Also, I'm in Las Vegas mostly (nephews!💜), and Frogg Togg cooling towels rock! Seriously game changers, low maintenance AF, mildew resistant, and last for YEARS (going on 3).. I tried several others, but none compare, dog's honor.. Buy normal (?) size, & cut lengthwise cuz they're plenty big enough & super effective.. (Not sponsored- just sharing a great find). Take care all! & YES, STAY HYDRATED! :)
next a video on how to get a grilfriend living in a van lol, awesome vid man, i thought it was going to be winter that was tough but it is the summer that is actually the hardest in terms of comfort.
Alex Wood Obviously you can see he’s referring to the man making the video, I don’t see any women in it? They’re plenty of women living the van life, and enjoy it. Who’s the ignorant one?
@Bill Randall I think you are ignorant of the costs of renting a building to other people, if you think its all just profit. Highly ignorant. I would suggest a little research before making assumptions, as assumptions are what is so damaging to our society at the moment.
Great points! I drive up and down the Florida eastern coast and stay in my small 4 cylinder commercial van many nights. I have a 100w 12v rigid solar panel on my roof and reflectix as part of my roof insulation and have a mirror like vinyl wrap on top as well. I run a 12 volt roof vent and i mostly sleep cool all months except July and August. Totally agree that staying near the beach and running the AC on high for 20 minutes right before calling it a night does help. My solar panel does a great job of allowing me to run a vent fan and a 12v freezer all day and keep my batteries (12v primary), gel auxiliary and an emergency jumper battery topped off while operating these. But truth is I am rarely in the Van during the hot day and rarely even need the freezer. If i could find some way to solar and alternator charge some small Lithium system that could run some super efficient AC cooling system over night that would be ideal. I've heard new air cooling systems might be on the horizon. I don't even think the van needs 1000 BTUs, it has a tiny amount of unoccupied space for air to be cooled. I've also been waiting to see if at some point an EV van with overnight AC options shows up in the market and I would be all over that. I'm thinking when it does running the AC for 7 hours while parked should not consume more than 15% of the total KiloWatts available. Cheers and good luck to you.
If that ever happens hon, we'll ALL move into our cars 😁 (I live in Sydney, Oz. We melt during the summer and don't even talk to me about Brisbane - ick!)
Some personal experience: hospital, mall, and library parking garages in midsized cities- usually free, some have underground levels, free wifi, place to hang out with A/C...no one will bother you inside of a hospital if you are clean and keep a low profile. I also park under trees in older middle class neighborhoods- many have parks near by or are near major roads so you can get food etc. Much cooler in neighborhoods with tall trees. Id say major Summer problems are finding shade and water so don't be discouraged as its not always easy. I travel with 2 cats so I spend the hottest parts of the day in the van unless I can find a parking garage with guaranteed all day shade (sun moves). Also a cooler with a fan and a big bag of ice has been my friend- drops the temp by about 15 degrees and helps me sleep and when it melts I have like 3-4 gallons of water!!! Yay!!! Will have to try parking by the water as I live about 10-15 miles from lake Erie. I find the worst part is the sun- no matter how much reflectix on your Windows you are still in a metal box and metal conducts A LOT of heat. You can cook a potato in the sun if you use aluminum foil. Stay out of the sun and you can reduce your temp. Its easy to know when I am no longer in shade because I feel the heat INSTANTLY. I am in a cargo van so I can feel the side metal heating up with no body paneling. I realize in big cities shade is sparse- but just being in a city makes it way hotter- try to get to some older middle class suburbs or parks during the day- trees help!!! Or stay in the city and pay the $5-$10 dollars for a parking garage- for those with funds or pets it is a huge relief knowing that your car is safe, cool, and in an appropriate place while you have the peace of mind to explore. Having an exhaust fan and cracked windows helps too
Rustbelt Van-Life I am really interested in how you are able to live in Van with two cats. I have two cats also, and I am freaking out. I don’t think I can give them a good safe, happy life in my vehicle - period. Then the temp extremes of midwestern summers and winters. They are used to apartment cooled by ac and heated in winter. Plus, it’s cramped inside van! And I Don’t want litter box so close to me sleeping, eating, breathing it in, etc. I also work ...how would the cats stay comfortable those hours? I don’t know how you do it. It sounds very uncomfortable.
