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How to ventilate overnight

Started by MissionCreep, January 29, 2018, 06:32:49 AM

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MissionCreep

I've been lucky in the past (with traveling/sleeping weather) but now I'm planning to travel and car sleep a lot more.
Previously I've camped in vans and SUV's for 3-4 nights a year, but now I have a hybrid hatchback that is sleep-able with a platform...and I have the time and money to drive it around the country.

What can we do to achieve decent ventilation (reduce condensation, or allow heat to escape in summer*) without adding rain guards (window deflectors)? I don't want to add those things if I don't have to.

I'm envisioning being at a rest stop or parking lot and trying to be innocuous--and safe.
At a campsite, I can always just use a tarp.

My current plan is to crack the windows a sliver. Just enough to slip paper through, but barring torrential rain [which would wake me up, anyway] nothing should get in.
Maybe that's enough?

Obviously to the extent possible, I will open the climate control vents.

* Summer heat is its own animal...I assume I'll be up around dawn when its hot, so I'm not talking about day sleeping.

For day sleeping I'd try to come up with a screen solution...but that isn't safe for urban camping.
Or not safe enough for me to sleep well.

Zan_Tastic

I've been in my van for two years, I use battery operated fans to keep the air flow moving. I've tried things like cat litter in a sock that was supposed to suck the moisture out of the air but without much luck.
Portable fan (s) have proven best in my expeience


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Camper_Dan

Greetings & Welcome!

Get the rain guards so you can crack the windows about an inch without anyone knowing.

Ventilation is the only thing that works, because todays cars don't have true fresh air vents.

Good Luck & keep us posted!

Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!

MissionCreep

I have a 12v fan, which is also good to drown out noise as it's loud and blows a LOT of air around.

I'll think about the rain guards, I was just hoping someone had a workaround. I really didn't want to modify my vehicle either permanently or obviously.
(I *do* want to do that with a van, just not with my little hybrid. But if I'm gonna keep it for 200,000 miles+, who cares about resale anyway?)

These look SUPER easy to make, but obviously are not inconspicuous or safe. Still kudos to the guy for the simple design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlZldSlH2bY

Camper_Dan

I have read where some hybrids are capable of running their air conditioning without the vehicle running, and then the engine will start and stop itself as necessary to keep the batteries charged.  This doesn't sound very stealthy, or healthy for the car, but it may be an option for you.

Parking in the shade can beat the morning sun for quite a while as well. 

Many vehicles also have open air vents somewhere in the rear, so the incoming air from the heat or air conditioning has somewhere to escape.  These may be pretty well hidden, if they even exist, but if you can find them you might be able to rig something up to use them for your ventilation while parked.  If there is one on each side, a fan on one might keep enough outside air circulating through.



Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!