Cali & Hot Weather

[snowy55]

Does anyone just run the van with the AC on?

I don't think you would be very popular with your neighbours on the campsite.

 

[zeratul]

I don't think you would be very popular with your neighbours on the campsite.

unless everyone does it
I thought about this as well...

 

[Steve64]

I don't think you would be very popular with your neighbours on the campsite.

true enough maybe wild camping or on an empty part of the campsite.

 

[snowy55]

Engine ticking over for hours sounds like a good way to clog your DPF.

 

[Steve64]

Engine ticking over for hours sounds like a good way to clog your DPF.

Well yes, i was more thinking along the lines of running it for 20 minutes or so to cool the van down, remember the original post was about severe temperature with 4 people.

 

[dfps]

Have suffered in the past with high night time temperatures in the Cali so have just bought one of these to trial over the next few weeks in S France.

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/01h01-12v-24v-fans/10-portable-12v-fan-roadpro-usa-c3212/C3212

Will report back on how effective it is on our return.

 

[dfps]

Have suffered in the past with high night time temperatures in the Cali so have just bought one of these to trial over the next few weeks in S France.

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/01h01-12v-24v-fans/10-portable-12v-fan-roadpro-usa-c3212/C3212

Will report back on how effective it is on our return.

It seems quite powerful and robust and runs for a long time on 12v leisure batteries or its own independent batteries.

Much cheaper to buy than the Endless Breeze fan that many of the MH fraternity advocate.

 

[dfps]

It seems quite powerful and robust and runs for a long time on 12v leisure batteries or its own independent batteries.

Much cheaper to buy than the Endless Breeze fan that many of the MH fraternity advocate.

Also forgot to add that it is remarkably quiet -has 2 speed settings and is quiet enough not to disturb sleep in both settings

 

[Hotel California]

This one may be a slightly different model but seems noisy. So you may be cooler but I certainly wouldn't be sleeping.

Mike

Seem a big thing also with the reservoir to put ice or water in, as space is limited in a Cali .....?

 

[sapto]

We have just come back from Spain where it was mid thirties during the day and 25+ at night. We have now come to the conclusion the Cali is not a happy place in hot weather at night when more than two people in the van. Upstairs was fine ( although still very hot and sweaty at night) but downstairs was unbearable even with all the windows open. I guess two people should be fine but anymore than that and you will be looking at some sleepless nights.

Maybe it is just us but I would highly reccomend anyone going somewhere hot to take either a tent or a drive away awning as four hot bodies in a van is a big no-no

We ended up losing two nights on one campsite and booked into a hotel with air-con ( such a relief and only 20 euro more than camping)

We have one of these (used in Croatia last week):

and it is usefull when you have a place in the shade and on a campingplace.

Eberspächer (?) got a new toy: Ebercool. expensive but maybe a possibility

 

[zeratul]

Engine ticking over for hours sounds like a good way to clog your DPF.

I thought this was only a risk if you use the car for short trips, where the engine never reaches high enough temperature.
They talk about 'continued short journeys'... 8hours stationary running is perhaps not a short journey.
http://www.vwgenuineparts.co.uk/DPF_regeneration.shtml
Would it be bad for the engine?

 

[Bobbybus]

A mate of mine has just had a month in Spain +35'c and he bought one of these http://transcool.info/ excellent piece of kit keeps his van an dog cool.

And so it should at £349! If only it was more affordable as the reviews are good.

 

[Gavinskii]

Have suffered in the past with high night time temperatures in the Cali so have just bought one of these to trial over the next few weeks in S France.

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/01h01-12v-24v-fans/10-portable-12v-fan-roadpro-usa-c3212/C3212

Will report back on how effective it is on our return.

I reckon this is a good option, just direct it over one or more of those freezer ice packs and bowl of cold water and you've saved £320 over the cost of one of those very neat Transcool units.

 

[Neilgbj]

Just a quick thought from an environmental perspective (I know we all drive round in diesels)..... but is running any sort of extra air con all that 'environmentally friendly' as they must be pretty inefficient in a Cali? Don't shoot me but just saying....

 

[zeratul]

I also didn't feel like spending GBP 350 so I spend 1 hour assembling some components I had lying around. It's based on 12v old PC power supply fans. At first sight it seems to work fine, a lot of air coming through. I will play with attaching it to the side window through velcro or putting it on our kitchen unit headed to our heads.

