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How to Keep Your Tiffin Wayfarer or other RV Cool in Hot Weather
Prior to purchasing our Tiffin Wayfarer we did lots of research about the pros and cons. Many people complained about the inability to keep the motorhome cool when in hot weather, especially when parked in direct sunlight. We were not overly concerned as we typically do not try to keep our RVs very cool anyway. Upon picking up our RV we quickly learned that this is an issue. We spent our first night in Orlando in a campsite in direct sunlight and were unable to keep the Wayfarer cooler than 84 in the hottest part of the day. We travel with a dog so this is not acceptable. We noticed that the cab gets very hot, which is even a noticeable problem when driving down the road in Mercedes Sprinter type motorhomes.
We quickly went to work trying determine the best methods for keeping our Tiffin Wayfarer motorhome (although most of these ideas will work on any RV, camper, or 5th wheel) cool in the Florida heat, especially when your campsite has no shade. Below we will discuss the things we did to cool down the Wayfarer. We will present these items / ideas in order, in my opinion, of importance, with most important items presented first.
#1 Ceramic Window Film (Tint) on Sprinter Cab
The number one upgrade that we did to our Tiffin Wayfarer motorhome to help cool it down was to add CERAMIC tint to the cab. I put CERAMIC in all caps because that is the important part… window tinting blocks a little heat but nothing like a high quality CERAMIC window film. It is amazing to see how much heat is blocked by the microscopic ceramic particles embedded in this window film. The great thing is that these window films come in completely clear and in any different level of tint. This is great when tinting the Sprinter windshield as you can do the whole windshield in clear and block 80 – 90 percent of the heat from coming through. We opted to do a darker strip (glare guard) along the top of the windshield and we tinted the side windows of the Wayfarer cab with a little tint (not clear). This was the best thing we ever did for our Tiffin Wayfarer as it makes it easier to keep your RV cooler when parked in the sun and it makes it more comfortable when riding down the road in sunny weather. I am going to present your with a link to this type of tint for sale on line. I do this for information purposes only and I would highly recommend you have a local tint company handle this project for you. We had a mobile tint company come right to our house and apply the window film on the cab of our Tiffin motorhome for us.
#2 Sunshade on Windshield and Cab Side Windows
As mentioned previously, the cab seems to be the primary source of heat when parking the Tiffin Wayfarer in the sun so our next suggestion also addresses that problem. Most people want to block our the windshield and side cab windows blocked for privacy anyway so why not use high quality sun deflecting sunshades to achieve that goal. Even with the ceramic tint blocking most of the heat from coming through the windshield, adding the silver sunshades to the cab of the Mercedes Sprinter makes a noticeable improvement.
There are many sunshades on the market but after doing our research we selected these based on reviews on performance and fit. Many customers complain about other brands not fitting well but these are specifically designed for the Mercedes Sprinter Van and fit perfectly. The Autotech Windshield Sunshade fits perfectly and is held in place by the sun visors being flipped down behind it. It goes up in seconds and is so easy to store. It folds up and stores in an included storage bag.
Once you have the windshield of your Tiffin Wayfarer protected from the sun it is time to cover the driver and passenger windows of the Mercedes Sprinter cab. We love the YelloPro Side Window Sunshades for our Tiffin Motorhome. They fit the Mercedes Sprinter cab perfectly and can be stored flat or rolled up for storage. We lay them flat on the bunk overhead. They stay put on the side windows of your motorhome thanks to two suction cups and the perfect fit. The provide protection from the heat and privacy for your motorhome.
Tiffin Wayfarer / Mercedes Sprinter VanÂ
#3 Roof Vent / Skylight Insulator / Cover
The next most important place we feel needs to be addressed to keep your Tiffin Wayfarer cool in the hot weather and direct sunlight is the roof vents and skylights. These tend to let a lot of heat through but this can be easily mitigated. We used two accessories to address the skylights and roof vents. The first, and probably most important are the Insulated RV Roof Vent Covers and the RV Skylight Insulated Covers (verify the sizes you need). Both of these are inexpensive yet efficient methods of keeping the sun and heat from entering your Tiffin Wayfarer or other RV through the vents and skylights.
