Full time under a covered RV/Car Port

[gruehle]

We are currently full-time in our Cougar 5th wheel on our property while we build our home. We live in East Tennessee, at an elevation of 2200ft. We have been considering purchasing a covered steel RV port to help protect our roof from the UV Rays. Our unit is 12ft high at the kitchen area (highest point), The cover we are looking at is 14 ft high and 20ft wide with 3 foot horizontal side panels that come down from the top. The main question I have is, will this make living in it hotter or cooler? It seems like the A/C units should still have enough clearance, especially the one at the back, to vent properly. We don’t use the bedroom one as much, anyway. We would go with a white or silver roof to help reflect the heat.

I seem to find 50 different answers and opinions on the net, mostly because I have not found anyone who is doing this, or has the experience. Thanks much!

[Canonman]

My simple logic says "shade is cooler". Especially if you can also shade the side of the trailer most exposed to the sun. Usually the south side.

[dmcc625]

Not trying to persuade one way or the other, but I live in East TN as well. I have lived in a camper for several months while doing some remodel on my home. The metal carport covers definitely help with air conditioning. They also have the added benefit of roof protection from the sun and elements.

[JRTJH]

I think your concern is whether the heat from the rooftop air conditioners would "pool against the cover roof and be held in place by the short upper walls, and if that would make it "hotter under the cover than just parking the trailer out in the open".....

We park our trailer in a "completely enclosed pole barn and sometimes run the air conditioner while it's in the building"... I've found that it does get "a little warmer on the roof" when parked in the building, but not as hot as it is when standing on the roof with the trailer parked in direct sunlight on a hot day...

I'd add that my pole barn has ventilation in the ceiling and around the perimeter of the upper walls. If you're going to build an enclosure to park under, I'd make sure you do have some "roof peak ventilation" to help channel that air conditioner heat away from the upside down bowl created by the short upper sidewalls.

I don't see a problem with being parked in the shade under a cover as long as there's a way for the heat to escape through adequate roof peak vents.....

[dutchmensport]

The only thing I see that might be a concern is to make sure the air conditioner has enough air flow so the hot air blowing out of the roof AC does not get trapped creating even more heat on the roof, which would make the AC work harder too.

IF the edges of the cover are high enough to completely clear the height of the AC, then you'll have good air flow for the AC to vent. If the edges of the roof are lower than the AC, it will trap hot air. Make sure you have good air flow above the roof, that's it's completely open and I'm pretty sure you'll benefit a lot from a cover.

Also, you want to make sure the furnace side of the camper is not enclosed either. Those furnaces blow a LOT of hot air. You don't want a wall only a few inches from the furnace. If you decide to enclose that side, make sure you leave enough space the heat exhausting from the furnace does not catch anything on fire!

[rlh1957]

Covered parking saves your roof from UV rsys and is cooler in the shade.
If you can afford the tall pole barn cover that’s the way I’d go.

[Earle of Duke]

I alsp live in east Tennessee, go Vols! We have a 39' 5th wheel. It is 98% covered, and makes a huge difference. Protecting the rv roof from direct sun is the best you can do. We run our AC units, occasionally, and they run just fine. Our car port has side walls that drop down about 5' on each side. Both our ends are completely open.

[TXiceman]

Huge difference in heat load on the roof to keep the RV covered. A problem arises if you do not have sufficient height or good roof ridge ventilation, you will be recirculating the hot air from the A.C condenser back into the unit while will reduce capacity, increase power consumption of possibly damage the unit.

Ken