By Emma Dodd
With an uptick in staycations and many parts of the UK experiencing a heatwave, many of you may be wondering how to keep cool in your caravan or motorhome this summer.
Luckily, there are a number of techniques you can employ to stave off the heat, stay calm and get a good night’s sleep.
The first thing to do is make use of your leisure vehicle’s air heating and cooling capabilities. If it is equipped with a Truma blown air heating system then the fan can be used to get air moving around.
If there’s an extractor fan in the kitchen, put it into reverse to pull cool air from the outside into your caravan.
A portable 12V cooling fan can easily be set up inside a caravan even if you’ve not got an electric hook-up.
Invest in some reflective windscreen covers to keep the sun’s rays out of your van. You can reuse these again in the winter to keep the frost off (we know you’re dreaming of frost right now!)
Keep any windows that are in full sun closed and with the blinds or curtains drawn and open those on the shaded side of the van.
Try to pitch up in a shady spot. Most places will be out of the shade at some point during the day, but look at where the sun comes up and goes down, and try to minimise the number of hours your van is in direct sunlight.
Create your own shade with an awning, whether it’s attached to your van or freestanding. This will help to keep your van walls cooler.
Cook outside as much as you can, because the heat from the oven or hob will make your van even hotter.
Finally, grab a cool drink from your caravan or motorhome’s fridge, as keeping hydrated is important for staying well and comfortable during a heatwave.
