How I Beat the Heat with DIY Magnetic Solar Screens on My RV / Camper / Trailer

Beat the heat! How I built solar screens on my RV windows.

We've been in cooler regions of the United States this summer, so heat wasn't a problem -- but we had to come back to central Texas this month! Heat over 100 degrees! 

I made really nice adjustable, removable fabric awnings for my previous camper.
(If you want to know how, click here) 

I liked them a lot, and they are super cute, but they have a couple drawbacks. If it gets really windy in the middle of the night, they will bang on the camper. Sometimes loudly enough that you have to get out of your cozy bed and put them away.  It took a lot of time to make the awnings - making the solar shades take almost no time at all!

So, I came up with the idea of solar screen covers for the windows. There are a lot of advantages.  There is a video at the end of this article that shows how stable they are in a windstorm.

• They block up to 90% of the sun's heat.  
• Unlike the silver stuff, you can see through your windows and don't feel like you're living in a cave.  
• They are easy to put up and take down. 
• You don't have to remove them if it rains or is windy. 
• You can open and close all your windows, including the emergency window without removing them.
• You can have airflow through the trailer and still block the heat

Best of all YOU CAN SEE OUTSIDE!

The screens are held up with magnets and are easy to install and remove without a ladder. Interested? Read on to see how I did it!

Note: all my affiliate links will generate money for your favorite charity! They are all set to go to smile.amazon.com

How To Install A Real Working Stainless Steel Dishwasher In Your Tiny House Or Rv, Travel Trailer Or Camper

I am a big fan of modern technology! Did you know they actually make real stainless steel dishwashers that are only 17 inches tall and only uses 3 GALLONS OF WATER?  When I saw that there were small dishwashers that I could fit into my travel trailer, I knew I would have to get one! They will fit into virtually any RV, Camper or Travel Trailer.



A lot of people think it's silly or frivolous to have a dishwasher. However, there are many benefits of having a dishwasher in your RV / Camper / TT:

#1 - Steam and heat are contained. This is especially important in smaller RV's as humidity and condensation are a big issue. A lot of vapor goes into the air from a dishpan full of hot water.
#2 - uses only 3 gallons of water to wash up to 3 days worth of dishes
#3 - sanitizes the dishes
#4 - does a great job cleaning dishes
#5 - hides dirty dishes, no more dishes in the sink!
#6 - much better for my hands and back
#7 - more time for hiking/relaxing/playing games.

This is the one I got and I'm going to show you how I installed it.

How I Raised My Low Camper Sink! Added Storage Too!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOD EVER! I can't tell you how much I love this!! I go into the camper and just stand in front of my 'new' sink and smile!! It's so nice and much more comfortable! Plus it looks snazzy! and has new storage . . . .  

I love my camper!!! But one thing that has always been irritating is

No More Crappy Faucets! Plus Bonus Hidden Storage - Installing a Thermostatic Mixing Faucet in my Camper Trailer

This was written to install a thermostatic mixing faucet, but really, you could install any faucet using this method.

I decided to wait until we got home from camping to install the new faucet for the shower. You can see quite a few to choose from here (scroll down to mid-page) Some are really neat - square, or narrower than the one I got.

 I'm really glad I did! It was more complicated than I planned (isn't it always?)  For your convenience, I have posted affiliate links to the actual products I used.  Thank you for supporting this site with purchases made through links in this article. I really do appreciate it!

There are a couple issues with installing this faucet on a flat wall with flexible supply lines. The first is that the fittings that come with it are offset because it is actually designed to be installed into threaded copper pipes so it doesn't need any additional support. Since I am putting it through the side of a cabinet, I have to have a way to support it.

oOOPS! Or the Saga of the Crappy Plastic Faucet

We are on the first week of our first 2 month trip for the year. I am loving all the mods I've done to my little camper. By the way, I need to have a name for our camper, any suggestions? I'm not coming up with anything good :(  If you have an idea for a name for our camper, please make a suggestion in the comments section below - thanks!

This is what this post is about, do you know what it is?

Campers come with crummy plastic faucets. 

Replaced My Dinette with a Couch & Storage Bins! Step-by-Step Part 2

This is how the couch turned out. It takes up so much less room and is sooo comfy! Yet - it has exactly the same seating capacity as the original dinette!

I have updated the cushions with new fabric, post to come!

How I Added a Laundry to My Camper and You Can Too!! PLUS MORE HIDDEN STORAGE!

Eight weeks on the road is going to be a lot nicer! We now have a wonderful laundry! If you can find 18"x18"x35" you can have a wonderful laundry room too!! Here's how I did it.

Improve Your Views Add An Access Door

Well, not in the sense you are probably thinking ... Our camper has the water tank and pump under the bed.

It's awkward and difficult to access. The simple solution was

Kayaking with Manatees & Making a Marvelous Improvement to my Emergency Window

Here's a great way to improve air flow in your camper.

And it's so simple!