Recurring daily until May 7, 2023, Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center

Stevie Nicks
May. 16, 2023 – May. 16, 2023

Recurring daily until May 16, 2023, Thompson-Boling Arena

The summer is the best time to escape to your most sought-after destinations, but your RV can get uncomfortably hot if it sits too long under the sweltering sun. With a little planning, you can maximize air ventilation throughout your cabin and keep your RV cool day and night.

1. Find a campsite with shade

• While finding a campsite with shade may seem like common sense, it can easily slip your mind if you’re booking months in advance. Do some research before making a campsite reservation: look at a map of the campground or call up and ask which sites offer the most shade. If you arrive at a campground without a reservation, don’t forget to check if there are any shady sites available.
• Even if you acquired the perfect spot, most sites aren’t going to stay completely shady throughout the day. When the sun begins to shine, position your RV so its rays hit the side with the least amount of windows. The fewer windows the sun shines through, the cooler your RV will be. You can also pull down your blinds to block the sun from entering the cabin. Remember Campers, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so plan accordingly!

2. Bring tarps

• If you miss out on a shady site, a couple tarps will provide instant cover when the midday heat kicks in. Tarps are great because they’re big enough to provide shade for you and whomever you’re camping with. Attach one to your awning or your RV, set up a chair and relax!

3. Improve your RV air conditioner’s efficiency

• You can get cooler air from your air conditioner by keeping its filters clean. There are two quick and easy ways to do this: 1) Wash the filters in warm soapy water. Rinse and allow them to dry before reinstalling. 2) Use a small vacuum to suck up any dirty matter on the filters. Follow either of these methods, and your air conditioner will be blowing cooler air in no time.

4. Ventilation

• One of the best ways you can keep your RV cool during the summer is by maintaining proper ventilation inside the cabin. Proper ventilation will suck in refreshing cool air and push out nasty warm air. You can ventilate your rig by installing vent covers over the roof vents. Roof vent covers are cheap, easy to install and allow fresh air to circulate even when it’s raining. You can also close the windows facing the sun and open up the windows on the shaded side. This will let all the warm air out. Furthermore, you can install a roof vent fan to provide a cool breeze inside the cabin.

5. Cover your RV’s bathroom skylight

• You’d be surprised how much heat enters through the bathroom skylight.

6. Cook outside

• You can avoid heating your cabin on humid summer days by cooking your meals outside as much as possible. If the forecast predicts a scorcher, buy groceries for meals that can be prepared in a crock-pot or a Dutch oven. You can also break out the grill or the camp stove. A cookout sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?