I won a FLIR One iPhone thermal camera when I attended the CES conference in 2020. I thought it was so incredibly cool. I had to have it. I ended up sitting through their demo four times before they called on me to answer the skill testing question. I won!
I was thinking that people were gonna make fun of me, obviously you understand how great it is!!! I was just checking my brakes and wheel bearings with it a minute ago... lol
Thanks for the great info! Really appreciate you and your channel and we've learned quite a lot from your videos. Because of the your insight (and the $500 discount you mentioned) we decided to purchase an XL 5x10 Hiker Trailer which we're scheduled to pick up by October. Can't wait! Hopefully we'll get to meet you sometime and thank you in person.😊
Sometimes the simple equals the best success. I had “popup gizmos” on the bed end tents of a popup camper a kind of refletics material reduced inside temperature 20-30 degrees and those who have popup campers know the issue. Great idea Brian thanks for all your great videos
Hi Brian, wow those are some great numbers when you think about cooling thing's down and in the end saving power. Great video and content, thanks for sharing.
I did something very similar when I was car camping and using an ice cooler to keep my food cold. The ice generally lasted 1-2 days longer when I threw a similar type of cover over it. Since I have a Class C, I use this all the time when the RV is parked, and the camper is always much cooler inside because of it.
Does the cover go on the outside of your class C or inside the windshield? If outside, is it difficult to set it up? This had me thinking that youd have to climb all over the hood to do it... lol
@@DIYOutdoorLife It goes on the outside. i can throw it across the hood, and then it hooks over the doors, a few magnets on the bottom, and some velcro straps to wrap around the mirrors. No hood climbing necessary! Pretty easy. It also serves as a privacy curtain at campgrounds.
That's crazy 50-60 deg. temp drop. I knew that the battery box got hot but didn't think it was that hot. I have thought when I get my fridge box to pink foam the inside with a 1/2 or more if it will fit to help with keeping it cool inside. but the two together would be awesome.
I think the two together would work extremely well. The insulation will help, but you have to keep the metal from getting really hot, hard to do when it's black.
Same hot box issue, so I dug around my truck gear box and found an old back seat dog cover. Thick material, light tan. I threw it on the box and the box temp dropped dramatically. I added a couple straps and use it whenever I’m parked. I’m going to paint my box lid white moving protection. Simple fix for big results.
Good ideas here. Im glad i came upon your channel because i have been looking for solutions. Akthough i have a small travel trailer. Byt my bed is right over the basement. Which is cavernous and heat filled. I need it vented . I was seeing these solar powered vent fans. It wont work for me, but maybe for you guys since you can put it on the top of your box. My fridge is struggling so the info on computer fans sou d good
That’s a good idea and a good point that you bring up, I have a custom tongue box on my Bushwacker and I ended up putting a vent on each side of the tongue box on the upper part, I don’t run a refrigerator up there but I do keep a gas generator in there along with the battery which having both of those in there and not having the battery in a separate compartment I don’t know if that’s a good idea or a bad idea I thought about painting my box white but like you I like the aesthetics of a black box.
The white box just doesn't look good, maybe a light gray would be OK. I couldn't believe how hot it was getting in there, I'm really happy with this as a temporary solution.
BTW - Bought the Bouge CIGS 100W flexible solar panel to install upon pickup of my new Hiker, and also purchased a couple of the windshield covers you highlighted and some of the rare earth magnets. Can't wait to try them out 😁. Thanks!
I'm working on a scheme for the outside of my Casita windows. On a recent trip I taped a foldable interior windshield sunshade on the outside of the rear window that was getting morning sun - made a big difference. Need a better solution - maybe reflectix with magnets (but the frames are aluminum). Also going to try taping reflectix on the underside of my trucks's tonneau cover - it gets really hot under there as well!
There's always a project, it never ends! With the reflectix, it actually has very little insulation, the majority of its ability comes from reflecting the heat. If you put it on the underside of the tonneau cover, it probably won't work very well, if you put it on top, it will look lousy. I always get stuck in that situation. Let me know how you're set up works out.
that's pretty nifty! I lined my battery box with reflectix and repainted it with gray bedliner, huge temperature difference. My fridges do not travel in the toolbox, I keep them in the TV, plus they have a reflectix "jacket" on them. I may do one of those covers as an add on. Great idea.
Do you have any recorded temperature numbers you can share? I've considered bedliner as an option too, how well is your bedliner holding up with rocks etc?
@@pierrelemoine986 I do not. I did it after a fellow camper on another forum did it and posted his numbers, but it was significant enough to make me do it. Besides, the paint on the battery box was flaking (and it was painted black, which definitely did not help anything). Lemme see if I can find his numbers. The bedliner is the sh*t!! I used gray Raptor, at least two coats and it is excellent. Edit: Found the old post, his numbers: 152F outside temp on the box surface (metal painted black) and 90F inside with reflectix lined walls and cover. Just painting the box a lighter color makes a big difference.
