15 Ways to Keep Your RV Camper Cool This Summer

Now that summer is officially here, keeping your RV camper cool is probably at the top of your list.

Temperatures are already soaring. Some parts of the U.S. are experiencing record heat waves, and areas that typically don’t get hot are sweltering.

If you’re feeling the heat in your RV this summer, don’t sweat it. Today we’ll show you some things you can do to keep your RV cool.

Let’s check them out!

15 Tips to Keep Your RV Cool During the Summer

We’ve put together 15 tips to keep your RV camper cool this summer and help your air conditioner work its best. There’s no one way to help keep your RV cool, so use these tips together for the most effective RV cooling. 

1. Park in the Shade

One of the best ways to keep your RV cool in the summer and help your air conditioner run efficiently is by parking in the shade. It might not seem like it, but shade will help cool your RV interior immensely.

When your air conditioner doesn’t have to combat the heat of direct sunlight, it will work much more efficiently. 

2. Use RV Vent Covers to Insulate Vents

RV vent covers are like giant pillows that fit right into the roof vent openings to insulate your RV.

Roof vents let in a significant amount of warm air thanks to their location and the lack of insulation. Vent covers, or vent pillows, block light and provide a few inches of insulation to help keep your RV cool. 

3. Use Insulated Window Covers to Cool Your RV

You can cut Reflectix to fit your RV windows, use foam board or cardboard, or get insulating curtains. Insulating your windows is one of the most crucial steps in keeping your RV cool in the summer.

RV windows have zero insulation. Sunlight streaming through your windows can turn your RV into an oven.

4. Use Fans to Keep Air Moving

Use small, portable fans to help keep the air moving throughout your RV. Fans will help your air conditioner work more efficiently, too.

If one area of your RV camper cools down faster and better than another area, use fans to circulate the cool air to other rooms and areas of your RV. 

Pro Tip: We’ve been using the Fan-Tastic Vent for 6 years and it’s worked great.

5. Clean Your RV Camper AC Filters 

Your air conditioner is the number one way to keep your RV cool in the summer. You can help keep your RV AC unit in tip-top shape with regular maintenance and cleaning. Check, clean, and change your RV air conditioner filter regularly. 

6. Keep Rooftop AC Unit Clean

You should check the rooftop AC unit on your RV and clean it off with a hose or soft brush. Wasps can build nests in the air condition housing, and the blades on the outside can get dirty.

Set aside a day for cleaning, so your AC can do its job at keeping you cool. 

7. Cook Outdoors to Keep Your RV Camper Cool

Nothing heats your RV interior faster than cooking. If you must cook, do it outside. Many RVs have exterior kitchens, and your outdoor grill or exterior kitchen is perfect for when it’s just too hot to cook inside. 

8. Use LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs don’t get hot like regular incandescent light bulbs do. It might not seem like a big deal, but when all your light bulbs give off heat, it can heat your RV too. LED light bulbs are great, but not just because they’re cooler to the touch: They also use electricity. 

9. Keep Electronics Off

Electronics like TVs, video game consoles, and computers put off a significant amount of heat. Keep your major electronics turned off during the heat of the day to help your RV stay cool. 

10. Cover Skylights in Your RV to Keep Cool

Most RVs have skylights in the bathroom, and skylights have little to no insulation. You can cover your skylight with Reflectix or purchase a skylight cover to help keep your RV cool. 

11. Use Awnings to Shade Windows

Your RV awning isn’t just to keep you in the shade while you’re outside; it can also keep the inside of your RV cool. Your RV awning shades your door and the large front windows on your RV. This helps prevent your RV from getting too hot during the day. 

12. Use Insulated Curtains on Windshield in Motorhome

If you have a motorhome, the hottest part of your RV is in the cab. That’s because almost the entire cab of a motorhome is a window. The windshield is the least insulated spot on your entire motorhome, so keeping this area insulated is critical to maintaining temperatures inside your RV.

You can block off the entire cab by hanging blankets to help your RV stay cool. Or you can use insulated curtains on the windshield and side windows. 

13. Close Rooms You’re Not Using

On sweltering days when your RV AC struggles to keep up, you should close off rooms that you’re not using. You can hang blankets or shut doors to help your air conditioner cool specific areas.

If you have a ducted air system, you can close the vents in the rooms that you aren’t using to force all the cool air to where you are. 

14. Start Your AC Unit Early

Even if it’s not hot early in the morning, starting your air conditioner early in the day will help keep your RV cool when it gets hot in the afternoon. It’s much easier to keep your RV cool all day long than to let it get hot and then try to cool it down. Overworking your AC by cooling a hot RV can cause it to freeze up or work less efficiently than if you let it run all day long. 

Pro Tip: You can run your AC with a generator if you install the DIY RV Soft Start.

15. Keep Your RV Camper Door Shut to Stay Cool

Aside from the windshield, the most significant source of cool air loss is your door opening and closing. During the heat of the day, minimize entering and exiting your RV as much as possible. 

Insulation and Common Sense Go a Long Way

Keeping your RV cool during the summer requires a little ingenuity and a lot of common sense. Some of these tips are what you’d do in a house, and others are specific to RVs.

But they’re all effective and, together, can keep you cool. Do you have any tips for staying cool when temperatures rise?

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