I've discovered a unique way to keep my van considerably COOLER.

[MortimerEbinesr]

All above ideas sound great. I can't wait to get back down south to try some of them out. Now I'm still trying to find a carburetor for F-250. Truck died in driveway when I returned from winter excursion.

 

[machinephilosphy]

I agree with you. It IS too noisy, wayyyy too noisy.
But the two kinds of noise deadeners I put on it (shown above) work wonders.
No longer hard to sleep or anything.

I'm wondering if you're bilge fan is too fast and changing out cooled air too soon. Anyway it's just a factor to consider. I would consider using the heaviest duty computer network server fan (if there's some way to substitute it in or reroute to it just for a comparison test) and see how it performs, electrical drain, etc. Hope this helps.

 

[machinephilosphy]

I bet that makes a major difference in keeping the heat out. You've "got a plan", as they say.

Someone on here said they tinted their windows to keep the heat out. <????> I don't understand that, because my windows came factory tinted quite dark; and that dark makes the glass turn very hot when the sun is shining directly on it, instead of keeping the heat out. Do you know what type of coating she was talking about that keeps heat out?

My way of stopping window heat has been to (1) cut 1/2-inch sheets of blue foam Wall insulation to exactly fit my window glass. (2) Stretch a bungee cord over the window from center-top to center-bottom. (3) Put a 2" square block of wood behind the bungee chord right in the center to hold the insulation tight against the hot glass.

That's a strange solution, but it's what I've got that works. Magnets would not work for me because NOTHING anywhere near the windows is magnetic. But I like having my solution on the inside so I don't have to be concerned about what's happening on the outside, whether city or country, day or night, storm or shine.

But I suspect that if the amount of heat blocking from your technique were compared with mine, you'd win the contest!

Not sure, but i'm putting Lanco 15-year white (goes on very light blue) roof sealant on my van top, but in very thin layers, 3 of them, with a couple of days in between the coats. Reflects 90% of the heat. Proven by neighbors where I live and I used it to put in a greenhouse channeled grow sheet filter. Home Depot etc. Gallon can of the stuff is only $28 and i'm going to use it to seal the floor of the minivan after I remove the carpet. 2006 Sienna. Hope this helps.

 

[bebewanna]

Since the stupid howling wind will not stop to do the other 2 covers.... I got curious

Here is the difference between the thermometer against the glass with Mylar inside the glass and inside against the glass, with my covers outside the glass.. It actually went down to 81 while I am writing
16 degrees difference

 

[Inti]

Now, if too hot, I cool myself with this combination. The 12-volt fan is surprisingly strong, blowing the air right where I point it (which is on me). And the sprayer puts its mist directly on me, so I'm what gets cooled. Unlike the "air conditioner" above, this combination really works, as in "Aaaaaa!"

Absolutely agree with these methods. However I can say a good USB or USB rechargeable fan absolutely replaces a 12V fan, for example I have two from OPOLAR which I am very happy with:

OPOLAR 10000mAh 8-Inch Rechargeable Battery Operated Clip on Fan, 4 Speeds Fast Air Circulating USB Fan, Sturdy Clamp Portable for Outdoor Camping - it looks about the same as your fan and can run on both internal battery and external USB. At first speed it is ALMOST silent.

This one is almost completely silent at first speed - OPOLAR 8 Inch Desk Fan, USB Operated, 4 Speeds+Natural Wind, Timer, Quiet Operation, Personal Table Fan, Seven Blades, Adjustable Angle - but not as comfortable to use because there is no battery and it does not swivel in all directions.

As for the spray, my experiments have shown that very small droplets like those used for disinfectants work best, for example compare the droplets from a regular spray bottle to the droplets that the little bottles of alcohol from the dollar store give out. The problem is that these little alcohol bottles are too small and it's inconvenient to press them many times.

It seems that the same small droplets are provided by more powerful water sprays for hairdressers, like this one https://www.amazon.ca/200ml-Continuous-Sprayer-Styling-Cleaning/dp/B09WKLYCY4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1T3YXQUNSDGQZ&keywords=water+spray+bottle&qid=1658805667&sprefix=water%20spray%20bottle,aps,88&sr=8-5 - but I think that with these sprays it is better to use only distilled water so they don't clog, and nobody wants calcium on the face either.

