The story: why we almost quit

Chasing summer

For nine months through Mexico and Central America, heat stopped being a minor discomfort. It affected sleep,focus, remote work and whether Chasey could safely be inside with us.

The first setup

During our first six months in northern U.S. states and the West Coast, one roof vent and one marine fan feltadequate. Crossing into sustained tropical heat exposed that the system was ventilation, not refrigeration.

The expensive half-solution

We installed a compact 12 V truck A/C in the rear door. The bed became cool, but the minimally insulated cabstayed hot. We had created two climate zones inside one short van.

The turning point

We stopped shopping for one magic product and started reducing the load, moving the cold air and improvingthe A/C installation. That systems approach made the van livable.

System rule

Do not judge a cooling upgrade at the vent. Judge it by the hottest occupied zone, humidity, energy usedand whether the system can recover that energy safely.

CHAPTER CHECK

• I can explain which heat path this step addresses.• I measured its effect at front, middle and rear - not only by touch.• I added its power, failure mode, maintenance and safety action to the system plan.