Reduce the Temperature in your RV
Is it just me, or does it feel like this year has been hotter than previous years?
We live full-time in our RV, and like most RVs, the insulation is horrible. We found three easy and affordable ways to reduce the heat inside our RV.
Vent Covers
Adding some insulation is the first thing that came to mind. I got three Camco RV Vent Insulator And Skylight Covers with Reflective Surface on Amazon, but you can also find them in Walmart, Home Depot, or any RV parts store. The only skylight we did not cover was the one in the restroom – for obvious reasons.
I love the skylight insulator covers. They do a great job at reducing the direct sun heat, and if you want some natural light, you can easily remove them. They will also work great when winter comes along.
Heat Control Window Film
I’ve seen many people use reflective foil to help reduce the heat coming in from the windows. While I’m sure that works great, I didn’t want to block off my windows completely. So, we opted for a window film. It took me about 20 minutes per window, but I’m sure it can be done even faster by someone that is handier than me.
I used the Gila Platinum Window Film. It is meant to block up to 72% of the sun’s heat, blocks 99% of UV rays, and helps retain winter heat. The best part is that I still have a full view of the outside!
Blackout Curtain Linear
I am in the middle of decorating our RV, which means I get to experiment with our decorations’ looks and functionality.
I found the cutest sheer curtains, but they don’t prevent people from looking into the RV. So, I added a blackout curtain liner that helps block out over 99% of outside light. It reduces heat and unwanted noise. The curtains look good and work great.
Dividers
The heat control window film and the blackout curtains are similar, so here is another trick that helps reduce the temperature in our RV.
While we are stationary, we block off the cabin area. We use a windshield cover and a curtain to divide the cabin area from the rest of the RV. The curtain divider helps the heat from the cabin stay there, and it reduces the square footage the AC has to cover.
The reflective foil in windows definitely helped when I Was in Palm Springs, but not enough. And I’ve heard the heat generated from its reflection can crack windows, so I at least take them out when moving.
Also clean your AC’s air intake filters frequently with pets. My vents were able to move a lot more air with all the cat hair off of the filters.
Park with the majority of your windows facing the sunrise, so that the majority of the hot afternoon the sun is on the side with fewer windows. And keep the awning extended if it isn’t windy.
Thanks for the suggestions!
We actually recently cleaned out our AC and definitely noticed a difference. We are also considering adding a type of foam insulation in the AC. I’ve read that will drastically improve your ACs performance.