Hospitals for the win! When I'm on extended road trips in warm climates living out of my car, hospital cafeterias often have very affordable delicious food, free wifi and a/c. I even found one in FL that served Beyond Burgers for $3!
If I were living in a cargo van I would buy two AGM H8 car batteries from Walmart. I would also buy a battery charger, a power inverter and a 3.5 cubic feet chest freezer to make ice. I would use 1 battery to run the freezer and leave the other one charging at a Planet Fitness. I would never run out of ice. Better yet I would buy a few solar panels and charge the batteries from it.
Living in the car while hot is tough. School just started and this first week has been so hard as it has been so hot at night. I wake up in the middle of the night multiple times drenched in sweat and feel so helpless with the suffocating heat. I am out of focus in class. I tried sleeping in the parking garage and outside with covers. I am dreading sleeping tonight. :( I wish I can head north. This has been the worst since the past two months
I think a white blind with reflectix behind in the windows will be better than a black one of course because of the heat absorbing quality of black. If you have a strong ocean breeze, a small turbine helps to charge batteries I'm guessing.
Extremely helpful tips. Thank you :-) Now don't forget to get your undercarriage cleaned via a good automatic car wash once in a while to keep that ocean salt build-up from rusting it quicker than usual.
Freezing cold damp towels and freezing water spray bottle to cool down help. The footprint of my promaster city is tiny and my bed is on the floor, I have two fans going on high and it's like a tornado insider there so I'm not sweating, but it's not like sleeping in 70F. Down here summer nights are like 80F and very humid. I have a bucket i use for everything including a swamp cooler that blows cold on my feet.. but it won't cool the cabin given all the circulation i have going on. I'm thinking of seeing what happens if i place a bag of cold ice on my roof where my MaxxAir fan sucks air in. IMO, nothing you can do outside of hvac is going to make a parked van comfortable in the sun. I have a giant solar panel that shades my metal roof and reflectix under my roof, and still it gets hot in the sun even with the fans blowing on high. I upgraded my battery from 120RC to 205RC so I could run more fans , but if the Florida sun is beating down hard, might as well crank the engine and blow cold AC if you just need a few hours in the middle of the day to work or nap.
Nate I need your experience. Trying to keep it simple: how cool is the car with the reflectix on ALL windows with vented/open windows? Is that chill enough to keep surfboards from bubbling/delaminating/warping? I read that 145F (62C) is the temperature at which boards start to bubble. I can't seem to find any info that covers this properly. Here's the story. I want to get a small car and travel vanlife style - surf trip. I want to have a few surfboard with me, and some would have to stay in the car, but I'm afraid heat will damage them. There's never a guarantee that I can park in the shade. I'm thinking of the following solutions to keep the car cool: 1) reflectix 2) rear window vents (like this: offroadpassport.com/forum/showthread.php?p=51528 ) or like sports cars rear window vents 2 part B to use computer fans 6" in those vents to have an air flow (one for in, one out at the other window, thinking of two rear vents, solar power for the fans etc) and 3) the car is a hatchback (still buying) and I want to make a box/trunk in the rear, remove the back seats and to give my self an elevated sleep platform and loads of storage underneath (included for my surfboards). So I'm thinking that that wooden box would be further isolated for a few hours. I'm contemplating making my own 12V freon TINY ac unit that would chill that box but I have no idea how well it would work (100-200W on the roof something like that, and lots of hope that my "in the head" estimations could work: it's all an idea for now). The car would be white, I think. Anyway, so what do you think it would be necessary to keep surfboards in the car without damaging them (same for DSLR cameras etc).
Fan just stirs the hot air...doesn't do much.....if any! You will still feel sticky + hot...especially during summer..with every afternoon with thunderstorms! No way! LOL. not me.
Use your solar panel, but also invest in installing a dual battery system in your van, that way the alternator of the car will charge your emergency battery whenever the solar battery is out of service.
