Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • The Best U.S. National Park Campgrounds
    • 28 Must-See State Park Campgrounds You Can’t Miss
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds: Discover Hidden Gems Just Outside the Park Boundaries
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Complete Guide to Camping at Shenandoah National Park
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah Views Campground (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Alaska
      • 5 Things You Can’t Miss On Your First Trip To Alaska
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves: Best Activities to Enjoy on Your Arizona Vacation
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Enjoy the Best of Sunny Sarasota
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Dunnellon, Florida)
      • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Why We Love Tampa
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Hawaii
      • Everything You Need to Know About Camping in a Jeep Wrangler in Hawaii
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Road Trip
      • Discover the Beauty of Monhegan Island, Maine
      • Acadia National Park: Highlights You Can’t Miss
    • Nevada
      • Best Campgrounds in Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • North Carolina
      • Complete Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Uncover the Coastal Charm of North Carolina’s Outer Banks | A Guide for Visitors
    • Tennessee
      • Complete Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Restaurants in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
      • Explore Nature’s Untamed Beauty at Big Bend National Park
    • Virginia
      • Explore Great Falls Park, Virginia
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Maintenance
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
      • RV Roofs – What You Need to Know
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • Get Ready for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • The Ultimate Guide to Embracing the Full-Time RV Lifestyle
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing – Stories from the Road
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • How Book Readers Can Space and Weight in the RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Creative Ways To Save Money On Your Next Vacation
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV: Try Before You Buy
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Attend An RV Show – Even If You Already Own An RV | Exciting Reasons Why
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us

5:35 am by Julie Chickery

How to Keep Your RV Cool in the Summer

133 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 08:23 pm

We spent much of last summer in Florida and this summer in Arizona, so we have experimented with different ways to keep the RV cool in the summer heat. Here are the things that worked best for us.

Take Care of your Air Conditioner 

The beauty of having an RV in the summer months is that it comes with air conditioning. You don’t want to end up like we did a few years ago and have the A/C fail in July IN FLORIDA! To avoid this, be sure you are keeping up with your preventive maintenance.

The first step is to visually inspect it when you are preparing your RV for the season. Just as you check your RV roof for leaks and damage, you should also look over your roof top A/C unit. Make sure that the unit is securely mounted, the plastic cover is in good condition, and there are no cracks in the plastic. Inside the RV, keep your filters and clean and make sure there is no buildup of dust inside the unit. 

Look for Shade

A little shade can go a long way. Many campground reservation systems these days have maps to allow you to see what type of site you are reserving. Normally we avoid trees so we can take advantage of solar power, but in the summer we’re more interested in staying cool under some shade trees. 

Enjoy a shady riverside campsite at Gunter Hill COE in Alabama.

Don’t forget to climb up on the roof and check for twigs or other debris before you pull in your slides. You don’t want anything interfering in getting a good seal. Wash off any sap right away. It will only getting tougher with time. 

Use your Awning

Your awning not only provides you with shade to sit under when you are outside. It also blocks some of the hot sun from coming in your windows. As the awning shades part of your RV from sunlight, it reduces total solar heat gain or the amount of heat your RV receives. This can reduce the amount of time your air conditioner has to work to cool down your RV. 

Your awning not only provides you with shade to sit under when you are outside. It also blocks some of the hot sun from coming in your windows. As the awning shades part of your RV from sunlight, it reduces total solar heat gain or the amount of heat your RV receives. This can reduce the amount of time your air conditioner has to work to cool down your RV.

WARNING: Don’t leave your awning out when you go sightseeing. Summer thunderstorms can come in quickly with high winds and rip it right off. 

If you are in need of a new awning, we recommend Shade Pro. They’ve been in business over 30 years and offer a terrific warranty on their products. You can install a new awning yourself to save on costs or they can help you finding someone to install it for you.

For those windows that aren’t shaded by an awning, reduce the amount of light that can enter with other techniques. The easiest step is to keep the window shades closed. Last summer when we were in southern Florida, we even put reflectix insulation on the inside of the windows.  You’ll also want to be sure to block the light that enters from sky lights. 

Keep the Air Moving 

Fans can make you feel several degrees cooler via the wind-chill effect. A fan doesn’t cool a room, it just makes it more comfortable by dispersing cooled air more efficiently. If you are so hot that you are perspiring, blowing air over your skin causes quicker evaporation which allows your heat energy to escape much quicker than normal, making you feel cooler.

We’re very happy with the ceiling fan in our new Arctic Fox, but don’t despair if yours doesn’t have one. We used a couple of inexpensive oscillating fans in our last RV and they worked well. I still use a USB fanwhen I’m working. I just plug it into my computer. 

Cook Outside 

Grilling is synonymous with summertime for good reason.  If your air conditioner is struggling to keep up, don’t make things worse by adding heat to your RV interior. Instead of cooking inside, take it outdoors. There is a portable grill for every size of family or you can even cook over the campfire. We found the Weber Q1000 to be perfect for the two of us and I’ve heard great things about the Blackstone table top grill. 

Choose a Cooler Destination

We were so surprised on our recent trip to the Pacific Northwest how cool it was in mid-July. A couple of years ago we enjoyed a coastal Maine vacation and were able to keep our windows open at night.

An idyllic campground along the river near the Redwoods National and State Parks.

So take a look around at places you might want to visit and see what the typical weather is like. Chances are you can find a destination that you’ll enjoy while you avoid the heat. 

Sharing is caring! Feel free to share the image below on Pinterest.

Follow these 6 simple tips to keep your RV cool this summer. It's hot, but you don't have to be uncomfortable on your next camping trip. Whether you have a motorhome, Class C, Fifth Wheel, or travel trailer these tips and tricks will work for you.

Related posts:

Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
How to Work Effectively While Traveling

Filed Under: RV Resources

RV technology gear images include TPMS, EMS, and wifi booster
RV LIFE Trip Wizard
Sidebar Text Ad for Rad Power Bike
RV Rentals from Outdoorsy. Images include van, motorhome, and travel trailer.
Image of RV driving towards mountains.

Signup to receive weekly updates and exclusive free content only available to subscribers!

Privacy Policy

Travel Schedule

Recently
Denali National Park, Alaska

Currently
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Next Stops
Zion National Park

 

Notice

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

133 shares

Free RV camping guide with over 30 pages of tips and worksheets

Download Now

Never see this message again.