Stay Coolie In Your Skoolie

We are from Florida, 10 months out of the year it is hot and humid and the other 2 months it is hot and not as humid. Along with dodging hurricanes and everyday showers, snakes and alligators, and trying to not get killed by the notorious “Florida Man” (Google that and see the insanity that takes place here), we have to do a lot to stay cool.

The humidity and heat are two of the reasons we are getting out of Florida.

Here is a list of the things we have used in our quest for comfortability in our new tiny home.

To make it easier for you to make a shopping list I have included Amazon links* to the items we have used.

Insulation

When looking at our skoolie build we know that we want to be cool. The first thing we did is figure out our subfloor. Insulation is important. The right insulation can be a real difference in how your home feels, both when it is hot and when it is cold.

We chose to build our subfloor with 2×2 lumber. In the spaces between the studs on the floor we used Johns Manville R-19 Batt Insulation. The sheets of insulation were easy to configure around our studs, and even in the wheel wells. We didn’t choose this type of insulation for its temperature insulation qualities only. It gave us better sound insulation too. Reducing the tire noise to a low hum.  Amazon Link https://amzn.to/2ogvCUF

Window tint

 

Our bus came with window tint already installed and I can’t imagine not having it now. But if your new rolling home doesn’t have tint on the windows we highly recommend doing it yourself. Along with lowering the inside temperature it can provide some privacy as well, depending how dark or even reflective your tint is.

Tinting your own windows can be an easy and cheap way to keep your home a little bit cooler. Try this DIY kit: https://amzn.to/2wrZ7qh

Fans

It is great to have fans. Beyonce has millions, even though she’s not that great, but what you are looking for in your home is something that sucks and blows air, something Beyonce does as well…

Okay, all jokes aside. Fans are important to pull out humidity and keep proper ventilation. They are also great if you need to get the smoke out after burning your dinner. There are a few different options that you can choose from. If you have top emergency hatches you can fashion a typical box fan to hang in the opening. If configured right the fan can be turned to either suck air out or push air in. The guys over at The Voyager Project made a great video showing how they did theirs. Watch it here.

If you are looking for a more permanent roof top fixture Fantastic Fans are a popular choice among Van Dwellers and Skoolie Builders. They are easy to install, powerful, and quiet fans that can be mounted and wired in an afternoon, even for a DIY’er with no experience. There are other manufacturers out there, but Fantastic Fans is a well known and well documented brand that deserves consideration if you are in the market for a new roof top fan. You can get one for your project here.

Henry’s Tropicool

Henry’s Tropicool Elastomeric Roof Sealant is a great investment for our little ovens on wheels. Coating the roof with the recommended 1/8 inch can reduce the inside temperature drastically.

We used Tropicool on our roof and the results are incredible.

Just the other day we mounted our air conditioner on the roof and found the surface to be cool to the touch. Impressive considering the 93 degree heat that had been baking it all day. To us this is the single best thing you can do to mitigate the heat in your skoolie. Amazon has many options when it comes to Henry’s brand, this is our pick.

Air Conditioner

Speaking of Air Conditioners we decided to go with a Dometic Duo Therm Brisk 2 15000 BTU unit for our build. We just recently installed this unit on our bus and have to say that it was an easy process. Dometic is a brand name that has years of quality service and durability to its name. Their customer service agents are friendly and knowledgeable, handling questions over the phone and email.

Choosing an air conditioner unit is a large decision and we recommend really doing your homework. Some things to take into consideration when choosing your air conditioner unit are the size of your bus, the relative temperatures and humidity levels of the area you live and where you plan to travel. The AC unit you choose could be a large portion of your budget and your travel plans may not require adding one at all. Lucky you.

When looking at our options for climate control we also decided to add in the optional heat strip to our unit. This was a super simple and cheap addition and took no more than 3 minutes to install on the control panel.

 

Staying cool on the road can make your adventures that much more enjoyable. These 5 things have made a tremendous impact on how comfortable our bus is, especially this summer in Florida and we hope that this list helps you in making considerations in you own build.

 

* All links direct to Amazon product pages. We are part of the Amazon Affiliates Program. We want to be clear about this program and why we chose to take part in it. This allows us to link to the products we use and recommend and if you use the link provided Amazon pays us a percentage of the price. This doesn’t add anything to the price of the products on your end. We thank you for your time and any items you purchase using these links.