It Ain't Half Hot Mom

[JS4910]

Yes I know it's summer and yes it is supposed to be hot but, as my wife keeps saying, it's no excuse to drink excessively, I always reply with "how else is the beer economy going to stay afloat" none of which has anything to do with what I'm on about, maybe just some beer logic in this first paragraph


What I'm really getting at is the van internal temperatures when in storage during the summer months. Now some may say lucky and others not but we located in Central Queensland, on the coast and experience a mix of both northern and southern climes, single figures overnight in winter and high 30's to the odd 40 day over summer and at times ridiculous humidity, but nothing on the top end.

Anyway the other week I was having a fantastic day at work buried amongst the pumps and steam lines and valves in the turbine hall of a power plant, an already hot day outside (40degC) insured the temps in the work area were around the high 40's. After such an exhausting day my mind wandered a little on the way home and thoughts turned to the temp inside the van out in the backyard. Unfortunately the van is too long for the shed and too high with the roof A/C for the carport, so it is covered up out in the yard.

Upon arriving in the driveway the outside temp was showing 39degC, I wandered inside via the beer fridge and grabbed the van keys, undie the cover and opened up the van to a mighty warm reception, it was HOT, so much that you instantly got a sweat up just being inside. The Drifter was indicating 52degC and it felt every bit of it, all the cupboards and benchtops were hot to touch. I deciced to open the side windows where the cover was open and pop the top hatch as high as I could with the cover on and leave the screen door only closed to help get some airflow in and drop the temps.

After a few hours the temp had come down into the low 40's and by 11pm it was at 32degC, unfortunately at this time of year we get o/night and sudden storms so I closed it all up and went to bed. Next morning at 5am when I went to work I decided to open it up for the day as my wife was home all day and could close it all up if one of those little storms rolled through. I was happy it was cooler at 23degC pretty much the same as the outside temp at 5am. This practice did help reduce internal temps during the day but not by much as I would still see low 40's when I got home of an afternoon.

Being extremely worried about the effects this may have in the long term to furniture cabinets, glue bonds etc, I have decided to try a different storage arrangement to see if I can lower the temps. Currently it was stored roof down but not latched and the roof hatch in the first position, and the van was exposed to the full afternoon sun. I now have moved it down beside the house, closer the the front yard but still behind locked gates, and I have the roof up with the awning side flap fully open as it is still rain protected but allows more airflow, it should get a bit more shade later in the afternoon and with more airflow hopefully stay a bit cooler. Sadly at present I can't test my changes as I'm away for work............again!

Has anyone experienced issues with such temps in storage or am I worrying about nothing? We want to keep this van for quite some time so would like to prevent issues from occurring down the track, especially after warranty has run out.

 

[Mosue]

I hear what your saying. I have thought the same thing!
Then again my Expanda was 6yrs old when I got it and had only been used 6 times. The Perth sun has 'weathered' it outside from all those years in the one position on the drive. but the inside is still immaculate. The 6 summers its had of heating up has not effected any of the fixtures/fittings/glues that I have found.
I have bought a cover to slow down the aging of the outside, havent put it on yet as were using it too much to bother-hearing mixed reports about covers and sweating, so will see how I go.

 

[Dobbie]

Do you have the option of putting a shade sail over it?

If so, with the caravan cover the temp could come down a bit but I think it's more an air flow issue.

 

[Mosue]

With my Expanda model, my fridge is on the same side as the awning/annexe. A crazy design as straight away air flow is restricted at the vents.
We wont use the annexe just a privacy screen. Im sure there must be something prohibiting the fumes being released into an enclosed annexe? cant be good for anyone sleeping in the annexe!

 

[Drover]

Actually with fridge and/or HWS vents on left hand side of van an annexe is not allowed.

 

[Dobbie]

Definitely no annexe but privacy screens allow the airflow so that's legal.

