Being hot in a camper isn’t fun and isn’t something that I want to have to endure at all cost, so I take some precautions to assure it is as cool as it can be…but, remember that you are in a camper that has  thin walls and can’t hold cool air in too well.

So, How do you keep cool? 

I have some tips + tricks that will assist in keeping the camper as cool as possible, but it can take up to 10-15+ hours for the plan to fully work…so don’t email or call me a few hours after setup asking why it is still 78* and the fridge is still not cold.

  1. When you are choosing a site at the campground, be sure to ask for a shaded or as much of a shaded site as possible.
  2. When you check-in and drive up to your site, hop out, see the best placement for the camper, look at tree branches overhead, any obstructions you need to navigate and where your hook-ups are located.
  3. Once you are in your site and have either disconnected from your tow vehicle or you have put the motorhome in park with the emergency brake on, you can plug into the power pole and fire up the AC stat.
  4. Turn fridge on, but keep your food in your cooler for at least a few hours to let the fridge get cold.  If you have an extra bag of ice or ice packs, throw it in the fridge and freezer to help get the temp down quicker.
  5. You can continue to setup the camper, but be sure to keep the door closed as much as possible.
  6. Close all window shades, if there are black-out shades, close them to assure no direct sun-light comes into the camper.
  7. Setup 2-3 fans around the camper to assist pushing air around.
  8. Try to keep cooking inside to a minimum and cook outside.
  9. Apply any foil reflective material available to windows without covering.
  10. If all else fails…a portable AC unit can be acquired to use in most campers.

I have used all of these solutions and all work to help cool down the camper, but know that at the end of the day, you are still only going to get it 20-25* cooler than the exterior ambient temperature.