken outside with you.

There are tons of rechargeable fans on the market, or you can choose one with replaceable batteries. Either way, you won’t have to use your RV battery to power them, which is nice if you plan on boondocking for a while and need to conserve power.

Go for a Swim

If it gets so hot that keeping the RV cool without plugging in just isn’t going to happen during the hot afternoon hours, it might be time to get out of the rig and do something to keep cool.

Our favorite option in this case? Going for a swim! Everyone loves swimming in the summer, and most campgrounds and towns offer some sort of swimming option. Whether you find a swimming hole, a lake, a river, or a pool, cooling off in the water is a surefire way to make summertime boondocking more comfortable.

Head into Town

Another option is to head into town during the hottest parts of the day. You can sit at a coffee shop to get work done, go to the grocery store, get some other errands done, or do some indoor sightseeing.

Wherever you go, make sure it is a spot with A/C and plan to stay there until the evening hours. This will ensure you stay comfortable when the sun is hottest and will allow you to take advantage of the cooler evening hours to enjoy being at your home-on-wheels.

Grab Some Cooling Towels

Finding a way to keep yourself cool is sometimes easier than finding a way to keep the whole RV cool. If you can’t get the rig cool enough for comfortable sleep, consider grabbing some cooling towels, dunking them in water, and wrapping them around your neck and head.

You might be surprised how well these work, and we’re betting they help make you comfortable enough to doze off for the night.

Invest in a Generator

Still not cool enough for you? That’s okay. There are also ways to run an RV A/C even if you aren’t plugged into shore power. The simplest and least expensive option is to grab a portable inverter generator.

My suggestion is to purchase a generator that puts out 3,000 watts or more to run a single A/C unit. That said, it is possible to run some RV air conditioners on a 2,000-watt generator, especially if you also invest in a soft starter for the A/C. If you need to save space or reduce the weight of your rig, this might be the best bet.

Add Solar to Your Rig

Those who have more money to invest in their RV and plan to boondock in summer regularly might want to consider a solar setup in addition to a generator. We absolutely adored the solar gear we installed on our last rig, and can’t wait to get something similar again. A setup that includes several panels and batteries as well as a robust inverter can run an A/C unit for a few hours.

Alternatively, a big solar generator will run your RV A/C on solar power for a few hours without the hassle of installing an entire system in your rig. This option is more cumbersome to use, but we appreciate that the system can easily move with you if you change rigs.

Purchase a Portable Air Conditioner

Last but not least, there is the option to purchase a portable air conditioner of some kind. The IcyBreeze is a nifty contraption that blows air across ice to create an air conditioner of sorts that will last several hours. There is also the Zero Breeze unit, which runs off a rechargeable battery.

Both are decent options for keeping an individual or a very small space cool, but would likely have trouble cooling a medium-sized RV.

As you can see, there are many things you can do to keep cool when not plugged into shore power. Hopefully these suggestions will allow you to camp wherever you want and whenever you want in complete comfort!