 

[WelshGas]

To be honest the California is designed to cope really well with cold weather but hot weather is a different matter.
If wild camping then there is very little on offer to cool the interior without and adverse effect on the built in leisure battery system. Mains hook up allows you to choose more effective 240v systems or a 12v system that can be used without flattening the leisure battery. What we really need is a Diesel powered cooler, the opposite of the Parking Heater.

 

[Calicliff]

Same here with the blinds, 26 degrees was the point at which they stopped retracting. Lived with it cause I do not want the trim being ripped out for a no win fix....

 

[ChrisB]

Hi Steve &Lisa,
I live in Murcia, Spain which is one of the hottest regions in Europe so I know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to the heat. Your post is very welcome because many people simply do not understand the huge differences between UK & Spanish temp's. The main thing is to try and keep the heat out by using effective insulation and heat reflective materials. Cheap silver windscreen screen reflectors might not look 'cool' but hang these over all the windows and pop up roof if you can when parked up and the difference will be dramatic. Above all, do not forget to hydrate yourselves and your animals. Stay cool and stay safe.

 

[WelshGas]

In Italy. Daytime temperature 35c since 1st August. Brandrup Tailgate AirSafe. All blinds down including cabin blinds/curtains. Sliding windows open with flyscreens. Roof up and canvas windows open opposite side to sun. 240v 7" clip on fan clipped to leading edge of roof bed pointing towards rear. We are sleeping downstairs and there are only 2 of us. No problems so far.

 

[Rob H]

To be honest the California is designed to cope really well with cold weather but hot weather is a different matter.
If wild camping then there is very little on offer to cool the interior without and adverse effect on the built in leisure battery system. Mains hook up allows you to choose more effective 240v systems or a 12v system that can be used without flattening the leisure battery. What we really need is a Diesel powered cooler, the opposite of the Parking Heater.

This got me thinking, a small self contained single cylinder engine say 25cc combined with the vehicle AC compressor unit, so the vehicle AC compressor is driven either from the front pulley and standard electronic clutch by the vehicle engine when in mobile use, or off the small geared down engine off the back of the AC unit when parked up ? how small, how quiet could it be made, how much would it cost ? Nothing is impossible ...

Rob H.

 

[Amarillo]

To be honest the California is designed to cope really well with cold weather but hot weather is a different matter.

How much difference does the colour of the van make in the sunshine?

 

[WelshGas]

How much difference does the colour of the van make in the sunshine?

Colour is supposed to make a difference but I have had black and white vehicles and cannot say I noticed much difference. The California has insulation, double glazing and a combination of material + steel + alloy and glass so I really do not know.

 

[WelshGas]

This got me thinking, a small self contained single cylinder engine say 25cc combined with the vehicle AC compressor unit, so the vehicle AC compressor is driven either from the front pulley and standard electronic clutch by the vehicle engine when in mobile use, or off the small geared down engine off the back of the AC unit when parked up ? how small, how quiet could it be made, how much would it cost ? Nothing is impossible ...

Rob H.

Agree, but I think it might have to be a bit more than 25cc. Having the AirCon on affects fuel consumption on a 2L diesel so it must require some power to run the AirCon.
I was thinking of some form of heat exchanger system like the Parking heater but in reverse. Low output but able to run 24/7 .

 

[Skylark2.0]

Why not find a bit of thin cotton eg a sarong and moisten it?
If you lie under it in the nud (or a swim suit I suppose...) it evaporates with your body heat and cools you down.
Alarmingly effective so careful you don't wake up shivering!
Bit like sticking your can of beer in a wet sock and hanging it on the line....

 

[cleve]

We're just back from Italy (Lake maggiore and east of Genova) where temperature was mid 30s in the day and didn't find it a problem with 5 of us! Shaded pitches helped, and have the Brandrup isolite exterior screen and comfortz cali cozy was fantastic. I've lined our cab door curtains with blackout fabric so put them on the doors with the white side facing outwards to reflect more heat. We all slept with just a sheet but still wore light pj's and didn't unpack the duvets until we got to France where it was 10 degrees cooler. We had the window fly screens on and kept those blinds open until the sun came up as the blinds down stopped the air flow. Roof vents open but closed the cozy window facing the sunrise to shade that side in the mornings.

A small fan may have been nice on odd nights but think we became acclimatised a bit as we laughed at the children wanting the air con set at 24 degrees when driving as they were cold! We had set it to 21 in the front which at home I'd class as putting the hearing on!