Top tips to keep your caravan cooler this summer
Let’s be real, Aussie summers are stinking hot, even the most seasoned summer lovers can be at odds with the heatwaves our country suffers.
Sweltering in summer can sometimes take away the joy of a holiday. Feeling cool makes a difference to mood and enjoyment.
Here are some tips to help prevent your caravan become a hot box in the warmer months.
Park in the shade – trees are very good at taking the direct heat off your caravan and can help drop the temperature inside by a substantial amount.
Find the breeze – where possible, park your caravan in a position that will allow a breeze to circulate right through with the windows open.
Install an air conditioner – air conditioners are an absolute must have for those who don’t think much of the heat. If you don’t already have one installed in your van, this may be something to consider. If you are set up off-grid, then you may want to use the air conditioner a little more economically. However, if you are connected to power, then use it as you feel you need to.
Close windows and blinds – most of the newer caravans have the blinds which pull down to let the sun in and pull up to stop the sun coming in. They have a foil like material which deflects the sun (and most of the light) from entering the caravan.
Use an awning – extending the caravans’ awning can reduce the temperature of a caravan. So even if you are sitting inside the caravan, keep the awning extended out to help keep the caravan cooler.
Open windows and vents – if you have been away from the caravan for a day trip or shopping etc and you find the inside of the van is a hot box, open the windows and vents for a short while to let the heat escape before trying to cool it. This in turn will also make your air conditioning run more economically.
Use cool bedding – rather than having a thick quilt on your bed, try using cotton sheets instead. They are less weight on your body, allowing you to cool much easier and they don’t hold the heat in like quilts do.
Use 12v and portable fans – use these in conjunction with opening roof vents to allow the heat out and circulate the air inside. They can also help to cool you when you are sweating.
Power off – when not in use, keep your electronic items turned off. While you may not directly feel it, these can also give off heat into your rig.
Cook outside – plan to eat foods that don’t need cooking, salads etc, or if you do need to cook, do it outside where possible. Cooking in an oven or stove top inside the caravan can add a great deal of heat inside. Use camp kitchens or outdoor BBQs where possible.
Close curtains – if you are lucky enough to have block out curtains installed in your caravan, maximise using these as they will help to block out the sun from entering through the windows.
Seals – check that your door and window seals are working properly. It only takes a small gap in them to let hot air creep into your caravan.
Remove excess furniture – when possible, find a shaded, safe place outside of the van for any excess furniture or bedding. This will allow for extra air flow within your caravan, essentially making it feel less hot inside.
Cover skylights – if your skylights have a shade that slides below them, keep them to the closed position when the sun is at it’s peak. This will reduce the heat that comes into the caravan.
Use LED lights – LED lights give out far less heat than incandescent or halogen light bulbs, plus they use less energy too.
General maintenance – if you do have air conditioning in your caravan, be sure to keep up with maintenance on the unit. Cleaning the filters can make a big difference in it running efficiently.
Cover your door window – if your caravan has a little window built into it, use (or make up) a curtain that will cover this window.
Swamp cooler – you can create a makeshift swamp cooler easily with the following: a small fan, a shallow pan and ice cubes. Place the ice cubes in the pan, place the fan behind and turn it on to face towards you. This will allow the air flowing from the fan past the ice cubes generating a little cold air.
Open up at night – the temperature at night time is cooler than day so why not use this as an opportunity to open your windows and roof vents at night to create some cool air flow before a searing hot day ahead.
Fridge vents – regularly clean these. If they are full of dust from your travels, the heat that the fridge generates won’t be able to freely escape through these, thus sending the heat through the caravan.
By making small changes to these, your caravan may just be bearable on those super hot days!
Happy and safe travels to you xx
2025 Big Lap on a Budget
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