Before I park I go to gas station get a bigggg cup of ice. Fill with water gallon I keep in car. Sip and wet towel. That a/c running on high for 20min if awesome trick
I don't mean to sow but I kind of understand why you sleeping in your van I might be going through the same thing as you. But I hope you are not going through the same thing as me I hear a loud noise campaigns in your video with the cars. I hope you succeed in life man there's nothing wrong with sleeping in your van I just watched a woman who sleeps in her van a young woman at that and she was explaining how to live in your van and I got money all got to pay these morons rent and utilities I just pay for gas and whatever goes I just pay for gas and whatever goes wrong with my van I don't have to mow the lawn or any b******* like that I just have to worry about putting gas in my van. just noticed I'm being sarcastic to the people veteran leave negative comments on your video
I can imagine haha it must be insanely hot there right now. I used a double sided Velcro tape. One piece of the Velcro goes on the glass and the other piece goes on the Reflectix. It doesn't do so well with the heat on the glass though. On the back window I have it stuck to the plastic trim and that holds up much better.
ebay has a solar powered fan for 100 bucks.. automatically kicks on when sun hits the solar panels. I want to travel with my animals and need to find a way to keep it really cool.
I haven't survived a real winter just yet! Coldest night I've experienced was around 24 degrees F in New Mexico. For that night, I just layered up (knit hat, socks, pj pants and sweatshirt) and used my cheap sleeping bag (rated to 30 degrees I believe).
One question and an idea. Do you have any kind of screening for the windows to keep the mosquitoes and gnats out at night? I know the bugs are terrible in the deep south night and day during the summer. I thought of an idea for" stealth" camping. Spray paint the window covers black. It will just make the windows look real dark, It would not look the like window covered.
Good idea about the covers though I wonder how well paint will stick to flexible material? Also, black absorbs heat so probably not the best choice when in the heat/sun. Cheers!
thax for your videos. Do you run the fan all night? You may have said but you were talking so fast and not really loud enough to catch it. I have my volume up at max. btw I camp in MY Element too. Have two 2" foamies on top each other custom cut narrow enough to put on both right side seats reclined and pieces of 5" foam for the valleys to get a relatively flatter bed. I have 2 foamies (both with zip off covers) because they roll up easier when removed and can be used by 2 peops for out of car lounging.
Right on! I'll usually run the fan all night ... unless I somehow get cold in the middle the night but that's pretty rare this time of year! It runs on my solar battery.
I've got battery/usb fan . I just plug it in to my mini portable power bank last 6hrs~recharge daily ~VELCRO BANK TO FAN 4inch cord. Move anywhere no cords to trip on and no batteries buy or re install ever.
So, when I go to live in a van, there's no such thing as a little AC unit that you can keep running, for hours on end? I e seen RVs that have AC units on their roofs; how do they power those? Thank you!!
Any "cool" tips for Phoenix Arizona. I have to stay in the area because of work. But what I've found that I'm saving for, is a mini AC unit and portable solar panel. That's the only thing I can think of. Any other tips before I but these. I'll be at work during the day, so I need it at night.
I'm trying out cardboard windows, I stay in my van during max plus 30 (Canadian temperature) I'm lucky enough to have a house fan, what is your isolated window things and how do you make them thank
Where is it you live again ,because we live in Wilmington/Leland North Carolina areas and we live in our van ,but we've been told it's against the law ?
Do you sometimes sleep with a window open for ventilation? If so, do u worry about safety? Thanks-im thinking about moving into my subaru outback. I live in Orange County, CA
Christine Crahan Lived out of a 2001 honda civic and 2013 scion tc for years on and off in Orange county... I always had my windows cracked and sunroof popped up.. No issues... Just gotta use common sense and have a gym membership to shower...🙂 #1 tint your windows!
You would think the hotter it is, the greater the solar panels can work to cool things. Can an AC unit of 3,000 BTU cool you, if you close off an even smaller area in your van? Can your solar panels produce the power for a 3,000 BTU AC? If no AC, for a few hours can you be in super shade and still have overall energy?