However, I did order a battery-operated spray gun, this one - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkX943l and hope that I can get it to work continuously without having to hold it in my hands all the time. Hopefully with distilled water it will last a long time. It should produce very fine droplets since its main purpose is to disinfect.

The secret here is that the droplets are very small but do not evaporate completely in the air as with ultrasonic humidifiers, but cover the skin in a very thin layer. Evaporation directly from the skin is really cooling, and all attempts to cool the surrounding air by evaporation are not so effective.

 

[Inti]

Finally got enough cell reception

Very nice!
The key to success is strong magnets
I bought some Strong Neodymium Magnets on AliExpress https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003897475023.html - and with them you can do wonders, for example to attach large sheets of Reflectix, or silver tarp, (or Mylar with any backing or without backing) to the car in any place at any angle, strong enough magnets can even hold telescopic poles on which you can hang tarp or Mylar or just a bed sheet.

True, with very strong magnets you have to be careful not to put them on the car without some padding like Reflectix or tarp because the magnet can hit the car, and plus it won't be easy to remove it.

By the way, Mylar is still slightly transparent, it lets some light and heat through, but Reflectix provides absolute darkness, for example the shadow of Reflectix is noticeably better than the shadow of any tree. Mylar, however, is a lot cheaper

 

[maki2]

Install a popup top. The cross wind through the screens quickly moves heat up and out so the inside temperature is then at ambient air temperature. Plus no issues with security caused by having open windows. No fan noise either. Of course it can limit the roof space as far as how many solar panels you install but if your roof is low it creates lots more room to stand up in.

 

[CosmickGold]

Install a popup top. The cross wind through the screens quickly moves heat up and out so the inside temperature is then at ambient air temperature. Plus no issues with security caused by having open windows. No fan noise either. Of course it can limit the roof space as far as how many solar panels you install but if your roof is low it creates lots more room to stand up in.

Sounds great! But you didn't say how to do it, or where to find instructions. (???) So I googled the idea and found Bob Wells has done a video that explains how!

I especially like the money saved in the "do it yourself" approach. Bob said having a professional do the same thing costs about $10,000. But this nomad did it himself for about $850. Wow!

 

[Nomad X]

I had the idea that the air near the ground under the van should be cooler than the air coming in my Fan-Tastic roof fan. So I drilled a hole in the floor to suck the air up, and reversed the direction of my ceiling fan to blow the air out at the top instead of bringing it in.

I am truly astonished by how much difference that has made! I'm so much more comfortable inside my van now, even when it's near 100F outside.

Drilling a large hole in the floor and reversing the ceiling fan to blow air out, might be enough for your rig, but I got fancier. Here is my so cool (pun intended) layout:

1. I cut a hole through the floor the right size to place the end of a 4" bilge fan into it.

2. I bought this 36"X84" role of Standard Window Screen (originally to keep bugs from coming through my windows, but it is great for this purpose too). Soft and flexible, it was easy to cut with scissors to the right size to cover the hole in the floor plus a couple of inches more on each side since I will press it down into the floor with the fan.
View attachment 31779

3. On top of this goes my 12V 4" in-Line Marine Bilge Air Blower which I pressed snuggly down into the drilled hole, securing the window screen as well.
View attachment 31780

4. The fan inside the Bilge Air Blower is really noisy. I used this vehicle door/floor/wall surface sound deadener (which quiets the sound down quite a lot). The backside of the material is very sticky after you peal off the protective paper, so it was easy to coat the entire outside of the bilge fan with the stuff. This also helped make the bilge fan fit snuggly into the hole.
View attachment 31781

5. The wires from the fan go through this Waterproof Junction Box in which I installed this 15A DPDT 3-position switch. The switch is wired so that if flipped up, the fan sucks the air up, and if switched down, the fan blows the air down and out of the van. Of course, the middle position is off. And be sure to put a fuse on it! (The fan seems to pull about 6 amps, but the start current nears 15 amps, so the fuse needs to be for 15 Amps.) And of course, all your electrical circuits should be fused for safety. (Like Smokey the Bear used to say, "Only YOU can prevent van fires.")
View attachment 31782View attachment 31783

