Date:         Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:36:49 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Camping and cooling
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I live and camp and work in Alabama where it gets unbelievably hot and
humid. Most of my camping and work is connected with my job as Executive
Director of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, and though the mugginess around
rivers is very intense but I'm out of the camper and on the water all day
anyway, usually. The best way to keep the rig cool is to keep it shady. If
you don't, even if the night is cool the camper will be hot, and so will
your food and water.

I have not wanted the extra weight or complexity of a conventional awning
setup, so a year ago I bought a $20 items at Dicks Sporting goods that was
meant to clip onto the roof rails on a minivan or similar. It's five feet
wide but about 12 feet long or longer, and it comes with two poles that you
assemble at the campsite, and it comes with plenty of guys and pegs and
grommets. The only problem has been how to attach it to the Vanagon. It took
a year to figure it out. I didn't want to make any holes, so when I finally
saw that Bus Depot had a set of clamps to keep a tube securely in a rain
gutter, I ordered a set and got my sewing machine running again. I sewed a
hem in the attachment end of the shade after cutting off the straps and
clips with a razor blade. A piece of 3/8 aluminum tubing slips right in and
drops in the rain gutter. The Bus Depot clamps keep that in place, and the
long sunbrella-type fabric of the canopy extends out and over the poles and
then to the ground to shield the camper from even the setting sun.

The whole thing sets up in a couple of minutes, weighs only a couple of
pounds, and stows in the overhead rear tray of the westy cabinet with the
rear bug screen and some extra room to boot.

If I want to use a different size (wider) shade, I can do that without
changing anything except hemming up a wider tarp and putting two grommets in
for the poles. Everything else, I can use what I have.

I will have it set up all this weekend where I can get some good pictures of
it in place and will have those available next week when I get back.

Jim