This year we are forced to stay in the lower areas when we get to go camping since I won't get much time off and it is a new learning curve for us, we never camp in the heat we have always headed to the high country in the heat of summer where it is always cooler.
On our 4th of July camping trip this year we went out and did some rockhounding on a 94 degree day and came back over heated to a trailer with only the crank out windows open for ventilation so it was very hot inside. We fired up the generator and the tried starting a AC unit that we haven't used in about a year and a half (more on this later) once we had the AC up it had the task of cooling a 90 degree trailer and to hot people down and even with our box fan going it struggled but we got through it.
Day two in the heat- time to rethink how we camp. My tips
First remember that RV AC units are only able to lower the inside temp by about 20 degrees they won't do much more so 90 deg outside 70 deg inside.
Second keep the curtains closed to keep the sun out, less radiant heat.
Third close your windows before the outside air gets hot.
Fourth use fans as many as you can run, air blowing on you and your face will make you feel cooler even if the air it is blowing is warm.
Fifth stay hydrated, keep something cool to drink on hand at all times.
Sixth put your awning out to shade at least one side of the camper lowering its temperature.
Seventh We have reflectix cut to fit almost all of our windows- we installed that and combined with the curtains closed the AC didn't have to work as hard to keep up. You lose your view but it is about staying cool.
Eighth Close your roof vents after starting your AC and pushing out what heat is inside, also if you have roof vent pads for cool weather camping put them in, this will help keep the cool air in.
Ninth Start your AC earlier try not to let it get as warm inside before starting it.
Tenth Try to camp where there is shade a shady area is always at least 10 degrees cooler or more. Where we camp lower down there is no such thing as shade.
Other ideas to stay cooler Go for a drive when it is hot and return when it is cooler.
We have not tried it yet but we will, but before there was AC or even fans in the southwest they would hang wet burlap bags over window openings so it would block the sun and any air blowing through would be cooled by the wet burlap. We will try this when we can and let you know how it worked.
Also in the 80's and 90's there where smaller portable table top water coolers (swamp coolers) that you set in front of a window, they were 110 and only had a small fan & pump to run so not much power draw and we had two and the did work, if we see one again we will buy it.
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