Texas heat- reflectix vs canopy

[Ruthie Swedlund]

One of the things we LOVE about the campinn is minimal set up
We live in west texas and closest camping to us besides fort Davis mountains is HOT in the summer
I had the idea of getting reflectix to lay and bungee down over the camper instead of a canopy- we have our beach umbrellas we use for shade when I’m cooking or sitting in our chairs

Obviously we try to get shaded areas but as we have learned what we call shaded isn’t necessarily what others call shaded lol

 

[Jenn]

One of the things we LOVE about the campinn is minimal set up
We live in west texas and closest camping to us besides fort Davis mountains is HOT in the summer
I had the idea of getting reflectix to lay and bungee down over the camper instead of a canopy- we have our beach umbrellas we use for shade when I’m cooking or sitting in our chairs

Obviously we try to get shaded areas but as we have learned what we call shaded isn’t necessarily what others call shaded lol

I have no idea but let us know it you do it and if it works.

 

[Sweeney]

One of the things we LOVE about the campinn is minimal set up
We live in west texas and closest camping to us besides fort Davis mountains is HOT in the summer
I had the idea of getting reflectix to lay and bungee down over the camper instead of a canopy- we have our beach umbrellas we use for shade when I’m cooking or sitting in our chairs

Obviously we try to get shaded areas but as we have learned what we call shaded isn’t necessarily what others call shaded lol

I think that sounds like a great idea - like Jenn, let us know! One cautionary note though --- if the temps are over 110 degrees, do not use the AC. It can do bad things, I don't know exactly what that could be - but I remember Cary being emphatic from our introduction.

But for me, if it is that hot, I'm not going to be there anyway. y'all are crazy. LOL

 

[Cary Winch]

I think that sounds like a great idea - like Jenn, let us know! One cautionary note though --- if the temps are over 110 degrees, do not use the AC. It can do bad things, I don't know exactly what that could be - but I remember Cary being emphatic from our introduction.

But for me, if it is that hot, I'm not going to be there anyway. y'all are crazy. LOL

Not bad things running over 110 degrees, just no cold air. All air conditioners have a knee to the curve to where the AC unit can't take the heat out of condenser anymore because the air around it is too warm. Temps above 110 degrees the AC really just stops being a cold air making device. I am emphatic about it so the new owner has realistic expectations and does not plan around using the camper as a respite in super hot daytime weather to stave off heat stress. More of a health and safety concern.

Cary

 

[Sweeney]

Not bad things running over 110 degrees, just no cold air. All air conditioners have a knee to the curve to where the AC unit can't take the heat out of condenser anymore because the air around it is too warm. Temps above 110 degrees the AC really just stops being a cold air making device. I am emphatic about it so the new owner has realistic expectations and does not plan around using the camper as a respite in super hot daytime weather to stave off heat stress. More of a health and safety concern.

Cary

Glad it is not a safety concern -- for some reason I though that it was! Thanks for the clarification.

Just one thing to keep in the back of your mind, when it gets that hot, very often the campgrounds have 100% of the ACs running 100% of the time trying to keep things cool --- this often means the grid is overloaded and voltage drops. I've seen 104 volts at the pedestals; it should be 120 -- that low of a voltage can severely damage ACs, and anything else plugged in. It's worth unplugging the camper when voltages drop that low. This is a major issue with 'big rigs'

 

[TheSongDogHouse]

Great tip @Sweeney and thanks for the tech explanation, @Cary Winch dnk that on ACs. That would explain why the Dometic under the hatch closed on a hot day just cant cool below a certain point- the ambient air is just too warm?

Apologies to OP for OT, but a caution, to anyone back east visiting the SWUS:

Fwiw, I've camped a few times in very hot desert shoulder seasons over the years in the Sonoran desert (Anza Borrego, etc)
and agree you need to be VERY careful with heat. From SERE, JEST, and Wilderness First Aid they teach that ...

Once you get to the far end of hyperthermia you cant save yourself solo, as you cant make good decisions and for example

as BoyScout leaders we had to watch the little kids carefully- crabby/confusion etc- water up, cool down in the shade or else...

I once had to run the elderly Scoutmaster down the hill to hospital when he got heat stressed in his closed up tent...found him cold clammy and mumbling that progessed to hot dry...

Once you get really hot and stop sweating its heat stroke time...brain cooks. We couldnt wait for ambulance to drive uo the hill frim 45 min away. A close call the paramedics said.

Anything goes wrong and stuck out somewhere in 115 degree you are at risk, without a wingman.

I've parked in the shade, in a couple places around 110-115 including persuading Tucson area state park camp host to let me move the CI under trees vs park on hot asphalt in sun, as Sweeney mentioned - and this might help:

I've draped a wet towel over something to get the evaporate cooling on low moisture desert air, inside the cabin to cool it off to give the AC something cooler to work with vs the extra 10-15 degrees above ambient while sitting on concrete pavement/asphalt parked in the sun.

I believe the CI manual mentions being prepared to put a tarp or some other shade over the CI, and I have a Kelty and a couple poles to rig next time if no trees handy to tuck under.

Even so, I had to drink lots of ice water (dometic on freeze is great!) and drape wet bandanas on noggin and take a sit a couple times in the car with A/C max.

Pretty sure it got to 120 in the area.
AZ heat can be wicked in summer.

Better trip planning would be in a nice cool WI honkey tonk with on tap; "Hamm's the beer refreshing Hamms..."