Have you ever used or heard of those mini AC units that run off water (basically just a fan with a sponge and a water tank inside)? Wondering if that would be a good idea for sleeping at night, although I'd worry about there being too much moisture in the van and causing mold issues. I live in Arizona, so I'm not too worried about it... any thoughts? I'd only need to use it for the summer months, as it gets cold at night pretty much the rest of the year.
How do you get the 12V fan to work when you turn off the engine of the Element. When I turn off the motor of my 2005 Element the power plug ins do not work.Do you have that on your solar generator?
Have you gone up to Big Bear yet it's knarley you'd love it ..lots of places to park. I used to have a rv and would go there to snowboard, did the mammoth trip once just to far.
I believe he is referring to the amperage draw of the load while in use. Amp hours refer to the stamina of a battery, Your hair dryer draws 12 amps AC The fan he showed draws .5 amps while running or in use. DC TECH TIP when referring to voltage AC = "At Crib" voltage and DC = "Da Car" voltage. :) One is used in the house and the other in the car. AC alternating current DC direct current. AC is more dangerous because the alternating current cycles your muscles and doesn't allow them to release the power source when you get shocked. OK I'll stop now I can go on for hours :)
So your tips on how to stay cool living in a van are to travel somewhere where it's cool out or get out of the van and spend the day somewhere that's air conditioned..
Hey Nate, new subscriber, I have an 07 element, no 12 volt plug in in the back, would it be hard to run everything With just the one 12 volt I have up front? Also I see you have surfboards on your roof, are you worried someone Will try to steal them when you are sleeping or away from your vehicle-I hope not-...thank you Jake
Hey Jake. I have a separate battery system that I use to run everything. I don't use the 12v built into the Element. My surfboards are locked to the roof using stainless steel straps. There's a link on my website to them. www.elementvanlife.com/shop
Also, I'm in Las Vegas mostly (nephews!💜), and Frogg Togg cooling towels rock! Seriously game changers, low maintenance AF, mildew resistant, and last for YEARS (going on 3).. I tried several others, but none compare, dog's honor.. Buy normal (?) size, & cut lengthwise cuz they're plenty big enough & super effective.. (Not sponsored- just sharing a great find). Take care all! & YES, STAY HYDRATED! :)
DON'T come to Phoenix in the summer! Hell on Earth....only hotter.
Your solar panel is shaded and is putting a lot less wattage than its capable of
next a video on how to get a grilfriend living in a van lol, awesome vid man, i thought it was going to be winter that was tough but it is the summer that is actually the hardest in terms of comfort.
Every young man should have a vehicle he can live out of in a pinch.
why only men? Whilst it's a nice idea, not everyone can live like this.
speed racer true and fuck the feminists
Alex Wood
Obviously you can see he’s referring to the man making the video, I don’t see any women in it? They’re plenty of women living the van life, and enjoy it. Who’s the ignorant one?
speed racer yup
@Bill Randall I think you are ignorant of the costs of renting a building to other people, if you think its all just profit. Highly ignorant. I would suggest a little research before making assumptions, as assumptions are what is so damaging to our society at the moment.
We like our 12v Endless Breeze Portable Fan. It's made by the company that makes the Fantastic Roof vent fans.
I've heard good things about those! I'll have to look into them if my current one breaks.
Element Van Life
How do you hook up your fan? Do a video if this, please.
Great points! I drive up and down the Florida eastern coast and stay in my small 4 cylinder commercial van many nights. I have a 100w 12v rigid solar panel on my roof and reflectix as part of my roof insulation and have a mirror like vinyl wrap on top as well. I run a 12 volt roof vent and i mostly sleep cool all months except July and August. Totally agree that staying near the beach and running the AC on high for 20 minutes right before calling it a night does help. My solar panel does a great job of allowing me to run a vent fan and a 12v freezer all day and keep my batteries (12v primary), gel auxiliary and an emergency jumper battery topped off while operating these. But truth is I am rarely in the Van during the hot day and rarely even need the freezer. If i could find some way to solar and alternator charge some small Lithium system that could run some super efficient AC cooling system over night that would be ideal. I've heard new air cooling systems might be on the horizon. I don't even think the van needs 1000 BTUs, it has a tiny amount of unoccupied space for air to be cooled. I've also been waiting to see if at some point an EV van with overnight AC options shows up in the market and I would be all over that. I'm thinking when it does running the AC for 7 hours while parked should not consume more than 15% of the total KiloWatts available. Cheers and good luck to you.
