If you go without A/C, why do you?

[Cammalu]

You going to sleep with the entire "cast" Even I have never done that!!! You go girl! But it might not be right!

Sigh.... a girl just has to have fun sometime. Anyway Putts told me it would be a hell of a ride as he grew up with entertainers so I took his word for it.

 

[sushidog]

Friday here in South Louisiana the temp was 93 but heat index was 109 degrees because the humidity was so high. Last Sunday it was up to 118 degrees! Some can endure this temp, but most cannot. In 2 minutes you are wringing wet with sweat. It's certainly not fun. Ideally one would move to cooler climes, higher altitudes, etc. but the nearest mountain is over 500 miles away. Another option would be to go swimming a lot to keep cool, but without AC to as least lower the humidity it's pretty rough. The sick and the elderly start dying around here if they don't have AC when it gets this hot. Swamp coolers don't help when the humidity is so high. A fan helps a little, mainly to blow the sweat off of you, but it still won't dry your shirt out; it's that bad.

Chip

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't have heat or AC in my trailer.   
My truck does. 

I follow the weather.  I'm camping at 9300 ft in CO. 

I also have a zero degree down sleeping bag for when it gets cold at night.

I have no philosophical reason,  just haven't found the need yet.

 

[SoulRaven]

Actually,  I do have some propane heaters,  just haven't used them

 

[wagoneer]

Hot slows me down and that is a good thing.

 

[Scott7022]

Fun with typo's.  

He has learned how to get me up to feed him.

I love the look!! There are several intelligent species in the multiverse and all of them are owned by cats!! I would love a Serval for a sidekick, but at 20 plus pounds and a wild temperament, I wonder how'd they do in van/camper etc. I could just pick up one of the many stray Russian Blues here. This would give me someone to speak Russian to and keep my practice up...Catteya Going To Amerika (sounds like Kat te ya going to Amer e ka) A children's picture book about change and culture. Probably sell very well. But I can't draw.. LOL! Letters back to her grandmother (Babu) Babuska is old women (but spoken politely with respect) 

 

[Scott7022]

Sigh....  a girl just has to have fun sometime.  Anyway Putts told me it would be a hell of a ride as he grew up with entertainers so I took his word for it.

Someone said the same thing to me once....

The circus was in town....

 

[akrvbob]

Let's stay on topic, which is AC.

 

[djkeev]

If you study demographics and US population centers, you will notice that up until the early 1900's almost all of the major population centers were in the Northern States.

It wasn't until A/C became affordable and wide spread use of it began that people began to settle the South in significant numbers.

This major population swing began in the 1960's and full stride was attained during the 1970's. Today no one even gives having A/C a second thought. It isn't a luxury any longer but has Instead become a necessity.

Heck, in my life time I remember Florida as a largely uninhabited swamp!

It was just too darn hot and too humid for most people to tolerate.

A/C literally changed America.

Me?
I love A/C on a hot humid Summer afternoon!
And I grew up without it!

Dave

 

[lenny flank]

^^^

To be fair, population in the Southern cities was also limited in the early 20th century by the widespread existence of yellow fever, malaria and other tropical diseases. The population began to grow once those were eradicated.

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm not biting.

You just did?

 

[slynne]

One of the nice things about Michigan is that one can usually get through the summer without A/C. I don't have central air in my house and often never get around to installing the room AC unit because it doesn't get hot enough. I installed it this year but have maybe used it 3-4 times. Keeping warm is definitely more the issue around here.

 

[itsmeagain]

Trust me..  these tough guys who tell you to suck it up and bear it have no idea the temps and humidity levels some of us are dealing with.
'Round here.. old people and pets drop like flies without A/C..  you can't even get occupied homeowners insurance without functioning HVAC, as the dwelling is deemed "unlivable".

The rest will tell you to move to a cooler location and higher altitude, after you explain that you can't for whatever reason (ie: family, occupation, etc..) Wait..   aren't we all retired? :dodgy:

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Trust me..  these tough guys who tell you to suck it up and bear it have no idea the temps and humidity levels some of us are dealing with.
'Round here.. old people and pets drop like flies without A/C..  you can't even get occupied homeowners insurance without functioning HVAC, as the dwelling is deemed "unlivable".

The rest will tell you to move to a cooler location and higher altitude, after you explain that you can't for whatever reason (ie: family, occupation, etc..) Wait..   aren't we all retired? :dodgy:

Ha,  you have a valid point.  I live in Maine, it's easy to say I can survive with out it.  We get a few muggy hot days a season and even they hail in comparison to many place's norms.  I'm sure my attitude would change if my location did.

 

[MrNoodly]

Because I avoid places and seasons where it would be necessary. That's why my van has an engine and wheels. And when necessary, I pretend I'm me as a child when we lived in the Humidity Belt without air conditioning.

 

[Sailing VANessa]

To beat the 100 degree heat, where I am today (Moab, Ut), I found my way to the local public pool. 5 bucks for a shower, and a nice relaxing day cooling off in the pool, read a book, repeat.

 

[Annie W]

If the weather forecast is for temps that are hotter than I like, I move!

I park in the shade or create my own with screen panels.

I turn on the fan.

If I'm driving I open the windows.

If I'm still too hot I remove all excess clothing and take a damp cloth to my body and/or find a lake to go swim in!

If all else fails I pour water over myself.

What exactly do I need a/c for??

Agreed completely. - Aside which it costs 4 arms & 8 legs to use a vehicle's A/C.
There's NO way someone existing on $400/month in a car etc, can even afford to use the thing.

Public libraries are very comfy for this too.

 

[tripper]

Too many people pick up vans with AC systems which pre-date R134a and don't realize it's therefor prohibitively expensive or impossible to fix and maintain.
Beyond that, it's mostly an issue of being able to power an AC unit. If you want to run AC without the vehicle running a generator is a must (or absurd solar setups work too).
Swamp coolers are great for vandwelling because the power requirement is so low. My design his very high output but only consumes about 40 watts.
The single biggest factor ... It is FAR better to live OUT of your van rather than IN. No need for AC if you aren't in the van when it's hot ...

How large of an area are you cooling and how much water is consumed? Is your unit homemade or bought? I love swamp coolers, I worry that it will mess up an RV from the moisture.

 

[Riverman]

I've been working on A/C's for 49-years, and there's no way I will be without one.

 

[Seminole Wind]

I think the better question is if you live some where that air conditioning is mandatory, why do you choose to stay there and swelter when you don't have too.

While most of my rigs have had a/c over the years. The only time I've really missed it is trying to defog windows during the cool damp winters of the pnw