Agree with drover...it was a huge issue a couple of years ago but all manufacturers now seem to have gone through the redesign process.

 

[bigcol]

mine sits under my rear patio with the windows open

 

[Crusty181]

Yes I know it's summer and yes it is supposed to be hot but, as my wife keeps saying, it's no excuse to drink excessively, I always reply with "how else is the beer economy going to stay afloat" none of which has anything to do with what I'm on about, maybe just some beer logic in this first paragraph


What I'm really getting at is the van internal temperatures when in storage during the summer months. Now some may say lucky and others not but we located in Central Queensland, on the coast and experience a mix of both northern and southern climes, single figures overnight in winter and high 30's to the odd 40 day over summer and at times ridiculous humidity, but nothing on the top end.

Anyway the other week I was having a fantastic day at work buried amongst the pumps and steam lines and valves in the turbine hall of a power plant, an already hot day outside (40degC) insured the temps in the work area were around the high 40's. After such an exhausting day my mind wandered a little on the way home and thoughts turned to the temp inside the van out in the backyard. Unfortunately the van is too long for the shed and too high with the roof A/C for the carport, so it is covered up out in the yard.

Upon arriving in the driveway the outside temp was showing 39degC, I wandered inside via the beer fridge and grabbed the van keys, undie the cover and opened up the van to a mighty warm reception, it was HOT, so much that you instantly got a sweat up just being inside. The Drifter was indicating 52degC and it felt every bit of it, all the cupboards and benchtops were hot to touch. I deciced to open the side windows where the cover was open and pop the top hatch as high as I could with the cover on and leave the screen door only closed to help get some airflow in and drop the temps.

After a few hours the temp had come down into the low 40's and by 11pm it was at 32degC, unfortunately at this time of year we get o/night and sudden storms so I closed it all up and went to bed. Next morning at 5am when I went to work I decided to open it up for the day as my wife was home all day and could close it all up if one of those little storms rolled through. I was happy it was cooler at 23degC pretty much the same as the outside temp at 5am. This practice did help reduce internal temps during the day but not by much as I would still see low 40's when I got home of an afternoon.

Being extremely worried about the effects this may have in the long term to furniture cabinets, glue bonds etc, I have decided to try a different storage arrangement to see if I can lower the temps. Currently it was stored roof down but not latched and the roof hatch in the first position, and the van was exposed to the full afternoon sun. I now have moved it down beside the house, closer the the front yard but still behind locked gates, and I have the roof up with the awning side flap fully open as it is still rain protected but allows more airflow, it should get a bit more shade later in the afternoon and with more airflow hopefully stay a bit cooler. Sadly at present I can't test my changes as I'm away for work............again!

Has anyone experienced issues with such temps in storage or am I worrying about nothing? We want to keep this van for quite some time so would like to prevent issues from occurring down the track, especially after warranty has run out.

I used a caravan cover for a very short time and found the internal temp was extraordinary. I also found very noticeable warping on the roof with the cover on because of the heat. So ive not used a cover again. I think the vans got a better change of long term life by not having a cover and keeping washed and polished

 

[Drover]

Thats what Ive been thinking @Crusty181 , friends got up around 50 deg inside so I reckon I'll pass on the cover now. Gets hot enough on it's own .

 

[achjimmy]

With my Expanda model, my fridge is on the same side as the awning/annexe. A crazy design as straight away air flow is restricted at the vents.
We wont use the annexe just a privacy screen. Im sure there must be something prohibiting the fumes being released into an enclosed annexe? cant be good for anyone sleeping in the annexe!

Actually better for the fridge cause you can shade it with the awning. As long as you don't enclose all good. Insaying that people lived with enclosed annexes for years and the fridge venting to that side? But somebody needs to keep coming up with ways to save ourselves from the modern dangers !