I am installing a solar set up as we speak and the heat is a big issue. So far, I can only think of vent fans, intake, exhaust, and wrapping the box with heat shielding on the inside. Another thought is using the portable AC vents. I could run a tube to the tongue box and then install a small PC fan to push the air that is being cooled in the RV into the tongue box. If that makes sense... Otherwise I am going to install a solar shade over the tongue box automatically from now on.
I still haven’t pulled the trigger on a lithium upgrade for my tag. One of my major considerations is an unwillingness to put a $1k lithium in the oven of the tongue box. Have been considering fashioning something like your rv shade from a $10 roll of insulated mylar from the orange store. If not that, I’d rather keep the battery mobile, and move it to the coolest location at camp.
Found a product to make an outdoor shower curtain that blocked light, and used to to block light in house(night shift worker) and noticed how cooler the room was, I then put it over the truck bed cover any noticed how much cooler my power station and fridge was in the bed of the truck. Didn't have a way to send link thru message and Amazon links are long, so didn't put in comment
On the 23-zero 270 awning there’s a rope channel on the front arm. I purchased an awning that slides into that channel and extends it over the tool box. It helps out adding shade. I looked for an amazon link, but apparently, it is no longer offered.
You have peaked my interest with this!!! is it actually 23 zero brand or something else? Even if the link is not available, can you give me the product name or any other info? I was looking to do the exact same thing to get some cover on my air conditioner.
@@DIYOutdoorLife I have a Hiker with a 23 zero. The awning is ALL- TOP from Amazon. Mine is I think 4.5 feet x 9 feet $15.00. There was a 6ft x 9 ft that would have fit better, but it was out of stock. From the driver’s side of the Hiker I extend a pole from my roof racks and the awning lies flat across the tool box. I stake the distal end to the ground. Works great for shade not so much for rain. I change the angle for rain run-off. This might be a good sewing project for your friend. Good Luck
Hi really like the channel, I do have a question about your tongue box set up, thats exactly what im looking to install on my teardrop do you have an email or away to contact you and get more info about it ? Thanks
Recently ordered aluminet shade cloth from Amazon to use on my hiker. If it works as I hope I may order a smaller one just to wrap around my tool box since my battery and solar controller are located there.
Check your email , I sent you detailed pictures of vents that I installed in my fridge box . I basically removed my box about day five of picking up my trailer and installed 3” vents on the back and the bottom under the fridge . The box stays cooler and I have an option of adding a fan if needed . So far a fan is not needed but I’m running just a fridge inside of the box .
@@pierrelemoine986 I used the 3” round aluminum RV vents , if you do a search for that you’ll find them . I used some that I’ve had for several years and several campers ago .
That link happens to be a 12 pack set for $209. You would probably only need 1 or 2 cans. The 2 can set is $47. The spray gun and cleaner add up to about $25
@@DIYOutdoorLife I don't see my first comment?? Maybe it was deleted because I put a link into it. On Amazon, Sprayman (brand) has a spray foam that says "Thermal & Sound Insulation" on the can. Looks like it would work perfect for what you are trying to accomplish. Check it out.. :)
@@DIYOutdoorLife My replies keep getting deleted??? Amazon has a thermal and sound spray foam product that you can coat the interior of your tongue box with a thin layer and it would help a bunch! The brand is Sprayman.
I won a FLIR One iPhone thermal camera when I attended the CES conference in 2020. I thought it was so incredibly cool. I had to have it. I ended up sitting through their demo four times before they called on me to answer the skill testing question. I won!
I was thinking that people were gonna make fun of me, obviously you understand how great it is!!! I was just checking my brakes and wheel bearings with it a minute ago... lol
Thanks for the great info! Really appreciate you and your channel and we've learned quite a lot from your videos. Because of the your insight (and the $500 discount you mentioned) we decided to purchase an XL 5x10 Hiker Trailer which we're scheduled to pick up by October. Can't wait! Hopefully we'll get to meet you sometime and thank you in person.😊
Aye congrats! I pick mine up in October as well! Xl 5x10 gang
That is awesome! I hope you keep us in the loop with how you make out by your XL 510... congratulations!
Sometimes the simple equals the best success. I had “popup gizmos” on the bed end tents of a popup camper a kind of refletics material reduced inside temperature 20-30 degrees and those who have popup campers know the issue. Great idea Brian thanks for all your great videos
Very nice, its amazing how big of a difference it makes!
Hi Brian, wow those are some great numbers when you think about cooling thing's down and in the end saving power.
Great video and content, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for watching!