On top of the bilge fan goes the six-inch diameter duct, which I lined with this one-inch acoustic foam. The foam reduces the 6" air path inside the duct back to the 4" diameter of the bilge fan (hence, the reason for using a six-inch diameter duct). I cut the duct to a length of only two feet so it would stand straight up under my desk while active on top of the bilge fan. That deadens the noise coming up from the bilge fan really well. All I hear coming out of the end of the duct is the rush of air.
View attachment 31784View attachment 31785

To my surprise, I seldom need to run the bilge fan because the ceiling fan pulling air up through the bilge fan and duct does the whole job quite well.

CAUTION: Having both the engine exhaust blowing out carbon monoxide under your rig, and this hole in the floor drawing in air from under your rig can be deadly!. Never do both at the same time! It is best to keep the hole in the floor covered while the engine is turned on. And to start with, cut the hole in your floor well forward of the exhaust, and on the opposite side from the exhaust. Be safe, be healthy, and stay alive!

Also probably not the best idea in a large paved parking lot.

 

[VanSkulk]

3. On top of this goes my 12V 4" in-Line Marine Bilge Air Blower which I pressed snuggly down into the drilled hole, securing the window screen as well.
View attachment 31780

4. The fan inside the Bilge Air Blower is really noisy. I used this vehicle door/floor/wall surface sound deadener (which quiets the sound down quite a lot). The backside of the material is very sticky after you peal off the protective paper, so it was easy to coat the entire outside of the bilge fan with the stuff. This also helped make the bilge fan fit snuggly into the hole.

This is very interesting. I was in the process of doing something very similar, but I never saw a fan like this during my research phase. I wound up with a fan that is much larger in diameter and doesn't have it's own housing.

It does blow a lot of air, but it sounds like you're getting enough air flow with what you have.

 

[Inti]

Absolutely agree with these methods. However I can say a good USB or USB rechargeable fan absolutely replaces a 12V fan, for example I have two from OPOLAR which I am very happy with:

OPOLAR 10000mAh 8-Inch Rechargeable Battery Operated Clip on Fan, 4 Speeds Fast Air Circulating USB Fan, Sturdy Clamp Portable for Outdoor Camping - it looks about the same as your fan and can run on both internal battery and external USB. At first speed it is ALMOST silent.

This one is almost completely silent at first speed - OPOLAR 8 Inch Desk Fan, USB Operated, 4 Speeds+Natural Wind, Timer, Quiet Operation, Personal Table Fan, Seven Blades, Adjustable Angle - but not as comfortable to use because there is no battery and it does not swivel in all directions.

As for the spray, my experiments have shown that very small droplets like those used for disinfectants work best, for example compare the droplets from a regular spray bottle to the droplets that the little bottles of alcohol from the dollar store give out. The problem is that these little alcohol bottles are too small and it's inconvenient to press them many times.

It seems that the same small droplets are provided by more powerful water sprays for hairdressers, like this one https://www.amazon.ca/200ml-Continuous-Sprayer-Styling-Cleaning/dp/B09WKLYCY4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1T3YXQUNSDGQZ&keywords=water+spray+bottle&qid=1658805667&sprefix=water%20spray%20bottle,aps,88&sr=8-5 - but I think that with these sprays it is better to use only distilled water so they don't clog, and nobody wants calcium on the face either.

However, I did order a battery-operated spray gun, this one - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkX943l and hope that I can get it to work continuously without having to hold it in my hands all the time. Hopefully with distilled water it will last a long time. It should produce very fine droplets since its main purpose is to disinfect.

The secret here is that the droplets are very small but do not evaporate completely in the air as with ultrasonic humidifiers, but cover the skin in a very thin layer. Evaporation directly from the skin is really cooling, and all attempts to cool the surrounding air by evaporation are not so effective.