 

[G Daddy]

I found the same results as @Crusty181 , even with the roof up and vents open, I just keep the van washed and polished

 

[JS4910]

Actually better for the fridge cause you can shade it with the awning. As long as you don't enclose all good. Insaying that people lived with enclosed annexes for years and the fridge venting to that side? But somebody needs to keep coming up with ways to save ourselves from the modern dangers !

My parents 20ft Millard back in the early eighties had both the 3way fridge and oven on the passenger/LH side, and we kids spent many weeks at a time sleeping in that enclosed annex both summer time with all the flaps open, and even some pretty damn cold winter nights with everything shut tight as a drum and we survived just fine, although that was the days of proper canvas annexes not the vinyl stuff a lot use these days, I remember how bloody heavy it was putting the roof up and then hanging the walls.

 

[achjimmy]

My parents 20ft Millard back in the early eighties had both the 3way fridge and oven on the passenger/LH side, and we kids spent many weeks at a time sleeping in that enclosed annex both summer time with all the flaps open, and even some pretty damn cold winter nights with everything shut tight as a drum and we survived just fine, although that was the days of proper canvas annexes not the vinyl stuff a lot use these days, I remember how bloody heavy it was putting the roof up and then hanging the walls.

Yep I remember with my folks in there old Millard stopping after being on a bumpy dirt road to check the fridge gas hadn't gone out ! But thank god we're safer now.

 

[bigcol]

I remember when we lived in New Guinea in the early 70's, my father "seconded" a 10 man tent from the Green Machine - (Army)
what an absolute ba$tard to erect - ALL canvas, weighed in at around 7cwt (7 hundred weight for you young-uns)

when we came back to Aust in '71/'72 the old man brought a Cargils Caravanett

it had more canvas that the freaking tent did

but much more comfortable
aaaahhhhh back when I was a Lad............................................hahahahahahahaha

 

[Drover]

Be no differn't than firing up the barbie in the annex on a cold, wet day..besides with kids the doorway would never be closed long enough to worry.

I know the annex for Big Col won't get put up again, tested it once, too damn heavy.....................

 

[JS4910]

Yep I remember with my folks in there old Millard stopping after being on a bumpy dirt road to check the fridge gas hadn't gone out ! But thank god we're safer now.

I thought I remembered similar stories from when we used to travel, and was never sure if the gas was on all the time, but I now remember after you said that it must have been as Dad had a canvas cover made for the bottom fridge vents to stop the pilot light going out when travelling. This was way before anyone thought of batteries in vans or dual batteries in cars.

How did we ever survive, all that lead paint, fluoride water, playing in the dirt, drinking out of the hose (got quite a few mouth fulls of hot water during summer till we worked out to let it run a bit.......lol) riding bikes without helmets, playing outside ALL day in the sun.

Kids these days are SOFT!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Drover]

And don't forget the metho stoves, give a WHSO nightmares.......whoofa, no eyebrows.

 

[bigcol]

wood chip heaters...............

lost a few sets of eye brows from that bugger
(my brother filled my kero bottle with fuel out of the car every now and again - just to be a tosser)

 

[Dobbie]

And the Tilly lamps....and then the recent gas lamps?

You still see some gas lamps being used ...I can't imagine why as the LEDs are safer and easier.

What about the metho fridges? We used them for years in a holiday place on Moreton island.

It's not only kids who are soft these days....we're all headed that way. Who'd have thought camping gear included a toilet, a stove, a washing machine a microwave, aaaaaaand......a fridge?

Our special Eskies used to get buried in sand and covered in wet hessian bags. Anyone who walked to the surf had the take a bucket, fill with seawater and dump it on the buried fridge. We were able to keep meat etc for a couple of weeks this way...and it all worked.

 

[JS4910]

And don't forget the metho stoves, give a WHSO nightmares.......whoofa, no eyebrows.

I won't tell my story about lighting a fire on Stockton Beach one night with wet wood and a jerry can, and, possibly to much liquid lubrication.

Lets just say it almost ended with roasted nuts and not being able to father children!