I did something very similar when I was car camping and using an ice cooler to keep my food cold. The ice generally lasted 1-2 days longer when I threw a similar type of cover over it. Since I have a Class C, I use this all the time when the RV is parked, and the camper is always much cooler inside because of it.
Does the cover go on the outside of your class C or inside the windshield? If outside, is it difficult to set it up? This had me thinking that youd have to climb all over the hood to do it... lol
@@DIYOutdoorLife It goes on the outside. i can throw it across the hood, and then it hooks over the doors, a few magnets on the bottom, and some velcro straps to wrap around the mirrors. No hood climbing necessary! Pretty easy. It also serves as a privacy curtain at campgrounds.
@@twloughlin seems like a very similar product, awesome!
That's crazy 50-60 deg. temp drop. I knew that the battery box got hot but didn't think it was that hot. I have thought when I get my fridge box to pink foam the inside with a 1/2 or more if it will fit to help with keeping it cool inside. but the two together would be awesome.
I think the two together would work extremely well. The insulation will help, but you have to keep the metal from getting really hot, hard to do when it's black.
Same hot box issue, so I dug around my truck gear box and found an old back seat dog cover. Thick material, light tan. I threw it on the box and the box temp dropped dramatically. I added a couple straps and use it whenever I’m parked. I’m going to paint my box lid white moving protection. Simple fix for big results.
It definitely makes a huge difference, just the color change is unbelievable. Keep me in the loop with what works well for you.
Good ideas here. Im glad i came upon your channel because i have been looking for solutions. Akthough i have a small travel trailer. Byt my bed is right over the basement. Which is cavernous and heat filled. I need it vented . I was seeing these solar powered vent fans. It wont work for me, but maybe for you guys since you can put it on the top of your box. My fridge is struggling so the info on computer fans sou d good
Good luck with the project, keep us in the loop with what works!
That’s a good idea and a good point that you bring up, I have a custom tongue box on my Bushwacker and I ended up putting a vent on each side of the tongue box on the upper part, I don’t run a refrigerator up there but I do keep a gas generator in there along with the battery which having both of those in there and not having the battery in a separate compartment I don’t know if that’s a good idea or a bad idea I thought about painting my box white but like you I like the aesthetics of a black box.
The white box just doesn't look good, maybe a light gray would be OK. I couldn't believe how hot it was getting in there, I'm really happy with this as a temporary solution.
BTW - Bought the Bouge CIGS 100W flexible solar panel to install upon pickup of my new Hiker, and also purchased a couple of the windshield covers you highlighted and some of the rare earth magnets. Can't wait to try them out 😁. Thanks!
I bring a little notebook with me, every time I camp in the new Hiker I had some things. I'll keep going until Im broke!
@@DIYOutdoorLife I expect to do the same LOL 🤣. I've already picked up stuff I want to add. Just don't have the trailer yet 😜
I'm working on a scheme for the outside of my Casita windows. On a recent trip I taped a foldable interior windshield sunshade on the outside of the rear window that was getting morning sun - made a big difference. Need a better solution - maybe reflectix with magnets (but the frames are aluminum). Also going to try taping reflectix on the underside of my trucks's tonneau cover - it gets really hot under there as well!
There's always a project, it never ends!
With the reflectix, it actually has very little insulation, the majority of its ability comes from reflecting the heat. If you put it on the underside of the tonneau cover, it probably won't work very well, if you put it on top, it will look lousy. I always get stuck in that situation. Let me know how you're set up works out.
@@DIYOutdoorLife yeah I know I’m just hoping for something lol
that's pretty nifty! I lined my battery box with reflectix and repainted it with gray bedliner, huge temperature difference. My fridges do not travel in the toolbox, I keep them in the TV, plus they have a reflectix "jacket" on them. I may do one of those covers as an add on. Great idea.
Do you have any recorded temperature numbers you can share? I've considered bedliner as an option too, how well is your bedliner holding up with rocks etc?
@@pierrelemoine986 I do not. I did it after a fellow camper on another forum did it and posted his numbers, but it was significant enough to make me do it. Besides, the paint on the battery box was flaking (and it was painted black, which definitely did not help anything). Lemme see if I can find his numbers. The bedliner is the sh*t!! I used gray Raptor, at least two coats and it is excellent.
Edit: Found the old post, his numbers: 152F outside temp on the box surface (metal painted black) and 90F inside with reflectix lined walls and cover. Just painting the box a lighter color makes a big difference.
@@caver6292 152F wow! That's insane. Glad to hear the bedliner is a good option. Thanks for the share!
Good stuff, I wish YT let us send photos, I'd love to see that set up!