Just a follow-up to my previous message:

1) tested a water spray for hairdressers - not at all comfortable, plus my product from AliExpress was leaking, but even apart from leaking it's not worth buying. A bottle of sanitary alcohol from the dollar store works better.

2) battery-powered sprayer tested - somewhat useful if you want to increase humidity quickly and without manual pumping. However, it produces too much water and makes too much noise to keep it on to cool your skin. Not worth buying. A bottle of sanitary alcohol from the dollar store works better.

3) Discovered one really good way to cool my chest and face - Xiaomi Hanging Neck Fan With 3000mAh Power Bank - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002747833542.html - it is very compact, fits in any pocket, looks good, is not too noisy and runs very long time on one charge, plus works as a power bank. I even use it while driving in city traffic, it does not interfere with the steering wheel. I use it wherever it's too hot.
I also see this similar neck fan that also works as a phone stand - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004437449620.html
(but I am not buying it)

For sleeping in the car though, my old OPOLAR fan with 7 blades is still the best and quietest. Unfortunately, they now only make similar model with 3 blades, and I see in the comments on amazon that people are complaining about the noise. Please post here if you come across any other totally silent USB-fan.

 

[CosmickGold]

Unfortunately, they now only make similar model with 3 blades, and I see in the comments on amazon that people are complaining about the noise. Please post here if you come across any other totally silent USB-fan.

I see the 7-blade model is still available here on Amazon.

 

[Inti]

I see the 7-blade model is still available here on Amazon.

I was referring to this model - https://www.amazon.ca/Operated-Powerful-Operation-Personal-Portable/dp/B09CPRL3NH - but the old one I have has 7 blades. This one has three blades and people complain about the noise.

By the way, I just found a gizmo that might be good for skin cooling - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003357321438.htm - but I won't order it because I found my old humidifier https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07JY5QYLB/ does the same thing if you remove the filter and flip it upside down. I just tested it now, it makes a very fine spray, makes my skin moist and feels nice cool. And a much larger volume of water with a longer run time than this cosmetic thingy. I think I need distilled water otherwise without a filter my humidifier will fail, and my face will become like dead coral if water with minerals falls on it all night.

 

[Inti]

I ended up ordering this cosmetic gadget https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmKhAMb - and to my surprise it cools skin very well even with just one nozzle, with 30ml of water for 15 minutes. Obviously with two nozzles the water will run out twice as fast, but I think it is possible to attach a bigger vessel using hot glue.
The battery will last a long time judging by the fact that after 20 minutes of use, no discharge on the display was not noticed.
I did not notice any leakage during storage and no dripping during operation. It will be a useful thing, and aesthetically pleasing.
At the bottom there are also two metal contacts that kind of show the moisture and oiliness of the skin if you turn on the display (there is a separate little button for the display). But it seems this function does not work as it should, maybe because I'm not Chinese and not a woman?

 

[CosmickGold]

I ended up ordering this cosmetic gadget View attachment 32682 https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmKhAMb - and to my surprise it cools skin very well even with just one nozzle, with 30ml of water for 15 minutes. Obviously with two nozzles the water will run out twice as fast, but I think it is possible to attach a bigger vessel using hot glue.
The battery will last a long time judging by the fact that after 20 minutes of use, no discharge on the display was not noticed.
I did not notice any leakage during storage and no dripping during operation. It will be a useful thing, and aesthetically pleasing.
At the bottom there are also two metal contacts that kind of show the moisture and oiliness of the skin if you turn on the display (there is a separate little button for the display). But it seems this function does not work as it should, maybe because I'm not Chinese and not a woman?

Thanks. This really is interesting and does have its place. It would be fun to use, but I'm pretty sure it's not really enough for hot summer days in the van (and also would keep your hand occupied with holding it and moving it around your skin). In comment #12 (previous page) I showed and explained I bought one of those little USB-driven "Air Conditioners" that sit on a table and blow on you from a built-in fan with wet cooling fins inside. To my disappointment, it was no way near enough for hot summer days, so I won't trust anything that small again. It went to the trash.

Also in comment #12, I show the 12V clip-on fan I now use and a regular water spray bottle I spray myself with at the same time as the fan. Even that is barely enough, but I get by with it. Again, thanks for showing your ambitious little device!

