8 tips to manage extreme heat while RVing
We plan our route around chasing mild weather, but sometimes you can’t get away from the extremes.
We are currently right in the middle of the historic heat wave that is hitting the Pacific Northwest.
Orofino, Idaho, the little town we are currently staying in, is experiencing triple digit heat multiple days in a row…peaking at 112 degrees!!!
RVs don’t cool down as much as houses do, so I did my research to find the best ways to keep our home on wheels cool so we wouldn’t be sweltering in the unexpected heat. I wanted to share the tips I found, so that hopefully you can try them too, in case you find yourself in a hot situation like we did!
1. Park in the shade
If at all possible, parking in the shade will cut down a lot on the heat that enters your rig. This may sound like an obvious one, but it could require some thinking ahead on your part.
Look at the forecast before you arrive to your RV park or boondocking location so that you can be on the lookout for a nice shady spot if you need it. If you wait until the heat comes, there may not be any shade spots left. Moving your rig after you’ve set up is never fun either.
2. Use Reflectix on windows
Since we are parked in the direct sunlight, we wanted to keep as much sun and heat out as we could. If we had thought ahead, we could have ordered Reflectix from Amazon, but we didn’t think ahead. We also weren’t near anyone who sold it, so we settled for tin foil! We wrapped it around the curtain rods and placed it in the windows.
3. Pull out any fans you have
Especially with the dry heat, any breeze can make it seem much cooler. We placed our only box fan in the doorway of the coolest room in our RV, the master bedroom (it has it’s own A/C). This pushed the cold air from that room to the rest of the RV. We wish we had some extra fans!
4. Keep those A/C units pumping.
Hopefully you have enough power to run as many A/C units as you have AT ALL TIMES. Even if it’s a little chilly first thing the morning, put on a light sweater and keep them running. It is impossible for your A/C to play catch up later if you turn them off and restart them once it’s sizzling!
5. Keep your awning open for optimal shade cover
Our awning was the only shade we had, so we were very thankful for that piece of fabric keeping a portion of our RV out of the direct sunlight!
6. Keep EVERYTHING closed.
While keeping windows closed is a no brainer, you might be tempted to open up some exhaust fans. Don’t do it. It hurts way more than it helps. Make a point to keep the door closed as much as possible. Every time you open that door, 110 degree air gushes into your RV, so make sure every time you do open the door is for a necessity only. When we are about to go somewhere, we make sure everyone is ready to walk out the door together so that we only have to open the door one time.
7. Don’t cook inside.
Heating up the oven and stove is a bad idea. If you end up needing to cook a meal (like we did on our first night), this would be the one time your exhaust fans will help push out all that stove heat.
Eat cold meals such as Chicken salad (we cooked the chicken in the Instant Pot outside in the morning) or cook outside on the grill or griddle. If you need to cook or boil something, do it first thing in the morning or the night before.
8. Get out of the RV
Even when following all these tips, your RV can only stay so cool, usually 15-25 degrees cooler than outside. We would leave around 4PM each day, when the RV was the hottest, and find water to play in! We were parked on the river, and there was a park with splash pad nearby, so we took full advantages of the available water.
We also went out to an early dinner and enjoyed some REAL air conditioning. By the time we got back to the RV, it was able to cool off inside considerably.
We have been able to keep the RV 25-30 degrees cooler than outside, which is tough to do! Hopefully these tips can help you too if you ever find yourself in the middle of a heatwave.