How do you stay cool?

Now that summer is on its way, one of the questions I get about teardrop camping is how we stay cool while sleeping in what is essentially a large coffin on wheels. We usually go camping up in the mountains or on the coast so we don't have too many issues with staying cool, but I'm sure it's an issue for teardroppers who go camping in the more hot and humid areas of the country.


When camping in the summer, my husband and I only have a soft fleece sheet and another soft blanket to stay warm when it gets cooler in the early morning hours. These are easily kicked off if it gets too warm.

We also sleep with our windows open and the screens down. This allows for a little more airflow. We do have a fan at the foot of the teardrop, but rarely use it since it draws power from the battery and we tend to camp at spots without hook-ups. If we are camping in the middle of nowhere where we won't be bothered, we will sometimes just sleep with the doors wide open.

Many teardroppers stay cool while sleeping with a Fantastic Fan or other roof fan which vents warm air out out of the sleeping area. Other teardroppers use a 12 volt portable fan. These can be purchased online from Teardrop Trailer Parts.


For really warm locations, an AC unit is a must. Many teardrops including the Nest Egg trailer have air conditioning units included or as an option. If you are installing your own air conditioner, Kuffel Creek has a good article on what units will work best in a small trailer. These types of air conditioners that reduce humidity will need to be run from a hook-up at a campground or from a generator.


Here are two good video examples of two different ways on how to use a regular 120 AC unit mounted on the side of the teardrop and facing into the sleeping area through an open window:


 

Top photo by lyalls.net


6 comments:

  1. Great post; I look forward to hearing from others.

    In my experience as a tent camper, we have always had a battery operated fan; it's partly a 'noise' thing for us and partly something to 'move' the air around.

    We've found that even in the 'hottest' days, it tends to cool off at night. Simply using a light sheet or fleece seems to work for us in our tent.

    I renovated a 1947 Tourette Teardrop. It had no vent and only a hatch over each screen on the doors. I've added a Fantastic Fan and sliding screen windows to the teardrop. I'm hopeful that with the added insulation on the sides and roof that I should be able to stay relatively cool and comfortable.

    We may add a 12 volt fan to the inside of the cabin for additional circulation.

    I look forward to hearing about how others deal with the heat too!

    TB

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    1. Thanks Todd. Sometimes that's all you need in a teardrop, to move the air around. Since they are so small, any small air movement makes a huge difference.

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  2. Christina we use a 12 volt fan that clamps on the shelf at the foot of the bed.I mounted a 5000btu ait unit in the hatch gallery but we rarley use it. Even on low in a teardrop makes it cold as a meat locker.Also when the sun is beating on the teardrop we move the ez up canopy to shade the teardop during the afternoons.

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    1. Thanks for the info Gary. Since you are in "Bama", it's good to get the perspective from someone in the south. How interesting that the larger AC makes the tear too cold. How does that 12 volt fan work on your battery power? Do you run it all night? I know a lot of people in my area use the EZ Up shades too. They work great. We have a larger one that we use at Burning Man in the baking desert.

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  3. A roadpro 12 volt fan for 11$ only draws 8 watts.basicaly all nite is only 5 amp hours.I use a jump pack to run ours it has 17 amp hours. PS a 15 watt solar pannel will top off a jump pack in 3 hours

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