Interesting Realization

[Gormley Green]

Reading through threads of hot places and AC installations, it's occurred to me that in the 1.7 years I've had my camper and over 40 nights spent in it that 99% of them I've had the furnace on. We winter camp in tents, and are used to the cold - so its not that we're soft. Must be our luck camping in Canada, Alaska, etc. Even in Northern Cali not to long ago, 80 in the day but in the low 40's at night.

One day I truly hope to be hot at night, just to know what it feels like to have the fantastic fan I had installed above the bed blow cool air on me.

So whenever the topic of must have options comes up, furnace.

Just felt like putting a few thoughts on the interweb

 

[Ramblinman]

Ya ..... My Hawk .. (Which should be in my hot little hands in 3 Weeks) has an air conditioner ... and Im not sure I am ever going to use it. I was considering tearing it out when it gets here ... That said it would come in handy if I ever took a trip to the southern US or Baja ... IT only gets really hot in Canada about 3 Weeks of the year but still cools off at night.

Edit: One of my fellow Canadians brings up a good point! Where I live, Alberta ... it only gets really hot about 3 weeks of the year!

 

[Lighthawk]

Good noticing, Gormley. We probably are in the 80% range ourselves.
Are we soft? Well, if you got it, flaunt it!
Do we camp in seasons and places we would not generally tent. Yes!
When it's 11F outside and I'm inside with the Wave3 and factory furnace in reserve,
I am damn happy.

 

[Gormley Green]

IT only gets really hot in Canada about 3 Weeks of the year but still cools off at night.


Not sure my friends in Toronto would agree with you...!

 

[Ramblinman]

Very good point! They are roasting as we speak.

 

[UglyScout]

We'd had our camper for almost a year before we spent a night in it WITHOUT the heater - I actually did a happy dance!

We are probably at 75-80% heater nigths.

 

[SunMan]

One day I truly hope to be hot at night, just to know what it feels like to have the fantastic fan I had installed above the bed blow cool air on me.


I highly recommend a trip to the East Cape of Baja this summer, you might just rethink that statement!

In all seriousness, we just spent a stuffy night in the mountains above Big Sur, it was nice to have some circulation. I wouldn't mind having a second fan installed above our bed.

 

[chnlisle]

I highly recommend a trip to the East Cape of Baja this summer, you might just rethink that statement!

In all seriousness, we just spent a stuffy night in the mountains above Big Sur, it was nice to have some circulation. I wouldn't mind having a second fan installed above our bed.

2 fans are great and on hot nights blowing in is a plus.

 

[dorocks]

When you live in Southern California a few miles north of Tijuana, all those cold places are way north. In summer we have to travel through deserts or the Central valley, or the eastern Sierra (95-100+ in the day) to get to those cool places . That's where the AC gets used. We have a heater too that gets used too the other three seasons.

 

[MarkBC]

When you live in Southern California a few miles north of Tijuana, all those cold places are way north. In summer we have to travel through deserts or the Central valley, or the eastern Sierra (95-100+ in the day) to get to those cool places . That's where the AC gets used. We have a heater too that gets used too the other three seasons.

I guess I could do some research to answer this question, but it's easier to just ask:
Don't you have to be hooked up to A/C (that is, alternating current) to use AC? Or run a generator?

Neither of those situations are ones I find myself in very often. The State Parks on the Oregon coast usually have A/C hookups, but the sun will have to go red giant before air conditioning is needed on the Oregon coast.

And I'd hesitate to run a generator to power the air conditioner unless I was far away from other campers...and I'd hope they'd do the same.

Just wondering how (not when) people use their air conditioners.

Thanks.

 

[SunMan]

2 fans are great and on hot nights blowing in is a plus.


I hear you Jay. We've been going the el cheapo route for a secondary fan, it's rare that we need it but when we do it's nice to have, uses less power too:

 

[dorocks]

I guess I could do some research to answer this question, but it's easier to just ask:
Don't you have to be hooked up to A/C (that is, alternating current) to use AC? Or run a generator?

Neither of those situations are ones I find myself in very often. The State Parks on the Oregon coast usually have A/C hookups, but the sun will have to go red giant before air conditioning is needed on the Oregon coast.

And I'd hesitate to run a generator to power the air conditioner unless I was far away from other campers...and I'd hope they'd do the same.

Just wondering how (not when) people use their air conditioners.

Thanks.

You use them in regular ole RV parks with electricity. In our case, it is what we do on the way to primitive camping, versus staying in a motel to beat the heat.

 

[Smokecreek1]

I feel left out, never even thought about an A/C, but my fantastic fan works like a champ-sure am glad that the folks at FWC talked me into getting it. I camp year round and use the heater when i need it and here in NE Ca/NW Nev/SC Or., the days are usually nice-not to hot and the nights are cool-and real hot hot days are rare-just drink more beer and sit under the fantastic fan. What can be a bear though are those hot sticky nights like you find in the valley-when nothing except leaving works!

Smoke

 

[pods8]

I can't really say I've used the heater in the summer unless its been really cold in the camper when I got up in the morning and I opted to kick it on, ideally I'd rather sleep in till it warms up. Spring/fall I'll get some use pre/post bed if its cold but don't run it through the night.

Still a must have option in my mind esp. if wet/cold out, can really turn around your mood when you warm things up/dry out a bit/make a cup of something hot to drink.

 

[Foy]

Well, I've done enough tent camping and non-airconditioned camping (pop-up trailers) here in the South to say, with conviction: It ain't much fun. Or, at least, it's not nowadays. I grew up in NC without air conditioning until age 12, my elementary, junior high, and high school buildings weren't cooled, and none of the places I lived at in college were cooled (but, I went to college in the Blue Ridge and lived at various places between 3,500' and 4,100', where a/c isn't needed whatsoever).

Air conditioning has become a necessity in the South, with the unfortunate who don't have it qualifying for emergency services when temps get and stay in the upper 90s or more for very long. We've collectively conditioned ourselves to live with it. In a camping/weekend/vacation mode, I'd want it for sure if I were at the beach or at an inland reservoir. The Blue Ridge is still cool enough to do without.

My own hopes/plans for a pop-up truck camper do not include air conditioning, where my anticipated use is all, or nearly all, at higher elevations, whether here in the East or out your way.

Foy