 

[Inti]

would keep your hand occupied with holding it and moving it around your skin

In fact, I'll just hang it over my head or over my feet on a rope (the shape is such that even such simple knot will hold it perfectly).

If the rope won't work because of the random rotation, I'll use green foam-coated wire (for gardeners at the dollar store).

... just tried, with above knot it will not rotate, especially if two ends are a bit (or a lot) apart
... unfortunately it is not working while charging

 

[user 29855]

Not sure, but i'm putting Lanco 15-year white (goes on very light blue) roof sealant on my van top, but in very thin layers, 3 of them, with a couple of days in between the coats. Reflects 90% of the heat. Proven by neighbors where I live and I used it to put in a greenhouse channeled grow sheet filter. Home Depot etc. Gallon can of the stuff is only $28 and i'm going to use it to seal the floor of the minivan after I remove the carpet. 2006 Sienna. Hope this helps.

That stuff is great! I put several coats on the fiberglass top on my van, and it helps keep the interior much cooler. I have two 100-watt solar panels on the roof, and from the inside of the van, there is no difference in temperature from where the solar panels are shading the roof, to the unshaded portion. Very effective!

 

[Inti]

DIY fans for those who like silence(for cheap):

I found a very quiet and cheap 140mm 12-volt computer fan on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J4FUU7Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Also, you can definitely make it practically silent with one of these power regulators: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DlwQ5JJ (they both work just fine, don't add any noise to the above fan, as sometimes happens with similar regulators).

Cheap and quality grills for the above fan to protect the blades and fingers:
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_De7KUB7 (no screws, unfortunately)

Also tried a very large 200mm PC fan: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00J0NZFIA?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details with these grills: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YBZ9JXQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 - but I was less impressed with it, a bit more noise (which again can be completely eliminated with the power control), but I expected more airflow, it is almost the same as the cheaper and smaller 140mm fan.

I bought the stuff for apartment and car ventilation, the 140mm is more convenient, especially after I put a soft self-adhesive rubber sealing strip around one side; it allows you to fix the fan in many positions by just squeezing it. This should work for some car windows as well. Some pictures:

140mm fan

is holding with help of this:

200mm fan (without grill, picture made before it arrived) attached to window by strings:

By the way, one more thing to run 12v fan from USB (provides 12v and 9v for lower speed and less noise): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004118413025.html

 

[Overland One]

I bet that makes a major difference in keeping the heat out. You've "got a plan", as they say.

Someone on here said they tinted their windows to keep the heat out. <????> I don't understand that, because my windows came factory tinted quite dark; and that dark makes the glass turn very hot when the sun is shining directly on it, instead of keeping the heat out. Do you know what type of coating she was talking about that keeps heat out?

My way of stopping window heat has been to (1) cut 1/2-inch sheets of blue foam Wall insulation to exactly fit my window glass. (2) Stretch a bungee cord over the window from center-top to center-bottom. (3) Put a 2" square block of wood behind the bungee chord right in the center to hold the insulation tight against the hot glass.

That's a strange solution, but it's what I've got that works. Magnets would not work for me because NOTHING anywhere near the windows is magnetic. But I like having my solution on the inside so I don't have to be concerned about what's happening on the outside, whether city or country, day or night, storm or shine.

But I suspect that if the amount of heat blocking from your technique were compared with mine, you'd win the contest!

I know your post was almost a year ago but, I am thinking of doing the same on my two large rear conversion van windows. I was going to put something reflective (space blanket, aluminum tape, etc.) on the side of the blue foam facing the glass to reflect the heat back out of the glass but, I have read that some people have had their windshields crack from the trapped heat when doing something like this and I was wondering if that might be an issue on my large side windows as well? I like this idea because I can turn them around backwards in the winter to reflect my heat back to the inside. I may steal/borrow your bungee cord idea as that seems like an excellent solution.

 

[Bryan]

Where in the van did you drill the hole? Thinking of doing the same with my van for a while now. Not exactly sure where would be a good place to put it.

Thanks,
Bryan