If that ever happens hon, we'll ALL move into our cars 😁
(I live in Sydney, Oz. We melt during the summer and don't even talk to me about Brisbane - ick!)
Some personal experience: hospital, mall, and library parking garages in midsized cities- usually free, some have underground levels, free wifi, place to hang out with A/C...no one will bother you inside of a hospital if you are clean and keep a low profile. I also park under trees in older middle class neighborhoods- many have parks near by or are near major roads so you can get food etc. Much cooler in neighborhoods with tall trees. Id say major Summer problems are finding shade and water so don't be discouraged as its not always easy. I travel with 2 cats so I spend the hottest parts of the day in the van unless I can find a parking garage with guaranteed all day shade (sun moves). Also a cooler with a fan and a big bag of ice has been my friend- drops the temp by about 15 degrees and helps me sleep and when it melts I have like 3-4 gallons of water!!! Yay!!!
Will have to try parking by the water as I live about 10-15 miles from lake Erie.
I find the worst part is the sun- no matter how much reflectix on your Windows you are still in a metal box and metal conducts A LOT of heat. You can cook a potato in the sun if you use aluminum foil. Stay out of the sun and you can reduce your temp. Its easy to know when I am no longer in shade because I feel the heat INSTANTLY. I am in a cargo van so I can feel the side metal heating up with no body paneling.
I realize in big cities shade is sparse- but just being in a city makes it way hotter- try to get to some older middle class suburbs or parks during the day- trees help!!! Or stay in the city and pay the $5-$10 dollars for a parking garage- for those with funds or pets it is a huge relief knowing that your car is safe, cool, and in an appropriate place while you have the peace of mind to explore. Having an exhaust fan and cracked windows helps too
Rustbelt Van-Life I am really interested in how you are able to live in Van with two cats. I have two cats also, and I am freaking out. I don’t think I can give them a good safe, happy life in my vehicle - period. Then the temp extremes of midwestern summers and winters. They are used to apartment cooled by ac and heated in winter. Plus, it’s cramped inside van! And I Don’t want litter box so close to me sleeping, eating, breathing it in, etc. I also work ...how would the cats stay comfortable those hours? I don’t know how you do it. It sounds very uncomfortable.
Hospitals for the win! When I'm on extended road trips in warm climates living out of my car, hospital cafeterias often have very affordable delicious food, free wifi and a/c. I even found one in FL that served Beyond Burgers for $3!
If I were living in a cargo van I would buy two AGM H8 car batteries from Walmart. I would also buy a battery charger, a power inverter and a 3.5 cubic feet chest freezer to make ice. I would use 1 battery to run the freezer and leave the other one charging at a Planet Fitness. I would never run out of ice. Better yet I would buy a few solar panels and charge the batteries from it.
Hi...good informative video! Thanks so much. P.S. you are adorable!
good idea about 12 volt fan for white noise
Living in the car while hot is tough. School just started and this first week has been so hard as it has been so hot at night. I wake up in the middle of the night multiple times drenched in sweat and feel so helpless with the suffocating heat. I am out of focus in class. I tried sleeping in the parking garage and outside with covers. I am dreading sleeping tonight. :( I wish I can head north. This has been the worst since the past two months
Karla Cabrera where do you live ?? Im moving out west next year in my 4Runner snd im worried about this
Karla sorry to hear
I hope you are in a better living situation now Karla.
I think a white blind with reflectix behind in the windows will be better than a black one of course because of the heat absorbing quality of black. If you have a strong ocean breeze, a small turbine helps to charge batteries I'm guessing.
The real question is how the fuck do you post your videos on the internet. Like seriously what do you do dude.
He clicks the upload button...
You go to the nearest starbucks and use their wifi to upload them. Duh!!!
Mobile data works too lol
Extremely helpful tips. Thank you :-) Now don't forget to get your undercarriage cleaned via a good automatic car wash once in a while to keep that ocean salt build-up from rusting it quicker than usual.
