Lwb van too hot in summer without window?

[Murrley]

Would a well insulated lwb high roof van be uncomfortably hot to stay in in the summer if there were no windows open?

 

[Brains]

Lets put it this way.

If the Police/RSPCA find children or dogs in un-ventilated vehicles they smash the windows and prosecute

 

[Murrley]

Have you got a similar size van brains?

 

[Murrley]

I'll be living in it and I'm trying to figure out if i need an opening skylight for when i don't want my side windows open

 

[Mickthemove]

Definitely! it would become a mobile sauna............

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[ambulancekidd]

I had a LWB Sprinter conversion & the windows needed to be open if in sunlight, pitches under tree's were at a premium.

 

[two]

I'd put a skylight in. Hot air rises. Let it escape.

 

[DBK]

I think you could possibly manage, especially if the vehicle is light coloured but it depends how hot it is outside and what you are doing inside. We've shut our dog in our PVC with all the windows shut in temperatures over 30C but I do have a device which monitors the interior temperature and sends an email to my phone. I can watch the internal temperature climb slowly and it does move slowly but climb it will. No matter how well insulated the vehicle is if it is hotter outside then it will warm up inside. Insulation will delay this but it cannot stop it.
In the UK in a typical summer you might be comfortable, assuming you aren't cooking in the vehicle but it will be stuffy. An opening rooflight will make a big difference plus some low level vents to let air in.

 

[Brains]

Have you got a similar size van brains?

Mine is a LWB Mercedes Sprinter based vehicle

It has a large Heki roof window over the living area
Plus a small one over the sleeping area
Plus a small one over the loo area
Plus a standard Mercedes roof window over the driving cab area.

I think the question is not "Do I fit roof windows?",
it is "How many windows do I fit?"

As a minimum I'd suggest a Heki as big as you can get over the living area, and a small one over the sleeping area

 

[dipsie]

We met a couple on a C & CC rally last year who owned an Auto Cruise PVC camper, it looked nice with the flush Isothermic windows but as it was during a particularly warm period they were complaining about the lack of opening windows. They were ok during the day but were plagued with midges in the evenings as they could only cool the van down by opening all the doors.
Our Auto Trail V Line 635 SE has 5 opening windows with fly screen and 2 roof skylights which when all were deployed kept our van comfortable plus a retro fit flyscreen to the sliding door. We also have 2 clip on 10 inch 230v fans that work off an inverter via 2 X 115 amp batteries and a standard fit 100watt solar panel.
The V Line also has superb insulation which is a benefit during our winter months use but obviously it helps to slow down the build up of heat. The heat can still be a problem if you allow the heat to build up too much before opening everything up.

BernieT

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[jezport]

Would a well insulated lwb high roof van be uncomfortably hot to stay in in the summer if there were no windows open?

Yes it would, and I have a high top van.

 

[dipsie]

Opps, should have read AUTO SLEEPER not Auto Cruise.

BernieT

 

[Minxy]

Would a well insulated lwb high roof van be uncomfortably hot to stay in in the summer if there were no windows open?

I suppose it depends on if you like living as if you're the Christmas turkey cooking in an oven!

It WILL get VERY hot during the day ... even overnight it could still be so hot you won't be able to sleep.

You need to put in at least one, ideally two, roof windows/vents and also add a fan to extract the hot air through one which will encourage cooler air into the other so that you can create a through flow.