Keeping a bit cooler in the summer

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by NoD~

I tried doing a pump-powered mister system to emulate a swamp cooler effect in my car (dry climate area). Though misting decently, it just didn't do much. I think I needed a higher PSI pump and maybe to relocate the mister itself to give it more path to absorb into the air.

You might know in Brazil swamp-coolers are popular among truckers, and are usually mounted in the roof of the vehicle. Nowadays there are some low-profile models which don't decrease the aerodynamics so badly. And, unlike a regular air-conditioneer, a swamp-cooler works better when there is a higher air flow thru the cab, no wonder many users get weathershields to keep the windows a little open while using the swamp-coolers.
workaround ideas to discuss among friends: Evaporative cooling: a low-budget yet energy-efficient way to improve thermal comfort in motor vehicles

workaround ideas to discuss among friends: Why to get a swamp-cooler in a truck?






Anyway, since your car already has a hole in the roof, it might be even easier to adapt a swamp-cooler

[some_other_dave]

I made a two-day trip though the middle of a Nevada desert summer. In a car with no AC, and a thin black plastic roof panel. The air was so hot that opening the window made it feel hotter inside the car than out. I had a dish-towel and a cooler full of melting ice in the car with me. Soak the towel in the ice water, then wrap it around my neck. I would need to refresh the towel every 10-15 minutes, but it only took a few seconds to do so.

That's not a trip I would like to make again, though. (Having the car break down a couple of times didn't help.)

-soD

[oil pan 4]

If you have your own parking area you could connect a portable A/C to your car with a duct.
I have a 1 ton portable A/C that wont be needed to cool the house after we move and want to use it for something like that.
This is not a window unit.

[serialk11r]

In Asia it's common to have bamboo "mats" on beds/seats/etc. for hot weather. It actually helps a lot with sweating especially with humid air. Dunno where you'd find them here in the US but I'm sure you can find it somewhere.

[RedDevil]

I'd like to point to last year's discussion on this subject.
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ona-26784.html

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by serialk11r

In Asia it's common to have bamboo "mats" on beds/seats/etc. for hot weather. It actually helps a lot with sweating especially with humid air. Dunno where you'd find them here in the US but I'm sure you can find it somewhere.

They're known by the Japanese as "tatami". Might not be so hard to find at any Chinatown, but I'm not so sure if they would fare so well in an automotive application.

[Cobb]

When I use to work for a trunking company all the isuzu npr, nqr and such cab over truck had a roof top vent for extra cooling of the interior space.

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Anyway, since your car already has a hole in the roof, it might be even easier to adapt a swamp-cooler

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Cobb

When I use to work for a trunking company all the isuzu npr, nqr and such cab over truck had a roof top vent for extra cooling of the interior space.

The swamp-coolers are usually mounted at those roof vents when they're factory-fitted to the truck, but when there is no such vent it requires the roof to be cut, and easily some crossmembers fitted to support the weight of the swamp-cooler, altough it's still not heavier than some air-conditioneer setups. I have already seen an NPR fitted with a swamp-cooler too.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by NoD~

So please post up all your suggestions to fight the heat and keep those fingers away from the fuel-robbing air conditioning button! (for those who still have that option.)

If you use the A/C during braking it saves brake wear and costs you no fuel. In city traffic it can be just about enough to keep you cool.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

They're known by the Japanese as "tatami". Might not be so hard to find at any Chinatown, but I'm not so sure if they would fare so well in an automotive application.

Why not? Pretty much all taxis in China have them. Beats sweating into cloth.