Hieu Nguyen yeup, $10 car wash rules .
I be scared it mess up solar panels
Freezing cold damp towels and freezing water spray bottle to cool down help. The footprint of my promaster city is tiny and my bed is on the floor, I have two fans going on high and it's like a tornado insider there so I'm not sweating, but it's not like sleeping in 70F. Down here summer nights are like 80F and very humid. I have a bucket i use for everything including a swamp cooler that blows cold on my feet.. but it won't cool the cabin given all the circulation i have going on. I'm thinking of seeing what happens if i place a bag of cold ice on my roof where my MaxxAir fan sucks air in. IMO, nothing you can do outside of hvac is going to make a parked van comfortable in the sun. I have a giant solar panel that shades my metal roof and reflectix under my roof, and still it gets hot in the sun even with the fans blowing on high. I upgraded my battery from 120RC to 205RC so I could run more fans , but if the Florida sun is beating down hard, might as well crank the engine and blow cold AC if you just need a few hours in the middle of the day to work or nap.
Nate I need your experience. Trying to keep it simple: how cool is the car with the reflectix on ALL windows with vented/open windows? Is that chill enough to keep surfboards from bubbling/delaminating/warping? I read that 145F (62C) is the temperature at which boards start to bubble. I can't seem to find any info that covers this properly.
Here's the story. I want to get a small car and travel vanlife style - surf trip. I want to have a few surfboard with me, and some would have to stay in the car, but I'm afraid heat will damage them. There's never a guarantee that I can park in the shade. I'm thinking of the following solutions to keep the car cool: 1) reflectix 2) rear window vents (like this: offroadpassport.com/forum/showthread.php?p=51528 ) or like sports cars rear window vents 2 part B to use computer fans 6" in those vents to have an air flow (one for in, one out at the other window, thinking of two rear vents, solar power for the fans etc) and 3) the car is a hatchback (still buying) and I want to make a box/trunk in the rear, remove the back seats and to give my self an elevated sleep platform and loads of storage underneath (included for my surfboards). So I'm thinking that that wooden box would be further isolated for a few hours. I'm contemplating making my own 12V freon TINY ac unit that would chill that box but I have no idea how well it would work (100-200W on the roof something like that, and lots of hope that my "in the head" estimations could work: it's all an idea for now).
The car would be white, I think.
Anyway, so what do you think it would be necessary to keep surfboards in the car without damaging them (same for DSLR cameras etc).
drink cold water before going to bed and during night when you start sweeting
Bob I agree
So u have to keep your car running to use the 12v fan? Or do u have an external battery or something?
San Diego! Woot!
Fan just stirs the hot air...doesn't do much.....if any!
You will still feel sticky + hot...especially during summer..with every afternoon with thunderstorms! No way! LOL. not me.
I was expecting a 12v AC unit.
Use your solar panel, but also invest in installing a dual battery system in your van, that way the alternator of the car will charge your emergency battery whenever the solar battery is out of service.
Before I park I go to gas station get a bigggg cup of ice. Fill with water gallon I keep in car. Sip and wet towel. That a/c running on high for 20min if awesome trick
Do they usually charge you? Do you bring your own cup?
I lived there two years ago in a van. BEST tacos ever in OB at Mike's Taco club.
Best carne asada fries are at mananas in Ramona and while youre down there buy jalapeno bread from dudleys bakery down in santa ysabel!
It's kind of hard can't go nowhere with covid-19 aren't you tired of this pandemic man
I don't mean to sow but I kind of understand why you sleeping in your van I might be going through the same thing as you. But I hope you are not going through the same thing as me I hear a loud noise campaigns in your video with the cars. I hope you succeed in life man there's nothing wrong with sleeping in your van I just watched a woman who sleeps in her van a young woman at that and she was explaining how to live in your van and I got money all got to pay these morons rent and utilities I just pay for gas and whatever goes I just pay for gas and whatever goes wrong with my van I don't have to mow the lawn or any b******* like that I just have to worry about putting gas in my van. just noticed I'm being sarcastic to the people veteran leave negative comments on your video
Hey cutie!!!