I am installing a solar set up as we speak and the heat is a big issue. So far, I can only think of vent fans, intake, exhaust, and wrapping the box with heat shielding on the inside. Another thought is using the portable AC vents. I could run a tube to the tongue box and then install a small PC fan to push the air that is being cooled in the RV into the tongue box. If that makes sense... Otherwise I am going to install a solar shade over the tongue box automatically from now on.
Exactly. This worked really well, might even be the permanent solution, but I've been thinking a lot about ventilation as well.
Atta way of maintaining your focus while that fly kept landing on your legs lol.
Haha... by the end of this video I needed a Benadryl! 🤣
Great info thank you!!
Thanks Tom, see you soon!
I still haven’t pulled the trigger on a lithium upgrade for my tag. One of my major considerations is an unwillingness to put a $1k lithium in the oven of the tongue box. Have been considering fashioning something like your rv shade from a $10 roll of insulated mylar from the orange store. If not that, I’d rather keep the battery mobile, and move it to the coolest location at camp.
It's a real consideration, batteries, do not want to be baked. Keep us in the loop with what you come up with and how it works!
Found a product to make an outdoor shower curtain that blocked light, and used to to block light in house(night shift worker) and noticed how cooler the room was, I then put it over the truck bed cover any noticed how much cooler my power station and fridge was in the bed of the truck. Didn't have a way to send link thru message and Amazon links are long, so didn't put in comment
The truck cap is another oven, I've been using the same thing to cool that down, I'll look for these shading shower curtains!
You could probably slow-cook some ribs in there!
Haha... I think it would be possible!
On the 23-zero 270 awning there’s a rope channel on the front arm. I purchased an awning that slides into that channel and extends it over the tool box. It helps out adding shade. I looked for an amazon link, but apparently, it is no longer offered.
You have peaked my interest with this!!! is it actually 23 zero brand or something else? Even if the link is not available, can you give me the product name or any other info? I was looking to do the exact same thing to get some cover on my air conditioner.
@@DIYOutdoorLife I have a Hiker with a 23 zero. The awning is ALL- TOP from Amazon. Mine is I think 4.5 feet x 9 feet $15.00. There was a 6ft x 9 ft that would have fit better, but it was out of stock. From the driver’s side of the Hiker I extend a pole from my roof racks and the awning lies flat across the tool box. I stake the distal end to the ground. Works great for shade not so much for rain. I change the angle for rain run-off. This might be a good sewing project for your friend. Good Luck
Very cool! (you see what I did there)
Haha... 😎 🥶
Hi really like the channel, I do have a question about your tongue box set up, thats exactly what im looking to install on my teardrop do you have an email or away to contact you and get more info about it ? Thanks
diyoutdoorcontent@gmail.com
The tongue box was made by Hiker Trailer
Recently ordered aluminet shade cloth from Amazon to use on my hiker. If it works as I hope I may order a smaller one just to wrap around my tool box since my battery and solar controller are located there.
Great idea, I havent decided curtains yet.
Check your email , I sent you detailed pictures of vents that I installed in my fridge box . I basically removed my box about day five of picking up my trailer and installed 3” vents on the back and the bottom under the fridge . The box stays cooler and I have an option of adding a fan if needed . So far a fan is not needed but I’m running just a fridge inside of the box .
Can you post links to the vents you used?
Got it, nice job!
YT generally deletes peoples comments people leave w links. If Kenneth emails the link to me, I can post it here.
@@pierrelemoine986 I used the 3” round aluminum RV vents , if you do a search for that you’ll find them . I used some that I’ve had for several years and several campers ago .
@@DIYOutdoorLife I think they came from the local hardware store but I noticed that e trailer and Amazon has a good selection.
That link happens to be a 12 pack set for $209. You would probably only need 1 or 2 cans. The 2 can set is $47. The spray gun and cleaner add up to about $25
Did you accidentally leave this on the wrong video? I have no idea what you're talking about about spray gun and cleaner?
@@DIYOutdoorLife I don't see my first comment?? Maybe it was deleted because I put a link into it. On Amazon, Sprayman (brand) has a spray foam that says "Thermal & Sound Insulation" on the can. Looks like it would work perfect for what you are trying to accomplish. Check it out.. :)
@@DIYOutdoorLife My replies keep getting deleted??? Amazon has a thermal and sound spray foam product that you can coat the interior of your tongue box with a thin layer and it would help a bunch! The brand is Sprayman.
How eaten up were your legs after filming this?
Thank you so much for this observation... haha I really wanted to deliver a good video, but horseflies were biting me the entire time!!!!
Why refrigerators of every sort don't have means of ventilation keeps me wondering um uhh...why.
We know what kind of difference it makes, even a battery powered fan changed everything.
I did not want 1st anyways. 2nd.
Haha 2nd is good!
2nd is after all, the 1st loser. 😉
#1👍🏻
Nice!
I like how you roll with the "easy and least invasive fix" option.