The second accessory we used to reduce heat coming through the roof vents was the MaxxAir Vent Covers. These are simple to install thanks to the EZClip Hardware. We used the white to reflect as much heat as possible. The MaxAir RV vent covers are also great if you forget and leave your vents open and it starts raining. It also protects your vents from highway speed winds should leave them open while traveling. They are really a must have for any RV.
#4 Other Misc Ideas for Keeping Your Tiffin Wayfarer Cooler
We have now covered the things that we think make the biggest difference in keeping your Tiffin Wayfarer (or other RV) cooler on those hot summer days. Here are a few other ideas that we ran across while researching how to keep a motorhome cooler in the direct sun but did not implement ourselves. We felt that we were able to get our Tiffin Wayfarer plenty cool using the items discussed above. Some people have all of the windows in their RV, motorhome, camper, or 5th wheel tinted with the ceramic window film. I do feel that this is a great idea but it is pricey. If you have large windows in your RV and are unable to keep your camper cool enough, this would be a great next step. The windows on our Tiffin Wayfarer 25RW are all fairly small and do not seem to be a major heat source, at least when compared to the cab windows. Again, CLICK HERE to see a link to this type of tint for sale on line. I do this for information purposes only and I would highly recommend you have a local tint company handle this project for you.
The next thing that many RV owners do to help regulate the temperature in their unit is using Reflective Foam Thermal Insulation. This can be placed on the inside of walls that you determine to be letting heat (or cold) into your RV. CLICK HERE to check out one that we have used on other projects with great success. Many people use this silver reflective RV insulation inside the back of cabinets, back of the closet, back of the panty and behind the couch, recliners, or theater seating. Again, we felt we were able to control the heat using previously discussed techniques but if you still need more heat shielding, this is a great option.
- Quality Brass Construction
- Lead Free
- Built-In Gauge
- Adjustable
- Easy to Use
- Great Price
RVGuard
Water Pressure Reg
Adjustable with Built-In Gauge
Camco RV Sewer Hose Kit
Ok, it is no one’s favorite job but… someone has to do it! When we were looking for the perfect RV Sewer Hose Kit for our Tiffin Wayfarer Motorhome, this kit by Camco came highly recommended and has worked out great for us. One thing that we did have to figure out on Tiffin was were to store the sewer hoses. This kit comes with two 10′ sections. Most of the time one section will work fine. Occasionally, we do have a need to use the second section to reach a distant sewer connection. On our 2023 Tiffin Wayfarer 25RW we only had one sewer hose storage tube which was mounted right below the utility bay. It fits one 10′ section of sewer hose. At first we were storing the extra hose in the utility bay (the one where you connect water, sewer, cable) but I always felt this was keeping this bay contaminated. On a recent trip to Winfield I requested a second sewer hose storage tube be installed under our RV. After searching all under our Wayfarer the tech said there was no where to put another storage tube. I was bummed but, being determined, I figured out another solutions. We purchased another RV Sewer Hose Storage Tube (CLICK HERE to read about the storage tube) and we placed in the back of the large storage bay on driver’s side of our 25RW. Like I stated, we do not use this second section of sewer tube very often so I so not mind pulling the storage tube out of the bay to retrieve the second section when necessary.
Back to the Camco RV Sewer Hose Kit… This kit is perfect for the Tiffin Wayfarer. It has everything you could need and is constructed of high quality materials and components. It collapses easy for storage and comes with storage caps to keep your storage tubes clean when put away. The included transparent elbow is very handy for letting know when your tank is clean when performing a sewer tank flush.
CLICK HERE
to read all about the features and functionality of the CAMCO RV Sewer Hose System. We have found it to be the best kit for us while traveling in our Tiffin Wayfarer Motorhome. You will love how the ends swivel so the hose never gets in a bind. The end caps are great for keeping your storage tubes clean between uses.
