How to cool your caravan down fast in summer

The hot summer months are when many of us have our only decent break away from work, and can escape to a holiday destination with our caravans for a solid amount of time away.

Yet sweltering in the heat and suffering the sticky humidity can take the shine off an outdoor caravanning holiday. The good news is there are a number of ways to keep the inside of your caravan cooler in higher temperatures...

Reverse-cycle air-conditioning

The most obvious way of cooling down the inside of a caravan is to have a reverse-cycle 240volt air-conditioner installed and running. This is fine if you have access to 240volt power or a lithium power pack that can drive the air-conditioner off the grid, but what if you can’t hook up to 240volt or don’t have  a (very costly) lithium system? 

Also, some discover that running the air conditioning dries out the air too much if left on too long (overnight, for example) or the system itself is too noisy (again, more obvious at night).

Thankfully there are other options to keep your cool in your van during the hotter months.

Caravan insulation

There is not much you can do about caravan insulation without large expense, but thankfully most new vans are well-insulated.

If you’re buying a new van, there are some design factors that’ll help keep the van cool that you might want to think about when shopping around.  Although it won’t define your caravanning experience, generally speaking a fully composite caravan will provide better insulation – and therefore cooling properties – than an aluminium-clad caravan with separate timber or metal framing.

For campers with canvas roof/walls, a tropical fly will also help keep temperatures down.

If you’re getting some modifications done to a cladded van that requires cladding removal, that's a good time to investigate the insulation. Check to see if there’s polystyrene foam fitted in the cavities and if there isn't, consider having some fitted while the cladding is off.

Related: The truth about composite caravans

Think carefully about where you're going to camp in summer, as that can make a big difference on how much heat you’ll  have to put up with.

Some of us like to visit family or friends inland, where it’s going to be hotter in summer, but if you have the choice coastal spots are generally a bit cooler. You can also get some relief from the heat by jumping in the water for a swim, but it’s usually cooler in the van with the breeze off the water too.

With many people having the same idea over the hotter months, try and book well ahead to guarantee such a spot near a beach, lake or river.

If you can park your van under the shade of a tree, it won't heat up as much inside during the day. Be careful around large gum trees though, as they can drop large branches without warning and, in high winds especially, topple without warning.

Related: How to choose a caravan awning

Shade awnings help

Awnings are fitted to most new caravans but usually only on the nearside. Having an awning fitted to the offside and extending both awnings not only gives you more options for sitting in the shade during the day but also keeps the sun from beating down on the caravan wall.

This is often a win for the fridge/freezer unit too, which is commonly fitted next to and ventilated via the offside wall. The fridge will function more efficiently when there's less heat generated on the caravan wall just behind it.

Related: DIY caravan window awning guide

Window options

Don’t be tempted to open any hinged caravan windows when driving on a hot day, thinking this’ll help cool inside the van when you pull up for the night.

Except for off-road dust hatches, caravan windows and hatches aren't designed for the buffeting they will get if open when towing and there’s a good chance they'll break. Ask anyone who’s forgotten to close a hatch before hitching up and heading off!

But when at camp with the van sitting out in the heat, it can be a good idea to crack open some windows to get through-ventilation. However, if the sun is blasting one side of the van, especially in the heat of the afternoon, close the windows and draw the window shades on that side while keeping windows on the shady side open.

This will help keep the hot sun out and some air circulating, and opening a roof hatch or two can also help.

More window tips

Most caravan windows have mesh blinds, which obviously help keep out insects but also reduce air flow even with the window open.

It’s a toss-up between having a thousand blowflies make themselves at home in your van versus having less air circulating, but clearly if there are fewer insects around (keeping food packed away helps), opening the screens can help reduce the temperature inside the van.

Remember in the late afternoon to put the screens up again, as mosquitos are a lot harder to shoo out than flies!

While many RV windows are now tinted to some degree from the factory, it's also worth investigating window tinting to further reduce heat.

12V fans

If you don’t have an air-conditioner in your van or prefer not to use it much, portable or fixed fans can do a lot to make life more comfortable.

A 12-volt Sirocco fan or two installed in your van, preferably with a reliable power source (that is, a well charged-up house battery) can be all it takes to get a good night’s sleep on hot balmy nights in the Top End.

Roof hatches fitted with a 12v extractor fan are also a good way of keeping heat at bay during the day, although the fan doesn’t obviously circulate air in the van to keep you cool.