Find some shade, portable power stations, solar panels, roof van, block windows, wet washcloths.👍
Ty🌿
Drink beer in summer and hot sheed pass
Is the shiny side of the Reflectix not supposed to face the outside of the van in order to reflect the sunlight and heat?
Nate....I have read quite a few times NOT to put reflectives on a window....it may reflect so much heat that is will damage the windows.
Those shadows over your solar panel will reduce its power a lot.
Simon Piotrowski true, blocking half a panel usually diminishes 80-95% its efficiency
Wait! You glossed over the part I needed to know! haha. How do you keep the reflective window shade things in place on the side windows?!
Velcro for the ones on the side windows. The sun roof one just stays in place on its own!
So is it velcroed to the glass? Or is it around the edges? I'm in Texas during the summer and desperate. haha
I can imagine haha it must be insanely hot there right now. I used a double sided Velcro tape. One piece of the Velcro goes on the glass and the other piece goes on the Reflectix. It doesn't do so well with the heat on the glass though. On the back window I have it stuck to the plastic trim and that holds up much better.
But what if you work nights lol
3ar good point
ebay has a solar powered fan for 100 bucks.. automatically kicks on when sun hits the solar panels. I want to travel with my animals and need to find a way to keep it really cool.
awesome! can you also tell us how you survive winter in your element?
I haven't survived a real winter just yet! Coldest night I've experienced was around 24 degrees F in New Mexico. For that night, I just layered up (knit hat, socks, pj pants and sweatshirt) and used my cheap sleeping bag (rated to 30 degrees I believe).
how do you make money?
Hey do having the fan plugged in hurt your battery?
One question and an idea. Do you have any kind of screening for the windows to keep the mosquitoes and gnats out at night? I know the bugs are terrible in the deep south night and day during the summer. I thought of an idea for" stealth" camping. Spray paint the window covers black. It will just make the windows look real dark, It would not look the like window covered.
Good idea about the covers though I wonder how well paint will stick to flexible material? Also, black absorbs heat so probably not the best choice when in the heat/sun. Cheers!
Just treat you vehicle like its just a mobile bedroom and you will be just fine.
thax for your videos. Do you run the fan all night? You may have said but you were talking so fast and not really loud enough to catch it. I have my volume up at max. btw I camp in MY Element too. Have two 2" foamies on top each other custom cut narrow enough to put on both right side seats reclined and pieces of 5" foam for the valleys to get a relatively flatter bed. I have 2 foamies (both with zip off covers) because they roll up easier when removed and can be used by 2 peops for out of car lounging.
Right on! I'll usually run the fan all night ... unless I somehow get cold in the middle the night but that's pretty rare this time of year! It runs on my solar battery.
my fan is bettary operated
I've got battery/usb fan . I just plug it in to my mini portable power bank last 6hrs~recharge daily ~VELCRO BANK TO FAN 4inch cord. Move anywhere no cords to trip on and no batteries buy or re install ever.
Belmont Park!!!!!!
Did you install that panel
Thank you for sharing.
MommaFaye
White also helps
Does the skylight on the element open like a run roof?
It can be cracked open but it does not open all the way like a sun roof.
So, when I go to live in a van, there's no such thing as a little AC unit that you can keep running, for hours on end? I e seen RVs that have AC units on their roofs; how do they power those? Thank you!!
Any "cool" tips for Phoenix Arizona. I have to stay in the area because of work. But what I've found that I'm saving for, is a mini AC unit and portable solar panel. That's the only thing I can think of. Any other tips before I but these. I'll be at work during the day, so I need it at night.
I was under the impression that you could get arrested for sleeping in your vehicle in California? Stay safe :)
I'm trying out cardboard windows, I stay in my van during max plus 30 (Canadian temperature) I'm lucky enough to have a house fan, what is your isolated window things and how do you make them thank
Where can I find a great but inexpensive solar panel for a Mitsubishi Mirage?
Where is it you live again ,because we live in Wilmington/Leland North Carolina areas and we live in our van ,but we've been told it's against the law ?
I did expediting in a van I just ran the engine 24/7 for air conditioning
I feel like I wouldn't be able to deal with the heat in south Florida. What about padding the walls with insulation?
