Roller Screen Awning Test

[jwh92020]

Don't know if this is gonna work but going to try and see. An old 8 ft sun shade off my patio. Attached it to the trim rail with 1 screw at each end (this is just a proof of concept test). 12 noon, 85 degrees outside, 87/88 inside. Shade is draped down over fenders and bungied underneath the trailer. If this idea works at all, I'll buy a 12 ft shade with 95% UV blocking. that will let it cover from where this one is attached at rear to just pat the side door toward the front. I'll use a diy pole set up to hold it up when camping. According to the mfg,there is no issue with having attached to the trailer going down the road, or using it horizontally as an awning. I'll use a couple of bungee balls to keep it rolled tight while traveling.


If it works, i'll come up with a mount set up like this for the poles.

[McDave]

I think you are onto something here. Any of that black solar collector you can hide from the sun will make it easier to cool. Very interested in the results.

McDave

[jwh92020]

McDave-
Outside temp hit 93 yesterday, inside got to 87. That is with window and vent closed tight. I opened the vent & window last night to exhaust the interior. At 7am today, outside was 70, inside was 70. I cracked open the roof vent, set the ac at 78 to see what happens. Just went out and checked. Outside is 88, inside is 78. AC fan is blowing but compressor was off. Compressor had run because there was condensate on the driveway. We are supposed to hit 93 today. I'll go check when we get close to that. Can only get a 10 ft shade, they don't make 12 footers. If I mount a 10 ft shade so the front edge is just past the front edge of the door, it should cover enough of the side to block quite a bit of the sun. When camping, it would be up like any other awning, in the driveway, it can be draped down like this one. May mount one one the other side just in case I have to park it with the driver side toward the sun. I would just let that one drape down when camping.

[McDave]

OK. Those sound like positive results so far. I do leave my roof vent cracked a bit almost always. It's in the bathroom but there is a vent from cabin to bath. This way I can run fan and draw from cabin. And ac cools bath. When AC not needed vent feeds fresh air to cabin. Well it seems your course is clear. The Sun is not your friend in the summer. However, those black panels could play to your advantage come fall/winter. You may want to think about strategic parking if possible. If you could arrange for a winter spot with southern exposure and summer on the North Side you could make a dent in heat/cooling needs. The awnings and screens are great for temporary and on the road, but if you didn't have to have them deployed full time at home, less to go wrong.
Keep us updated.

McDave


PS. I'm sure you have heard me discuss the Heliodon. Take a few minutes and explore what it can do for you.

[jwh92020]

McDave-
They don't have to be deployed full time at home, just trying to work it out before I go on the road again. I just got a Maxx Air type vent cover so I can leave the roof vent open 24/7 at home. I'm thinking of putting a clam shell type static vent in the upper rear corner on each side. That would allow for hot interior air to be pushed out when the a/c starts. When I'mentioned on the road, I can try to park in a way that minimizes sun exposure, but at home, the passenger side will always be exposed. I currently have a 12k but dual hose portable a/c in there, but I'm thinking it may not be the right unit for this application. In the last build, I used the same model and it worked fine so I used this one for this build (mainly because I had it). I'm thinking a 6k or 8k window unit would be more efficient. I can exhaust straight out the side wall where the portable sits, I just have to figure out an effective intake set up.