With summer temperatures far above average in many parts of the country right now, it is important to “keep your cool” when not driving. For some, the luxury of APU’s and other idle-free HVAC solutions are a handy tool against the heat when temperatures start to climb. For others without, it can be dang right excruciating! Unless you don’t mind burning fuel and causing excess wear on your engine from idling your engine, turning that key to the off position when it’s time to rest offers little comfort to those that have to rely on a breeze coming through the window and/or a 12V fan to keep cool. With heat during the day well above 90oF in my home area and breaking the 100oF mark in many others around the country, here is an interesting way for those without HVAC to find a little reprieve from the scorching summer heat!
As I combed through my Facebook pages the other day, a non-trucking friend of mine posted this picture that she took. Being that all of my previous trucks prior to my current daycab have had an HVAC system in them, it never fully appreciated how much of a pain in the rear the heat can really be while trying not to idle and remain comfortable during non-driving time. Her simple yet effective solution to above average temperatures made me think of my fellow brothers and sisters out there on the road and how they might use something like this. Her solution was to use an inexpensive styrofoam cooler, a small desk fan (USB plug, wall outlet, 12V), a couple PVC elbow joints, and something cold like ice to cool the ambient air temperature to a tolerable level. Simply Genius! (Photo courtesy of L. Kolar)
So I know what some of you are saying, “Ice can be expensive.” I most certainly agree that it can be quite pricey when purchased daily and especially so in many truck-only locations, where they might know you aren’t easily able to go anywhere else with seventy-five feet of truck and trailer to get it. The simple solution to this may be as simple as making your cold object providing the cooling effect inside the ice chest portion a “multi-tool” of sorts. In this little contraption, ice will give you the best cooling effect by far, but when in a pinch, things such as frozen water bottles can be used for the cooling effect in lieu of the bagged ice. This allows you to drink it after it has been used to cool your cab. Another alternative could be to use bagged ice in the chest for cooling the air, but also to stash some drinks in it as well, making it truly a “cooler” cooler!