The sun is out, the sky is blue, and caravan owners everywhere are dusting off their trusty tourers and hitting the open road.
But before you go anywhere, there’s one thing you need to do: make sure your caravan is properly prepared for summer.
Here are our top tips for keeping your caravan cool during those hot summer months.
Choose A Holiday Park With Shade
An important factor that is often overlooked when choosing a holiday park is the amount of shade.
When the sun is beating down, there’s nothing more refreshing than being able to relax in the coolness of a shady plot.
Holiday parks with plenty of trees and bushes are ideal for those hot summer days. Not only do they provide welcome relief from the heat, but they also offer a sense of privacy and tranquillity.
Plan Your Journey
Although this guide covers ways to keep your caravan cool this summer, it would be remiss of us not to include keeping cool on the journey to the caravan park.
You should be doing your usual pre-road trip checks before you set off, but for days when the heat is more intense, remember to double-check that your car is in optimum condition to drive and tow a caravan, and of course, the usual caravan maintenance and checks are done before travel.
Plan your journey ahead of time and allow for delays due to increased traffic. A caravan sat-nav can be useful to ensure you don’t take longer than you need to or find yourself down unsuitable roads.
Pack plenty of water for the journey and ensure everyone has plenty of air – remember to think about any pets that might be feeling the heat during a long hot car journey.
Now that you’ve arrived on site, it’s time to prepare your caravan to keep as cool as possible!
Open The Windows
To help regulate the temperature inside your caravan during hot weather, it is essential to keep a steady flow of cooler air flowing through the space.
This can be achieved by opening windows, vents and doors that are not in full sun. Windows in full sun should be closed, and blinds used to stop the rays from getting in.
Pull The Blinds Down
As well as closing the windows in your caravan that are in direct sunlight, it’s an idea to close the blinds to keep the heat out.
This will help to keep your caravan cooler and make it more comfortable to spend time inside. If you want to let some light in but don’t want the heat, try using reflective blinds that will reflect the sun’s rays away from the windows.
Cook Outside
When the caravan is already feeling hot, you don’t want to add even more heat by turning on the oven.
There’s something special about cooking outdoors, particularly when you’re on a caravanning holiday.
Plenty of delicious recipes can be cooked using a camping stove or a bbq, all served up with a tasty green salad and a cold drink.
If you’re keen to cook inside the caravan, air fryers and multi-cookers are popular choices for caravanning as they don’t give out too much heat.
And if you’re not in the mood to cook, then why not pop out for dinner or treat yourself to a fish and chip supper?
Chill Out In The Awning
An awning can help keep the inside of your caravan comfortable and cool by providing shade and shelter from the sun.
And, with a little planning, you can ensure that your awning provides the perfect spot for relaxing, entertaining, or simply enjoying the outdoors.
Here are a few tips to help you keep cool in your caravan awning:
- Choose a shady spot: When setting up your caravan awning, choose a spot sheltered from direct sunlight. This will help keep the temperature inside the awning cooler more comfortable.
- Create airflow: One way to help keep the air inside your awning cool is to create a cross breeze. If possible, position your awning so that open space on one side will allow the wind to flow through. Alternatively, you can set up a fan inside the awning to help circulate the air.
Use A Fan Or Portable Air Conditioning Unit
If the temperatures are particularly hot, then using a fan or portable air conditioning unit can help keep your caravan cool.
Place the fan in front of an open window to help circulate the air, or use the air conditioner to cool the space down. Just be sure to close the windows and doors to keep the cool air in.
Install A Turbo Vent
A turbo vent is a great option if you’ve been considering upgrading your caravan’s ventilation system.
Turbo vents are designed to run quietly and consume less energy than older ventilation systems.
They also regulate the ingoing and outgoing air according to the inner temperature of your caravan, so you can be sure that you’re always breathing fresh, comfortable air.
Plus, the fan direction is changeable, so you can customize the airflow to suit your needs.
Consider An Air Conditioning System
If you’re planning to travel in hot climates, an air conditioning system can make a world of difference.
Caravan air conditioning systems can be installed as boxes on the roof or inside the caravan as storage boxes.
Both options have pros and cons, but they’re worth the investment if you want to stay cool on longer trips, for example, touring across Europe.
Keep Pets Cool
We know you’re all sensible caravanners and dog owners, but it’s always worth including a bit about keeping dogs cool.
Just like you wouldn’t and shouldn’t leave a dog in a hot (or even warm) car, you shouldn’t leave one in a caravan either.
Make sure they have access to fresh, cold water as well as shade. In really hot weather, they will also likely appreciate a small paddling pool to cool themselves down and a cooling mat to chill out on.
Remember to give them space, too, and don’t leave them to get hot and bothered with people walking or running past them; like us humans, dogs get irritable in the heat.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found our tips on how to keep a caravan cool in the summer helpful! If you have any additional tips, please share them with us in the comments below.
Happy caravanning!