💜my Element💜
Greatest purchase of my friggin life
Where is there free parking in the San Diego area for overnight campers?
well you don't go when it's hot lol go in the spring or fall =)
Thank you. I got most of that covered. Bout to get reflectix for my windows.
Do you sometimes sleep with a window open for ventilation? If so, do u worry about safety? Thanks-im thinking about moving into my subaru outback. I live in Orange County, CA
Christine Crahan
Lived out of a 2001 honda civic and 2013 scion tc for years on and off in Orange county...
I always had my windows cracked and sunroof popped up..
No issues...
Just gotta use common sense and have a gym membership to shower...🙂
#1 tint your windows!
You would think the hotter it is, the greater the solar panels can work to cool things.
Can an AC unit of 3,000 BTU cool you, if you close off an even smaller area in your van? Can your solar panels produce the power for a 3,000 BTU AC?
If no AC, for a few hours can you be in super shade and still have overall energy?
Hey, Is 3000 BTU AC typical? I ask because it's normally not possible to power AC off of solar. Cheers!
Have you ever used or heard of those mini AC units that run off water (basically just a fan with a sponge and a water tank inside)? Wondering if that would be a good idea for sleeping at night, although I'd worry about there being too much moisture in the van and causing mold issues. I live in Arizona, so I'm not too worried about it... any thoughts? I'd only need to use it for the summer months, as it gets cold at night pretty much the rest of the year.
Marcus Bellon They call them swamp coolers and yes, mold humidity etc.
Can you post links to these items you mention please?
How do you get the 12V fan to work when you turn off the engine of the Element. When I turn off the motor of my 2005 Element the power plug ins do not work.Do you have that on your solar generator?
I have a solar system with a house deep cycle battery. It's not connected to the car battery.
Have you gone up to Big Bear yet it's knarley you'd love it ..lots of places to park. I used to have a rv and would go there to snowboard, did the mammoth trip once just to far.
Niki Gurle
I find Big Bear can get hot, but either because of the dry air, or higher altitude, the shade is truly pleasant.
can you show us how its like sleeping in the van?☺
yeah
Are you still living in your van?
go to mexico
do u run that fan off your solar battery or cigarette lighter plug in
solar battery. It plugs right into the 12v system.
Good info 👍😂Yup audio is low
No seatbelt? Really?
How do you keep the insulation in place on the windows?
I use Velcro tabs, double sided. One side on the shade one side attached to window trim of window. Try avoid putting on the glass though
good info. thanks. When one says amps (3) is that per hr. or what?
I believe he is referring to the amperage draw of the load while in use. Amp hours refer to the stamina of a battery, Your hair dryer draws 12 amps AC The fan he showed draws .5 amps while running or in use. DC TECH TIP when referring to voltage AC = "At Crib" voltage and DC = "Da Car" voltage. :) One is used in the house and the other in the car. AC alternating current DC direct current. AC is more dangerous because the alternating current cycles your muscles and doesn't allow them to release the power source when you get shocked. OK I'll stop now I can go on for hours :)
Sanctus Vianney NEVER heard that one, good teaching reference to share👍
😍
Don't you crack your windows?
If I'm not urban camping I will! In the city I'll just use the sunroof if it's hot at night.
@@ElementLife it's a moon roof. Sunroof is tinted, moon isn't so you can see it lol
So your tips on how to stay cool living in a van are to travel somewhere where it's cool out or get out of the van and spend the day somewhere that's air conditioned..
So the panel going out was a blessing in disguise. Now the van can be in the shade, panel in the sun!
Yes! It's been great so far
I’m kinda late but you can come live in my guest house with the looks you have 😉
Hey Nate, new subscriber, I have an 07 element, no 12 volt plug in in the back, would it be hard to run everything
With just the one 12 volt I have up front? Also I see you have surfboards on your roof, are you worried someone
Will try to steal them when you are sleeping or away from your vehicle-I hope not-...thank you Jake
Hey Jake. I have a separate battery system that I use to run everything. I don't use the 12v built into the Element. My surfboards are locked to the roof using stainless steel straps. There's a link on my website to them. www.elementvanlife.com/shop