CLICK HERE
CAMCO RV Sewer
Hose Kit
Must Have Accessory for Tiffin Wayfarer
Govee RV Temperature / Humidity Monitor
This and the next product we will discuss for the Tiffin Wayfarer were, for us, important because we travel with our dog, Dani. Making sure she is safe if very important to us. We would never recommend leaving your pet in your RV for extended periods when temperatures may reach extremes if the power was to go out. These devices give us the ability to make quick runs out that are not too far and will alert us immediately should our RV have an issue that may present a dangerous environment for our little dog. These devices are also use by many RVers without pets so they can monitor their RV remotely and when in storage. Let me start off by stating that these devices require a wifi connection. I will not go into great detail about the best ways to have wifi in your RV but will tell you that we have an AT&T WiFi hotspot that stays in our Tiffin Wayfarer all of the time, even in storage. CLICK HERE to see the one that we use that we have been very satisfied with. We purchased it on Amazon and then took it to AT&T for activation.
The Govee RV Temperature and Humidity Monitor has been working great for use and is easy to use. Once connected to your WiFi, you can use an app to set up alert parameters of your choice. You can set high and/or low temperature thresholds. When one of these thresholds is exceeded you are instantly alerted on your cell phone. This works great when you are camping and out of the RV for a while to alert you that there is an issue. It is also great for when your Tiffin Motorhome is in storage and the humidity is getting higher than you like! It is really not important for us but the data is stored for two years should you ever want to go back and see how the temperature and humidity fluctuates in different locations or seasons.
Monitor the temperature and humidity in your RV remotely for peace of mind.
Easy to use.
MySpool Power Failure Detector / Alert
The second device that we used to monitor our RV when we are not it if is the MySpool Power Failure / Outage Detector. We plug this power outage detector into the plug in the bathroom of our Tiffin Wayfarer as this plug is not powered by the inverter. This device is also connected to our AT&T WiFi hotspot. Within seconds of the power going out we received an email and a text message letting us know that the power has gone out in our motorhome. This alerts us to the possibility that the camper may start getting too hot or cold and we need to start making our way back to the RV. The benefit to this when compared to the Govee Temp Monitor discussed above is that you are alerted sooner. Â
The MySpool device sets up easily on the MySpool website. CLICK HERE to read about the set-up process. There is not an associated app for this device but it can be set to send you alerts via text and or email. It also lets you know when the power comes back on. This is nice as often, when the power goes out, it nearly instantly comes back on and does not cause a problem. This device is equally handy when our Tiffin Wayfarer RV is in storage. Where we store the motorhome it is plugged into a 30A plug with the air set at 84 to keep the Florida humidity from getting too high while in storage. If the power goes out and does not come back on we know, remotely, that we need to go check on things.
Know nearly instantly when the power goes out in your RV / Camper / Motorhome / 5th Wheel.
Receive text and/or email when the power goes out or comes back on in your RV.
CAMCO RV Leveling Blocks
Our 2023 Tiffin Wayfarer 25RW came with the Big Foot Automatic Leveling Jacks. When it is calibrated correctly, it works great and is quick and easy. With this system I thought we would not need leveling blocks like we have used on campers in the past… not so fast. I noticed that sometimes when we level our Wayfarer the front tires end up off the ground. I spoke to a technician at the Wayfarer warranty shop in Winfield and he said you do not want the front tires off of the ground when leveling. Now, when we are leveling the Tiffin I do things a little different. If the front of the RV is significantly lower than the back I drive the front tires up on our CAMCO Leveling Blocks prior to putting the Big Foot jacks down. This way, after leveling, the front tires are on the blocks and not dangling in the air.
The CAMCO RV Leveling Blocks are perfect for the Tiffin Wayfarer. They store easily with a screw down handle that pops up for easy carrying. They are very lightweight while being plenty strong and durable for leveling the Tiffin Wayfarer RV. This leveling kit comes with 10 blocks that interlock in various ways to set up a ramp that is easy to drive the motorhome up onto. CLICK HERE to see the exact size of each block and of the whole stack. We have been using these for a while now with our Tiffin RV and love them. We have used them with previous bumper pull campers and have never had an issue with them.
More Accessories for the Tiffin Wayfarer RV Coming Soon
As we continue our journeys in our Tiffin Wayfarer motorhome, we will continue letting you know what is working and not working for us. Check back often to see what we have added! Thanks for stopping by!!!
More Coming Soon